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Ted Orme-Claye takes over the hosting role for today's iGaming Daily, sponsored by Optimove, as Ted, Joe Streeter and Viktor Kayed continue their world tour from the comfort of our Manchester studio. First up, they discuss some interesting numbers from Denmark, who after strong growth in March of 2025, now rank fifth globally in terms of regulated online gambling market share. Our panel chat about the Nordic approach to the black market, and what other markets could learn from their ability to shift players back to regulated operations. Onto the UK, where rumours are abound that Keir Starmer plans to dissolve the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, something that would be a significant change for the UK industry. The guys chat about where the industry might go, where political responsibility might lie, and whether this could lead to confusing and convoluted fragmentation. The penultimate destination on today's tour is Thailand, where they discuss the ongoing casino legislation, a story with multiple moving parts. Ted, Joe and Vik bring you up to date with the story, including committee-ception as the Senate Special Committee establish two new sub-committees, the significant due diligence involved, and the added dynamic of Chinese interest in the story, with concerns it may impact Macau's status as the home of Asian gambling. Lastly, we head to Botswana, following this week's SBC News story highlighting the African nation as the potential new boom market on the continent. Recently, ten new licenses were handed out, including one to Betway. Botswana is considered to be a gateway market to the wider region, and the guys also touch on South Africa who have recently introduced a National Gambling Policy Council. Host: Joe StreeterGuests: Viktor Kayed, Ted Orme-ClayeProducer: Anaya McDonaldEditor: Scott FultoniGaming Daily is the official podcast of SBC Summit Malta. Taking place from 10-12 June at the Intercontinental in Malta, SBC Summit Malta is the definitive casino and betting event where European companies and professionals converge to explore cutting-edge insights, gain transformative skills, and forge impactful connections with senior decision-makers. Get your tickets now at sbcevents.com.iGaming Daily is also now on TikTok. Make sure to follow us at iGaming Daily Podcast (@igaming_daily_podcast) | TikTok for bite-size clips from your favourite podcast. Finally, remember to check out Optimove at https://hubs.la/Q02gLC5L0 or go to Optimove.com/sbc to get your first month free when buying the industry's leading customer-loyalty service.
Joe Streeter returns to the host's chair for today's episode of iGaming Daily, sponsored by Optimove, and he's joined by the SBC News team of Senior Journalist Viktor Kayed, and Editor Ted Orme-CLaye for a discussion on an ever-juicy topic, UK regulation. The guys discuss the recent letter from a UK parliamentary select committee to the Labour government, expressing concerns that the current Gambling Act review and its reforms have not adequately addressed gambling-related harms and advertising saturation. With demand for a revisit of the review, and concerns over the implementation of the RET Levy, are we set for a review of the review? Our panel discuss the select committee's letter, the reason for the demand, the increased pressure on Labour and Keir Starmer, the advertising and sponsorships question that just won't go away, gambling as a public health issue, the RET Levy and it's future, and what the potential abolition of NHS England means for everything. Host: Joe StreeterGuests: Viktor Kayed, Ted Orme-ClayeProducer: Anaya McDonaldEditor: Scott FultoniGaming Daily is the official podcast of SBC Summit Malta. Taking place from 10-12 June at the Intercontinental in Malta, SBC Summit Malta is the definitive casino and betting event where European companies and professionals converge to explore cutting-edge insights, gain transformative skills, and forge impactful connections with senior decision-makers. Get your tickets now at sbcevents.com.iGaming Daily is also now on TikTok. Make sure to follow us at iGaming Daily Podcast (@igaming_daily_podcast) | TikTok for bite-size clips from your favourite podcast. Finally, remember to check out Optimove at https://hubs.la/Q02gLC5L0 or go to Optimove.com/sbc to get your first month free when buying the industry's leading customer-loyalty service.
In the latest episode of iGaming Daily, brought to you by Optimove, the two Ted's return return as Ted Menmuir and Ted Orme-Claye, explore the evolving landscape of the UK's gambling review, focusing on the growing push from local councils for greater authority over gambling venues and advertising. The duo unpack the rising involvement of local governments, the power dynamics at play between councils and the gambling industry, and the key reforms councils are calling for. With an emphasis on localised solutions and inclusive stakeholder engagement, this conversation sheds light on why community voices are crucial in shaping the future of gambling regulation in the UK.To find out more on the topics discussed on today's episode, click on the following link:- https://sbcnews.co.uk/featurednews/2025/04/04/local-councls-gambling/Host: Ted MenmuirGuest: Ted Orme-ClayeProducer: Anaya McDonaldEditor: James RossiGaming Daily is also now on TikTok. Make sure to follow us at iGaming Daily Podcast (@igaming_daily_podcast) | TikTok for bite-size clips from your favourite podcast. Finally, remember to check out Optimove at https://hubs.la/Q02gLC5L0 or go to Optimove.com/sbc to get your first month free when buying the industry's leading customer-loyalty service.
Episode 36 "Telum Like It Is"What's Newz/OS dependencies moved from Semeru 17 to 21. EOS for Semeru 11 is 30 Nov 2025.Manual of the Moment: z/OS 3.1 Planning for Installation refresh, Software Dependencies sectionMainframe - Position z/OS for IBM z17z/OS V2.4 and higher is supported on IBM z17. Use SMP/E FIXCATs to find the necessary service.z/OS Sysplex requirements for coexistence is z15, z16, and z17.Exploitation for z17 in z/OS includes: Workload level sustainability and power consumption, Workfload classification pricing, new CL6 link technology, BCPii and HMC hardened security, CF Level 26, and more.Mainframe Also - Preview of z/OS 3.2z/OS 3.2 will IPL on z15 and higher servers. Planned GA is 3Q2025.Some new functions previewed, but stay tuned for further announcements with more complete functions.Highlights: new REST APIs for doing installation of service updates, support for direct encryption to tape, new z/OSMF Storage Management interface, RACF certificate support for multiple altnames, and more.Performance - IBM z17 highlightsTelum 2 processor has the 2nd generation on-chip AI accelerator, with 8-bit integer (INT8) and 16-bit floating point (FP16) datatypes for more thruput.5nm (from 7nm), with clock speeed of 5.5 GHz (from 5.2).DPU has 4 port cards (from 2), with energy consumption reduction. DPU accessible from other chips and DCMs.1 to 4 processor drawers. 4-drawer models are Max183 and Max 208.Memory 64 TB (from 40).Measurements with new Channel Measurement Groups 4 and 5, with SMF 73 support.TopicsMartin and Marna discuss how they prepared materials for IBM z17, with the Upgrade Workflow and Redbooks.On the blogMarna's blogMartin's blogsSo It Goes
England have won the Netball Nations Cup for the first time after beating South Africa. It proved sixth time lucky for the Vitality Roses after being defeated in the five previous finals. To celebrate, Nuala McGovern is joined by head coach Jess Thirlby and former England Netball captain, Pamela Cookey.Last month, Eleanor Frances received a settlement of £116,000 from two Whitehall departments that she worked in as a civil servant, the agreement was reached without liability. She had claimed constructive dismissal after raising concerns about a lack of impartiality in HR policies on gender and sex. DCMS and DSIT are now revising their Gender Reassignment policies. In her first broadcast interview, Eleanor tells Nuala why she brought the case.With New York fashion week in full swing we take a look at the decline of the body positivity movement. As with everything in fashion, trends come and go but when the body positivity movement hit the catwalk and more diverse models were used many thought the change was here to stay. To discuss, Nuala is joined by fashion writer Victoria Moss and plus-sized model Enrika. Laila Souief has been on hunger strike for 134 days, campaigning for the release of her British-Egyptian son Alaa Abdel Fattah, who is being held as a political prisoner in Egypt. Today she is calling for the Prime Minister to take more decisive action in getting him released. She tells Nuala how she's dealing with the hunger strike aged 68, and what she wants from the government.Inspired by the convict ships that transported prisoners from Ireland and England to Australia and the misogyny that's travelled down through generations, Emilia Hart's new book, The Sirens, explores the healing power of water and sisterhood.Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Emma Pearce
The Money Trench - The Music Industry Podcast with Mark Sutherland
Welcome to The Money Trench! This week, Mark is joined by Peter Leathem, CEO of PPL. As well as catching up on the week's news, including Grammy highlights and mental health provisions from labels, Peter shares his journey with PPL, discussing the changes he's implemented and the successes he's achieved in shaping the company's role in the music industry. The conversation covers how PPL continues to innovate in the music space and navigate challenges such as the DCMS committee inquiry. Beyond his work at PPL, Peter reflects on his early career as a lawyer, shares how he found his way into the music industry, and talks everything from Taylor Swift's gigs to Madonna's 'Sex' book! NEWSLETTER Sign up HERE for the TMT newsletter - featuring each week's hottest music industry stories. PPL The Money Trench is sponsored by the PPL. KEEP UP TO DATE For the latest podcast and music business updates, make sure to follow us on: Instagram: @the_money_trench LinkedIn: The Money Trench Website: The Money Trench GET IN TOUCH If you have any feedback, guest suggestions or general comments? We'd love to hear from you! - Get in touch here! Thanks to our partners PPL Earth/Percent Tom A Smith Aimless Play Fourth Pillar Sennheiser Junkhead Studio Tape Notes Executive Producer: Mike Walsh Producer: Tape Notes
In this episode of iGaming Daily, supported by Optimove, Martyn Elliott, SBC's Project Director, and Ted Menmuir, SBC's Content Director, focus on the implications of a court ruling against Sky Bet regarding the valid consent of a problem gambler being marketed to.The duo discuss why the case has drawn such significant attention, who is calling for intervention on advertising practices and data consent and question if this will lead to any revisions or reviews of the White Paper's interpretation of gambling advertising.In the second half of the show, the conversation turns to the ongoing political discourse surrounding the Gambling Review's White Paper, including asking why the Conservatives are criticising Labour's implementation of proposals, Labour's response and the potential for petty politics to derail the implementation of the Gambling Review's 2025 agenda.To find out more about the topics discussed in today's episode, click on the following links:- Sky Betting & Gaming to consider appeal against data breach ruling- DCMS hears of Labour failings on Gambling Review reformsHost: Martyn ElliottGuest: Ted MenmuirProducer: Anaya McDonaldEditor: James RossRemember to check out Optimove at https://hubs.la/Q02gLC5L0 or go to Optimove.com/sbc to get your first month free when buying the industry's leading customer-loyalty service.
Conservative MP, Dame Caroline Dinenage is the Chair of the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee. We discuss the upcoming debates around the renewal of the BBC's charter, the crucial issues of the corporation's funding, impartiality, and role in public service broadcasting, as well as the future of the BBC World Service and the Greg Wallace revelations. “We're entering a winter period when there's a number of pensioners who've just had their winter fuel tax removed, when energy prices are rising because the energy fuel cap has come to end, and to suddenly find that you've your licence fee's going up as well. I just thought the timing was unfortunate.” Listen to all our episodes here: https://podfollow.com/beebwatch/view To support our journalism and receive a weekly blog sign up now for £1.99 per month (NB we only charge for one creation per month): www.patreon.com/BeebWatch/membership Or if you'd rather make a one-off payment (which doesn't entitle you to the blog) please use our crowdfunding page:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/roger-boltons-beeb-watch-podcast Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Because, you know, Life, this week we present a classic ep from the Deucecast Movie Show archives... its Christmas Gifts 2018, first released on December 19th, 2018, with Mikey, Earl, d$, and a returning Clay Shaver... The original show notes: But joining Mikey, Dave, and #Twitterless Dr Earl, is Friend of the Show, back for his fourth Christmas Gifts episode, "No Just" Clay Shaver! A little chit chat and catch up on movies and documentaries, and then the guys start handing out the merth and merry of Christmas gifts. Amongst those opening Christmas gifts underneath the Deucecast Movie Show tree include Disney head honcho Bob Iger... busybody Tiffany Haddish... a Netflix Oscar of major proportions... Jennifer Garner getting more serious... Rian Johnson a real non-sci fi franchise... and much, much more. Oh, and Clay has a new idea for the masses along the lines of his legendary 30 year reboot rule
Skip the Queue is brought to you by Rubber Cheese, a digital agency that builds remarkable systems and websites for attractions that helps them increase their visitor numbers. Your host is Paul Marden.If you like what you hear, you can subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, and all the usual channels by searching Skip the Queue or visit our website rubbercheese.com/podcast.If you've enjoyed this podcast, please leave us a five star review, it really helps others find us. And remember to follow us on Twitter for your chance to win the books that have been mentioned in this podcast.Competition ends on 11th December 2024. The winner will be contacted via Twitter. Our guests:https://www.wethecurious.org/ Chris Dunford, Sustainability and Science Director at We The Curious As Sustainability and Science Director, Chris Dunford has been responsible for Sustainable Futures at We The Curious since 2011. During that time, he has introduced a sector-leading programme of environmental best practice, innovative technologies, and organisational change. In 2019, We The Curious became the first science centre in the world to declare a climate emergency and pledged to meet ambitious decarbonisation targets in this decade, implemented alongside climate change adaptation.Beyond We The Curious, Chris has held positions as Head of Environmental Sustainability at UKRI, Elected Director of the Bristol Green Capital Partnership, Mentor of Arizona State University's ‘Sustainability in Science Museums' Global Fellowship, and Chair of the ASDC Decarbonisation Group. Chris' background is in science communication and stand-up comedy. https://w5online.co.uk/Victoria Denoon is the Head of Visitor Experience at W5 Science and Discovery Centre.Victoria joined W5 Science and Discovery Centre in March 2020 and has responsibility for all aspects of W5's operations. She is also currently an ASDC Trustee. Prior to joining the team at W5, she worked in Higher Education in the United States for 15 years with a particular interest in advancing the careers of women in STEM fields. http://www.aberdeensciencecentre.org/Bryan Snelling is the CEO of Aberdeen Science Centre. He's been in this position for five years having started in November 2019. Bryan has worked in the visitor attraction sector for 11 years having previously enjoyed 6 years as CEO at The Gordon Highlanders Museum in Aberdeen. Bryan has worked in many sectors during his career including education having worked across the UK in Portsmouth and London before moving to Aberdeen. Bryan is originally from South Wales and in his spare time he enjoys playing the guitar, playing cricket and reading. https://www.sciencecentres.org.uk/Shaaron Leverment is the Chief Executive at The Association for Science and Discovery Centres.Shaaron is the CEO of ASDC and has over 20 years' experience working in science engagement and education. She stands for the value of science centres and museums for social good, as community assets that are accessible and relevant for a more diverse public.Shaaron joined ASDC in 2016 as the Deputy CEO. She is also the co-founding director of 'Explorer Dome' that engages over 70,000 children and adults every year. She leads on a number of national and international programmes and collaborations that aim to improve the relevance and accessibility of STEM for a more diverse public. As a past president of the British Association of Planetaria, she is also currently the EDI co-chair of the International Planetarium Society. Shaaron is mum to two boys, and the owner of a large hairy Golden Retriever.She is part of varied networks, working with schools, universities, science centres, museums and volunteer groups, as well as nation-wide professional associations and Government agencies. She has created and directed national and international (EU) science engagement programmes, including leading the Horizon 2020 Hypatia programme in the UK to support greater gender inclusion in informal science education, and is the driving force behind Our Space Our Future, supporting participative practice in space science outreach.Through work with ASDC, Ecsite and other international partnerships, Shaaron is known for her work to support greater equity and inclusion within our STEM education and engagement organisations, with the ambition of embedding more equitable practice for transformative organisation-wide change. Transcription: Paul Marden: Welcome to Skip the Queue. A podcast for people working in and working with visitor attractions. I'm your host, Paul Marden. Now, today's episode is a special one. A few days ago I was at the Association for Science and Discovery Centre's annual conference recording in front of a live studio audience. Joined by a panel of the great and good from the Science and Discovery Centre community, Victoria Denoon, Head of Visitor Experience at W5 Science and Discovery Centre. Bryan Snelling, the CEO of Aberdeen Science Centre. Chris Dunford at ASDC Sustainability Group Chair and Sustainability Director at We the Curious. And Shaaron Leverment, the CEO of ASDC. Now, I have to say, this was a bit of a proof of concept for us and we had a few technical gremlins, but whilst the sound quality isn't brilliant, the conversations absolutely were. Paul Marden: