As the largest venue directory in North America, Unique Venues helps one-of-a-kind event venues market their meeting space to over 50,000 planners. Thanks to our massive network, we have helped countless venues increase their visibility, garner more leads, and grow their conversions. One venue in particular that has seen much success in working with us is Colby College.
Located in Waterville, Maine, Colby College offers a beautiful 714-acre campus with modern event space, on-campus lodging accommodations, and a full-service catering department, making it an ideal location for all types of events— from business retreats and summer camps, to industry conferences and social gatherings. The campus also features an indoor pool, fitness center, and sauna and is located near the beaches, mountains, and shopping.
Colby College partnered with Unique Venues approximately 30 years ago, and the partnership has proven to be very successful.
"Colby has billed more than $500,000 over the past ten years alone from leads generated via Unique Venues so I would say our partnership has been very successful," says Jacques Moore, Director of the Office of Special Programs at Colby College. "Being a small department, Unique Venues has been invaluable in spreading the word about Colby College. We simply do not have the internal resources to do all the marketing ourselves and rely greatly upon UV to be our marketing arm."
Moore says Unique Venues is definitely Colby's most effective marketing initiative. The first time Colby purchased a full page advertisement in Unique Venues Magazine, the college immediately acquired business from a banking association and earned a good return on its investment.
Nine years ago, the Atlantic Music Festival found Colby College on Unique Venues and has become a mainstay for their summer season. Revenues have more than tripled from this program, according to Moore. Another success story includes a new program from New York City that was connected to Colby through Unique Venues. Colby billed the program in the low six figures for 2016, and the program has already booked the college for 2017.
"While Colby does not get as many leads as some venues might and while we do not necessarily pick up new business every year, our investment has paid for itself many times over," says Moore. "I think one important key is that we continuously keep our name out there with UV. A basic marketing tenet is that a potential customer has to see your business multiple times before it registers, and that is one big reason why we stick with Unique Venues."
In addition to marketing its event space through Unique Venues, Colby College maintains a website, attends trade shows, employs radio advertising, and mails out more than 40,000 brochures a year. The college is also listed on other websites and advertises in Unique Venues Magazine.
To list your venue on Unique Venues, please visit www.uniquevenues.com.
