Hospitality marketing
Marketing a
function venue.
Function bookings are won or lost in the reply. Couples and planners contact several venues, and Easy Weddings reports that being transparent and responsive are the top two things that make couples enquire. Lead times are shortening: Tagvenue found the median gap between enquiry and event fell from 62 to 52 days. Reply the same day, make the tour easy to book, and keep your terms fair.
Written by Dan Picken, a marketer who checks the sources. Last checked 2 November 2026.The wedding
market.
There were 118,804 marriages in Australia in 2025, down 1.7% on 2024, with more in spring and autumn. The busiest date was 25 October 2025. An industry survey of over 4,000 couples put the average wedding at $38,252, with the venue around 46% of spend.
Easy Weddings reports that 53% of venue tours become bookings, so getting couples to the tour is where most of the marketing work pays.
Corporate and
private events.
A survey of Australian and New Zealand planners found 44% of corporate events are booked three to six months out, and 31% less than three months out. 71% of planners spend more than five hours finding and booking a venue for each event, so a clear functions page with capacities, floor plans and sample menus saves them time.
Tagvenue's data from its Australian platform, 2023 to 2026, shows the share of enquiries within seven days of the event rose from 8.7% to 13.9%, and median group size fell from 50 to 40. Smaller, faster bookings reward venues that answer quickly with clear packages.
Enquiry leak
Where do function
enquiries leak?
Put in your own numbers. It shows what each step is worth a year, and what replying faster could be worth if it lifts tours by the amount you assume.
Bookings a year
Worth of the lift you assumed
The lift is your assumption, not a benchmark. Test it: reply to every enquiry the same day for three months and compare the tour rate.
Deposits and
fair terms.
Standard form contracts with consumers and small businesses are covered by the unfair contract terms law, with penalties since November 2023. Terms that penalise only one side for cancelling, or let only the venue change the deal, may be unfair. Consumer guarantees can't be removed by contract.
Clear, fair terms are also good marketing: a couple comparing three venues trusts the one whose deposit and cancellation terms are easy to understand. Get legal advice on your own contract.
A functions page
that sells.
Planners spend hours comparing venues. A page that answers these up front gets the enquiry, and makes the first reply quicker to write. Reviews from past events, with permission, help too: Easy Weddings reports 31% of couples say reviews are their main way of finding and checking suppliers.
- Capacities for each space, seated and standing, with a floor plan.
- Packages with prices or starting prices, and what is included.
- Sample menus and drinks packages.
- Photos of each space set up for an event, not empty.
- Dates available, or how to check, and a short enquiry form.
What I see most often
What I see
most often.
- 1
Enquiries answered days later
Function enquiries sit in a shared inbox until someone has time.
- 2
No prices anywhere
Planners have to ask for packages before they know if the venue is in budget.
- 3
A functions page with no floor plan
Capacities and layouts left for the phone call.
- 4
Terms written for the venue only
Cancellation rules that only bite one way.
The honest bit. A slow reply loses functions marketing can't win back. Before spending on ads, make sure someone owns the enquiry inbox and replies the same day.
Questions
people ask.
How do I get more wedding bookings for my venue?
Reply fast and get couples to a tour. Easy Weddings reports 53% of venue tours become bookings.
How far ahead do people book corporate events?
Often three to six months: 44% in one survey, with 31% under three months.
How much does the average wedding cost in Australia?
An industry survey put it at $38,252, with the venue around 46% of the spend.
Are non-refundable deposits legal in Australia?
It depends on the terms. Unfair terms in standard form contracts can be struck out and penalised. Get legal advice on your contract.
Related
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going.
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