Pioneering new Venue Marketing Community is launched to address critical gap in UK events industry support
Venue Marketing Community (VMC) has officially launched as the UK’s first dedicated community created to meet the specific needs of venue marketers in the meetings and events industry.
Over 30 event venue marketers attended the launch event held at BMA House on Wednesday October 1, where evidence of the critical gap, identified through extensive research, was presented. This revealed many venue marketers feel they lack adequate peer support and role-specific resources to aid their work.
Conducted by co-founders Jackson Clark and Melissa Tyler, VMC’s research uncovered significant statistics highlighting the need for this specialised community:
76% of venue marketers feel somewhat to completely isolated in their role
96% need a source of inspiration for marketing ideas for venues
92% feel their venue marketing knowledge needed improving
72% are seeking in-person marketing community events
100% of surveyed venue marketers said they would love to join a venue marketing community
Clark said: “We kept hearing the same frustration from venue marketers. It’s often just one person working in this remit and finding their sales, operations or business development colleagues don’t understand the unique challenges they face in their roles. This can feel incredibly isolating, so we knew VMC was a vital missing industry space, built by venue marketers who know the sector intrinsically and can provide specialist support.”
Unlike broader marketing communities, VMC recognises that venue marketing presents distinct challenges within the meetings and events industry. The community provides a dedicated forum where venue marketers can connect with peers who understand their specific pain points, from promoting unique spaces to navigating the complexities of event venue positioning.
“Venue marketing success deserves proper recognition,” added Tyler. “We’re here to champion the incredible work venue marketers do, support their growth and connect them with people who speak their language. We’re proud to have created a community of like-minded professionals who understand that venue marketing requires specialised knowledge, creativity and strategic thinking that’s unique to our sector.”
VMC offers members access to:
Expert Forum: A dedicated online space where no question is considered silly, ideas and theories are regularly shared and members can access expert sound boarding for their marketing challenges.
In-Person Events: Regular networking events, idea generation sessions and collaborative workshops designed specifically for venue marketing professionals. These events focus on practical learning, knowledge sharing and building meaningful industry connections.
Virtual Deep Dives: Online sessions covering niche subjects, venue promotion strategies, and digital marketing techniques tailored to the venue sector.
Community-Driven Programming: All events and resources are developed based on member feedback and industry needs, ensuring relevance and value.
VMC maintains high standards by limiting membership to professionals who are directly responsible for marketing at event venues. This focused approach ensures all interactions are relevant and valuable to members’ specific roles and challenges.
The launch comes at a crucial time for the UK meetings and events industry, as venues face increasing competition and evolving client expectations. VMC provides the professional development and peer support infrastructure that has been absent from the sector.
The community’s research-driven approach ensures that all programming and resources directly address the real needs of venue marketing professionals, rather than generic marketing advice that may not be applicable to the venue sector.
Clark continued: “By creating this space, we’re giving venue marketers access to the tailored tools, resources, expertise and peer-to-peer support needed to thrive in their careers. In turn, they’ll be better equipped and empowered to provide the highest level of service and support to event planners booking their venues. The community’s growth and how it evolves will very much be led by the members themselves, not us as founders.”
For more information about VMC membership and upcoming events, visit https://venuemarketing.community/ or contact info@venuemarketing.community
