Entertainment Has Returned, Are You Maximizing It? Part 2

In Part 1, we discussed the importance of sticking to the fundamentals and what some of those fundamentals are for successful shows. We discussed selecting the right performer for your customer and putting together a media marketing plan. In Part 2, we will be discussing additional fundamentals, some of the smaller details to execute on the casino floor, and be incorporated into departments beyond entertainment.

The contract is signed, the media plan is ready, and now it’s time for internal marketing on the casino floor and with other departments. Let’s start with the player development department. Casino hosts will be involved in and play an important role in bringing your top guests to the show. Whether your top players are big fans of the performer or not, the show is an opportunity to give top gamers a reason to make a trip to the casino. Set up a comp ticket block specifically for casino hosts to book. Set the qualifying criteria for comp tickets and give each host a quota of tickets to book. Start with the top players and work down the list, ensuring every effort is made to bring in the biggest spenders. Make sure hosts are offering comp hotel rooms and dinner reservations to guests who qualify. This creates an entertainment experience and extends the length of their stay, which equates to more time on device. Don’t miss the minor details when it comes to your top players; if the performer allows for a meet and greet or photo opportunity, it creates a VIP experience. Have a reserved seating section for top players, and if the venue allows, VIP lines to get in and at the bar are always a plus.

How much slot revenue is attributed to the show? You already have the list of top players who attended the show and can pull their play, but what about everyone else? Measuring this can be easy to do and takes a little incentive. By including a nominal free slot play offer with the purchase of a ticket, you are adding value to the ticket, incentivizing new sign-ups as well as driving slot play. The offer could be based on the players’ club card tier, which adds value to your club benefits, or one offer for all to keep things simple. Linking the ticket to a free slot play offer will allow for reports to be pulled and the play to be tracked and evaluated. While being able to track the spend is important, the goal is to get guests from the entertainment venue to the casino floor once the concert has ended. By tying a free play incentive to the concert ticket, hopefully this will be accomplished, and the results will be measurable.

Although Covid -19 is in the rear-view mirror, it is still there. Take necessary safety precautions that are appropriate for your show.  Is it an inside show? Do you need to be at maximum occupancy for the space? Is it an outside event that will allow for more relaxed covid 19 measures? Whatever it may be, put a safety plan in place and make sure to communicate the plan to customers who are planning on attending the event. Some customers may still be a little apprehensive to attend a large crowded event and you want to make sure they know safety precautions are being taken and they feel comfortable at your event. Customers who feel safe will be more comfortable, have a better experience, and hopefully return for your next show.

There are a lot of small details not to be missed. They go without saying, but they are fundamentals, so they are being included in this article. Put a slider on your website home page where customers are just one click away from purchasing tickets. Create an events page on Facebook to make it easier for others to share. On-site advertising should include messaging on the marquee (if you have a marquee), digital screens on the casino floor, or posters and backlit if you use them. Schedule the performer’s popular songs into the music mix on the casino floor and, if possible, after their song plays, plug the event with an announcement. Include collateral in each hotel room, restaurant, or gift shop. If your hotel is equipped with hospitality smart TVs, customize the home screen to include your upcoming entertainment advertisement.  Your on-hold messaging should be advertising the show in addition to other property information. If you have a gas station with audio and video monitors, you have a captive audience, so advertise the show on the monitors. And of course, inform your employees so they can answer questions and talk the show up to potential concertgoers. If this is a challenge, buttons with the performer, date, and time certainly make it easy and turn your employees into walking, talking advertisements. If buttons are not an option for your employees to wear, badge cards with important information are easy for employees to carry and refer to. Test, Test, Test your ticket scanners well before show time. Nothing can send a show sideways more than a technical issue with ticket scanners when the doors open. Avoid this dilemma by thoroughly testing your ticket scanning system in advance.

Don’t forget to have fun. Executing events, large or small, can add stress on top of the regular daily stresses associated with everyone’s jobs. Positivity is infectious (so is negativity) and transcends to your employees and customers. Having a plan and seeing all the details will prepare you and your staff for a successful event, and when the time comes, things will go smoothly because of how prepared you were, and everyone will be able to take a breath and enjoy the show.