Licklist Industry Podcast

On todays show Max got to sit down with Ben Child's, General Manager of Paradise by way of Kensal Rise. Seems like we cant get enough of this place! Ben has a really cool history within the industry after being at Novus for 10 years he then ran his own restaurant before moving into experience led nights out and now hes at Paradise. They discussed the importance in knowing your customer, why you must check your ego and how competitive socialising is on the rise. Enjoy

This week we are joined by Dean & Lucy of Stardust LDN. Now, have you ever thought about what its like to start your own festival from scratch? Or have you ever been curious as to what is involved in taking on such a challenege? Well, look no further because this show is where you'll find out all about it. Dean has a strong history within nightlife after working with powerhouse brands, Sintillate and Hot Bed across Europe and couple that with Lucy's expertise in all things hospitality and you've got a solid foundation for what is going to be something very EPIC to hit our capital in December. We cover everything from initial planning right through to total cost and biggest hurdles. Lots of fun and a great discussion. Link to tickets: https://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/stardust-ldn-tickets/artist/5317388 Enjoy!

On todays show, Brad and Max sat down with Stephen Sullivan, head of promoter of SOAP events. SOAP specialise in student lead parties across the south-east and have been putting on memorable nights for the last 10 years. Stephen also runs Glitterbomb which specialises in all things fun and LGBTQ friendly. We chat about the importance of understanding who your customer really is, what to do when your "great idea" doesnt pay off and how todays hottest act may not be so hot tomorrow. We also share a story about balls, lots of them in fact. Enjoy

This week Brad and Max had a great chat with Ben & Lonyo, the Artistic Directors for Paradise by way of Kensal Green. The main focus of the chat was all about the music and how much passion there is for it. We discussed the importance of knowing your community and your customers, being allowed creative freedom - just as long as its within budget and, is VR really the future of clubbing? Let us know your thoughts and enjoy. Featured in this podcast: @mrbencain @djlonyo @paradisekensal

On this week's show, Brad and Max got to sit down and chat with Rosie Marsh - Head of Sales for Miroma Leisure Group. They discussed how important it is to have relationships with your customers and maintaining them all year round, the importance of pre-books for venues and how we’re all getting a bit tech tired in today's market. Some great points throughout and we even had a balloon invader. Enjoy

Today we chat with Saleem Amer, the head promotor at Ice Cream Ldn Parties. This is a real eye opener of a show and will make you appreciate what hardships the urban community have to go through just to put on their events. We get to hear how regular routines will allow for a more pleasant night and what pressures and legal issues he faces when putting on large scale nights. This goes longer than other shows but it's so worth it and you'll leave it feeling enlightened. Enjoy

This week is a rather special edition of the show. With so much to talk about we've had to split this into 2 parts. Max and Brad sat down with Mike Kill, CEO of the Nightime Industries Association to discuss how initiatives throughout the country are helping the industry stay on top, why politicians seem to be out of touch with the positive impact the industry is making, when communities stick together they achieve great things and we find out if developers are to blame for taking over venue buildings. So many talking points to get through - Enjoy!

This week is a rather special edition of the show. With so much to talk about we've had to split this into 2 parts. Max and Brad sat down with Mike Kill, CEO of the Nightime Industries Association to discuss how initiatives throughout the country are helping the industry stay on top, why politicians seem to be out of touch with the positive impact the industry is making, when communities stick together they achieve great things and we find out if developers are to blame for taking over venue buildings. So many talking points to get through - Enjoy!

Today Max is joined by Leah who is the current GM of Revolution, Brighton. Leah has been in the industry for 16 years and has worked with various groups within that time covering a range of roles. This is my personal favourite show we've done as Leah explains why there aren't many women in the GM role, how important it is to have a all age groups working with you and what the biggest changes have been over the last few years when it comes to overall numbers.

This week, Max is speaking with the founder of Husky Events, Oli Crawley. Interesting chat on how to leverage promotion from both social and physical worlds, where the industry was 5 years ago to now and Oli explain how he managed to host an event on the famous Brighton Pier for Halloween. Enjoy

This week Max had the pleasure of speaking with Melissa McMurdock, CEO and Founder of Out Out Entry. We have a great chat about women in business, how important the LGBTQ+ community is to the local economy in Brighton and why drive and ambition is a must for any entrepreneur. Great show with some amazing views of Brighton courtesy of the BA I360. Big thanks to the team there for hosting us

This week Max speaks with Beth, general manager of Infinity in Sudbury. With Sudbury being a small town, Infinity is a huge part of the town's night life and we find out how they keep evolving as a business and what they do for the community. We also talk about gender equality in the industry and what challenges Beth faces and how she tackles them. Very fun show here, enjoy

This week we are joined by Deltic's Social Media Manager, Mitchell Davis. Had a brilliant chat with him discussing how much of an impact social media has in today's nightlife industry, what freedom individual venues get with their posts and how to really leverage followers to attend events. This is a great show and Mitchell has a unique perspective on the industry as a whole and where it's heading. Enjoy!

On today's show Max is joined by Jeremy and Ross of Rubix in Colchester. Rubix is very fun and unique venue which is dedicated to all things retro. They have an 80's party on the ground floor and a 70's at the top. We discuss how the venue has captured the heart of the town by welcoming generations of customers, how important it is to stick to your core values as a business and why there will always be a market for nostalgia. You'll be busting out your own rendition of Living on a Prayer in no time! Enjoy

Today we are joined by James Cross, manager and owner of Borjia in Northampton. James also manages Fever & Boutique which is just up the road. Borjia is a converted castle which has a very sophistaced feel to it and a big talking point around the town. We discuss what you need to do to stay fresh in today's market, how you can always do better and learn from mistakes. Enjoy!

In this week’s episode we chat with Dan Stone, venue manager at the exclusive Notting Hill Gate Dan has done it all from bar work to promotion and management. This is not only here in the UK but over in Zante as well. He breaks down why corporates have great structure but independents give me you more freedom. We speak about some of the challenges licensing can bring and how the next generation of night time enthusiasts are breaking through. There’s a lot here to take home, enjoy

This week we chat we Henry Glennon, the manager of Bar & Beyond Stevenage Henry has managed multiple venues under the Deltic umbrella and loves bringing fresh ideas to each one. We discuss the importance of community for a venue and how to best attract customers in today’s times. There’s also a great feature on how to get corporates through the door. Shorter show this week but a lot more punchy detail. Enjoy

Today we chat to Julian Foster, the M.D of FosterWood Events. Having 2 of the biggest event brands in London is going to have its challenges but Julian explains how after 10 years they’re still absolutely smashing it. Catering to a specific target audience has allowed him to focus on what works for the business and how to really double down on its strengths. Coupled with some great stories and detailed insight, this episode is a real home run. Enjoy

In this week’s episode we speak with Charlie Elek, owner of the amazing Lucky Voice brand who specialise in group Karaoke. You will get to find out what it takes to run a successful 10 year operation that focuses on the customer’s experience. How to build a solid community for their venues and how they're going the extra mile to improve somebody’s confidence. This is a brilliant show, so enjoy!

In this episode we chat with Will Hodge, venue manager at Unit 17, Ipswich. We cover Will’s varied experience within the industry and how he got involved in it in a unique way. How clubland has changed over the last 10 years, why brand strategy is so important in today’s market and what makes a great team. Enjoy