Beginnings
Fifteen years ago, UrVenue was designed as a reservations system used by Victor Drai at Drai’s Afterhours in Las Vegas. After successfully being implemented at Drais, Victor insisted UrVenue be used at his new venues Tryst and then XS. UrVenue subsequently expanded nationally and then globally; always listening to their clients needs in order to improve the software and grow their services. When Drai’s Rooftop opened in Las Vegas, the Drai’s team naturally wanted to push UrVenue to a completely new level. As the new nightclub was undergoing construction, UrVenue was busy planning ahead for the future working closely with the Drai’s team to ensure we delivered a product that met their expectations when they opened.
POS Integration and Staff Commission Payments
UrVenue’s first challenge was to combine seating management at the door with the POS system and the commission payments for staff in a seamless manner. This would allow Drai’s to quickly and accurately pay commissions. When a host seats a table remotely at the podium through UrVenue, a chit sheet is printed from a thermal printer with a special code. This sheet is then handed to the floor staff and the code is entered into the POS System. The checks are linked automatically to the booking and depending on what type of reservation it is, UrVenue accordingly divides the service charge, gratuity and other amounts as required. The process uses complex logic to split payouts based on check detail and the detailed party information found in UrVenue.
It would seem impossible for a mega club to have the ability for payroll and commissions to be calculated in a single day for a pay period closing that morning, yet Drai’s has been doing exactly that since its opening in 2014 thanks to UrVenue.
Pre-Sale Reservations and Online Presence
By the year 2013, UrVenue was already managing the web presence for nightlife at the Wynn except for tickets pre sales. Drai’s, however, was adamant about having every aspect managed by UrVenue within a single environment with the goal of enhancing pre sale reservations. The goal was to have everything be contained in a single ecosystem to easily manage and promote.
UrVenue set out to design a new set of features that would change the nightlife marketplace. To address the challenge of presale reservations, UrVenue setup a system to bring in more qualified customers while at the same time allow users an easy way to book tables and tickets at the venue. A web-based 3D interactive map of the Drai’s venue was built, tables were grouped in sections for pricing, and users could select a section and put a deposit towards the table they chose. Additionally, a promoter share system was introduced. Every user in UrVenue, whether a waitress or hosts had a microsite associated to them personally which allowed staff the ability to send bookings to Drais. At the same time, API’s (Application Programming Interface) were developed to allow affiliates to sell Drai’s inventory straight through their own 3rd party websites. A new reinvented way to obtain and track client admission was created to suit nightlife venues growing needs and demands for better and more efficient tools.
Drai’s now has the ability to collect the money immediately from all pre-sales due to the fact that all sales are now processed by Drai’s, even those sent by 3rd party affiliate websites. UrVenue is also able to handle commision payments on behalf of Drais for pre sales and route them to their proper recipient seamlessly. UrVenue used the latest technology to create an innovative platform for pre-sale reservations that is a huge success. Ticket and table bookings soared and other nightclubs began to start using UrVenue for this service as well.
In the past a venue would simply sell admission through a ticketing provider online and not have control of their inventory or revenue. UrVenue has created a way to put the control and revenue back in the hands of the venue which is why many venues such a Wynn nightlife have already transitioning to UrVenue’s pre sale solution as this solution immediately translates into new revenue and new guests.
Summary
UrVenue is not simply a reservation system to replace an excel spreadsheet or google doc, it is an indispensable tool to facilitate every aspect of managing a venue and increasing attendance as well as revenue. UrVenue works closely with customers to understand their needs and provide the best tools for their needs. With a growing team of over twenty full-time programmers, UrVenue is constantly evolving to manage more and more aspects of nightlife efficiently. It would be extremely difficult for a venue to remain competitive without utilizing a service like UrVenue.
UrVenue, with the help of its valuable customers such as Drai’s, always defines and reinvents nightlife solutions.
Look for Drai’s to further extend UrVenue’s features through their international ventures.
You'll have the opportunity to discover innovative products from companies such as UrVenue at the 2016 Nightclub & Bar Show in Las Vegas! Register now!