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ISSUE <strong>61</strong> | 2023 | www.openairbusiness.com WELCOME WELLNESS, SAUNAS and sustainability – you just need to look at Open Air Business to understand the drivers behind mainstream hospitality’s adoption of the likes of lakeside lodges, woodland ‘rooms’ and cabins in castle grounds – all featured on the news pages. The big boys are capitalising on the demand for nature stays; what are glamping operators doing to stay relevant and keep hold of their market? Will 2024 be the shakedown year we knew was coming or will there be demand enough in the market for all? Surely, at more often than not £300-£1,000+ bed night rates for such accommodation delivered by hoteliers, there will still be plenty of customers for the more affordable offering; and as Booking.com’s 2024 trends report shows, authenticity is a key consideration for many travellers – not something easily delivered by identikit prefab cains; no matter how much shou sugi ban you cover them in. Certainly owning their unique selling point, our glamping case study in this issue, Loose Reins, pays homage to the occupation of its equestrian owners and offers an authentic wild west experience to guests. It succeeds with details including its Buckeroo Club for children, cabin porches for nighttime cocoa and American quilts for cosy times. Standing out in a crowded market is also challenging for wedding venues – perhaps even more so than for glampsites. Business consultant Sam Lloyd lays out simple tactics for an effective keyword strategy – with the tips and free tools she suggests there is no excuse for not creating online content to target your absolute perfect customer. Short days means great opportunities for seasonal lights. We usually turn our attention to winter illuminations in this issue and this time we’ve gone to one of the best for some insights. Rob Paul is design director at LCI Productions, the man behind Windsor Great Park Illuminated and Halloween at Hampton Court Palace, and offers his advice on creating the perfect show. I sign off here for 2023 before the team and I turn our attention to the 2024 Little Black Book. Big news… following its success over the last three years, we’ve decided to open its directory-style pages up to the whole of our industry – why should glamping have all the fun?! So, if you are a supplier, make sure to give Marney a call to secure one of the limited editorial opportunities, and if you are a subscriber, you can look forward to unwrapping a new year pressie from us in January. Until then, happy Christmas! PUBLISHERS Steve Rix - steve@openairbusiness.com Tally Rix - tally@openairbusiness.com EDITOR Tally Rix - tally@openairbusiness.com ADVERTISING SALES Marney Whyte - 01892 677743 marney@openairbusiness.com David Hobden - 01892 677741 david@openairbusiness.com ADMINISTRATOR Kirsty Farrow – 01892 677740 kirsty@openairbusiness.com DESIGN James English - www.jamesenglishdesign.co.uk PUBLISHED BY Coffee Shop Media Ltd www.coffeeshopmedia.com Milroy House, Sayers Lane, Tenterden, TN30 6BW 01580 848555 RECEIVE 9 ISSUES FOR £20 To start a paid subscription, please visit www.openairbusiness.com/subscribe Tally Rix Editor / Publisher Contents ISSUE <strong>61</strong> – 2023 Find more expert advice online: www.openairbusiness.com UPFRONT 4 News 6 Product News 12 Glamping Show Review 14 Entrepreneur’s Chat – Vicki Jones, Tractors and Cream FUNCTION VENUES 18 Oak Tree Barn – a festival-style venue in Kent 23 Keyword Tactics – understand and use the power of keywords 27 Landscape & Exteriors – products in action 31 Professional Services – products in action GLAMPSITES 33 Loose Reins – glamp like a cowboy in Dorset 39 Winter Bookings – boost your bookings with a direct email strategy 43 Hot Tubs – products in action 44 Saunas – products in action EVENTS 47 ArcTanGent – 5,000 metalheads in the Mendips 52 Light Magic – trade secrets from LCI Productions 57 Heat & Power – products in action 59 Bars & Catering – products in action 60 Spotlight 62 Classifieds 65 Behind the Scenes – Rentadinosaur SUBSCRIBE ONLINE WINTER BOOKINGS VENUES › Keywords › Exteriors GLAMPSITES › Hot Tubs & Saunas › Glamping Show Review CASE STUDIES: OAK TREE BARN • LOOSE REINS • ARCTANGENT EVENTS › Illuminations › Bars & Catering COVER PHOTO CoalBunker Glamping Pods offers a seamless, one-stop solution for year round glamping accommodation. Made from structural insulated panels for a quick build and great performance. 01269 850 224, info@coalbunkerpods.co.uk. www.coalbunker.co.uk BUSINESS WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM 3
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