Glossary
What is Wet Spend?
Wet spend is the revenue an event generates from drinks, as opposed to dry spend on food. Venues track wet spend per guest as a key event profitability metric, since drinks carry higher margins than food.
Pre-arrival drink ordering reliably raises wet spend, because guests choose premium bottles and packages calmly in advance rather than ordering under time pressure. Venues using Creventa drink pre-orders see a 251% uplift. See pre-order management.
Wet spend in practice
Two identical 100-guest parties. At the first, guests order at the bar under time pressure: house wine, a few rounds, done. At the second, tables pre-ordered a fortnight out: two champagne packages, six premium bottles, a cocktail round pre-paid for arrival. Same guests, same night, radically different bar revenue, which is why wet spend is the metric venues watch and why pre-arrival ordering moves it so hard. A Holiday Inn hotel using Creventa reported a 251% uplift in wet spend from drink pre-orders.
Frequently asked questions
What counts as wet spend?
All beverage revenue from an event: wine, beer, spirits, cocktails, soft drinks and drinks packages, as opposed to dry spend on food.
Why does pre-ordering increase wet spend?
Guests choosing calmly in advance trade up: packages, premium bottles and arrival rounds get chosen at the moment of anticipation rather than skipped in a bar queue.
How do venues track wet spend per event?
Through pre-order and payment data per guest and per table; with each order recorded against the event, wet spend per head becomes a report rather than a till-roll estimate.
Last reviewed
Reviewed July 2026. Creventa results such as wet-spend uplift, time saved and reduced food waste are typical outcomes reported by customers and vary by venue and event.