London-based events venue company EC&O Venues, in partnership with Livebookings Network, has launched an online, real-time restaurant booking service through its website, eco.co.uk. The new service adds even further value to exhibitors, organisers and visitors that use the recently re-launched site and interact with the digital venue experience.

The service will allow site visitors to book tables in real time at featured restaurants which are part of the Livebookings Network and brings eco.co.uk one step closer to the end goal of being a one-stop organisation and information shop for anyone wishing to visit Earls Court or Olympia. Organisers, exhibitors and their show and companies’ audiences are now able to book parking, hotel accommodation and meals through the site as well as booking tickets for shows and getting further details about the range of events taking place at the venues.

Sybil Barker, digital marketing manager for EC&O Venues, believes the new service is a prime example of how the internet is impacting the events industry as a whole. “The internet is, slightly ironically given the initial fears over what effect it might have had on live events, rapidly becoming an integral part of our industry, in terms of communicating with the audiences we wish to attract to our events and of making it easier for those audiences to be part of the live event experience.

“Things like hotel booking, restaurant booking, car park booking and – obviously – ticket booking, all on-line, make it simple for people and go towards reducing any perceived barriers to entry. In the near future, we will begin to use our website to poll the opinions, feelings and needs of our audiences, which will allow us to fine-tune our offering further and better utilise e-marketing to the benefit of our customers.”