Hashtag 101 for VenuesBy Mandy Volpe, Unique Venues Marketing Manager

Did you know you have between 50-500 reporters at your venue at all times? Think about

it: Attendees today are more social than ever, posting online about your venue before you

can even hand them a name badge. That means before they ever arrive to your venue,

they have posted pictures of the surrounding area, their packing prep, or a picture en

route to your venue. Events in today’s culture have unique hashtags to connect attendees

before and during the conference. Hashtags are easy and free to create online. You just have

to identify a phrase and put the # in front of the text. For example, you could say

#uniquevenue or #yourvenuenamehere. Be consistent when using hashtags because they

build overtime the more you post and use those characters.

Just as it is important for an event to create a hashtag, it is also important for a venue to make their hashtag known so that

attendees can connect online. By creating a hashtag for your conferences and events you will give all of those self-proclaimed

reporters something to talk about—and in the process get free and easy exposure.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Create a short string of letters to represent your venue—the more specific and

to the point, the better. Just recently, the World Cup proved to be the biggest

social media event. There were 8 million tweets during the U.S. vs. Portugal match

(according to Twitter Data). The first week alone there were 459 million posts

about the #worldcup. The same power can hold true for your venue.

2. Post promotional flyers that feature the hashtag at your venue (elevators are

great!) or around your front desk and registration area.

3. Encourage your staff to post pictures of behind-the-scenes views of your

operation from your business social media accounts. Examples include a picture of

food prep or meeting room setup. Always include the hashtag with these posts.

4. Make sure to follow the hashtags so you can get a full view of what is being said

about the event before, during and after it happens.

5. Hashtags are most effective on Twitter and Instagram.

6. Use the hashtags as a way to tell the story of your venue. What are your core

values? What unique benefits does your venue provide for event planners?

Let us see them! Include the hashtag #uniquevenues so we can stay connected and informed. You may even

get a retweet! Still confused on how it works? Contact mandy@uniquevenues.com

Unique Venues has been the go-to source for non-conventional meeting and event venues, and the

planners looking for them, for the past 27 years. With a network of 50,000+ professional and part-time

planners, Unique Venues’ members enjoy unparalleled exposure in UniqueVenues.com, Unique Venues

Magazine, social media channels and industry events. Planners also have access to Unique Venues’ free

RFP lead service matching any meeting, family reunion, reception, party, conference, or gathering of

any kind with a unique site.

uniquevenues.com | 814-254-1310 | 1001 Menoher Blvd., Johnstown, PA 15905