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Are you looking for new and innovative ways to generate more bookings and revenue for your village or town hall post-lockdown? We’ve gathered 15 ideas to help get you started. 

1. Car boot sale 
   

You know what they say - one person’s junk is another person's treasure! Hosting car boot sales is a great way to generate more revenue - sellers pay a fee to set up at your event.

Please note that car boot sales require planning permission except when it is a one-off event held on a single occasion during the year.

2. Foodie nights
   

Hosting a weekly foodie night will give residents of your village the opportunity to sample new cuisine while creating an event that is enjoyable for all ages. Each week you could host a different food vendor or you could create themed nights depending on the cuisine. Get the ball rolling by networking with local restaurants and food trucks.

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3. Village fete 
   

Why not host a village fete consisting of stalls, games, music and refreshments? A great way to bring the community together while raising funds for your town or village hall. 

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4. Meeting rooms or co-working spaces
   

Does your village or town hall have a spare room that could be used as a meeting room? Get in touch with local businesses and offer incentives such as free donuts on off-peak days.

You could also advertise your meeting room as a co-working space for people that work from home. You could offer free refreshments as an incentive to get them booking! 

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5. Fitness classes

Your town or village hall is the perfect place to hold fitness and yoga classes. Why don’t you start the movement? You can find people who are thinking about starting a class or group but haven't got round to it. There’s ways you can bring them in. For example, you could offer free rentals of your town or village hall for the first month to get the class/group established.

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6. Book Clubs

Do you know anyone that could host a book club at your hall? Members pay a monthly fee to use the facilities and be part of the club. As an ongoing activity, the members could collaborate on selecting books and other activities like playing games or cooking together as well as discussing what they read during meetings.

7. Music events
   

Have you ever thought about hosting a live music event? All it takes is an open space or a stage to have musicians eager for the opportunity. Get in touch with the local nightclubs and DJs - they’ve had a tough year with COVID and might appreciate someone reaching out to them for an outdoor music event.

8. Mother and baby clubs 
   

There’s many mothers on Facebook or other forums with like-minded people who would love to start their own mother and baby club. Get in touch with local mums through these groups and advertise your hall for a great event space where everyone can meet up once a month.

9. Birthday parties
   

There is never a shortage of parents looking for places to plan the best birthday parties. You could put together different packages depending on the size of the party and facilities they are wanting to use. 

10. After school club
    

You might think that a big school would have enough space for all of its students. But with the increasing popularity in after-school clubs, it's not uncommon to see them outgrow their classrooms and hall spaces. Get in touch with local schools - they might be in need of some extra space to rent out each week for after school clubs.

Got more ideas? Share them with fellow clerks on our Facebook Group

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Once you have thought about some ideas to generate more bookings for your town or village hall, you will need to advertise these events so people know about them. There’s lots of ways you can do this: social media, email and on your website.

Check out our other blogs for some tips:

4 Tips For Using Email To Boost Your Town Or Village Hall Bookings

Facebook Marketing Explained For Village And Town Halls

Google Search Marketing Explained For Village And Town Halls

Get More Bookings For Your Venues With These 2 Simple Changes To Your Website

Key Takeaways

Promise: generate more bookings and revenue with some fresh ideas

Highlights

1. Thinking of some new ways to utilise your village or town hall
2. Networking with local businesses, schools and community groups to seek opportunities 
3. Knowing how to advertise events that are happening at your hall