So without further ado, let's go over to that recording I took a couple of days ago. Why don't we start with our icebreaker questions? So this is a tradition for the podcast and nobody has been prepared for this. So, Victoria, you'll like this one. It's a really easy one. Bauble or custard cream? Victoria Denoon: You said it was going to be easy. Paul Marden: Oh, no, I could give you my answer straight away. It's a firmly held belief for me. Of course, it's the only answer to that question. Bryan, you have to live in a sitcom for the rest of your life. Which one? And why? Bryan Snelling: Oh God, can I have the ball? But do you know what? The only one that sprung to mind was Only Fools and Horses. I think, you know, a bit of dodgy dealing here and there. Can't go wrong with that, I think. Yeah, Wheeler dealing, you know what I mean? Paul Marden: One day Wanda's There'll be millionaires. Chris, play 10 instruments or speak 10 languages. Chris Dunford: Oh, horrible. I'm going to go for 10 instruments because I feel as if Google can do the rest. But 10 instruments? I can finally record my own albums. Paul Marden: And Shaaron, last but not least, control time like Hermione or Fly Like Harry. Shaaron Leverment: Oh, God, fly Like Harry, Paul Marden: Really? Shaaron Leverment: Yeah, yeah, 100%. Paul Marden: You don't need a time turner to be in every session. That wasn't the latest question at all. Okay, let's get cracking then with the main interview. Shaaron, first question is for you. This year and next sees the 25th anniversary of the millennium funded science centers which saw a huge amount of investments into science communic engagement across the country. What did that do to shape science in the last quarter of the century? And where do you think it will take us next. Shaaron Leverment: Great question. Paul Marden: Thank you. Shaaron Leverment: Like 25 years ago, as I mentioned in my talk, even no one really knew what science communication was. You know, now obviously there's masters in it, there's people who are doing PhDs in it and I think it's actually becoming a very important part of policy and recognised as strategically important in terms of the way in which nation engages with science. And I do believe that's because we have these amazing places across the U.K. now. Let's be honest, like a lot of them existed beforehand. There was at least 6, including Satrasphere, which is now Aberdeen Science Centre, which existed before the Millennium centers. And then suddenly all of these centers were. But now we've got 60, nearly 70 across the entire places. The Lost Shore is just open, which is all about surf and science. Shaaron Leverment: I think science, referring to one of our keynotes, is really becoming part of culture. And then we're no longer looking at sort of museums and centres as like cathedrals of science. We're looking at them as real kind of cultural and community assets. So that's where I think. I think that's where the trajectory is going for the next 25 years. I'll just wrap that into the end of that. Paul Marden: This is a follow up for that and really anyone can join in on this one. Thinking more about where we go in the next 25 years, let's talk about funding streams because we had a big lump of money back just before the millennium projects get them kicked off and we're unlikely to see that level of lottery funding again. So how can centres, after all, they are visitor attractions and charities in many cases. How do they diversify their income streams? Victoria Denoon: I think there's two things about that and one's really important from the ASDC perspective because there's what we can do individually, but there's also what we can do collectively as a network. So you know, we are looking at that particularly from the Millennium Science Centre perspective. Victoria Denoon: And obviously that's a bigger voice if we do that together. So that's really important to have those conversations. At W5 we do that by increasing what we do for corporate hire. We do a W5 late program, which is an 18 plus evenings for adults to come down. And because we're going to be 25 years old next year, there's that nostalgia that really helps sell that. So we're looking at key events to drive revenue across the year to really get more people in our door who wouldn't come to us otherwise. Bryan Snelling: Yeah, I think it's obviously very important to diversify our income. But what we're talking about here, in terms of the money we got in 2019, you're only really going to get that sort of money again from very large institutions or government. And I think whether you're trying to persuade an individual to come and visit your science centre or local, national, devolved governments to give you money, it's all about the message that you're sending. It's about the science centres are really important part, and we were talking about it earlier on, the culture of what we're doing here. So whether you're just one individual or a multinational that has big bucks, you've really got to try and make them understand that. Chris Dunford: I think it's. Yeah, I think it's almost as well as diversifying to new funders, it's also diversifying what the existing funders will be happy to fund, because I think the funders understandably want the shiny new exhibition, the lovely new outreach in the brand advance, the school workshop photo opportunity. And those are all good things. And we couldn't do those things without the funders. But they'll need to. As these buildings getting older, they need to recognize at some point that those things can take place in the building where the roof leaks and it closes in the summer because the heat wave and the cooling system can't keep up. So I think if you're saying to the funders, yes, you can support this workshop, but we will need some contribution towards the rooms that the workshop take place in. Chris Dunford: So I think it'd be helpful to understand that. And to do that, we just need to make the case better to our value. So it's not just this extra news thing, but day to day supporting us to literally keep the lights on and keep the rain out of the roof. Bryan Snelling: Can I just add, I think there's also an important thing here about mission drift. We should be true to our own mission. We should know where we're going, our direction, and not have as much as possible. Because I understand it's a balance. Not have as much as possible. The funder direct what we do. It should be the other way around, or at least. And one of the big words of this conference that I've heard is collaboration. And we shouldn't just be doing it all the money, we should be actually understanding this is what we should be doing and this is how we're going. You should be coming on board with us. Paul Marden: You risk the tail wagging the dog, don't you? If all you do is chase the sources of funding. And you do that in a haphazard way. It's got to follow, as you say, it's got to follow the mission and the core values of the centre. Victoria Denoon: And it is a relationship, you know, it's like philanthropy and, you know, universities doing their work with donors. I mean, you really do have to have mutual respect and understanding and be looking for sponsors or funders or partners who have the same mission and values that you do. That conversation becomes a lot easier. Paul Marden: Absolutely. Shaaron, any thoughts? Shaaron Leverment: I think I agree with what they're saying. It's really well put. Paul Marden: This is an audience question and this is from Kate Allen from Purple Stars. And she asked me, is the A in steam in cooperate and why it's not a binary question. Chris Dunford: Right. Bryan Snelling: Look it up. Victoria Denoon: Yes. Bryan Snelling: Did you see the inflection in that? Paul Marden: Absolutely. Bryan Snelling: I think it's a two way process. I think that the A is very important. And again, I'm gonna repeat myself, but I think it's been a big part of what the conference has been about and it's been about collaboration. Yes, it's important, but it's a two way process because it's not all about us incorporating the arts. It's also about the arts incorporating the st, the E and the M and the science elements. So I think it's a two way process at the moment. I feel this is just my own opinion that it's a little bit more give than take. Shaaron Leverment: I think there's an interesting, you know, there's an interesting conversation of like, do you need an artist for it to be art? What is art and what is science? You know, and actually, you know, so much of, you know, the engagements that we see involve huge creativity, kids making planets and things like that in science. I do think that we need to use all the tools to get across these massive ideas. And I don't actually even know what science is anyway, so I'm on the back. Shaaron Leverment: And I also noticed in Tom Crick, when he was looking at the curriculum, they separate mathematics and numeracy from science and tech, you know, and so in science, tech engineering is often considered the invisible E in stem. Maths is often considered the invisible M in STEM in science and discovery centres, you know, and so the arts as well. I fully believe that we need to be trans and multidisciplinary 100%. But you know, I think it includes, you know, the music and everything. I think includes absolutely everything. So maybe these acronyms, which is not, they're not useful at all. Paul Marden: I don't think it helps. One of the things that we talked about when we first. We were spinning ideas around this episode, weren't we? And you talked about the idea that you shocked me, that science matters to me and I care about it. And it's something that I enjoy doing with my family. And to consider that isn't for the government to consider. That's not really part of culture because they're funded quite separately. It offends my roles, I think. Shaaron Leverment: But also, you know, it's just another beautiful way of looking at the world. You might look up at a night sky, you know, like Mara or Kilda, like we're hearing by Este. And you might look at it with eyes where you're just wondering at the jewelry of creation or making pictures in the stars. Or you might also be wondering about, well, maybe there's a planet out there. Shaaron Leverment: And I think you can look with all eyes and you can. It's all in wonder. And the fact that they are segregated, it comes back to school science, I think. I think actually in the normal world, as human beings, we don't have to separate them, but it's just very hard, especially when these are crazy funding lines. Like Tom mentioned the difference. I did not know that festivals are considered part of culture, but science festivals aren't. It's madness. Chris Dunford: It also depends in a way what you're doing. So if you're putting the A into STEAM because you say that as a society, as a cultural attraction, we want to involve ourselves, then obviously, yes, we don't want to. You know, it's inclusive because as Shaaron said, they can. They bring different things to the table. But if you're putting an A in there because you're saying that art is the same as the others, then they're no different. But that's good. It's good that art and science kind of behave in different ways. So. So they both start with an idea or a question. They can both be kind of curious or stimulated by something. But then whether we do night sky or whatever, the way that art might scrutinise the night sky would be different to the way that science will scrutinise. And that's fine. Chris Dunford: They can complement each other. It's not. You need to recognize the differences in those kind of, I don't know, the intellectual disciplines, so they can support each other rather than say, well, artists, science, design. It's not as simple as that. They're different, but that's okay. Victoria Denoon: I do think they play a part together in making things more accessible to people. So if you look at major technology companies, they focus just as much on the design and the look of some of their products as they do on the actual technology that goes into them. So there's a lovely added experience there with putting that together. I think it's very important, but for different reasons. Paul Marden: Absolutely. There's been a lot of talk at the conference about diversity and inclusivity. To a certain extent, inclusion is about understanding who your audience is and understanding what it is that they need. Paul Marden: So let's dig into that about your three science centres. What are the customer demographics, what does the audience look like and what areas of diversity and inclusion are important to them? Victoria Denoon: Well, I think that assumes we've actually asked our audiences, you know, what is important to them. And I don't, you know, I'd like to sort of throw that over to other representatives for science centres because we have done some of that, but we probably haven't done it enough to be able to actually answer that question. That's something we are really looking at because we have a lot of different information about the demographics, but not really what they want to see us do. So we're looking at different focus groups and how to involve more people in that to get a better picture of that for our particular science centre. Bryan Snelling: I think we were very lucky to receive a lot of well enough ISF funding plus local funding to completely overhaul our science centre four years ago. What happened four years ago, it was wonderful. But as Shaaron said, we're actually not a millennium sites and we've been going for 36 years. I think tech request, slightly longer than us, Shaaron Leverment: 38.Bryan Snelling: There we go. But not many longer than us. But over that time we've asked and we found out a lot of information about what our visitors wanted. And similar to what Victoria said, we don't necessarily ask enough. We recognise that's a bad thing. We need and we are putting in place and now to evaluate to get feedback more. But back then were very aware of sort of things that we needed to do. We needed to be wheelchair user friendly. Bryan Snelling: So everything is now accessible throughout the science centre. We're one of the lucky places that have a changing places facility which is incredibly good and it's gone down very well. We also have a sensory space which was retrofitted admittedly. But if you look at our feedback on the online, that's gone down fantastically well and it allows some of our neurosensitive visitors just to calm down, go there and just take a moment and then come back and I think the very fact that we're a science centre, it's very hands on, it's very stimulating. Bryan Snelling: So having that has been a real wonderful addition to what we've got. And I think we've also got to remember financial inclusion. So a lot of the sort of sponsorship that we look for is to work with in Scotland. It's called simd, the Scottish Index for Multiple Deprivation. Chris Dunford: I'm sure there's a similar thing in England, but I want to know what it is. Paul Marden: We'll talk about that in a minute. Bryan Snelling: But we a lot of again, it's not mission drift when you are also doing it. A lot of our funders want to give us money so we can support those maybe who don't have as much money as the rest of us. So all of these things we've taken into account and parts of what we do at the science centre. Chris Dunford: Yeah. I suppose the question ultimately is when we ask our visitors what does inclusion, diversity mean to them, we won't get the answer we need. And that's because if you have a certain demographic who are visiting and you ask them diversity, inclusion, then obviously they will speak from their own life experience. But actually the people need to ask the people who aren't visiting. So in that respect, I mean the things we draw upon, we work closely with things like local council, so we have access to their data of who's living in the city and who's facing areas of deprivation and that kind of thing. Chris Dunford: So you can kind of fairly accurately figure out who's around you in your community and who's around you in your community isn't mirroring who's coming through the door and straight away you know where your focus areas are and the reason they might not be visiting, it might be economic, but it could also because there's things that you do unintentionally. It makes it look like you're not for them. Paul Marden: Yes. Chris Dunford: So only by engaging with them, seeing you through their eyes, will you understand maybe why you've been doing a thing which wasn't encouraged when they through the door. I suppose the last thing to say on that is often it's very tempting to think the inclusion thing is going to be groups that can't afford to visit and therefore Chapel saying it may be then detracting from the purely commercial enterprise we need to do to keep the buildings open and running. Chris Dunford: And for some areas who cannot afford to visit, then yes, that's an important part of what you do. But there could be areas, community who aren't visiting. And they can afford to visit because for some reason you're not currently for them, you can become for them. And you've also opened up a whole other market as well. So whether you're looking at it because you want more visitors financially, or you're looking at it because you want to be able to reach everyone, you need to ask who's in the city, who isn't here currently visiting and can we find out why they're not visiting? And then we just work through those challenge at a time until you hopefully are truly reflecting those around you. Paul Marden: I was at a Museum and Heritage Show earlier this year. There was a really interesting talk about inclusivity and making places accessible. And one of the key facts was that people that need an accessible place to visit, if they don't know something is accessible because you haven't communicated it properly, they will assume you are not accessible. And so having the changing places toilet and the sensory room is amazing. But you also have to communicate that to people in order for them to come and feel like it is a place for them. And that's. You're right, it's not about the charitable end of the organisation. It can be just a commercial thing. When you tell that story simply and easily for people, all of a sudden you are not going to market. Shaaron Leverment: We're sort of encouraging people. We've got an accessibility conference coming up in May which will be hosted by Winchester. And hopefully between now and then we can really support people with some of these amazing visual stories. Because I think you're absolutely right that you do need to know if it's accessible. You need to know what facilities you need to have those opportunities to know that there's a quiet space and what to expect. And then someone, honestly, if they know what's there and what's not there, then that's enough. Paul Marden: I've talked about this example before podcast, but Skipton Town Hall is an amazing example. They've got a museum whose name escapes me, but they won last year's Kids in Museum's Family Friendly award. But they have an amazing page that talks about