How to drive footfall with creative events
Giving your customers additional reasons to venture out is important right now. One proven way of driving footfall is hosting enticing events like quizzes or live music.
We all know that 2024 is likely to be another year of challenges for the trade with the continuing cost-of-living crisis, inflation, and high energy bills pushing down footfall to hospitality venues.
Market research from CGA, carried out in October 2022, found that 39% of consumers are going out less frequently because of cost-of-living concerns.
CGA data also found that 79% of consumers are “concerned” or “very concerned” about the crisis.
So, is it all doom and gloom? Not necessarily, because we also know that many people still want to go out and have a good time with family and friends and leave their worries behind for a few hours now and again.
It goes without saying that this means offering great products in a great environment served by friendly staff – but to really maximise footfall, sales and profits, it makes sense to give your customers extra, enticing reasons to visit your venue.
One tried and tested way of doing just that is by hosting special events like pub quizzes, live music or race nights. Events like these can help to drive footfall on typically quieter nights of the week. They can also make weekend nights even busier.
Hosting events certainly doesn’t need to involve rocket science or big investments. All that is required is a little thought and planning.
QUIZ NIGHTS
One of the simplest and most effective ways of driving additional footfall is with a good old traditional pub quiz. A proven winner, the great British pub quiz is a social and cultural institution. It’s one of the best ways to encourage customers off the sofa and into the pub on a weekday night.
To help venues take advantage of this huge opportunity, and to make it as easy to host a pub quiz as possible, Old Speckled Hen is offering permanent keg stockists everything they need to create a footfall-driving event: a pub quiz in a box.
Old Speckled Hen is the bestselling traditional premium ale in the UK. It is all about unlocking the rewards of curiosity through its superior taste, so there is no better brand to hero the great British pub quiz.
Whether you are a novice to the pub quiz scene, or you already run a quiz but would like some help with activation and promotional support, Old Speckled Hen has got you covered.
PUB QUIZ IN A BOX
The Old Speckled Hen ‘pub quiz in a box’ includes everything you need to run a slick, entertaining pub quiz that will help you grow your footfall.
The kit includes:
- Branded pens
- Answer sheets
- Manager’s guide to running a successful pub quiz
- Log-in and access code to a dedicated website hosting over 50 pub quiz question and answer sheets, including printable picture rounds
- Access to a bespoke print service allowing you to order custom-made POS branded with your venue name quiz timings.
In addition, Old Speckled Hen is offering the first 100 new installs a limited-edition premium light box to advertise the quiz. Driving footfall and growing sales and profits doesn’t get much easier than that!
Speak to your SDM for more information.
LIVE MUSIC
“SOME 78% OF CONSUMERS SAY THEY ARE MORE LIKELY TO VISIT A PUB, BAR OR SIMILAR VENUE IF IT OFFERS LIVE MUSIC.” – CGA GIGREALM, 2022
Another proven footfall-driving idea that doesn’t involve reinventing any wheels is live music. Many people love a little music, whether it’s a local musician or a touring covers band.
As British Institute of Innkeepers CEO Steve Alton points out:
“Customers are seeking experiences in their local pubs that can’t be replicated at home. Live music helps operators deliver a real point of difference to retain and attract new customers, which has never been more important in supporting pubs to thrive in every community.”
According to CGA and GigRealm data for the second half of 2022, three-quarters (76%) of Britain’s consumers say they typically experience live music in a pub, bar or similar venue—as opposed to a larger dedicated concert or festival—at least once every six months.
Even more (78%) say they are more likely to visit one of these venues if it offers live music.
Interestingly, the data also revealed that demand is often even higher at times when spending is tight, because live music increases consumers’ sense of value for money.
Two-thirds (68%) think it provides a great experience with family and friends on a low budget, and nearly half (47%) say they would be likely to continue visiting live music venues even if they were short on cash.
In other words, many people prioritise music for whatever discretionary spend they have, and that it can attract people to venues when they otherwise wouldn’t visit.
What’s more, 73% of consumers are likely to stay in a venue longer if there is live music and 76% of these people are more likely to buy more drinks.
GET CREATIVE
Pub quizzes and live music are probably the most obvious and simplest ways to give your customers great reasons to visit your venue, particularly on traditionally quieter evenings.
However, there is no shortage of other quick and easy ways to generate some excitement and to encourage new customers to visit, as well as encouraging existing customers to visit more often.
You could try ever-popular classics like race nights, karaoke or cocktail-making masterclasses. Or, if it’s right for your customer base, you could branch out and host some open mic comedy nights, a poker and casino evening, or a games night with board games or table tennis.
If your venue is geared towards more of a family audience, why not consider hosting family-friendly events like birthday parties, pizza-making classes or parent and baby mornings?
The scope is limited only by your imagination. Putting a little time and effort into creating a calendar of events that might appeal to different audiences could have a dramatic effect on your footfall over the coming weeks and months.
The scope is limited only by your imagination.
GET THEM OFF THE SOFA!
There are lots of different events that you can organise in your venue that don’t involve a lot of work or investment.
How about…
- Old Speckled Hen pub quiz
- Race nights
- Cocktail-making masterclasses
- Live music
- Karaoke nights
- Open mic comedy nights
- Poker or casino nights
- Games nights
- Family-friendly events.
If you’re looking for more ideas or some support, speak to your SDM. They will be more than happy to help.
