No, not that

I fancy getting a residency at a local hotel for the Christmas dinner dance season and I can't decide when would be the best time to send out letters to them.

I sent letters to all the ones I could think of last year, but I left it way too late and never even got an acknowledgement from any of them.

The problem as I see it is timing. I think I need to hit them just at the time when they're planning their Christmas dinner dances.

Too early, and the letter would just get put to one side then forgotten about.

Too late, and they'll have already sorted out any DJ's they need.

Anybody know any function managers at a hotel to ask them when they start planning/organizing.

Pick the hotels you want to canvass then phone each one to find the name of the function manager. When you've done that either mail each one individually then follow up by phone or simply call each one to find out when they plan then follow up with a letter/brochure and/or try for a meeting.

But don't expect too much.

Most hotels in my area have preferred suppliers ( one of which I know and who usually gets me a New Years Eve gig - this year's was booked 3 weeks ago ) who will often have to compete on price.

In my experience, and there are notable exceptions, quality often means not a lot
(compared to price ) even to some of the swishest hotels. But you never know......

Best of luck.

I would arrange to go and meet them now to discuss what you can offer, my agent is starting to get xmas sewn up already.

I would have started already

A good time is about june - july, try to get in A.S.A.P the worst they can say is we havent worked out christmas yet but we will give you a call when we do..!

But the earlier the better, i had my december bookings all in by last month !

my recendencies have been pushing me to confirm dates over the last week or so, but i've been pushing them since march ... incidently they only just been sending out there brochures to clients.

Its a difficult one, I agree.

I have mine sorted pretty much year on year. However I usually do a paper drive in March to try and get others on side : result, we are now virtually full for this December.

I prefer to meet face to face with new clients.

Hotels can have a turn-over of staff / promotions / side-ways promotions, etc.

The time is now to guarantee availability!!!!!
There is no time like the present!
He who hesitates.....

In the last 10 days I have seen an advert for a Santa required over the whole of December, Turkey dinners and all the trimmings, and in a few weeks time a local hotel starts thier Turkey and Tinsel weekends, they start in September.

I have 19 bookings for December already, and am meeting a manager tonight to get about 10 more so get it quickly !!

Paul - See PM.

I think December should be pretty full for most DJ's by the end of September at the latest.