Venue Management Services

Start Up Rank: 36
Revenue: $725,000
Founder(s): Saxon Mitchell
Industry: Property and business services
Head Office: Victoria
Employees: 2
Website: www.venuemanagement.com.au

With extensive experience in event management, in 2006 Saxon Mitchell started Venue Management Services, providing venue management and marketing solutions to local councils, government and private venue operators.

"Many local councils have amazing venues and it was soon discovered that theses venues were generally poorly managed and marketed and therefore under utilised. There were simply no systems employed by councils to generate programming and utilisation of their venues (especially in regional areas)."

"Today, VMS seeks to reengage the community (including commercial venue hirers) with their venues, thereby increasing the revenue back to the council."

The company's most challenging experience saw VMS manage a venue in regional Queensland, with considerable opposition from the town's locals.

"VMS was the successful tenderer for a local government venue in a town called Biloela in Central Queensland. This was our first venue under management and required the founder moving to Queensland to set up the systems to run this venue in a town that clearly did not appreciate change, and the fact a company 'from the big smoke' was taking over their venue."

"Due to the implementation of proven systems at the venue and an amazing on-site venue manager this venue is now pumping with community and commercial events which have increased satisfaction throughout the community."

As for other entrepreneurs Mitchell offers this advice: "Be willing to adapt your business model over time if things are not going to plan. Seek out successful mentors and if possible develop an advisory panel to guide you through the growth phases."

MOST CHALLENGING PART OF STARTING YOUR BUSINESS?

"The most challenging aspect to our start up phase was generating credibility and exposure to our unique business model. In fact, we are still finding that we need to educate many local council management teams that there is a better way to manage their venues and that community assets should not be a financial burden to their rate payers."