February marks National Wedding Month, a time when thousands of engaged couples begin the search for their dream setting. Yorkshire-based virtual mapping specialist Apollo3D is highlighting how its cutting-edge 3D tours are revolutionising the way venues secure bookings, helping businesses showcase their spaces in the best possible light while saving significant time and resources.
As couples increasingly look to explore options from the comfort of their home, Apollo3D’s immersive technology allows them to do more than just view photos; they can virtually walk through a fully decorated ballroom, explore manicured gardens, or step inside a bridal suite.
For venues, this means pre-qualifying leads and ensuring that when couples do visit in person, they are already emotionally connected to the space and ready to sign.
For Sarah-Jane Wilson and Rosie Spencer, owners and co-founders of Secret Door Events, the technology has solved a unique challenge. Specialising in bespoke, flexible weddings including increasingly popular Nordic-style tipis, her venues are pop-up in nature and not always visible in situ.
Sarah-Jane says: “Thanks to Apollo3D and their virtual tour technology, they have helped us to take our event business to the next level. Because what we offer are pop-up venues, it’s not always possible to see them in person. To be able to give a virtual tour of the entire setup is absolutely invaluable. It saves us so much time and cost, and really helps clients to visualise how they’d want their perfect day to be.”
She adds that the practical gains are just as vital: “We can produce floorplans based on guest numbers, staging, and bars. Even with traditional venues, a room might not be dressed for a wedding during a viewing. This tool removes that guesswork and is proving to be a very worthwhile investment for converting interest into secured sales.
The impact is equally felt in more traditional settings. The Anderbury Hotel Group, a collection of independent 4-star historic properties including St George’s Hotel in Llandudno and Rowton Hall Hotel & Spa in Chester, has seen a direct correlation between the tours and their bottom line.
“The real advantage is that couples can actually see the potential of a properly dressed room,” explains Laura Martin, Anderbury Group marketing manager. “Many people find it hard to visualise how a venue could look from a brochure alone. We’ve found that interest is sparked initially by the tour. It grabs their attention, they visit in person, and then the booking is secured.”
The results speak for themselves: Rowton Hall has seen wedding bookings rise by 18% year on year. “Virtual tours have really brought our venues to life online showcasing particular features such as twilight ceremonies. Our booking conversion rate is the highest it’s ever been,” Laura adds.
The surge in wedding interest comes as Apollo3D launches its new platform, Infinity Virtual Tours. While at least 50% of the firm’s work now comes from venues looking to boost visitor numbers, the new service is attracting global attention from venues ranging from theatres to stadiums and cinemas.
Unlike standard walkthroughs, Infinity Tours allow organisations to link multiple sites, provide guided navigation, and access detailed analytics, such as where viewers spend the most time, to further refine the marketing journey. Eye-catching drone flythroughs of any venue or structure also fully enhance the 3D walkthrough experience.
Mark Shepherd, director and founder of Apollo3D, notes that the technology is now an essential part of the hospitality toolkit. “Reaching the milestone of our 3,000th tour recently showed us just how much the sector has embraced this. Whether it’s a 17th-century manor or an ultra-cool modern tipi, virtual tours allow venues to treat the digital experience as the main driver of their marketing while also embracing all other existing marketing assets. It gives them far more control over how their spaces are presented and, ultimately, helps them grow.”
For more information on Apollo3D’s virtual tours and the new Infinity platform, visit https://www.apollo3d.co.uk/.
