Summer 2024 Events: Getting Your UK Hospitality Venue Ready to Capitalise

As the days get longer and the nights somewhat balmier it feels like Spring is just around the corner. With the warmer weather brings the mood change and a desire to socialise. From Shoreditch rooftops to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival there is a bumper calendar of activity this year! There is no shortage of events from the Six Nations we’re in the middle of now, Euro’s in June, Wimbledon Champions in Summer (please no rain!) and it’s an Olympic Year this year’s host Paris makes for perfect timing for viewing Team GB bring it home! 

What does this all mean for UK hospitality venues? The answer is: Events! With an action-packed year ahead across a vast spectrum from sporting to cultural, people will get together and come together like never before. This means it’s time to start thinking about the space you have (beer garden, rooftop, private dining) and what events you really want to get behind – what’s important to your local area and your potential customers. We’ve compiled a list of the top events to attract private events and groups in 2024. 

June

The Euros – kicking off in June, the UEFA Championships comes around every four years, and this year the action takes place in Germany. All four home nations of the UK are involved in the European championships. What better way for your venue to host live sights and host private events and groups to watch key matches. Spanning from June-July there’s never a better time to get behind your home country’s team – create themed food and drink offerings to cater to groups who want to watch the action. 

July

The Championships, Wimbledon – the annual event is the nation’s favourite, and this year it’s set to be bigger than ever! Cue strawberries and cream, hopes often dashed of blue skies, and first-class tennis guaranteed. The grand slam is always a great opportunity to transform your venue into a live site, capitalise upon the Great British Summer. Attract groups and create events to get guests excited! Group events, especially corporate are a great opportunity to make the most of the action, with Pimms on tap and exciting food options it’s guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser!

August 

Nothing says Summer like the Edinburgh Fringe, attracting the best of British and global talent to Edinburgh this year sees the world’s largest performance arts festival return once more. This one’s more for the Scots to really lean into and get their venues geared up for fun and festivities, from locals and visitors alike, the city will be buzzing and what better time to create menus and offerings to attract group bookings. 

The pinnacle of sporting events is back and it’s close to home – the Paris 2024 Olympics. This year is a viewer’s dream with the time difference ideal for live sights all across the UK. What better way to get the national spirit fired up than hosting Team GB-themed events and live sites in your venue. A big one for corporates getting teams together over the Summer will be one to take advantage of and get your venue event ready!

Get Your Venue Match-Fit 

Now it’s over to you and your space, how do you get it ready to meet the demand of the massive line-up of events this Summer – here are our tips 

• Know your audience – what are your local customers looking for – live sites, private room bookings, private event spaces to host, eat, and drink 
• Corporate bookers – who are the local offices and businesses in your area, do you have a relationship with them – why not drop in to chat with them, invite them for a taster of your space, and offer incentives to book 
• Showcase your space – invest in professional photography, and videography and get your space looking great for your website and social media 
• Social – invest in both organic and paid social – use targeting tools wisely to tap into local corporates – think both Instagram and LinkedIn 
• Team the theme – lean into events that will resonate and create food and drink menus that go with it and go big (or go home!) 

Summer 2024 is going to be a bumper year, and although we can’t rely on the Great British Summer, you can guarantee a good time for events and group bookings at your venue. 

Get Started with The Function Sheet: The Star Of The Show 

Keeping everyone on the same page across departments is no easy task. But without it, things can easily go wrong! That’s where the function sheet comes in. It is not just a checklist; it’s a communication tool. The front of the house, Kitchen team, and the entire event operations team will use the function sheet to minimise the risk of misunderstandings or miscommunication. The function sheet covers: 

• Running order: the start and end times along with a detailed timings plan 
• Menu and dietary requirements: the menu for food and drinks, along with guest meal requirements such as allergens and preferences 
• Room and audio set-up: how the seating arrangement should be set up, along with AV requirements such as mics, speakers, and TVs 
• Staff requirements: how many staff are required, what their role is – any special guest requests 

Looking to grow your event business whilst increasing revenue? Schedule a Tripleseat demo to closely examine our event management features.