Today’s venue managers and event planners are under more pressure than ever to find innovative ways to boost visibility, streamline client interactions, and drive bookings. In a recent webinar, Threshold 360 invited three industry leaders to discuss how virtual tours are meeting these challenges head-on.
Clea Cosmann (Glowbal Restaurant Group), Rachel Sofarelli (Saint Pete Salt Room), and Lindsay Stewart (Vinik Sports Group) offered insights into maximizing the reach of venues through immersive, onlineexperiences.
Here’s a recap of their top strategies, tips, and the benefits they’ve seen from using Threshold 360’s virtual tour technology.
How Virtual Tours Elevate Venue Visibility and Sales
Today’s venue managers and marketers face a unique challenge: potential clients want to preview spaces remotely before booking, and traditional photos don’t always capture the full ambiance.
Virtual tours fill this gap by providing a comprehensive, immersive view that allows clients to experience the space in real-time from anywhere.
Clea Cosmann emphasized that for Glowbal Restaurant Group, with restaurants spread across Vancouver and Toronto, virtual tours allow potential clients to explore these spaces as if they were there in person. This accessibility has proven to be a valuable asset, enabling her team to promote private dining options and large-scale restaurant buyouts with ease.
Lindsay Stewart, managing sales at Vinik Sports Group’s Amalie Arena, shared similar experiences. By offering virtual tours of their sports and concert venues, her team reaches beyond their local market, connecting with corporate event planners who otherwise wouldn’t be able to visit the space beforehand.
“Virtual tours expanded our opportunities to connect with people and allowed us to pitch our spaces more effectively,” she said.
Key Benefits of Virtual Tours for Venue Sales
Increased Client Engagement and Higher Conversion Rates
The experts agreed that virtual tours streamline the booking process, helping clients visualize the event space without stepping foot in it. This immersive experience significantly improves engagement and makes potential clients more likely to book.
Rachel Sofarelli said that having a virtual tour on the website for Saint Pete Salt Room allows prospective clients to get a real sense of the wellness environment and see product displays before arriving, which builds trust and encourages bookings.
24/7 Sales Enablement: Selling Around the Clock
A significant advantage of virtual tours is their ability to work around the clock. Threshold 360’s platform allows venues to showcase spaces online anytime, meeting the demand for flexible, on-demand viewing.
“Whether it’s a wedding planner exploring our spaces in the evening or an event manager checking from another time zone, they can access our tours whenever it’s convenient,” shared Clea. This 24/7 accessibility has helped her team at Glowbal appeal to a broader audience and keep bookings rolling in beyond typical office hours.
How to Integrate Virtual Tours into Your Sales Strategy
Step 1: Make Virtual Tours a Core Part of Your Marketing
In the webinar, Lindsay also explained how her team leverages social media and email campaigns to distribute their virtual tours widely. By embedding the tours directly into marketing emails and social platforms, they create a streamlined path for interested clients to “walk through” the space instantly.
This helps to attract leads from outside the immediate area and keeps audiences engaged, even before they reach out to inquire.
Step 2: Provide Personalized Guidance Alongside Virtual Tours
While virtual tours provide an essential initial touchpoint, Clea suggested coupling them with personalized consultations to further qualify leads. During follow-ups, her team can better understand client goals and help them envision how the space fits their specific needs.
This consultative approach turns virtual tours into a powerful sales tool, bridging the gap between online exploration and personalized service.
Step 3: Maximize Tour Reach by Linking to Your Website and Social Channels
For small businesses like Saint Pete Salt Room, which rely heavily on word-of-mouth and social media, linking virtual tours directly to their website and social platforms has been a game-changer.
Rachel noted, “Embedding our virtual tour on the website and social profiles gives potential clients easy access and a preview of what to expect.”
For her, it’s been instrumental in growing awareness and sales while building credibility.
Virtual tours have proven to be more than just a modern convenience, for they are a strategic advantage for venues seeking to boost bookings and grow online engagement.
For venues looking to enhance their marketing strategy, Threshold 360 offers a versatile, high-quality platform that enables immersive experiences, helping clients visualize the potential of a space from any device. Integrating virtual tours into your marketing isn’t just about showing your venue—it’s about turning interest into action.