their accessibilities with photos and videos where you can see the entrance, every entrance to the building and where that entrance will lead you to. It shows you the changing places toilet. You know, they are making it super easy for you to be able to understand that. And it's on your page, but it's a page that's hugely valuable on their website. Victoria Denoon: I think just beyond what you can do on your own. Site for that. There are organisations you can work with that tell people the story about what attractions in their area are accessible. So making sure you know who those groups are and working with them to get your story out and how you can support that's really important. Paul Marden: I've got Tudor in front of me from Eureka and I know that's something that Eureka has done a lot of is communicating the accessibility of what they deeds the outside world. I'm going to take your Scottish index of multiple deprivation and take that back to the uk. I'm going to talk a little bit about Cambridge Science Centre because they've passed two weeks ago, they've just opened their new building and one of the things that they talked about on the podcast with me was that part of the motivation for locating it on Cambridge Science park was because it is cheap by jail with one of the areas of multiple deprivation within the city. Paul Marden: They run youth groups in that area and what they found was that even though these kids are in a youth group associated with the Science centre and they are right next door to the Science park, those kids don't feel that a career in Science in the UK's hotspot for tech is a place where they could end up. Paul Marden: They just don't feel like it is of them. So how do we help those kids and families in those areas feel like science centres are for them and a career in the future and in science and tech is an opportunity for them? Bryan Snelling: I think when were redesigning the Aberdeen Science Centre, as I said, the only thing that's still there because It's a Category 2 listed building is the outer walls. But what we looked at that time was we said, well, how can we make it relevant to the northeast of Scotland? So we have three zones in the Science Centre which relates to either the up and coming or very much mature economies up there. We have an energy zone, of course we do, but space, you know, Shetland is on our patch, big patch, so is Sutherland and those of you who know Scotland, very big patch. That sort of space is a big part of what's happening up in northeast Scotland, but also life sciences. So we made it relevant so that people on an everyday sort of and kids can sort of relate to things. Bryan Snelling: I think we're the only city and people will help me out here and bring me down to size if that's the case. We have hydrogen buses in Aberdeen. I think we're one of the only, let's go like that. One of the only cities that currently do that and they see these things travelling through the city centre every day. But you know, they want to know more about that. So it's about making it relevant, making it day to day obvious that this, you can work in this because actually it's there or it's that or it's yes. The other thing is about showing the other careers that you can link it, you can focusing on space, but there's more than just that. You somebody said, yes, you also need to have a chef in the Antarctica. Bryan Snelling: So show them the other careers actually link in with this sort of and just make it relevant. Chris Dunford: Yeah, and I think obviously if you've got sections of society where there's young people who feel that science isn't for them, I think the first thing to recognise obviously is that they are in their lives. They're obviously getting messages that are telling them that's the case in the way in which children from other backgrounds are getting messages telling them what science is for them. And you can see that through the lens of the science capital. You can't control all of those, but you can control how you interact with them. Now, obviously what Cambridge did is they were able to physically relocate. Most of us aren't in that position in terms of the whole building, although that reached us the ability to do that on a complete short term basis. Chris Dunford: But I think again it's recognising that inclusion work is so much more than just kind of saying, “Hey, we are free. Why don't you come along today and you can visit for free or whatever.” It's the diversity of your staff and that's across the organisation. Because if they visit and they see someone that looks like them and that tells them that it is for them in a way in which it's going to be very difficult to do with the people actually working there don't look like people they would recognise as being in that kind of group in that way. It's about the activities themselves. So again, the ideas of kind of co development. So if you develop activities, rather than guess what you think they would like, just find out what they would like and involve them in those activities. Chris Dunford: So inclusion is difficult and it takes a lot of time because you can't just kind of put a sign on the door and say work for you now. You need to change the organisation. So it is enabling them to visit and then to keep that relationship going. That's the other thing that's very difficult. But I think if you did one funded visit and they came once and that was it, that might not be Enough to make them go, “Oh, so I can't be a scientist.” You get some kind of relationship with them going on over time. So yeah, it's a long, drawn out process, which means you need to look very hard at yourself and be prepared and brave to make changes in your own organisation. Because unintentionally you are probably putting some of the barriers there yourselves. Shaaron Leverment: I just want to echo that it really is about building those relationships. We ran a program called Explorer Universe across eight centres. And you know, we were all about extra partnerships and being brave and making new engagement to people who would never have thought to come through your doors. And you know, it ended up being like a year long of partnership building and then those relationships and almost all the programs were outreach. Some of them ended up, you know, as a celebratory event coming through the science centre. But it was very much going to where the kids were going to their space, you know, physically and emotionally and mentally, whatever, and working in partnership. So if you don't have the staff that reflect that community, then you can work in partnership and create those moments. Shaaron Leverment: And then when they do come to the centre, be there at the front door to welcome them. You know, I know you and it's very much, you know, like an experience floor In North Wales. Were working in a playground, you know, and talking all about them jumping off the playground with like parachutes, talking about friction and stuff like that. And one of the best quotes from that was like, I didn't realise this was science. You're like turning what they are doing and saying that you are a techie, techie person, you are a sciencey person, you are an engineer. That's what it is. Shaaron Leverment: You know, it's not saying this is what science is, you know, it's changing the capital that they have already into science capital to know that they are already inherent, as Osley said, inherent sort of scientists anyway. Paul Marden: Yes. Shaaron Leverment: So, yeah.Victoria Denoon: I think science centres are in a really wonderful space here to be able to do that because, you know, we do build relationships with community groups and schools all the time. And research has shown that these young people, why they see themselves in relation to their peers, that will attract them more than anything else into potential careers in science. So having a space where people can come and, you know, we don't tell them, don't touch that, don't do that. Victoria Denoon: You know, they can really fully get hands on and engage in things and having that opportunity. We just opened two years ago, our Learning Innovation for Everyone Space. We offer free school programs there, particularly in partnership with Microsoft and do coding workshops and things like that and lots of other activities and you can also do OCN accredited programs with us there. So it's really about getting them together as a group of their peers and showing them what's possible in that space. Paul Marden: That's amazing. So I'm a dev by background. Telling the story of Computer Science is not something that you see in every science centre that you go to. The whole kind of the history of computing, it exists in places, there are pockets of it. But it's not something that I want to coding club as well. But how many of my kids could go to a local science centre and feel that what they're doing when they're coding the robot and building some Lego is related to something that they see when they're at the science centre and that there's a mental leap to go from this fun thing that we're doing with this robot to the career that is amazing that I could have in the future. It's really hard. Paul Marden: Talking of kids, I'm a trustee at Kids in Museum and we talk a lot about getting the voice of young people who visit attractions and young people, they're worthy, they're in their career and incorporating that into the decision making, strategic direction of museums and science centres. I think it's definitely really important when we talk about climate emergency to get that younger voice in so that trustees don't all look like me. Let's talk a little bit about the youth platform and how you incorporate the youth voice into what you guys do. Who wants to take that one first? I can spot who cracks first. Bryan Snelling: Okay. I'm not very good at this, am I? You are very good. No, but I'm actually quite proud of what we do at Aberdeen. We about a year and a bit ago introduced a STEM youth ball and we're very pleased with that. We actually work with a local festival so it's ourselves and Aberdeen Tech Fest that jointly I say support, but actually they support us. The youth board, it's made up of secondary school kids, young people and last year was a pilot year and it went very well. We're now looking at developing it further. But what they do is they look at what they want to do, they work out what they want to do within a board situation. Bryan Snelling: They've got all the usual bits, chair and the secretary, but they work out that they want to deliver this program and then they'll go away, work together on the delivery of that program. They'll also work out the marketing side of things. They'll also do all of that. But I also, and my counterpart with TechFest also bring our ideas and say what do you think about this? And they give us a very. Paul Marden: Take some of them and rubbish a few I guess.Bryan Snelling: That's what it's for. Paul Marden: Exactly. Bryan Snelling: I mean, let's get out of the way in a safe space before we then go ahead and spend money on this thing. Paul Marden: The most brutal focus could possibly bring together. Bryan Snelling: But we're very pleased with that. The other thing that we're currently looking at doing is working with local university, Robert Goldman University, especially the architecture school, to redevelop our outer area, the garden. It was the only area that wasn't developed when we did inside. And we undertook a number of brainstorming sessions with the youngsters and I mean your 5 to 12 year olds to get their input. And we did that a number of ways, remember drawing or talking or writing, whatever. And that was really interesting. We'd obviously, as the adults had done a similar thing but what they brought was a completely different point of view and it's wonderful. Paul Marden: Excellent. Victoria, you can't not look at teacher. It's only going to encourage me to. Victoria Denoon: No, I think you know, to what Bryan was saying there. We haven't started yet but we're looking at this idea of creating a Y suite, you know, which is our youth suite, which would be young people that will come in and kind of meet once a quarter to help us with some of those decisions. Bryan was talking about Inspiring Science Fund. We also did a huge renovation at W5 as a result of that and that involved a lot of consultation with young people, with teachers, et cetera. And we do a lot of youth led programs but we're looking at really how do we engage that in this more strategic direction going forward. Paul Marden: I think it's hugely valuable, isn't it? When you take it from a consultation point to something that is actually helping to drive the strategy of the organisation. It's transformational. Sharoon, do you have any thoughts about that? Shaaron Leverment: Yeah, I mean I sort of see it from a bird's eye view really, you know. But you know we have our Youth Voice Award because last year our volunteers award was won by. Part of our volunteers award was won by Winchester young group of environmental activists that were really doing great things down at Winchester Science Centre and influencing one seekers charity. And anyone who was at dinner last night, you might have seen the video from Zed King who has done so much work supporting Centre for Life and making massive changes there and not just there, like actually across the network. We are. So we've got this Youth Voice award as one of the only awards that we give because it is so important. We are all about. Not all about, but we are a lot about young people. Shaaron Leverment: So they need to have voice but it's very difficult to be sure how to do that and to make sure that we're not putting too much pressure. I mean here at this conference you can. There we've got some young people coming in showing their bio robots. We've got. Obviously we had the Esports award last night and our next keynote we've got two younger panel members to do a discussion about eco anxiety and how that feels for them to influence the way in which we think about our climate engagement from the voices of people who are experiencing it and experiencing this massive grief and anxiety about their own futures. So yeah, there's a lot of work going on obviously over in Armagh as well, you know, especially with autistic families and you know, I think it's. Shaaron Leverment: Yeah, it's a growing area and we're putting a lot of effort into encouraging like hearing these stories and different things and you know, I know we the curated. Well, with your authority sharing, I might just throw that over to you. I mean I think that's a great piece of work. Chris Dunford: Yeah. On the climate side especially. One thing we've done in the past is work with Bristol City Council, Youth Council, I think I might say most councils will have something like this because they then feed into the UK lean Parliament. I think that's really useful for two reasons. Firstly, because it gives them a space when you talk about climate issues. But secondly, it's helping them to understand the process of democracy, which young people's possibly more important now than ever. I think that's really key because I think what often happens, especially at events like cop, is that inside the room you've got the politicians and decision makers who are struggling with this really difficult challenge of how do we decarbonise and knowing there isn't an easy thing to fix it. Chris Dunford: It's going to be a lot of trailblazers, compromise, a lot of hard work outside where you've got the young people kind of screaming desperately do something, finally find the solution and then have these two different worlds. So I think if you could bring those together to bring the youth Voice into those conversations. What are the trade offs? What are the decisions? Because the consequence of decisions they inherit not us. But also it's useful for young people because it helps them understand that there isn't an easy solution and yes, there's going on strike and it's making the message clear, but there's getting into discussion of what are the trade offs, what are the compromises, and that's how a democracy works. I think that's really useful. Chris Dunford: But the other thing I'd say is if you're going to engage with young people on this and also be prepared for the fact that they're clear, they know what they want and they want the allies to take action. So if you say to them, great, there's time to change that, you're creating a youth board so you can learn about climate change, they'll say, yes, but what are you doing to reduce your carbon emissions? So we're doing this group and we're going to get your views on that. Thank you, that's fine. What are you doing to reduce your carbon emissions? So if you're going to enter into this space, they know what they want from us. They want to take action to create deep, radical and rapid decarbonisation. Chris Dunford: So be prepared for that question because they will ask it and it's the right to ask it. We need to do stuff as well as having board. At the same time, you've got to be taking the action to show that you're copying the agency, what they want. Shaaron Leverment: Have you seen the recent DCMS call as well? I mean, it's obviously strategically important at government as well. So all funders and DCMS in particular are making an election in this. So, yeah, leading the way. Paul Marden: A beautiful segue to my next question, which is what, Chris, this one's for you really is what are ASDC members doing ahead of national targets to reach net zero? Chris Dunford: Yeah. So it's probably worth just causing phone. So, in terms of the national target, for anyone who isn't aware, net zero for the UK is 2050. And net zero essentially means that your carbon emissions are down to zero or they're not zero, then you're offsetting what emissions you are creating. So the balance of the atmosphere is 2 0. And it's really hard. And the reason it's really hard, whether you're a government or an organisation, is you're following the greenhouse gas protocol, which means it's across all three scopes, which essentially means it's the stuff you expect. Chris Dunford: So it's the energy from the grid, it's your fuel and vehicles, it's burning gas in your home or places where, but it's also emissions from all the stuff that you buy and the investments from your bank and your pensions and it's the emissions from your business who travel to visit you. It's huge. It's very complex. So it's difficult. That's essentially what it means, the claim in terms of what sciences are doing. So it's a mixed back. There's plenty of science centers who still don't have a specific claim decarbonisation target, whether that be net zero or 2050 or sooner. So that's one issue I think we need to. Those who have done that piece of work have to work those who haven't to support them, enable them and encourage them to create a space where they can do. Chris Dunford: Because your Internet provider probably has a Net Zero pledge on their website, your supermarket certainly does. Your local council will, your university. So with science centres, it might seem strange that we're actually behind those players rather than leaving it. And of those that do have targets, there's probably about seven science centres in the network. This is student, big museum. So in terms of. In terms of the main science centres and then Tampa Gardens and museums, if you include them, there's probably about 11 organisations who have a kind of a decarbonisation net zero net neutral aimed before 2015. They're mostly around 2030. And again, that's really hard. And those organisations are now figuring out what that means and just how difficult that is. Chris Dunford: There is also even project who have boldly gone for a net positive to say they'll actually be removing more carbon than releasing by 2030. But it's really hard. And the reason it's hard for science centres is we're not Marks and Spencers. We can't just hire a stable team overnight and throw money at this problem. So we're renting some organisations who are tight on time and money who now to take on this huge challenge. That doesn't excuse us from the challenge. So there's no easy solution on the fact that we have to put resource into this. And I think that's why there aren't more Net Zero aims on websites for the centres at the moment. But I think we can get there. We need to recognise it's hard. Chris Dunford: And finally, if you are doing lots of engagement, as I said with schools, then again you need to be backing this up with some kind of Net zero. So it's a mixed bag of the network. There's probably about 10 or so that have specific net zero aims and they're mostly around 2030, 2040. But my prediction is in the coming years, those organisations are going to make some really hard choices and actually say how they're going to do that, because we know from experience it's really difficult. