We’re launching a Matchmaker service to connect event planners with our favourite venues. Here are three simple tips to get your Canvas venue profile in tip top condition for 2018.

At Canvas we know running a venue can be super stressful and time-consuming, and getting the right enquiries through is just the tip of the iceberg. There can be hundreds of options for event planners to look through – so our Matchmaker Jeanine Howton is stepping into the breach to match up the right event briefs with their perfect venues.

“I send dozens of venues over to potential bookers on a daily basis,” says Jeanine, “so it’s great to see our good-looking profile pages doing really well – especially with corporate clients.”

Is your profile making the most of your venue? Here are our Matchmakers’ top three tips to get your profile looking good for 2018:

Photos, photos, photos of your venue

Forget Location, Location, Location – our event planners are all about the photos. We get enquiries from all over London for virtually every corner of the city. You may have prime real estate, but if your photos are naff, you won’t get any bookings.

“We love receiving really crisp, high quality photos for your profile,” says Jeanine, “Anything over 1MB is ideal. Event planners want to see the venue looking good – you want people to feel inspired to book with you and your amazing space.”

Venues that have a combination of different photos tend to do really well with business clients. Planners want to see what the venue looks like empty, but also the atmosphere it has when it’s in full swing. Social proofing works well too – seeing happy people having a great time in your venue encourages event planners to imagine themselves and their guests there and having a good time, too.

“Photos with different seating set ups are also pretty popular,” advises Jeanine, “It shows versatility and even if the planner can’t see the exact set up they’re looking for, it makes the venue look flexible and willing to move things around.”

Accurate information

Are you ready for wedding season, but aren’t getting any wedding enquiries? It could be that your information isn’t up-to-date.

“Venues change and grow over time,” says Jeanine, “It could be that you didn’t offer corporate hire or product launches when you first joined Canvas, but now you do.”

And that’s great news! But you need to let us know, otherwise we can’t shout about it to our event planners. Just head over to your profile, click on Event Type and make sure all the right boxes are ticked. If there’s anything you need to change, you can send any updates to [email protected]

“The same goes for brochures,” says Jeanine. “If you have a new wedding brochure or events packages, make sure you send it to us and we’ll put it on your profile. Venues with floor plans are more likely to win business clients, too.”

Production companies like to have as much information as possible, and they also tend to be higher value clients, so it’s worth investing the time into a detailed floor plan.

Up-to-date contact information

“It’s so satisfying to find a perfect spot for an event planner and then the enquiry is answered super quickly by the venue,” says Jeanine. “But we also have clients who are ready to hand over literally thousands of pounds to a venue, and no-one answers the phone. It’s such a shame!”

We know running a venue is a busy business, with dozens of plates to spin at any one time. But without up-to-date contact details, unfortunately those great enquiries aren’t going to go anywhere.

“Every now and then it’s worth checking in with us and making sure we have the right phone number and email for you,” says Jeanine. “Things change – people leave and email addresses become obsolete. I get in contact with lots of venues every day, so I remember which ones are easy to get in touch with.”

Converting business can often hinge on how quickly an enquiry is responded to, so give yourself a head-start and pick an email address and phone number that will be convenient for you to answer.