One of the unsung heroes in clubs and hospitality, banquet business often goes unnoticed as a key player in our success. Utilizing our banquet space day in and day out works just like an unused room at a hotel. Each night the room isn't filled, we are losing out on potential revenue that improves our bottom line. That being said, as a private club, our banquet business rely's heavily on our membership to host and sponsor events throughout the year.
Sponsoring events, in my opinion, is one of our greatest opportunities club wide for 2011 and together, I would like to set the bar incredibly high moving forward in this respect
So far in 2011, we have a good head start with events on the calendar, but we are nowhere near being filled to our potential. This is where sponsorship will become a big player for both membership and food and beverage. My challenge will be to deliver an exceptional product with outstanding service every time. This will be an expectation I hold myself and my staff to each day. Your challenge as members will be to find ways to bring new and existing groups to the club for banquets.
First, I would encourage you to give us a chance to host your next event. If and when we succeed, encourage others to host their event(s) with us. This can be in the form of other members or outside parties. Believe it or not, by offering to sponsor an outside group, you are helping the club significantly. MCC is a unique venue and atmosphere that few in the Manhattan community get to experience. As a student, I know I felt privileged to come up to the club for an event without a membership.
As the year continues and we have time to develop our product, you will find how easy our staff is to work with from beginning to end. In my opinion, we already provide a superior product to other area facilities. There are no hidden costs or fees associated with our events and we can accommodate groups of over 200 on a given night. It may also surprise you to know that we are more affordable than most banquet facilities. Just another reason I encourage you to give back to your club.
In conclusion, as you prepare for the upcoming year keep MCC in mind for your next event. Big or small, they will all make a difference in our ability to improve upon our current services to our membership. Also, please keep an eye out for groups who may be looking at putting on a banquet. You could be their next sponsor.
If you have any questions or would like more information about booking/sponsoring events, please send me a note or stop by my office. I would love to speak with you about our plans for the future. It's an exciting time to be a member at MCC and an honor to work with such a great team and membership. Until next time...