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't be doing it. It means you have to push even harder than you were before. Paul Marden: Thank you. Bryan Snelling: Can I add something? Paul Marden: Of course. Bryan Snelling: I think decarbonisation is an important message, full stop, especially in Aberdeen, for obvious reasons. I hope we feel that we have an important duty almost to the visitors to the northeast of Scotland and beyond. Because I think how can we talk the talk about decarbonisation if we don't walk the walk? So there's an internal thing, which notwithstanding how difficult it is, we're just starting down that route. We've had an energy audit done of ourselves. We're now in the process of working out what that roadmap is, or maybe it should be a cycle path road towards net zero, but we need to work that out. But on the other side, we're also tasked with telling people, this is what you should be doing. This is the energy transition. Bryan Snelling: This is how you renewable energy in the future. So how can you do both? How can you do one without the other one? I mean, and I think we just need to be aware of that. And I think as the future goes back to the very first question about what's happening in the future, that's all big part of what we need to be looking at.Paul Marden: Conference is all about shaping future science together. What's your take home message from the different talks that you've been to, or possibly because we've not finished the conference yet that you're looking forward to. What's the standout moment? I know. So I would say for me, the standout moment was last night's awards. I mean, if you weren't overtaken by Zed's video, if you weren't moved by Hamish talking about. And for me, what they both demonstrated is that volunteering and engagement is a conversation. It's a two way street, isn't it? Because they weren't just there as a resource doing things, they were getting something from the relationship and giving back to the sense, etc. At the same time. For me, that bit was the most powerful. Shaaron Leverment: Yeah. And I think actually, you know, there's a lot of emotion there, you know, and it's incredible to someone stand up and say science and you saved my life. Paul Marden: Yes. Shaaron Leverment: You know, I think it was just incredible and very brave. And I think that kind of bringing that emotion into science, it's really important and remembering the people, even people. I think there's been quite a few messages about, you know, the safe spaces that we provide and that interaction with people and that genuine understanding. I think I'm really excited about. We're no longer sort of let science speak for itself and we're not going. Shaaron Leverment: You know, I think people are socially connecting and using emotion a lot more because first we feel right, first we feel and that is what our inclusive outcomes are all about. That it's what makes a difference for someone who is disengaged and doesn't feel that science and technology could be for them to feeling that maybe there's a place they need to feel they belong. So I'm really excited about that aspect of it. I also agree with everything that the elders are about. Bryan Snelling: Really. Shaaron Leverment: Yeah. Chris Dunford: I think several things yesterday for me resonated with the thing which Stephen Breslin said at the very start, which is that we come to these conferences anxious and slightly overwhelmed by the challenges we're facing and leaves feeling energized and positive with at least some of the solutions. And I think that's. That's a similar pattern that I experienced with these conferences. And I think through that lens I've been listening to all the challenges yesterday. And it's just our job is hard and potentially getting harder and as it gets harder, it's more important to society than ever. And I think that's the main thing I'm taking away. Chris Dunford: And I don't just mean things like the inclusion work and the decarbonisation work which we've spoken about during this session, but even things like one of the sessions that really stuck me yesterday was where the Science museum were talking in the lightning talks about their new AI exhibition and the fact that when all the many centers open they could have exhibits that explained Google of motion by pendulums and spinning things. A physical thing. And now we're having to have conversations about AI where there is no physical thing you can hold in your hands. Chris Dunford: There's a historical artefact, it's a circuit board doesn't tell you anything about what circuit board really does in terms of how it impacts society and how are we going to do science communication, science engagement around these challenging issues like AI which are then mounted up with all these kind of social problems with them, which again, the laws of motion that we come with. So, so I suppose I'm going away with that is the fact that our creativity is going to be tested more than before and our ingenuity and our ability to collaborate beyond our initial partners. So, yeah, for me, weirdly, it's about the science communication side and things like AI are going to make that really challenging. And how are we going to do that? Any of the answers other than the fact that we know we're not doing it alone, we're doing it as a network. And that's obviously big talk. Victoria Denoon: Yeah, I think it's the same thing. That remark by Stephen really is something that stuck with me because I did come here as well, thinking about the challenges we're facing, not just as a Science and Discovery centre, but also politically at the moment and just how pessimistic you can be about things. And really being in this conference with all of these amazing people makes you feel more optimistic about things and I think that's just really powerful and it carries you through. So for me, that's. And I think some of the conversations that have been happening here, I feel like since last year we've made a huge jump in terms of where the impact of our network is going with other people. And, you know, Tom's talk this morning really brought that home a little bit as well. So I'm feeling very optimistic. Paul Marden: Thank you. We always end our interviews with a book recommendation, which can be personal or professional. So, Victoria, do you want to share yours with everyone? Victoria Denoon: Well, I think when were talking about this, it was like, what's your favourite book? And for me, my favourite book is actually Pride and Prejudice. It's a book I would read over and could read over and over again. Jane Austen's musings. Paul Marden: Excellent. Bryan. Bryan Snelling: You know, this is the most difficult question that you're going to be putting to us. I've read, you know, fiction most of my life. I mean, you can't. I've always got a book, always looking at a book. So I don't actually have favourites. Why is it favourites? What I can say is my most recent book that I've read was the Thursday we're at the Club by Rich Lawson, which is quite nice. The most profound one was actually 1984. I read that when I was about 18 and I thought, wow. And that was really quite interesting. Followed swiftly by Animal Farm, of course. Paul Marden: So that's three recommendations bankrupt me over. Chris. Chris Dunford: So I've gone for War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells. I'm a big fan of, like, old sci fi books. It's different to modern sci fi. Sci fi books like Jules Byrne and H.G. Wells will just ramble on pages about scientific theories at the time. Things they read in nature. So it's genuinely kind of science fiction. But War of the Royals because it's just. It scares me every time I read it. Like it still scares me. Absolutely. And I quite enjoy that. And I don't know why. And there's something about the complete, you know, civilisation. Actually some shouldn't put on this thread too hard, but there's something fascinating about that. Kind of, as he describes it, the liquefaction of society is everything kind of falls apart and every time I pick it up, I'm terrified and I pick it up again, I'm still terrible. Paul Marden: Shaaron, lastly, yours. Shaaron Leverment: I had forgotten this is a question. Paul Marden: Chris had three books, so you can choose. Shaaron Leverment: I'll go for in my. In my head I go for I just off the cup. The Martian is great. When it's got a little bit tiresome with the whole potatoes, improve it. But it is a brilliant. Yeah, it's great. Paul Marden: We are done. If you enjoyed today's episode, please like and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Thank you to my guests Victoria, Bryan, Chris and Shaaron, and my amazing ASDC Live studio audience. Paul Marden: Thanks for listening to Skip the Queue. If you've enjoyed this podcast, please leave us a five star review. It really helps others find us. And remember to follow us on Twitter for your chance to win the books that have been mentioned. Skip The Queue is brought to you by Rubber Cheese, a digital agency that builds remarkable systems and websites for attractions that helps them increase their visitor numbers. You can find show notes and transcriptions from this episode and more over on our website, SkiptheQueue.fm. The 2024 Visitor Attraction Website Survey is now LIVE! Dive into groundbreaking benchmarks for the industryGain a better understanding of how to achieve the highest conversion ratesExplore the "why" behind visitor attraction site performanceLearn the impact of website optimisation and visitor engagement on conversion ratesUncover key steps to enhance user experience for greater conversionsDownload the 2024 Rubber Cheese Visitor Attraction Website Survey Report
This week's show comes to you live from London and Mumbai, as my guest Brett brought us his favourite emerging bands from the UK and a couple of other faves, as we talked gigs, grassroots venues and the latest DCMS ruling on the Music Venue Trust's case, and other fun stuff! Music by Sam Fender, ALT BLK ERA, Fontaines D.C., Cameron Hayes, Emergency Break, Problem Patterns, Blur, The Kairos, Harri Larikin, mary in the junkyard, Chalk, Peter Xan, English Teacher, SPRINTS, Knats, Fold Paper, Bibi Club. Find this week's playlist here. Do try and support artists directly! Touch that dial and tune in live! We're on at CFRC 101.9 FM in Kingston, or on cfrc.ca, Sundays 8 to 9:30 PM! Like what we do? CFRC's in the middle of its annual funding drive! Donate to help keep our 102-year old station going! Get in touch with the show for requests, submissions, giving feedback or anything else: email yellowbritroad@gmail.com, Twitter @YellowBritCFRC, IG @yellowbritroad. PS: submissions, cc music@cfrc.ca if you'd like other CFRC DJs to spin your music on their shows as well.
Professor Catherine Johnson from the University of Leeds discusses her role on the recently announced DCMS committee, which is examining the future of TV distribution. New research indicates that some viewers could be excluded from the general shift towards online viewership. We also explore the rise of YouTube, ways to ensure access to public service content, and how a household tax might work. “There is a ticking time bomb here, to be honest, in relation to digital terrestrial. So most other countries have upgraded their digital terrestrial infrastructure, or committed to upgrading their digital terrestrial infrastructure.” Listen to all our episodes here: https://podfollow.com/beebwatch/view To support our journalism and receive a weekly blog sign up now for £1.99 per month: www.patreon.com/BeebWatch/membership Or if you'd rather make a one-off payment (which doesn't entitle you to the blog) please use our crowdfunding page:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/roger-boltons-beeb-watch-podcast @BeebRogerInstagram: rogerboltonsbeebwatchLinkedIn: Roger Bolton's Beeb Watchemail: roger@rogerboltonsbeebwatch.comwww.goodeggproductions.uk Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Happy Fall! Or Merry Autumn, if that's how you celebrate... three guys who declined every single invite to any Freak Off Party, the DCMS guys are ready to talk some football! Or at least, players in the footballs who also hit the silver screen - from Hall of Famers to random players who we knew long ago, here our d$, Mikey, and #XLessEarl's Top Five former NFL player who did some movie stuff. Also, a rousing game of Rotten Tomatoes, along with some quick reviews on the new Transformers One film. Movies discussed, and where to find them streaming at time of recording: Ace Ventura Pet Detective Blazing Saddles Broken Arrow Cannonball Run From Dusk til Dawn The Goonies I'm Gonna Get You Sucka Jerry Maguire MASH Never Say Never Again Predator Rocky Rocky IV
Alex and Naomi, along with wonderful guests Alexis Conran and Simon Radford, discuss the fallout from Trump's "They're Eating The Dogs" humiliation by Kamala Harris. Followed by a discussion of why is regualtion of the gambling industry so lax, considering the lives gambling addiction destroys. Plus the return of Arlene On Me. If you can afford to help, you can back Quiet Riot on Ko-fi. Simon: “There's probably been three occasions in the last few decades where a debate has been decisive. Some people point to the Nixon-Kennedy debate, where Nixon won on Radio but Kennedy won on TV. Reagan cleaned Carter's clock and it went from being a tight race to a landslide for Reagan. And then Trump versus Biden, which knocked the latter out of the race entirely.” Alexis: “We're getting up to just under 500 suicides a year, which are thought to be related to gambling. I don't know why we can't force the industry to be a bit more responsible. You can't watch sport without being prompted to gamble. You go to a PG film and there will be a gambling advert before it.” Alexis: “I think we need to make gambling a health issue. Just under half a billion quid from the NHS goes to helping problem gamblers. If we take it our of DCMS - why is it there? - and make it a Wes Streeting problem, you might see more action.” CALLS TO ACTION Information on the Gambling White Paper can be found here. Anthony O'Shaughnessy's "cougary" TikTok is here. Alexis Conran's documentary on gambling addiction is here. Find us on Facebook and Twitter as @quietriotpod and on Bluesky. Email us at quietriotpod@gmail.com. Or visit our website www.quietriotpod.com. Our THIRD Starter Pack to accompany this Special can be found here. Click here for your Quiet Riot Bluesky Starter Pack. Click here for a second Bluesky Starter Pack. IF YOU CAN AFFORD TO CONTRIBUTE, PLEASE DO. Click here to back Quiet Riot on Ko-fi. With Naomi Smith, Alex Andreou, and Kenny Campbell – in cahoots with Sandstone Global. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We are hitting the dog days of summer and headed to the homestretch of My Favorite Summer - and after talking about our favorite Actors a few weeks back, it's time to turn our attention to the much fairer side... our favorite Actresses! We invited our great friend of the show, the host of the Food for Thought Podcast and our resident Chef Melissa Reagan -- and we begin the show with a Top Ten list for our Rotten Tomatoes game, in what might be the longest DCMS game we've ever done... then we leap into our Top Ten All Time Fave Actresses. Some classics, like Ingrid, some Gen X crushes like Sally, and some modern queens like Anna and Elizabeth. A little crossover, plus we all list a movie of each choice YOU should watch! Here is the list of movies recommended on the show, and where to find them: The Adjustment Bureau - Netflix Adventures in Babysitting - Disney+ American Hustle - Netflix Before the Devil Knows Your Dead - Paramount+ Blood Simple - MAX Blue Jasmine - for rental Bridges of Madison County - for rental The 'burbs - unavailable Deconstructing Harry - Peacock Premium; TubiTV The Descendants - for rental Doubt - for rental Drop Dead Gorgeous - unavailable Eternal Sunshine of the Spotlight Mind - STARZ The Favourite - for rental Garden State - MAX Heroes - for rental The Holiday - for rental I Love Trouble - Hoopla In America - for rental Kodachrome - Netflix Lady MacBeth - STARZ Love Letters - Amazon Prime Morning Glory - for rental Murder on the Orient Express - for rental Noelle - Disney+ Panic Room - MAX Parkland - Amazon Prime; TubiTV Punchline - PlutoTV; for rental The Quiet Man - for rental Rob Roy - MGM+; TubiTV Sabrina - for rental Sicario - Amazon Prime The Souvenir - MAX Rent - Hoopla; for rental The Time Traveler's Wife - MAX What's Love Got to Do With It - for rental Where'd You Go Bernadette - for rental Widows - for rental You Can Count on Me - Hoopla; for rental
