Why Advertise?

Banquet facilities – also called “event sites” – and related services are found in several different types of food service operations, such as the following: freestanding facilities that provide space and party-related service for events; hotels with on site catering and banquet sales staff; restaurants that host special events in their catering and private dining areas; historic homes, museums, concert halls, stadiums and country clubs that rent out their banquet facilities; and hospitals, universities, and “contract employee feeders” (non-commercial operators) that serve patients, students and employees and also cater events.

• Be cognizant of and ready to explain labor costs and the logistics that
  will be required to transport people to and from the site – and be upfront
  about any activity restrictions associated with the site.
• For corporate events, thoroughly understand the goals of the meeting
  or event: Will there be intensive training sessions? Will attendees need
  to use laptops or take notes? Is the meeting formal or casual? How
  much free time will be built into the schedule? Is there fl exibility as to
  when lunch or dinner can be served?
• Be flexible and accommodating when clients make special requests.
  Events often require that equipment is delivered in tight “windows of
  opportunity,” so staff should always be on hand to oversee delivery and
  ensure that equipment is secure and installed without problems.
• Ensure that any technical aspects associated with providing the
  entertainment can be hidden from view when the space is in use, to
  maintain ambiance and a clutter-free environment.
• Make available technical, design and audio team personnel before and
  during all phases of the event, to help make planners comfortable that
  the event will occur as they envision.
• Be creative in adapting the facility to refl ect the theme that the planner
  or client has chosen.
  

Event Solutions, www.event-solutions.org
Special Events, www.specialevents.com
Catersource LLC, www.catersource.com

Independent, community-based book stores were once the first place people looked for books, but beginning in the 1960s, chain book stores began appearing in malls across the country. These were followed by bookstores offering discounts on slightly damaged books or books that had been purchased from other stores that had gone out of business.

• Make the store a community-centered space. Host book signings and
  lecture series by authors, and keep books by local authors in stock.
  The more events that take place, the better.
• Encourage employees to be creative and come up with ideas for
  making the store more money. Employees may think of something that
  will even create a new job or role for themselves.
• Initiate a profi t-sharing program for employees to involve them in
  making the business a success. Post sales results from the same
  quarter in the previous year, so that employees know that they will
  receive a check at the end of the quarter if they exceed the past year’s
  quarterly sales figure.
• Offer free wireless Internet (wi-fi ) access for customers in a
  designated area of the store. Doing this will draw in new people. And
  people entering a store to use a wi-fi hotspot are likely to purchase
  something. Also, having a wi-fi hotspot helps give the store a
  progressive character.
• Hold a store wide sale on a particular day of the year, such as New
  Year’s Day. Publicize the sale during the month before the sale day.

Sources: Santa Cruz Sentinel, April 29, 2007; Publisher’s Weekly, April 30, 2007; ABA, February 21, 2007 and January 18, 2007.

Industry Resources:

American Booksellers Association, www.bookweb.org
Publishers Weekly, www.publishersweekly.com
Association of American Publishers, www.publishers.org

1. Be an effective, enthusiastic communicator, to take advantage
   of opportunities to network and speak to the public.
2. Equip the studio with great flooring, the right lighting, and the
   proper height ceilings (so dancers can “lift” one another).
3. Hire hands-on, people-oriented instructors.
4. Create solid advertising programs to keep the studio’s name in
   front of the public.
5. Offer as much as possible under one roof, while maintaining
   high quality.
6. Hold exceptional, exciting events.
7. Be a good listener and be open to suggestions from
   instructors and students.
8. Develop business savvy (including a plan for sustained
   growth and profitability, with built-in flexibility if it doesn’t
   appear to be working).

Here are informative industry websites:

Dance Teacher www.dance-teacher.com
National Dance Council of America, Inc. www.ndca.org