How Union Local 613 Now Converts 85 to 90% of Its Event Inquiries

Introduction

Union Local 613 opened in Ottawa about 15 years ago as a cocktail bar serving a Canadian take on Southern food. Owner Ivan Gedz, who also runs Jabberwocky Events and Catering, remembers the early years as mostly tables of two, four and six. Groups happened, but they weren’t the heart of the business.

That has changed. Union Local 613 now hosts weddings across one, two or all three of its floors, along with corporate events, mixers for local law firms and birthday parties. Event inquiries have grown from five or six a month before the pandemic to 20, sometimes 30. Today, event bookings outnumber regular reservations, and they’re what keeps the lights on.

The Challenge

More inquiries meant more chances to lose them. Ivan thought replying within two days was reasonable. Guests didn’t. Again and again, his reply was met with a polite answer: they liked the space and the idea, but they’d already had to make a decision.

His conversion rate suffered. In his words, the old process was awful.

The Solution

Paloma changed both sides of the conversation.

For guests, Paloma replaces the blank intake form. Instead of a single box asking what they want to do, guests are guided through their event and prompted with ideas they may not have considered, like AV equipment to show a photo slideshow at a birthday party. Ivan first noticed the difference when guests started emailing to say how much they enjoyed booking. After the third and fourth, he started asking friends and clients why. The answer was consistent: no writer’s block, and the feeling that they’d actually accomplished something, even before the booking was confirmed.

For Ivan, every inquiry now arrives as one email summarizing the whole interaction. Because he knows his spaces, he can see at a glance what a guest is looking for and what he might add for them. He estimates it gives him about 75% of the information he needs before the first conversation, so his reply can be fast and specific.

Results

Speed and better information turned into bookings. Union Local 613 now converts 85 to 90 percent of its event inquiries, and Ivan estimates Paloma has increased revenue by 10 to 15 percent.

“My conversion rate was awful. Now my conversion rate is close to 85, 90%, I kid you not. One of the reasons is we get back so quickly because we’re given all of that information.” Ivan Gedz, Owner, Union Local 613

Ivan also points to something harder to measure. Someone planning an event often contacts three or four venues at once. With Paloma, the exchange with Union Local 613 feels more substantial than firing off an email, and the reply comes back right away.

About Union Local 613

Union Local 613 is a cocktail bar and restaurant in Ottawa serving a Canadian take on Southern food. Open for about 15 years, it hosts weddings, corporate events, mixers and private parties across three floors. Owner Ivan Gedz also runs Jabberwocky Events and Catering.

The testimonial at a glance