In this Bonus episode, we have a special Book Reveal from Jason Hansa!!! He's excited to announce another Screaming Eagles novel set in the thrilling and beloved setting of Far Country, as his sequel, Farther Country reveals for the first time what happened to the Eagles 2nd regiment that misjumped; as well as what happened to Sho-sa Yubari Takuda's DEST team and their Tetatae allies! Special thanks to Jason Hansa for allowing me to be a part of such an awesome book reveal! One of BattleTech's most beloved books is getting the sequel it deserves!! Fun Facts: • Prologue: The DCMS & Birds land on the moon Far Country • They discover descendants of ancient Star League brigade and the semi-sentient alien race Zyrrak, have created warring factions • Their first contacts with the Zyrrak belong to a sect that wants the wars to end, and they lead the DCMS & Tetatae into hiding • 3060 The Screaming Eagles Misjump into the system and ar forced to land on Far Country • The DCMS, with the only working dropship, guide the Eagles in and together they work to end the Far Country wars ForcePack: None – Ideal Farther Country Force Pack Mechs Included • REPOSE – StarSlayer • VARIANT – Battlemaster with Double Cocpit • JUMPING – Javelin • NEW – Snake • VEHICLE/BA/AERO – Tetatea & Zyrrak Infantry Though there is no forcepack, Get your Battletech resources at your local Game shop or online at our sponsor: Fortress Miniatures & Games Fortress Miniatures and Games | Heart of your Battletech gaming needs HAPPY APRIL FOOLS from Jason Hansa, Myself, and all the podcasters & YouTubers involved in making something fun! You can catch many of us on the Valhalla Club Discord! Fortress Miniatures & Games! https://www.fortressminiaturesandgames.com/ Follow the Mercenary Star Podcast on Twitter: @MercStarPodcast Follow the Mercenary Star Podcast on Instagram: Mercenary Star Podcast Follow Seth on twitter: https://twitter.com/WhiteFoxSG Check out the other awesome Battletech Podcasters & Creators in the Valhalla Club discord! https://discord.gg/NjMqnXqPYs Email us at mercenarystarpodcast@gmail.com
Ian's vision as CEO of the British Athletes Commission led to the sector strengthening the support offered to vulnerable adults in sport. He also played a key role in the DCMS review of duty of care in sport assisting Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson. These became the platform for Ian to deliver sustainable positive change in sport, and mental health provision and for the next generation of sport leaders to apply his values, skills, and experience. Ian has brought together his significant experience in sport and his passion for helping others under the umbrella of DOCIAsport the company he founded in 2017. He brings a refreshing and independent view to all aspects of duty of care in sport from the perspective of coaches, officials, athletes, administrators, and the sector itself. Ian delivers change through consultation and collaboration, leading and embodying his values of helping others, equality, inclusion, fairness and honesty. What You'll Learn: In this episode, Ian shares some of the highs and lows of his career including some personal challenges, but what is clear is the impact he has had on the sporting system and many individuals by bringing attention to some hugely important issues. And this is why I'm excited to have this conversation with Ian. He has a view that I don't know or understand with regard to the funding and system perspective. Talking Points: The jigsaw of performance sport The cost of the performance systems' pursuit of medals The cost this had on Ian The seduction of sport to the detriment of allowing it to define who we are Developing your personal board The greatest challenge and most important journey is looking within Turning the performance system into a society Why independent support is key If you enjoy this episode please leave a review on iTunes or Spotify platforms, and by doing this you will actively help in spreading this content to the practitioners that need it. Resources: Men Behind Sport: www.menbehindsport.com Practitioner Needs Analysis Coaching (1-1 & GROUP OPTIONS): Read Full Details Paper: Exploring Mental Health and Illness in the UK Sports Coaching Workforce UK Coaching GB Gymnastics Whyte review The Long Win by Cath Bishop Original Sins by Matt Rowland Hill Connect with Ian: Ian's LinkedIn DOCIA Sport
Stewart Purvis, a former Editor of Channel 4 news and ITN Chief Executive was also one of the content regulators at Ofcom and oversaw standards cases involving the BBC between 2007 and 2010. In 2005 he was a member of a BBC commissioned independent panel assessing the impartiality of BBC news and current affairs coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In 2015 he was a member of the BBC Charter Review Advisory Group as well as many other roles including a non executive director of Channel 4. In our final programme of the year, we look at the issues that the BBC will be facing over the Martin Bashir controversy, Samir Shah's appearance in front of the DCMS select committee, Robbie Gibb, BBC coverage of the Israeli/Gaza war, GB News and Ofcom's position ahead of an election year. We'll also be announcing the top three downloaded programmes of the year.“This is becoming a saga, that's becoming a soap opera. And I feel there is a real muddle going on inside Ofcom as to what to do about it. So much so that I'm in the unusual position of actually saying that when Ofcom earlier this week, found that GB news had breached the rules, I don't agree with them."Please support us and become a paid member by signing up here@BeebRoger@RogerBolton@mastodonapp.ukemail: roger@rogerboltonsbeebwatch.com Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Stewart Purvis, a former Editor of Channel 4 news and ITN Chief Executive was also one of the content regulators at Ofcom and oversaw standards cases involving the BBC between 2007 and 2010. In 2005 he was a member of a BBC commissioned independent panel assessing the impartiality of BBC news and current affairs coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In 2015 he was a member of the BBC Charter Review Advisory Group as well as many other roles including a non executive director of Channel 4. In our final programme of the year, we look at the issues that the BBC will be facing over the Martin Bashir controversy, Samir Shah's appearance in front of the DCMS select committee, Robbie Gibb, BBC coverage of the Israeli/Gaza war, GB News and Ofcom's position ahead of an election year. We'll also be announcing the top three downloaded programmes of the year.“I have a personal eyewitness evidence, because she once told me personally that she wanted to give an interview to Panorama.”This week's episode is behind a paywall so you need to sign up here to listen to the episode in full.@BeebRoger@RogerBolton@mastodonapp.ukemail: roger@rogerboltonsbeebwatch.com Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mark Damazer is a former BBC Trustee, deputy head of BBC News and controller of Radio 4, now chairs the Booker prizes. In the week that the Government's nomination for BBC chair, Dr Samir Shah, is scrutinised by the DCMS select committee we discuss his appointment, what will be in his in-tray, the Lineker tweets, the Government's decision to renege on their funding commitment to the BBC, charter renewal, consultation, transparency and the licence fee as a funding mechanism. “It's less than four months ago, that John Hardy, the former chief executive, at ITN came up with this new set of guidelines. And I think we can agree, what Gary Lineker is doing, at the very least, is pushing at the edge of it.” Please financially support the podcast by signing up here: https://www.patreon.com/BeebWatch @BeebRoger@RogerBolton@mastodonapp.ukemail: roger@rogerboltonsbeebwatch.com Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sophie Chalk is the policy adviser for VLV (Voice of the Listener and Viewer), an independent charity representing the interests of the audience in supporting high-quality broadcasting in the UK. Earlier this year, they appeared before the DCMS select committee's inquiry into the future of Public Service Broadcasting. Have their concerns been taken on board and reflected in the Media Bill, which was announced in the King's Speech on Tuesday? We discuss the implications of the bill on public service broadcasting including prominence, regulation, local radio, content, and impartiality. "There's a lot of concern about impartiality regulation at the moment. Ofcom is overwhelmed with inquiries that it's running into GB News. We think there is a real opportunity to define more closely what ‘news' is. But the government hasn't picked up on that opportunity yet."Listen to the full interview: https://podfollow.com/beebwatch/viewPlease financially support the podcast by signing up here: www.patreon/BeebWatch@BeebRoger@RogerBolton@mastodonapp.ukemail: roger@rogerboltonsbeebwatch.com Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
It's another milestone moment for the Gambling Act review white paper as the Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) consultation on implementation of the research, education and treatment (RET) levy has begun. Projecting that £100m will be directed towards the NHS via the initiative the RET levy, one of the key recommendations of the white paper, will be commissioned by the NHS with all mandatory operator contributions directed towards research, prevention and treatment of gambling harm.As with numerous other white paper proposals, the RET levy will be subject to an extensive consultation, where we can expect to see charities such as GambleAware and GamCare, operators and trade bodies voice their views on this matter.And this will be the core of our topic on Tuesday's episode of iGaming Daily, with Ted Orme-Claye returning from his stud performance in yesterday's episode and Conor Porter, joining Host James Ross.To read more on the topics discussed on the today's podcast, click on the following links:- https://sbcnews.co.uk/sportsbook/2023/10/17/dcms-nhs-ret-betting-levy/- https://sbcnews.co.uk/europe/2023/07/28/gordon-moody-industry-practices-have-come-a-long-way-amid-regulatory-change/Host: James RossGuests: Ted Orme-Claye & Conor PorterProducer: Anaya McDonaldEditor: James Ross All eyes on Miami next for SBC, as we turn our attention towards SBC Summit Latinoamérica. The event will bring together the leadership teams and product specialists from retail and online operators in markets including Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Costa Rica, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Uruguay and many others to share information about best practice, launching in new territories, localized marketing strategies, and the latest technology. You can get your tickets at https://sbcevents.com/en/sbc-summit-latinoamerica/
As Mikey, d$, and #XLessDrEarl get set for the release of Episode 600 the Deucecast Movie Show is releasing a series of "milestone" episodes, including the first ReFlicktions ep (#130) , Episode 300, Episode 400, and this week Episode 500. Original Episode 500 Show Notes: We have a plethora, a cornucopia, dare I say, a tundra of guests, special guests and super stars on our show... head to YouTube to watch the show in it's entirety, or check out the first part this week (and part 2 next week)... the show is 99.7% unedited (just the glitches and such)... Things we've discussed... Movies we should have seen... Stan Daniel... Eastwood's final movies... Dirty Dancing and #TwitterlessDrEarl... Skywalking Thru Neverland... High School Movies... Richard's movie poster moment... Teen Wolf... Riding on top of a moving van... 80s monkey movies... forgotten films... the Poison Ivy TV movie... Don Bluth... Beethoven... Movies you cannot stop watching... Burgess' big beer arrival... Snow movies... hockey updates... Seagal shout out... Nic Cage movies... peeing fire... Amber Heard pretentiousness... Shang Chi reviews... Biker Boyz... Moviepass Funded films... Heist movies... A Fish Called Wanda... Watching Endgame for the first time... best audience experiences... Rhett, saying a lot of things.. Among the topics discussed....An update on Stephanie (Mikey's Sister, NOT d$'s wife)... Susie's messed up buns... Steve Glosson's glorious arrival... Mikey's kids crash the show... fanning out to My Little Pony... Matt's entry... Movies that we liked much better the second time around... Napoleon Dynamite... Mean Girls... Joe isn't a teenage girl -- yet... defense of The Last Jedi... Hurricane Rhett's former love of The Last Jedi... Glosson's deep Last Jedi dive... Dune chatter... Space invasion films... M Night's Signs... in defense of Rocky V... sports films that don't feature baseball, basketball, hockey, or football... the grand return of Pinky... the whereabouts of the Pinkster... Suicide Squad... Independence Day: Resurgence... Ranch Water... Halloween Guilty Pleasures... Leprechaun in the Hood... Movies we want People to Love... Ernest Films... Ryfun's Football Talk... the longest plug ever... Honeymooning in Hazelhurst... Also, an extended convo after the show with Mikey, Dr Earl, Matt R, Pinky, and Steve Glosson, to discuss the future of the show... Geek Out Loud.. and the issues with the new Masters of the Universe show... Glosson's problem with Kevin Smith... Sandler's dramatic roles...
As Mikey, d$, and #XLessDrEarl get set for Episode 600, the Deucecast Movie Show is releasing a series of "milestone" episodes, including the first ReFlicktions ep (#130) , Episode 300 last week, and this week Episode 400 which was our Virtual Film Festival. THE IMAX THEATER Friday Night 4p - HEAT (1995). The Michael Mann classic kicks off the entire film festival, with a Q&A featuring Mikey, Retro Joe, and Burgess. Selection from Mikey. 9p - THE MATRIX (1999). Incredible visuals deserving to be seen on the biggest screen possible. Selection from RetroJoe. Saturday Night 1p - LORD OF THE RINGS: FELLOWSHIP OF THE RINGS (2001). Selection from Pinky and Amish Novotny. 6p - BLADE RUNNER (1982). The showcase Saturday night film. Selection from Mikey 10p - STAR WARS EPISODE IV: A NEW HOPE (1977). Selection from Retro Joe Sunday Night 2p - TOY STORY (1995). Selection from Pinky 7p - MAD MAX FURY ROAD (2015). This recent masterpiece closes out the Virtual Film Fest. Selection from Dave. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE PREMIERE STAGE Big hits, classic movies, great selections Friday 5p - Inside Out (2015). Followed by Q&A featuring Jennifer Kaufman & Dave. (Kaufman pick) 8p - Broadcast News (1987). #TwitterlessDrEarl pick Saturday 10a - Krull (1983). Selection from Jedi Shua 1230p - Footloose (2011). Selection from Burgess 3p - Kevin Smith double feature, featuring Clerks (1994) followed by Mallrats (1995). Selection from Mikey and Clay Shaver. 8p - Liberal Arts (2012). Selection from Dave 1030p - Tasmanian Devils (2013). Selection from Scotty Ryfun Sunday 10a - Charade (1963) - Selection from G Ryfun 1p - Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1988), followed by Q&A featuring RetroJoe, Mikey, Dave, Shaz & Shua 4p - Canvas (2006), followed by Q&A featuring Scotty Ryfun --------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE CLASSIC STAGE A selection of films from days gone by Friday 5p - The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928). Selection by #TwitterlessDrEarl 7p - Foreign Correspondent (1940). Selection by G Ryfun 9p - Lawrence of Arabia (1962) - Selection by #TwitterlessDrEarl Saturday 10a - Rosemary's Baby (1968). Selection by Burgess 1230p - Singin' in the Rain (1952). Selection by Amish Novotny 3p - Halloween (1979), followed by Q&A featuring Pinky and Burgess 630p - Breaking Away (1979). Selection by Shaz 9p - Days of Heaven (1978). Selection by #TwitterlessDrEarl Sunday 10a - Contact (1997). Selection by RetroJoe 2p - The Godfather (1972). Selection by RetroJoe ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE TECHNO RETRO STAGE Friday Night Only. A group of films from the TechnoRetroDads 430p - Rock & Rule (1983), followed by a Q&A with Shaz, Shua, & Scotty Ryfun 730p - Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982), followed by Q&A with Shaz, Shua, & RetroJoe 930p - Fire & Ice (1983). Selection by Shazbazzar ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE FAVE STAGE Saturday Only. A collection of some of the group's favorite films 10a - Memories of Murder (2003), followed by Q&A featuring G Ryfun 1230p - My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002). Selection from Jenny Kaufman 3p - Rushmore (1998). Selection from Mikey. 530p - Tower (2012), followed by a Q&A with Dave and Clay Shaver 830p - Silence (2016), followed by a Q&A with #TwitterlessDrEarl and Mikey --------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE DOCUMENTARY STAGE Sunday Only 10a - WINNEBAGO MAN (2009). Selection by Mikey 1230p - HOOP DREAMS (1994), followed by a Q&A with Burgess & Clay Shaver 430p - JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI (2011). Selection by Clay Shaver --------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE FAMILY STAGE A collection of movies, both young and old, for all movie lovers, young and old Friday 6p - The Goonies (1985). Selection by RetroJoe 9p - Bedtime Stories (2008). Selection by Scotty Ryfun Saturday 12p - Lucas (1986). Selection by Dave 3p - Care Bear Nutcracker Suite (1988), followed by Q&A with Kaufman and Mikey 6p - Mary Poppins (1967), followed by Q&A with Kaufman, Novotny, Dave 9p - Enchanted (2008). Selection by Dave Sunday 1p - The Last Starfighter (1984). Selection by Shaz 330p - Gremlins (1984). Selection by RetroJoe Get your tickets from TicketMaster, from StubHub, from EventBrite, and from Phil's Pawn & Tackle on Highway 44, just past the dirt road and the Krystals.
As Mikey, d$, and #XLessDrEarl get set for Episode 600, the Deucecast Movie Show is releasing a series of "milestone" episodes, including the first ReFlicktions ep (#130) last week, and this week, Episode 300. Aside from the RetroZap Podcasting Network bumper being taken off the front, and the stinger added to the end, the episode itself is here in it's entirety, as it was released on October 25th, 2017. Here are the original notes (and the original post): After many years and many late nights, Mikey, Pinky and Dave ring in the 300th episode of The Deucecast Movie Show. First, the guys say hello to Producer Shawn and Lady Pinky (and then bye, as they leave quickly), and invite in Friend of the Show Wit Stillman Fan, Film Historian, Terrance Malick Apologist, Brie Fan (Allison, Larsen & Cheese) and World Renowned Proctimologist Dr Earl... And then, the Cavalcade of Stars begins! Shazbazzar, co-host of the TechnoRetro Dads podcast, joins the crew with some of his favorite films, including the original animated Lord of the Rings film, WarGames and the dangerous, unaccountable teenagers from the 1980s. Plus, the first ever mention of "Rock & Rule". When Remodeling Clay finally gets on the line, the gang plays an old school game of "Reel or Unreel", aka, "Faux or Show". Plus an update on Clay's favorite films and a few documentary recommendations that we all have to see. The Retrozap dot com Podcasting Network Podfather Retro Joe then comes on to discuss some of his favorite films, including Army of Darkness, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, and Ghostbusters. Plus a discussion on Patriots Day, which took place around Joe's neck of the woods. And with Retro Joe, a great round of Box Office Mojo on "Third Films in a Series". To wrap up the Cavalcade of Stars, Jennifer Kaufman brings up some of her favorites she's seen this year, with Spotlight, A Fish Called Wanda and more. Pinky then riffs on an assigned film, "Audition", one of those "Most disturbing movies ever made!" More crap on Superman III and then, a throwback to an early sponsor of the show, Real Men of Genius. To you, the listener and film fan, thanks so much for downloading, listening, and being a fan!
