Why You Need Price and Fences
Peaks need two things: (1) higher price to capture value, and (2) minimum-stay (LOS) rules to protect your best nights. Used together—plus pace checks—you sell the right dates to the right guests without throttling conversion.
Step 1 — Map Events & Choose Uplift Bands
Categorize events by expected demand and apply a starting uplift with a lead-time window:
- Minor (local shows, small sports): +5–10% | start 10–14 days out
- Medium (city festival, regional conference): +10–20% | start 21–35 days out
- Major (international concert, marathon, trade fair): +20–40% | start 45–90 days out
City type tweaks:
- Business city: uplift mid-week first; weekends may need less.
- Leisure/beach: uplift Fri–Sat first; shoulder nights (Thu/Sun) get lighter moves.
Step 2 — Add Pace Guardrails (Escalate/De-escalate)
Review pick-up versus last year or your target every Monday.
- Ahead of pace: raise +3–7% and/or tighten availability (e.g., close 1-night on the peak).
- On pace: keep the band; recheck in 3–4 days.
- Behind pace: reduce uplift −3–5% or add a fenced promo (mobile/LOS/geo) instead of a public discount.
Step 3 — LOS Fences That Protect Peaks (Without Killing Shoulders)
Use LOS on the most in-demand nights; make shoulders easy to book:
- Peak nights (Fri/Sat during event): set Min LOS = 2. Allow 1-night only at a premium or last-minute (e.g., T-3).
- Shoulder nights (Thu/Sun): keep Min LOS = 1 and add a small incentive (e.g., −5–10%) when combined with a peak night.
- Business mid-week event: Min LOS = 2 on Tue/Wed; Mon/Thu remain open for 1-night to catch spillover.
Step 4 — Gap-Fill Logic (Save Orphan Nights)
When a 1-night “hole” appears between two bookings, sell it fast:
- Open that specific date to 1-night even if the general rule is Min LOS = 2.
- Price the orphan +5–8% versus adjacent soft nights—guests will accept the premium to fit their plans.
Copy-Paste Examples
Leisure Weekend with Festival (Fri–Sat peak)
- Start +20% uplift at T-30; move to +30% if ahead of pace at T-14.
- Fri/Sat: Min LOS = 2; allow 1-night from T-3 at +15% premium.
- Thu/Sun: Min LOS = 1; −8% when booked with a Fri or Sat.
Business Conference (Tue–Wed peak)
- Start +15% uplift at T-35; if behind at T-21, keep +10% and add mobile LOS-2 offer instead of public cut.
- Tue/Wed: Min LOS = 2; Mon/Thu: Min LOS = 1.
- Close-to-arrival on Tue at T-2 if remaining inventory < 10%.
De-escalation Rules (Avoid Sticker Shock)
- Event canceled or ticket sales weak? Roll back uplift in −5% steps; restore 1-night on peaks at T-7.
- Occupancy < 40% at T-10? Convert public uplifts to fenced promos (mobile/geo) for 72 hours.
20-Minute Weekly Routine
- Scan the next 60–90 days for events; label minor/medium/major.
- Apply/adjust the correct uplift band.
- Set/confirm LOS: peaks protected, shoulders flexible, gap-fill rules on.
- Check pace; escalate or de-escalate using thresholds.
- Log changes (date, reason, action) to learn what worked.
Quick Checklist
- ✅ Uplift band set by event size and lead time.
- ✅ Pace guardrails defined (ahead / on / behind).
- ✅ Min LOS on peaks; 1-night open on shoulders.
- ✅ Gap-fill logic for orphan nights.
- ✅ De-escalation plan if demand softens.