Courting Brides

Travel agents have been turning to bridal shows for years to find new clients. But there’s far more to making these events a success than simply showing up.

Bridal shows have many facets, according to Brenda Nazaire-Coulanges of Somerville, Mass.-based Platinum Key Concierge. “They require due diligence,” she said. “It’s up to you to plan how you’re going to use their resources to meet your business goals. It’s not magic – there’s work to be done before, during and after the bridal show.”

Nazaire-Coulanges recommended that prior to attending a bridal show, agents determine whether it is compatible with their businesses. If it is, promote your participation. “Create and staff a booth that attracts couples,” she said. “After the show, use the data you’ve collected to execute your follow-up plan and then measure the results.”

For her part, Shannon LeBlanc of Prairieville, La.-based Paradise Vacation Escapes views bridal shows as an extremely valuable networking opportunity. “Couples are already going to buy a honeymoon. The bridal show is an opportunity to network with brides, not to sell,” she said. “Network, plant seeds, create relationships, and begin the ‘know, like and trust’ phase. It’s not until after the show that you start selling clients on working specifically with you.”

Follow-up, in fact, is critically important. “Wedding shows are extremely worthwhile as long as you have an extensive, proactive follow-up plan,” said Tammy Shamblin-Renie of Longwood, Fla.-based Red Parrot Travel, who does not attend shows that don’t provide a list of the attendees who’ve given authorization to be marketed to by participating vendors. She also has her own registration form for brides and grooms, asks some pertinent questions, and takes notes when she collects the forms.

“Many times, you can get a feel if the couple is really interested and you can take it from there,” she said. “If you can get a telephone number or in-office appointment at the show, 90 percent of the time that’s business in your hand.”

“Couples are already going to buy a honeymoon. The bridal show is an opportunity to network with brides, not to sell.”
— Shannon LeBlanc, Paradise Vacation Escapes

Cheryl Bailey of Austin, Texas-based Yellow Umbrella Events believes even before the show, agents should have a process for tracking leads and a marketing program.

The most important thing agents can get is permission to contact leads after the show, she added. “The call or in-person meeting is what the show is all about; your sole purpose should be to get as many people as possible into one of those scenarios.”

Bailey recommended creating a short script ending in a request for a follow-up meeting. “You need to have your calendar or appointment book and a carbon receipt appointment book, and issue a written receipt to each person who agrees to a call or in-person meeting, with the date and time of the meeting,” she said.

Agents wonder, given all the work involved, bridal shows are worth doing. “I do think they’re worth it,” Shamblin-Renie said. “They are expensive not just in dollars but also in time invested. But wedding-show leads have longevity. There will always be brides and there will always be honeymoons – so there’s a never-ending potential.”

“Wedding shows are extremely worthwhile as long as you have an extensive, proactive follow-up plan.”—Tammy Shamblin-Renie, Red Parrot Travel

BOOTH TIPS

Shannon LeBlanc of Paradise Vacation Escapes advised agents to be mindful of how they present their products and services at bridal shows. “Plan how the booth will be set up, have collateral about you and your services,” she said. “Make your booth as fun and interactive as possible. When brides are having fun, they start to like you, and that’s the beginning of creating a relationship.”

Tammy Shamblin-Renie, Red Parrot Travel, has attended bridal shows for years. “In the beginning, we all sat at a table with brochures piled sky high,” she said. “Then we progressed to booths with elaborate displays, mostly promoting destinations and resorts.”

Now she finds having her agency name and specialty on a big banner at the top of her booth to be a successful sales strategy. “What I am selling is honeymoons and destination weddings by me,” she said. “I still have some décor and a small display of brochures. I also have pre-stuffed bags to hand out with my information, my business card and maybe a brochure. But my goal is that they remember me.”