One of the highlights of any London summer is Wimbledon, the tennis championship that draws hundreds of thousands of people to the prestigious All England Club.

Small hotel operators in London and throughout the surrounding area should capitalize on this influx of annual visitors, which totaled almost half a million in 2016.

The grounds have a capacity of 39,000 at any given time, but high ticket sales for individual matches means that crowds turnover more frequently. And of course, in addition to the spectators, there’s also staff members, volunteers and members of the media who need to be in London for the two weeks when the tournament is held.

This means that your small hotel or B&B needs to take Wimbledon seriously, and must take advantage of this opportunity in order to increase direct bookings for this major sporting event.

Here’s how to ace direct bookings at your B&B when big events come to town:

• Create a Promotion Aimed at Wimbledon Visitors
  Not only can you use events to boost your direct bookings, but you can also use these major events to increase the revenue generated per guest. Design your Wimbledon promotion so that it includes extras, such as transportation to and from the tournament or a package of local goods that will be convenient for watching a sporting event – in this case the traditional strawberries and cream. Offer a discount for this package, and promote it in both traditional and online advertising campaigns.
• Design an Informational Landing Page About Wimbledon
  Current and relevant content is necessary to improving your ranking on search engine results pages, and an informational page about Wimbledon will increase your visibility to travelers who are interested in this event. When you transform your B&B website into a resource for those with tickets to Wimbledon, you’ll easily increase your direct bookings.
• Engage Your Followers on Social Media
  Cater many of your posts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to the Wimbledon crowd in the months leading up to the event. Showcase photos of previous tournaments, design contests where guests can win a stay at your property during Wimbledon and provide information on why your small hotel is the best place to stay for those who are coming to London for the event.
• Implement a Responsive Web Design
  With a responsive web design in place, your website will automatically adjust to the screen of the individual user. Many people who are looking for last-minute lodging after scoring surprise tickets to Wimbledon will use a smartphone or tablet to book their rooms, so you will need a mobile-friendly site to capture this pivotal market segment.
• Offer Social Proof to Potential Guests
  Reach out to guests who have stayed at your property in the past during Wimbledon. Ask them to provide testimonials or to leave a review on TripAdvisor or Facebook. Promote this social proof as much as possible, as it is highly trusted by travelers who are planning an upcoming trip to London in order to attend the most famous tennis event in the world.