Quick Tips For Commencement Season
Commencement season (usually mid-May in the United States) can be a nice opportunity for hotels near universities. With aunts, uncles, grandparents and other relatives traveling to see their loved one get a diploma, some cities will be getting a short-term travel boost. Here are some marketing ideas to make sure you’re taking full advantage of this season:
Create a unique “takeaway” item
Bookmarks, like the ones we created for Mandarin Oriental New York (shown below), are a great example of a unique takeaway piece you could put in guest rooms during commencement weekend. They are useful, can deliver a message, fit nicely with the theme of academics and will be sure to help your guests remember your hotel when they come back.
Sell your destination
Since guests are coming to your location specifically for commencement, they might not realize that it’s a visit-worthy place on its own. This May there will be thousands of people flocking to cities like Columbus, Ohio (home of Ohio State University) South Bend, Indiana (Notre Dame) and Tuscaloosa, Alabama (University of Alabama) who don’t realize that these places have attractions other than the major universities they are famous for. Be sure to highlight your city’s hotspots and highlights throughout your marketing efforts and you might get guests to extend their stay or come back for a vacation at a later date.
Show school spirit
Decorating with signage, pennants and school colors is a simple and cost effective way to welcome guests. Also, since you know everyone staying with you for a particular weekend will be big fans of the local college, giving away a t-shirt, mug or other school themed item should be popular. You can choose winners using a basic raffle at the front desk, or get a little more sophisticated with a social media contest.
Get on the schools’ commencement website
Many universities have nearby hotels listed on the commencement portion of their website (Ohio State’s is pictured below). If your hotel is more than a few year’s old you probably won’t need to worry, but if you’re a newer property or have recently rebranded, take a few minutes to make sure you have an accurate listing.
Optimize Google Adwords campaigns
The group staying at your hotel because of commencement will probably be searching for different terms than people who normally stay at your hotel. So be sure to tweak your Google Adwords campaigns to account for this. For example, If you’re a hotel in Lexington, Kentucky guests might normally search for “Hotel in Lexington” but when looking for a commencement hotel, they might be using terms like “Best Hotel for University of Kentucky Commencement” or ” Where to Stay for University of Kentucky Commencement?”
Commencement season probably won’t make or break your hotel for the quarter, but it’s still a good opportunity that should be marketed appropriately!
This post brought to you by a cup of decaffeinated black tea, because sometimes you need a little break from caffeine. Until next time, be well.
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