Skip the Queue is brought to you by Rubber Cheese, a digital agency that builds remarkable systems and websites for attractions that helps them increase their visitor numbers. Your host is Kelly Molson, Founder of Rubber Cheese.Download the Rubber Cheese 2022 Visitor Attraction Website Report - the first digital benchmark statistics for the attractions sector.If you like what you hear, you can subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, and all the usual channels by searching Skip the Queue or visit our website rubbercheese.com/podcast.If you've enjoyed this podcast, please leave us a five star review, it really helps others find us. And remember to follow us on Twitter for your chance to win the books that have been mentioned in this podcastCompetition ends on 20th December 2023. The winner will be contacted via Twitter.Show references: https://vacevents.com/THURSDAY 5TH OCTOBER – QEII CONFERENCE CENTRE, WESTMINSTERhttps://vacevents.com/committee/ Bernard Donoghue OBECEO & Director, ALVA, the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions, Mayor of London's Culture Ambassador. Co-Chair, London Tourism Recovery Board.https://www.alva.org.uk/https://www.linkedin.com/in/bernard-donoghue-obe-0aa9b97/ Bernard has been the Director of ALVA, the UK's Association for Leading Visitor Attractions, since 2011 following a career in advocacy, communications, and lobbying, latterly at a senior level in the tourism and heritage sector. In 2017, the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, appointed Bernard to be the Mayor's Ambassador for Cultural Tourism and a member of the Mayor's Cultural Leadership Board. Bernard is Co-Chair of the London Tourism Recovery Board. He is also Chairman of LIFT, London International Festival of Theatre; Chairman of the Bristol Old Vic, the oldest continually operating theatre in the English-speaking world, and also of the People's History Museum, the Museum of Democracy. He has been a member of the UK Government's Tourism Industry Council since 2016. Bernard was named by Blooloop in 2020 as one of the world's 50 most influential people in museums, and in July 2021 won the public vote for the COVID Special Recognition Award from the UK Museums and Heritage Awards for his service to, and leadership of the museums and heritage sector in the UK during the pandemic. Ken Robinson CBE FTS - Founder of VAChttps://www.linkedin.com/in/ken-robinson-cbe-fts-bb811312/Ken is an independent adviser who speaks and writes on tourism topics. As a "tourism enthusiast" he aims to be a pragmatic pioneer of new initiatives, strategies and solutions to optimise the economic, cultural and social benefits of tourism. Ken's Consultancy companies completed over 1500 assignments, mostly in the UK but also several hundred international projects, beginning over 50 years ago, before the days of mass tourism. He was a founding member of the Tourism Society and supported the formation of the Tourism Alliance, both of which organisations he has served as a board member and Chair, as he has on several other Tourism bodies. Specialising initially in visitor attractions, Ken initiated and subsequently chaired the National Visitor Attractions Conference, VAC, and has been on its Committee ever since. In addition to many clients in the public, private and third sectors, he has advised the UN's International Trade Centre, on national and regional Tourism strategy development. His current focus is to move the industry's thinking from marketing to the critical need to manage future tourism for the benefit of host communities, and to optimise tourist's experiences. Ken was appointed CBE for services to Tourism in 1997, and an Honorary Doctorate in 2014. Paul KellyChief Executive, BALPPA, Chair of VAC https://www.balppa.org/https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-kelly-2714a922/Having been with BALPPA for 11 years and working with VAC for that amount of time as well, Paul started his career in the attractions sector at Thorpe Park in the 80's and then moved on to the London Eye for its opening around the millennium. He has always been involved with visitor attractions. Several more years working within Merlin followed both in the UK and abroad, mainly on business development. Being a BALPPA member for 30 years means, being Chair of the organising committee at VAC keeps Paul in touch with all aspects of the attractions industry. Liz Terry MBEManaging Director, Leisure Media Grouphttps://www.linkedin.com/in/elizterry/ Janet Uttley Head of Business Transformation for VisitEnglandhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/janetuttley/ Transcriptions: Kelly Molson: Welcome to Skip The Queue, a podcast for people working in or working with visitor attractions. I'm your host, Kelly Molson. Season 5 kicks off today with not one, not two, but three excellent guests.On today's episode, I have the pleasure of speaking to Bernard Donoghue, Paul Kelly and Ken Robinson, founders of the Visitor Attractions Conference. You also know Bernard as, Director of ALVA and Paul as CEO of BALPPA.VAC celebrates its 20th anniversary this year and I'm finding out where the idea for the event spanned from, how it's changed and developed over the years. And we take a look ahead to what 2024 has in store for the attraction sector.Unfortunately, fellow Founder; Liz Terry, the Managing Director of Leisure Media Group, and also Janet Uttley, Head of Business Transformation for VisitEngland, were unable to join us on this episode. But stay tuned for lots of insight and to find out how you can get your ticket for the VAC conference this year.Kelly Molson: If you like what you hear, you can subscribe on all the usual channels by searching Skip the Queue.Kelly Molson: Bernard, Ken, Paul, it is a treat to have you all on the podcast today. Thank you for joining me. I think this is the first time I've had three guests as well, so this could be interesting. Bernard Donoghue: And three men as well. I mean, it's like a really bad testosterone banana rama, isn't it? Really. Kelly Molson: I'm just a little flower in the middle of you thorns today. Yes, it's a real shame. So, unfortunately, Janet Uttley and Liz Terry couldn't make it along to join us today, which is a shame. But I'm sure that they will get lots of mentions as we talk through some of the things that we're going to chat about today. But first, as ever, I want to start with a little icebreaker. I'm going to ask you all the same thing because I'm intrigued as to whether you ended up doing what you thought you might. So, Ken, I'm going to start with you first. When you were at school, what did you think that you'd grow up and be when you were older? Ken Robinson: I didn't know. Kelly Molson: Had no clue at all? Ken Robinson: No, I didn't have a clue. I was lucky to have a good education. I didn't work at school. And then I got into a job, which was I was very successful at it and it was very boring. So I left. And when I discovered tourism and visitor attractions, it took me over. I didn't decide to do it. It told me that was it. Kelly Molson: Oh, I love it. It's like a calling. Ken Robinson: At the time it was, I was actually sitting in a turret room which had been vacated by Lord Montague. His desk used to face in and I liked that because I didn't have to look at the faces of the visitors going past who might complain, because in those days, buli was very expensive. And then one day I thought to myself, these people are investing their hard earned money and leisure time in making a decision to come here and it's our job to make sure they have a good time. And I turned my desk round and I looked at them all day long and the moment I turned my desk round, everything changed. Kelly Molson: I love that, because you could see the whites of their eyes and how they were engaging with the venue as they turned up. Ken Robinson: Well, it's just such a failure, isn't it? If you've got somebody who makes a choice and spends their time and money, a family decision for many people, and it should be a highlight. And if it isn't, whose fault is it? It's probably the fault of the visitor attraction, given that the person has chosen to go there in not communicating well enough with them about what they've got and what they would find interesting. Kelly Molson: This is such a brilliant story and that wasn't where I was expecting this to go either, Ken. I love it. Paul, what about you, Paul?Paul Kelly: Yeah, I mean, when I was at school, I was interested in sports and that was it, really, and luckily, that dragged me through the various places I went to. But what I was going to end up doing sports. I think once you get into sports quite seriously, you realise fairly quickly that actually you're not going to make it, so you have to find something else. So, laterally, I decided that business was a good idea. So I started doing business studies up in North Wales and for some reason were doing a sandwich course in those days, I think it was called that. One of those, I got placed at Thorpe Park. I don't know why particularly, so there's a group of six of us went down to Thorpe Park to work there and I actually started working on the rides.Paul Kelly: I'm not sure what it had to do with business at the time, but I'm glad somebody thought it did. And I couldn't believe that was a job that you could do, you could be paid for, because I came from the north at that point and there wasn't an awful lot going on in the 80s and actually be paid. Everyone enjoyed themselves, fantastic atmosphere, parties every night. I'm sure it's still like that. And it was just amazing. And from that moment on, regardless of what happened after that, including other colleges, other bits and pieces, effectively, I never left. Kelly Molson: It's always going to be in that sector. Paul Kelly: Yes. Kelly Molson: Excellent. Great. Bernard, same to you. Bernard Donoghue: Well, this may come as a surprise, but my grandfather was in the Irish Guards, my father was in the Grenadier Guards, my brother was in the Royal Marines, and I had a very large collection of action men. I genuinely thought I would probably end up in the army. And actually, I got an offer after university to go into the Household Cavalry. I don't think I've ever told anyone this before. Anyway, it just clearly I didn't pursue the application. It wasn't for me at all. Got really into politics. So I started working in the House of Commons, House of Lords and the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, and then I've just been in sort of lobbying, campaigning, political world ever since. But I still miss the uniforms. Can't deny it. Kelly Molson: I think we'd like to see you in that uniform, Bernard, if I'm not going to lie. So from the lobbying aspect, which is obviously a really big part of the role that you currently have, how did the attractions bit kind of slot into those? Where did the two join up? Bernard Donoghue: It's a really odd coincidence. I was trustee of a charity that Diana, Princess of Wales, was a patron of, and I was working full time for a charity that she was a patron of. So when she divorced Prince of Wales, now the King, she reduced her patronages down from 187 to six. And I happened to be involved with six of them. I went to work for her as a deputy private secretary, press secretary. But of course, the moment she died, which was August 31st, I had no job. Suddenly I was unemployed. And I got contacted by a woman who Ken will certainly know, probably Paul will, too, by Sue Garland, who used to be Deputy Chief Executive of VisitBritain, who'd heard me speak at something and said, "Well, we're just about to create this post of government affairs liaison. Would you be interested to working on the role while working on what you do next?”Bernard Donoghue: And that was in August 1997. And here I am still. Ken Robinson: But also, can I add something to that? Because I was lucky enough to be sitting in the room on many occasions when Bernard would give his briefing at meetings that were held by VisitBritain. And it was always a highlight of the day because Bernard, in those days, never pulled his punches. I'm not saying he does now, but he would just explain to everybody in the room what was going on with all of the political parties, which we never understood, and explain what we ought to be doing in order to best put our case. So it was really no shock when he turned up at ALVA, because I would say this if he wasn't here, he was the star of the show there, and that expertise that he showed has blossomed in the job that he's doing now. Kelly Molson: This is lovely, isn't it? Aren't you all nice? Bernard Donoghue: This is love in.. Kelly Molson: Probably why you all work together, right? You will get on so well. Right, back to you, Ken. Unpopular opinion, please. Ken Robinson: Most visitor attractions do not deliver full value for money to most of their visitors. Kelly Molson: Okay, Paul and Bernard, do you agree with this? Will our listeners agree with this? Is this an unpopular opinion?Paul Kelly: Did you use the word most, Ken? Ken Robinson: I did. Paul Kelly: I'll go for some, not most. Bernard Donoghue: Yeah, I'll go for some as well. One of my favourite programmes is Yes, Minister. And whenever you'd hear something off the wall, bonkers, they would say, that's a very brave opinion, Minister. That's a very brave opinion, Ken.Ken Robinson: Now's not the time to justify it. I'll do that on another occasion. Kelly Molson: Yeah, we will invite you back and we can do that one on one, Ken. Paul, what about you? Unpopular opinion? Paul Kelly: Well, I'm guessing that anybody that's worked in a theme park will probably have the same opinion I have. So I worked at Thorpe Park, which was 450 acres, two thirds of which was water. And at the end of the day, when you were walking out, and in those days, that could be 9, 10 o'clock at night, it was beautiful. On a late summer's evening, calm waters, walking through a park which had just been cleaned and tidied and ready for the next day. It was fantastic. And we all had the same opinion once were down the pub discussing the day. It's just a shame we have to let people into theme parks because it's the absolutely beautiful place without them there. So sometimes people let the parks down. Kelly Molson: That's a good one. That is a good one. Yeah. And you don't want to let them in to see the beautiful bit either, do you? Because then there'd be people there. It wouldn't be serene. Paul Kelly: No, I mean, those evenings, if there was still time, we'd go windsurfing on the lakes, cable water ski around the back. And it was just a shame that all these people came in every day and messed it all up. Kelly Molson: Yeah. Well, I'm pretty sure that most people who've worked in theme parks aren't going to disagree with you on that one, Paul. Good one. Bernard, what about yours? Bernard Donoghue: Even though I chair a theatre and I know how important the revenue is, I'm not a fan of selling drinks and food to people in theatres because they just make a noise. I can't bear it. I mean, it depends. I mean, it depends if it's a panto or something like that. Completely fine. Ken Robinson: Oh, no, it's not. Bernard Donoghue: It kind of allies to what Paul was saying as well, which was I don't know whether it's an unpopular opinion. I think it's probably a popular opinion. But visitor behaviour, whether it's in a theatre, a museum, an art gallery or wherever, has completely deteriorated post lockdown. Some people's behaviour is getting worse and it's very difficult to know what to do about it. Kelly Molson: Yes, agree. I don't think that's going to be very unpopular at all, actually, considering some of the things that we've seen recently. Thank you all for sharing. Okay, let's get back to the serious bit. The Visitor Attractions Conference. It's 20 years old this year. If you are listening and you're not familiar with it, one, why the hell not? And two, you need to grab a ticket today. It's the leading networking and learning event for visitor attractions across the UK. And I first visited in October 2019 and it was the first sector specific conference that I had been to. We'd been working in the sector for probably about three or four years, had never really at that point kind of gone all out on our like, "This is what we're going to niche and this is what we're going to specialise in."Kelly Molson: So I was kind of doing a bit of a fact finding mission really, and I came along and it absolutely blew me away. I think it was one of the friendliest conferences I've ever been to. I think you'd created an environment where everybody was really welcome, no stupid questions. Everyone from speakers to guests where kind of felt like they were all on the same level, really happy to answer questions that you had, really happy to talk to you. And I think that was for me. I came away from that event, I went back to my team and said, "This is where we should be. This is the event for us, this is where we should be attending, these are the people that we should be speaking to." And I've absolutely loved every minute of that. Kelly Molson: I mean, the next one I went to was a virtual one. So it was very different to the 2019 event, but still excellently organised. So firstly, thank you for making that happen. But where did the idea for the VAC come from in the first place? How did this come about? Ken Robinson: So we have to remember that the world was very different over 20 years ago. Really, really very different. Not just a question of internet or pre COVID and all those things and pre Olympics, but just very different. And attractions in those days thought and acted and communicated in their sectoral associations. Historic houses talked to historic houses, curators of museums talked to curators, bishops talked to priests, zoologists talked to botanists, but they didn't talk across the sectors. There were two exceptions to that. One was that in Visit England or English Tourist Board, there'd always been a committee there which was across the sectors, but the other one was ALVA. Now, when ALVA was formed, it was a 1 million visitors plus club for attractions, with 1 million plus visitors a year. Ken Robinson: Subsequently, groups of attractions, particularly English Heritage, National Trust, were involved originally associates, but it was a 1 million plus club and that's only 1% of the attractions in the United Kingdom had over 1 million. And it was very London centric. And ALVA had a five objectives, four of which were about government. And the interesting thing was that I was very good friends all through this time with Lord Lee, who know a very big part of the early success, pre Bernard of ALVA. I said to John Lee, “Look John, could you not change your name to ALVA and be involved with all the visitor attractions because they badly need something which glues everybody together and we need to get across this away from this sectoral stuff.” Ken Robinson: And everybody was talking about historic houses, talk about the house museums, talking about the continents of the museum but they weren't talking about visitors. They weren't talking about how you communicated with the visitors or what they were motivated by or how you could better manage things for visitors, give them better they weren't doing that. So John agreed with this and I've got the original papers here. I looked them out that I was asked first of all by ALVA in December of 2001 to write a paper on the future of ALVA which is headed: ALVA in the Future Representing All Visitor Attractions. Then after that the conversation went on and we realised that if were going to have some kind of overall event we couldn't do it without the National Tourist Board, we couldn't do it without Visit Britain, Visit England. We needed their input.Ken Robinson: We needed them to talk to DCMS and make sure it would happen. And also we wanted to do this not on a commercial basis but being by the industry, for the industry, run by the industry, not for profit. And that was a problem because we wanted to do it in the QE II Centre because we wanted to be in the centre of