Creating a Unique Concept

What makes you different to the venue next door?  It is the power of a unique interior design idea that will make your venue stand out from your competition and excite, enthuse and motivate your customers to want to stay and play longer and spend more at your venue.

Once you have a thorough understanding of what your patrons and staff want, and what your competition is doing, it is time to determine what it is that your venue should offer. It doesn’t matter whether you are in a busy competitive market or in a situation where you already stand apart from the competition. The important thing to remember is keeping ahead of the trends in your venue’s appearance and especially, the service you provide.

Personality
The key to having synergy throughout your venue is determining the personality that fits. What is the interior feel and style you want for your venue? Is it to be dark and mysterious, or light and airy? Remember, the interior design is all about making people, your customers, feel good.

Theme
Don’t panic! Theme doesn’t mean costumes and fake blood! A theme could be an era in time, or a common use of colour throughout the pub interior. Themes that are fashionable for pub and club interior design at present, relate to resort, luxury hotel and country club style. The style you choose is a reflection of the atmosphere you are aiming to create. Even if your venue provides multilevel entertainment such as dining, bar and gaming, people shouldn’t feel like they change venues when they walk between different zones. Aim to make the flow from one area to another within your venue harmonious.

Do Not Copy
Don’t look at your most successful competitor and try to imitate their image. Your pub interior can outshine theirs. If you do try to copy them, you are guaranteed to get caught out and lose credibility with your patrons. Your patrons have the same needs in terms of feeling good and a sense of wellbeing, but when it comes to pub interior design, give them something unique. If you have seen an interior in another city, state or even country that appeals to you, by all means take inspiration, but never try to replicate it.

Be Memorable
Make your venue’s interior design concept memorable. Add an element that will become a talking point, whether it’s artwork or an unusual hand dryer in the bathroom. It is a fact that clean and well-appointed bathrooms are a major drawcard that result in return business, especially for women. Your interior design can even include a sculpture or light feature which will act as a focal point.  Great landscaping or a dramatic water feature are other ways to create the ‘wow’ factor in your overal design. Ideally something that your patrons will talk about not only while they are there, but will also mention to their friends once they leave.

Written by Michael Sadubin, managing director of Innersphere