Why virtual tours are changing how venues are booked and used

Editor’s Note: At SpacetoCo, we are always looking for tools and strategies to help our venue hosts succeed. In this guest post, digital space expert Dean Scholey from VirtualPro shares his perspective on how virtual tour technology is transforming venue discovery, booking, and management.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, a virtual tour is the whole conversation.

A virtual tour lets hirers explore a venue online before they enquire, which leads to better-informed enquiries and fewer routine questions for venue staff.

When potential hirers discover a venue online, static photographs can show individual features: a bright hall, a clean kitchen, or a polished stage. But photos rarely tell the full story. They don't easily explain how spaces connect, how movement flows between rooms, or what it actually feels like to step inside.

That’s where virtual tours transform the customer journey. A 360-degree virtual tour closes the gap between finding a venue and feeling confident enough to book it.

Here is a closer look at how virtual tour technology can help venue managers save time, improve enquiry quality, and support hirers long after the booking.

1. Focus on the outcome, not just the technology

When considering a digital upgrade, it’s easy to get bogged down in technical questions: Which camera should we use? Which platform is best?

A better starting point is to ask a fundamental question: What do we want this virtual tour to help people see, understand, or do?

For most venue operators, the value falls into three core areas:

• Marketing & Decision-Making: Virtual tours give potential hirers the confidence to shortlist or book without needing an immediate in-person visit.
• Enquiry & Admin Efficiency: Virtual tours answer routine questions about room sizes, layout, and facilities before a staff member has to pick up the phone.
• Operations & Accessibility: Beyond booking, virtual tours provide up-to-date digital floor plans, room dimensions, access points, and safety orientation details (like emergency exits and equipment locations). They also let hirers with access needs check entrances, step-free routes and accessible facilities before they visit.

Whether you use iGUIDE, Matterport, or another capture system, your technology choice should always be guided by your venue’s specific operational goals.

2. Elevating the quality of your enquiries

One of the biggest misconceptions about virtual tours is that putting one online will instantly flood your inbox with bookings.

While a tour is a powerful asset, its true strength lies in transforming your conversations. When a customer calls to request a physical viewing, your team can first ask:

"Have you taken our virtual tour online yet?"

When hirers explore the space remotely first, the conversation becomes more informed. Rather than asking basic questions like "What does the space look like?", they come prepared with specific details: availability, catering setups, tech requirements, and access arrangements.

3. The value doesn’t stop at the booking confirmation

Another common misconception is that a virtual tour’s job ends once a booking is confirmed. In reality, much of its value kicks in after the contract is signed.

Event organisers can return to the virtual tour and floor plans repeatedly to:

• Plan table and seating arrangements using accurate room dimensions.

• Coordinate setup logistics with external caterers, decorators, and AV suppliers.

• Share the space with committees, family members, or co-organisers who couldn't attend a site visit.

• Familiarise staff and attendees with entrances, exits, and safety procedures ahead of time.

What we’re learning from the field: The Auckland pilot

At VirtualPro, we capture spaces, understand how they operate, and find practical ways to use that spatial data.

The pilot is currently running in Auckland across eight community venues, including two SpacetoCo customers: Birkdale Community Centre and Beach Haven Community House. 

By gathering direct feedback from venue staff and hirers, we’re evaluating impact across four key pillars:

• Conversion: Does remote exploration accelerate the decision to book?
• Engagement: How frequently do prospective hirers interact with spatial views?
• Enquiry Quality: Does prior viewing reduce preliminary admin work?
• Operational Value: How much time is saved on site visits and routine questions?

Early feedback has been positive, both operationally and as a marketing resource. As venue teams adopt the tool, they discover creative uses, such as embedding brief instructional videos directly into the virtual space (for example, showing how to operate heating controls or fire safety equipment right where those items are located).

Bringing it together

A virtual tour brings imagery, floor plans, measurements, video and useful information together, supporting people from their first enquiry through to planning and using the venue.

SpacetoCo helps councils and community organisations manage their spaces and take bookings; VirtualPro helps people see, understand, and feel confident in those spaces. Together, we make the journey from discovery to event day simpler for hosts and hirers alike.

Already on SpacetoCo? Once your tour is ready, add it to your listing so hirers can explore your space before they enquire.

Talk to VirtualPro about a virtual tour

To discuss your venue’s objectives and agree on the scope, media package and pricing, contact Dean Scholey, Director at VirtualPro and iGUIDE reseller and consultant. VirtualPro currently services venues in Auckland, with wider coverage in development.

Phone: +64 21 061 9634

Email: dean@virtualpro.nz

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