everything and that was going to cost an extraordinary sum of money and there wasn't that much money that could in that first year come originally from VisitEngland. So the partners in this, the partners being ALVA, BALPPA, Paul's organisation, Leisure Media the wonderful Liz Terry and her magazine which has forever been behind this event for no recompense whatever and myself put up 5000 pounds each security in order that the thing would happen. Ken Robinson: You said, "We'll stand the risk, let's do it.". So in 2004 I wrote the briefing of the first conference and I found from a 2003 the government asked for a list of topics that would be discussed in order they could work out whether or not they might like it and it's still here. What I like about it is it would do quite well for this year's conference. All those topics are still relevant. So that's where it came from. That's where it came from. We wanted it to have at the time the lowest possible attendance fee to get the highest number of people there. We wanted to involve everybody. Ken Robinson: And the cast list for that 2004 event, my goodness me, absolutely fantastic cast list in terms of the people we had for an initial event and you can imagine when it was announced and everybody was behind it ALVA was behind it. BALPPA, I should have mentioned that Colin Dawson, Paul's predecessor was an absolute stalwart of the conference in the early years he stood by know, when times were tough and that's where it came from. Kelly Molson: That is phenomenal. It was really putting your money where your mouth is, isn't it? By all of you actually personally investing in this thing to bring it to life. You don't hear many things happening in that way anymore, do you? It's all about getting investment and asking other people to make the commitment to it and take the risk. Ken Robinson: Well, we have a company now, I should say. We have a company called VAC Events, and we are all equal. The four of us are equal shareholders, that's to say, Bernard and ALVA, BALPPA and Paul, Liz and myself, for no benefit. Martin does it for us, but we are the people that carry the can, if you like, and I don't think we've ever had anything out of it apart from a nice lunch at Christmas, but apart from that, it's a great feeling of doing something. When you say everybody is very friendly and talks to one another. That's why they're all in the same business. Bishop, curator, zoologist person running a heritage railway, they're all in the same business. Kelly Molson: Obviously, the first event was a success. You've been on and you've done many, what, 20, 20 events since that first one. How have you seen it kind of change and develop over the years? So what did that first conference look like compared to what this year's will look like? And how have you kind of evolved it over that time to keep it relevant to your audience? Paul Kelly: Well, I think so. My involvement directly has been the last ten years, so I'm halfway through chairing for this one, but I was actually there at the early ones because I worked at that time. I was working at the London Eye, just across the river, and I was good friends with Colin Dawson at the time. I'd worked with him at Thorpe Park and he for some people, may well remember Colin as entertaining Princess Diana on a log flume in 92, 3 and 4. Paul Kelly: And I was there. It's hard to tell, but I was actually there. I'm not in any of the photos in Paris Match and all of those places. I have a couple of myself here. I didn't get anything signed by Princess Diana and sent over to you know, bitterness takes a while to and I've joked with Colin over this many years. Colin was there, but if you look closely behind the scenes, you'll find I was there too, but so I was great friends with Colin over many years and still am. He was obviously contacting everyone he knew about this conference. He was working for BALPPA at the time. I was working for the Two Swords Group, had the operational contract for the London Eye. Paul Kelly: So I went to the first one and I suppose my impressions of the first one was for somebody who hasn't been there before, the QE II is extremely impressive as a conference center. I don't go to many that look like that around the UK. Most of them normally the ones I go to are in attractions, they're slightly different so it was hugely impressive both on its location and what was across the road and how things went and I was a little bit starstruck I suppose, for the first one. Now I get the opportunity to sit on the stage and look out at everybody and have a slightly different view on it all, but still think it's an extremely impressive environment to do that. Paul Kelly: And I think the biggest change for me, and I think we may cover a little bit later, is how we've broken up the afternoons into separate segments and sections where people can go along to a smaller, informal group discussing a topic that they particularly want. And I think the thing I also like about that is the amount of people who want to go to more than one of them that are on at the same time and are almost complaining there's too many things to go to, which I think is hilarious, which means it's really good. And hopefully that means that next time they'll really think about which one do I want to go to, obviously I want to go to more than one, but I'm going to pick my best one. Paul Kelly: So I think for me, that's probably the biggest change over time. But what doesn't change for me is the team that we have putting these things together, which we're actually relatively slick at. Everyone gets the chance to put their opinions and I'm glad we don't record those meetings and it works out really well. And I think as a team, it's amazing how long we've stuck at it and stuck together. Kelly Molson: I'd love to be on a little fly on the wall for those meetings. Have you ever had a fallout about something? Bernard Donoghue: Yes, we're frequently violent. It's a visitor experience in its own right, I think. Kelly Molson: I'll pay for it. Bernard Donoghue: We reflect the madness that some of our visitors demonstrate on site so in that case I think we're rooted in the industry. The first one that I went to was in 2011, so I just joined ALVA at that point. And the first one I spoke, it was in 2012 and I've been doing the same kind of slot ever since. I do a kind of State of the Nation in the morning because ALVA obviously gets loads of data and information and we publish all of our visitor figures and all the rest of it, and actually we collect and commission much more data now than we ever used to. So I share all of that in the kind of Donoghue half hour copyright. Bernard Donoghue: What's lovely I mean, Paul's absolutely right is that over the last twelve years I think we've seen a real move from people desperately wanting to speak about their successes to being really open about what hasn't worked, which of course is far more interesting and useful. So there's been a really lovely shift from people saying, "No, I don't have to do the propaganda stuff.” Actually, I'm going to tell you what it was like, why it was a disaster and what we learned from it. And that's so useful. So you do get this real honesty coming from the speakers who know that's what they find useful too. So why not share it? I think the other one is I do a presentation about, is there core behaviours of successful visitor attractions regardless of type?Bernard Donoghue: And there are there's about ten of them, but one of them is the ability to foster creative partnerships with unusual suspects. So the presentations that are most fascinating for me is where a visitor attraction, it doesn't matter whether it's a cathedral or whether it's a museum or gallery or theme park, have teamed up with someone that you wouldn't expect them to team up with to tell the story of their people and places and collections in a new, innovating, exciting way. And those are fascinating, absolutely fascinating. So I love those. There's much more of that. Kelly Molson: Fantastic. Well, on that note, I want to know from each of you who has been the most inspiring speaker that you've had at the conference over the past 20 years. Ken, let us start with you. Who do you think would be on your list for that? Ken Robinson: I had a look through the programs going back to 2004 and came up with the following names which surprised me, actually. I think originally our first most inspiring speaker was Simon Jenkins, the columnist of the Times, who had very strong views, which didn't necessarily agree with what government and others were doing. He did give a very inspiring presentation and then there are some people who perhaps we would expect less. The most single most surprising speaker was somebody called Tristram Mayhew, who titles himself as the Chief Gorilla of Go Ape and in a room full of suits and quite smart dresses and trouser suits, Go Ape shambled onto the stage in a car key shirt and proceeded to explain how he'd done things differently. And frankly, it was riveting. We had a chap called Tony Berry from the National Trust who gave presentations. Ken Robinson: His first one was just stunnning, you know, in the days when HR was less popular, Tony Berry would tell you why you should be interested and he was absolutely amazing. And Sue Wilkinson, incidentally, of the National Trust, who was the person responsible really for dragging the Trust from its sort of old form to its new marketing orientated thinking about its supporters future success? She was terrific. And the other person I would mention another Tony, I don't know whether or Tony's there's Tony Butler from the Museum of East Anglian Life, who again, when Bernard was talking about people talking about doing things differently and it inspires you. Some of those examples are very interesting, but not easy to copy. Ken Robinson: In other attractions, we always look for things that do go across the piece, so anybody can learn from the lessons within the example that we're talking about. And incidentally, we do have arguments in meetings, it's about whether particular speakers and particular topics are the way of doing things. And generally speaking, when we all have a good go at it comes out better than it did when anybody said, “Well, I know what the right answer is. No, you don't. Let's all talk about it. So that works.” So you get these people that actually inspire and they light up the room, not because of clever graphics and not because of a forceful way, but they light up the room because of the originality of their ideas. Now, I'll come to my number one. Ken Robinson: I'm sorry about this, because he's sitting on my screen down there, and that's young Bernard, who since he joined our there you go. That's the top half that works. You should see the bottom half doesn't work. He's just had pins put in it. Kelly Molson: Just for our listeners here, Bernard is given a little muscle strong arm salute on screen here. Ken Robinson: Bernard combines the latest immediate knowledge of talking to people across the industry with an absolutely amazing gift of the gab, with a power of communication. And he's unstoppable. And we wouldn't have stood him for all these years if he wasn't. So of all the years and all the speakers, the consistent best is Bernard. But we have had other people, often surprising, who take know, you don't expect it, you think you're going to listen to ordinary session, all of a sudden it takes fire. Kelly Molson: Bernard, what have you got to say to that? Bernard Donoghue: What I say to Ken is there are packets of cash going from London to the south coast with immediate effect. Delighted. Thank you very much. It's really lovely, actually. I've tried to change things every year to do partly political, but also partly about good practice and who's doing what and who's interesting. I'll tell you what, one of my favourite speakers, and it was in a conversation, one of the things that we've introduced is a sort of conversation with slot, which works really well, actually, because a bit like this, you're off script, you respond to people. Liz chaired a conversation last year, so were in Birmingham last year and it was all about HR issues and of course, it know, coming out of COVID and cost of living crisis and recruitment challenges and all of those kind of stuff. Bernard Donoghue: And Tina Lewis is the director of people at the National Trust. National Trust, getting great repertoire here. She came out with an idea that they're doing at the National Trust and I've implemented it in the three organisations that I chair and it's made the biggest difference. So the National Trust, they will pay the rent deposit for your flat if you need them to. So if you're going through a cost of living crisis and you can't get up the cash to put down a rent deposit on your flat, they'll do it for you. You can't get up the cash to put down a rent deposit on your flat, they'll do it for you. That was such a transformational thing to hear. You could almost hear the gasp in the room of people going, "Oh, my God. Yeah, if we can, let's do that." Bernard Donoghue: And I've now introduced it. As I say in the organisations that I chair, not many people have taken it up, but the fact that we've said it has made such a difference to people. I mean, as it is at the Trust, actually, there's been a relatively small number of people at the Trust who've taken it up, but the very policy decision, the very communication of it, just spoke volumes about an organisation that cares about its staff, and particularly those staff who are on really limited budgets. So there's been loads and loads of speakers over the course of the last few years, but that for me was a nugget which has changed people's lives and has been implementable. Kelly Molson: I think that's the key to that part, isn't it, is that it's an incredible thing that they've done, but the fact that it can be implemented someone has listened to that talk. They can take that away, take it to their board, take it to whoever needs to okay that, and they can put that into action like that straight away. That's the power of a really good initiative and a good speaker to be able to deliver that as well. Paul, what about you? Please don't say Bernard. I think he's had enough praise today. Bernard Donoghue: No, keep going. Kelly Molson: No. Paul Kelly: You're OK, Bernard? We'll leave that one where it is, shall we? If we can squeeze Bernard into the room next. Right, so one special mention I wanted to give, actually, which is one of the years not too long ago, we invited Simon Calder to speak, the travel journalist, and I have to say I wasn't convinced, because clearly he's not working in one of our attractions and doesn't necessarily know the industry pretty well. But I have to say, he was hugely entertaining, had done his homework, was hugely knowledgeable, and so he was absolutely excellent. But I think the most important thing for me is that he left us and he said to me, “Enjoyed it so much, I'll come back later.” And I said, “Yes, of course you will.”Paul Kelly: So he went away and he came back at the end of the day to talk to all the people that he'd seen early in the day, because he loved the atmosphere and he wasn't required to do that. And he came along. And for that I have to put a special mention in one for myself to actually listen to the others when they say, “This will be good”, and secondly for him, for actually doing a bit and actually coming back later. And he was a fabulous addition and outside of our industry. So my inside the industry one is somebody I ended up working with because I was with the Two Swords group and then they were bought by Merlin with Nick Varney and his Merry Men. Paul Kelly: So Nick and his team had obviously been in the industry a very long time at this point, dipped in and out of theme parks and attractions. But Nick didn't actually do many talks. You wouldn't actually hear him speak about too much. I'd heard him speak over in the IAAPA trade show held in Orlando every November, and he was absolutely brilliant. And then Ken managed to get him to speak at VAC one year. And again, he was absolutely excellent. And this fits in nicely because now that he's retired from Merlin, he's speaking again this year. So I think that will be really interesting because he's absolutely excellent. Ken Robinson: And by the way, guys, just to show you that we know what we're doing here, this is 2004, okay? And it says here the recipe for success. Nick Varney chief executive, will talk about the components for commercial success. And that's before. So we've got him first and look what happened. Kelly Molson: I'm really looking forward to that interview, actually, and I think it would be really interesting to see how he differs now. He's kind of outside of the sector, and I think that the format that you've got him in. So that's the interview with Liz, isn't it? On stage? I think that's going to be a really great format as well. I've seen that work really well in the past where she's interviewed people and it just feels really comfortable and really conversational. I think that brings out the best of people. Bernard Donoghue: Kelly, do you want to know who's been of most variable quality? Kelly Molson: Oh, yes. Bernard Donoghue: Tourism Minister. I mean, without doubt. I mean, we've been going 20 years now, therefore we've had 20 tourism ministers, had one a year, like Christmas cards. And some of them have completely got the industry completely understood. It delivered a barnstorming speech, and then the next year you'll get the annual Tourism Minister pop up and they'll read something flat, banal, uninteresting. And we're so torched by the experience that we don't invite the one next on the year. So we're always banging on about this. Tourism is very good at job creation. In fact, we've created 20 Tourism Minister jobs in years, but they are of variable quality. Ken Robinson: The best we ever had, Bernard, I think, by far, was John Penrose, when he had completed his review of the industry and got very clear views, which he put to government. Unfortunately, government didn't do it, as they usually don't, but he was good and people liked him and gave him a high rating. I think the next best was probably Margaret Hodge, who was very good and spoke from the heart. But as you say, when we look at every year, we look at a rating of every speaker and the meeting after the event, we go through those ratings and decide, those that got good ratings, why did they get it? Was it intrinsic to their character, their nature, their topic? Was there something special? And those who didn't, why was that? Was it our fault? Ken Robinson: Did we not brief them properly? Or was it never going to be any better? Ken Robinson: And that way we managed to manage the conference. So know the attraction sector. We sometimes forget that over half of all visits to visitor attractions in the UK are free of charge. We forget that the majority of visitor attractions are medium and small businesses. We forget that there are charitable and commercial attractions. We must be able to bring this whole sector together and move our thinking forward in the way that Bernard has just explained in terms of what he does with ALVA. And the other thing that Bernard mentioned was ALVA's research now. Ken Robinson: 20 years ago, you had to wait until the annual book came out from Thames Tower and then eventually from the centre of luck look to page 16 and there would be numbers, but very little interpretation of what those numbers meant. Now, Bernard is behind much of the work that is done now with ALVA. But the key to it is it's not just numbers, it's interpretation. And because of the communication skills, when ALVA put out a message, it is interpreted. It says why it was a successful year or what was mitigating against that. And that's so important in trying to move our case forward. Kelly Molson: But it's important in improving the content that you give your audience at the conferences as well, right? If something isn't working and you've got a process of evaluating why that hasn't worked and