The Power of Flexibility: How Colleen Diversified Her Space to Land More Bookings

 

“We’ve done everything from a small team offsite for Lululemon to a 75 person seated ceremony and reception.” Colleen’s Chicago loft space is a prime example of how you can make one space conducive for a range of activities. Originally designed for coworking, Colleen soon realized that events and production shoots led to more income and less effort, saying “The time it takes to sign up ten new coworkers for a monthly membership yields the same amount from renting the space for an hour.”

 

“For us, versatility and flexibility has been our main priority from the beginning because we had to transition it from a coworking space to an event venue frequently.”

 

Whether guests come to Peerspace looking to host their corporate offsite or plan a photo shoot, Colleen’s loft gets a lot of attention. With its large open area and modular furniture, Colleen can accommodate all different types of activities allowing guests to make the space their own. The power of this flexibility means more eyeballs on her listings, and ultimately, more bookings.

Learn Colleen’s tips on how diversifying your space can help you welcome more guests.   

 

 

Customize your listing information

Just like pricing, your listing information should also vary depending on the activity. “Because guests come to us with very different needs, we customize our verbiage upfront in our listing details.”

 

“We focus on our guests’ motivations and needs and how our space could be the best fit.”

 

For example, “For production, we talk about the freight elevator towards the beginning of the listing and then for corporate events, we focus on all of our furniture being configurable to accommodate different breakout groups.”  By determining the most relevant information necessary, you’ll help instill confidence that your space can fit all different types of activities.

Learn how to customize and create the perfect Peerspace listing.

 

Offer flexible pricing  

Because a product launch differs from a photo shoot, Colleen varies her rates depending on the activity. For corporate events, which happen during regular business hours, their rate is slightly cheaper than an evening or weekend event.  For their production listings, their rate is significantly less expensive because these shoots are often easiest to facilitate.

 

“By offering a cheaper rate for production, you’ll likely get more turnkey bookings than if you keep one rate for all your listings.”

 

Since each booking isn’t a one-size-fits-all model, setting different rates has helped Colleen land more business. When setting your prices, make sure you’re transparent and upfront with guests if there are any additional charges for different types of activities as well as number of attendees.   

And because we know it takes a lot of work to prepare for each booking, you can offer an 8+ hour discount that encourages guests to request more hours, which means you help fill your space longer.  

Tip: Add flexibility to your pricing with an 8+ hour discount. Learn More

 

 

Highlight your versatility in the listing photos

Another great way to show off your space’s versatility is through your listing photos. Colleen hired a professional photographer to showcase her space set up for a range of activities. “We set the room for both a wedding and a corporate offsite because it’s often tough, especially in a large loft space, for clients to envision their own event in this room.”

 

“It was important for us to help people connect the dots between this blank space and how they can transform it.”

 

In addition to quality raw space photos, Colleen also peppers in high-res photos from past events so people can see what a baby shower looks like compared to an offsite with whiteboards and a projector.

Read more tips on how to create a photogenic listing.

 

Invest in light and movable décor

While Colleen’s loft already has some décor on site, guests are welcome to make the space their own, saying, “We’re happy to store anything if they want to bring in their own furniture, otherwise they’re welcome to everything that we have on site, including plants and little things like that.”

 

“Our intention was that most of the furniture, if not all of it, can be moved by one staff member.”

 

Thanks to Colleen’s open space and light furniture, she’s able to offer more setup styles and room variations to suit her clients’ needs. This flexibility allows Colleen to go from a ten person training in the morning to a hundred plus networking event back-to-back. While every space is different, incorporating modular furniture and décor and leaving areas open will give your space the versatility to land more bookings.

 

Streamline your setup and breakdown process

Accommodating multiple bookings in one day isn’t as time intensive as you might think, especially, if you’re able to streamline your setup and breakdown process. Colleen and her staff are able to transition their loft from a birthday party in the morning to a product launch in just under two hours. They’ve timed how long it takes to transition between bookings because their number one goal is to fill the room as many times as possible. She suggests, “Think through the amount of things that need to be moved and repositioned to better understand how quickly you can actually transition a room.”

 

“We’re able to accommodate double header events because we’re so flexible and efficient with everything on site.”
 

 

 

Let your guests create their own vision

Part of being flexible, is allowing guests to create their own vision in your space. “We don’t have any required event vendors or food and beverage minimums, which helps differentiate us from many of our competitors.” While many guests who are planning a party or wedding appreciate this approach, Colleen knows some clients prefer packages that make planning simpler. “Corporate clients usually focus on locking down the venue quickly and appreciate our one-stop-shop packages that save them time and hassle.”

Accept full-service bookings: Just because your space doesn’t have all the amenities a guest may be requesting, doesn’t mean you can’t accommodate their needs. Our Peerspace Concierge team can easily add catering, A/V, event staffing, and more services to a guest’s booking. After a guest sends you a booking request, direct them to [email protected] and we’ll handle the rest.

From your listing photos to your pricing, think beyond your four walls and see what you can do to create a flexible space. By tailoring your offerings that appeal to a broader range of activities, you’re on your way to getting more bookings and business in the door.

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