how you improve on it for the next one. Let's just focus on why should people attend VAC this year? What is in it for them? What's on the agenda? What have they got to look forward to and how can we get them to book a ticket? Bernard Donoghue: I'll happily go first and go quite niche, actually. One of the things that I do now outside of ALVA, or because of ALVA is that I co chair the advisory board for VisitLondon. So essentially chair the London tourist board. And I do that with Kate Nichols of UK hospitality. And we created the London Tourism Recovery Group during COVID So my suggestion would be Sadiq Khan. So we've managed to get the Mayor of London to come along and speak at this anniversary conference. And it's not just because he's the Mayor of London and it's the 20th anniversary, but it's because he's the first ever Mayor of London that hazard one of his four political priorities, culture and tourism. That's number one. Bernard Donoghue: Number two is that he put his money where his mouth was and he funded the Let's Do London Recovery campaign, which was both domestic and international with the industry. We delivered it with London and partners, but he put up the lump sum behind it. And third, he completely gets that tourism and heritage and culture is both where you grow jobs and we're very good at it, but it's also where you grow people. It's where you grow people in terms of their cultural literacy or their sense of community or their independence or their sense of history. And therefore knowing where you come from enables you to be a better future citizen, if you like. Bernard Donoghue: So my quick blast would be we've got him doing a welcome, but also saying why visitor attractions and tourism are so important to him and to the economy and the politics of London. So that's not to be missed. Kelly Molson: That is a big draw. Absolutely a big draw. Paul, you mentioned earlier about the variety in splitting up that second session, that second part of the day with the seminars and the smaller talks that you do as well. That for me, as an attendee, is really valuable because you can kind of pick and choose what's relevant to you and go along and see lots of different talks. What do you think is the draw for people to come to the conference this year for you? Paul Kelly: Well, I was just jotting down, thinking about it's a little bit. An extension of what Ken was talking about is that it's the variety of what we do in one place is greater than anywhere else. And all the conferences I do because of the nature of what we do each end of the spectrum. So we've got talks about people who run charities to people who run hugely commercial operations. We've got people doing talks on which are free to get into those who are quite expensive, but focus on value for money. And you've got those that are indoor, those that are outdoor. When I spent my time business development at Merlin, they were always focused on a balanced portfolio. And a balanced portfolio meant making sure that right across your business, you have every aspect covered. Paul Kelly: So everything balances indoor, outdoor, UK, Europe, USA, whatever it is. And I think with our conference, that's what we try and do, we try and balance all of those types of different types of operations so that everything is covered, not to the point where it's too thin and you don't learn anything. And that's the key to it, is that we go into the depth. And the depth, I think, is greater now because we do those breakout sessions and we've got time to do in fact, we double up for those three different areas just for that afternoon. So I think those are the things, if anyone asks me why they should come, it's about the variety.Kelly Molson: Regardless of size of your attraction as well. And actually, from my perspective as a supplier to the industry, it's just as valuable to come along and learn and understand what's going on in the sector. You don't have to be an attraction to come along and take part and be educated about what's happening in the sector. What about you, Ken? Ken Robinson: Well, I think that those of us who have stood on the stage at the QE II Centre and looked at the people who have come can see that there aren't any slumbering faces out there. There are people making notes, people nudging the person next to them, people looking round when we ask a question. We now have a sort of red and green card system for, do you agree? Don't you agree? Which we sometimes use, which is very interesting, engaging the mood of the room. And I think that the thing about VAC is don't be lazy if we're going to come to VAC. Don't be lazy. If you're coming to VAC, l And jot down what questions you might like to ask those people or what you'd like to learn from that session. Write it down, don't think you can remember it at the time. Ken Robinson: Bring it on a note with you when you come and then you will find, and we all know this, that the networking that happens at the end of the day and in the breaks at VAC it's like a family wedding in a way. I mean, everybody wants to talk to everybody else and it's so valuable. I think everybody who goes away from VAC should have a good few things that day, which they say, “I wouldn't have thought of that if I hadn't been there”, or even, “I disagree with that”, but it's made me realise what my true opinion about that is equally valuable. But don't be a lazy attendee. Come and participate, come and enjoy, come and learn, come and take back benefit to everybody that works with you. Kelly Molson: Yeah, I couldn't agree more. I think that thing about not being scared to ask questions is really valid as well, Ken, because this happened to me, actually. I went to one of the seminar sessions, and this is back in 2019 and was really inspired by one of the speakers about it was Julez Osbek, who was at Continuum Attractions at the time, and she talked about marketing segmentation, but had a completely different perspective on it in terms of not doing it demographically, just talking about age brackets and things like that. And it was really interesting. I didn't get a chance to ask a question during the seminar, but I found her afterwards and she was very approachable, very happy to answer my question. And then I stalked her on Twitter and got her to come on to the podcast afterwards to talk about it. Kelly Molson: But that's for me, what VAC is about. It's the openness that people are really willing to share. So don't be afraid to go and find the speaker that you've been inspired by and go and ask them the question afterwards, because everyone's really happy to talk about their topic and they're really happy to help people. That's my little key takeaway from it anyway. Right, so it's going to be on Thursday, the 5th October. This podcast episode is launching on the 20th September, so you haven't got long to go and get your tickets, so make sure you do. It is the 5th October, the QE II Conference Centre in Westminster. The website address is vacevents.com. That's Vacevents.com and you can get your ticket there. All of this information will be in the show notes, so don't worry if you didn't get time to scribble that down. Kelly Molson: While I've got you all, though, because you all are in the sector and you've got lots of insights to share. I want to know from each of you what you think that attractions should be focusing on and what 2024 might look like for the sector. Paul, what about you? Start with you. Paul Kelly: So I've been chatting to some of our operators. We have some very large operators around the UK asking them how it's going? And unsurprisingly, you could have said the same question 20 years ago, what's our biggest challenge? It's the weather. It's not actually the cost of living crisis, it's not COVID you can put plans together for those things and you can work on it, but the weather always is a little bit of a challenge. So this summer inverted commerce has been quite hard to focus on what we can deliver when the days have been half decent. Actually, we've done quite well, we always do relatively well, certainly in our sector, I'm sure the others will agree, in a recession. Paul Kelly: So the key seems to be, and I'm going to put it out, I haven't quite found the right words for it, but I'll develop this once I've spoken to a few more. What every attraction for me has to have is an opportunity for people to downgrade what they did slightly. What they're doing is they're ringing it up and saying, "Can't afford to do this, have you got something that's almost like that?" But whether it's a slightly different experience, less time, one day less so whatever the packages are that people are offering, there has to be one rung lower than it was before to still encourage people to come along because they're not able to reach the same heights at the moment that they did previously. But they still want to have that family experience that day out, create those memories. Paul Kelly: All of those things are still relevant. And if you don't have that opportunity, then they'll either go elsewhere or they won't go. So, again, it's managing. So I'm not talking about huge discounts, I'm talking about being relatively clever in what you package and what you put together to make sure they still attend and they still get what they perceive to be value for money. But unless you have that option then I think they won't come. Kelly Molson: Really great advice, Paul. Thank you. Bernard, what about you? Bernard Donoghue: Like Paul, actually, especially since Lockdown ended, but actually for about the last five or six years I've noticed a particular thing which is where visitor attractions have got reserves, and that's a big if by the way, particularly in the course of the last couple of years. Actually, especially since Lockdown ended, but actually for about the last five or six years I've noticed a particular thing which is where visitor attractions have got reserves, and that's a big if by the way, particularly in the course of the last couple of years. So it comes back to Paul's point about kind of ensuring yourself against the excesses of the weather and making sure that you're still particularly a family attractive visitor attractions that'd be one. Second is cost of living crisis, certainly for the average customer, but also the energy costs for visitor attractions too. Bernard Donoghue: Just crazy amounts of money that visitor attractions are now paying i If you're a zoo or an aquarium you can't turn down the temperature of your botanics you're a living reef. So we're going to have to find some way out of that. And that means that actually for many organisations it's going to be as financially challenging over the next twelve months as it has been over the last two. And then I think the third, and this is a continual for me and Kelly, you and I have talked about it before, but it forms the last session of the day at the VAC conference which is diversity and inclusivity. And my feeling is that every visitor attraction should be critically honest about who comes, who doesn't, why they don't come and what are you going to do about it?Bernard Donoghue: And in particular those organisations who in receipt are government money or public money or who had COVID loans from the UK taxpayer. If their visitors don't look like the community in which they're housed, they have a moral question at the heart of their business. That's it. If you want to take public money you need to have an audience that looks like the diversity of the public. And that's a challenge. I get that, I completely get that. But I think that making sure that we are as accessible in every conceivable way, economically, physically. Accessible to people and that they see their stories and themselves reflected in their collections and people and staff and volunteers and board members, I think that's the biggest challenge of the sector as it is indeed to many other sectors. Bernard Donoghue: But I think we're doing some amazing things and we need to shout about it and we need to share and we need to learn from each other. Kelly Molson: Absolutely agree. And that session is going to be a really great session. That's one not to miss. Ken? Ken Robinson: Well, I would say two things. First of all, as far as our visitors are concerned, I think there is a bigger polarisation now than there ever has been between those who have money and can still afford to do things and are not much impacted by the current circumstances, despite everything. And those who haven't and those who haven't have got to find ways of saving money, getting more for their money. There are so many things they can do that are free and alternatives that charged attractions find it difficult. I think we have to remember that the biggest number of attractions in the United Kingdom are heritage based attractions and they weren't purpose built like many of Paul's members, the attractions are purpose built for entertainment. But heritage attractions have got a bigger responsibility or museums housed in historic buildings. Ken Robinson: And all the time they're having to cut their costs and finding life difficult. Money isn't going into maintaining that National Heritage. And that's a real big long term challenge, one that government can't ignore. So government has a vested interest in the health of our businesses because the more healthy they are, the less will fall back on the state eventually. One last thing, I would like to mention Martin Evans and the tourism business. Ken Robinson: For the last I don't know how many years, Martin has been the person who has put together this event for us. He has to do the heavy lifting. He is backed up by our conference organisers, who are also very efficient. And the other person that I wouldn't like to miss from this, because if she could have been here today, you would have got a different flavour, is the wonderful Liz Terry and the support that her organisation. That's Liz's Organisation, her hard work in Leisure Media Group. She publishes Attractions Management magazine. Ken Robinson: She has never asked for anything from this conference and she gives it great support, without which we wouldn't have made 20 years, as I said earlier. And also a big shout and a screen for Liz. Kelly Molson: That is lovely. Thank you. I'm sure Liz will very much appreciate that. We won't forget her. Don't worry, she'll be on the credits for this podcast. I always ask our guests to leave us with a book recommendation for our listeners. So a book that you've loved, a book that you've enjoyed as part of your career growth can be absolutely anything. So, Paul, what would you like to share with us today? Paul Kelly: Oh, I tell you what, books are a bit highbrow for me. Yes, Bernard agrees with that. So I'm from the north, so I used to travel a lot when I was working North America. Commuting a little bit. So I did read a little bit then, but I very quickly swapped over to podcasts things that I download. I watch Silent Witness from the 90's, early 2000s repeatedly. I like Meet Marry Murder, which is one of the cable channels, so I'm quite simple. So I don't really have a book recommendation. I think when I have time to read, I will look forward to reading what somebody else recommends. Kelly Molson: Well, I will take Silent Witness as a recommendation because I love Silent Witness, Paul. Oh, so good. Never miss an episode, ever. So, OK, they go I mean, I can't give it away as a prize, but go and check out Silent Witness if you haven't. Bernard, what's yours? Bernard Donoghue: Well, I've been on this before and I remember my recommendation and it sounds really facile, but it was absolutely true, was Ladybird Books when I was a kid, and then that's how I got into history and heritage and storytelling and absolutely loved them. And I've still got loads of them, which is a bit sad, actually. I'm currently confined to home with a broken ankle. So I've been going through my big Bernard book of books, of all the ones that I haven't got around to reading, and the one that I've enjoyed most and has really surprised me is Lucy Worsley's biography of Agatha Christie. Absolutely fascinating. I thought I knew her. I thought I knew all about her. I know all of her characters, I've watched every conceivable film and TV program, but what a fascinating woman. Bernard Donoghue: So that's the one that I've loved this summer. Kelly Molson: Great recommendation. Yeah. I wondered what were going to get from you, actually, because you've had a lot of time on your hands to go through that book pile. Bernard Donoghue: It was either going to be Agatha Christie or the Argos catalogue. Honestly, it could have gone. Kelly Molson: It's not Christmas yet. You only do the Argos catalogue at Christmas. Ken, over to you for our last recommendation. Ken Robinson: Well, the best book quite hard to get hold of now, but I can supply copies is Action For Attractions, the National Policy Document, written in 2000. But if you want something other than that, then I have just finished reading a book which everyone else read years ago called Sapiens, which is about this thick, that's to say two and a half inches thick. For those of you listening. It's by somebody, I've just had to look him up because I couldn't have remembered it, by Yuval Noah Harari. And it's entitled A Brief History of Humankind. And what's so interesting about it is it goes through segments explaining the great moves that have happened to us humans since we appeared on this Earth. Ken Robinson: And I found the whole thing fascinating to read in one go what took me a long time, particularly the last bit, which talks about how commerce has changed the world and what we're all doing, and that's, after all, what we're doing at VAC. We are engaged in the kind of commerce that is to entertain, amuse and give enjoyment to our visitors, and at the same time keep the heritage of the country going and keep an awful lot of people employed, so I recommend Sapiens. Kelly Molson: Ken, that's a great book. It took me a really long time to read as well, but it is an absolutely fascinating book. I would totally back up your recommendation there. Have you read the next one as well, Homodeus? Ken Robinson: No one a year is enough for me. Kelly Molson: Well, I've got a toddler, so reading doesn't come easy for me right now. But Homodus is next on my list to read because that's the next one on from Sapiens and it's supposed to be a really good read as well. Right, listeners as ever, if you want to win a copy of Ken and Bernard's book, retweet this episode announcement with the words, I want the Vax books and you will be put into a prize drawer to win them. And also, do go and watch Silent Witness, Paul's recommendation, because it is blooming brilliant. I love it. Thank you all so much for coming on to join me today. I've really appreciated it. It's been a fascinating kind of deep dive into the Visitor Attractions Conference. I genuinely love this conference. It is one absolutely not to be missed. Kelly Molson: I mean, there might be a speaker called Kelly at this one. This is so I'll be there. Come and see me too. But no, thank you. It's been wonderful. As I said, we will put all of the info in the show notes. We'll put all of the connections to Paul, Ken and Bernard too. So if you've got any follow up questions that you want to ask them, I'm sure they'd be really happy to help. But it's vapevents.com. Go and grab your ticket now. Thank you, guys. Ken Robinson: And I have to tell you, Kelly, we are going to spend our time at our next committee meeting thinking of impossible questions for you for when you're speaking at VAC.Kelly Molson: Oh, God. Do it. I love impossible questions. Put me on the spot, Ken. I'll enjoy it. Kelly Molson: Thanks for listening to Skip the Queue. If you've enjoyed this podcast, please leave us a five star review. It really helps others find us. And remember to follow us on Twitter for your chance to win the books that have been mentioned. Skip The Queue is brought to you by Rubber Cheese, a digital agency that builds remarkable systems and websites for attractions that helps them increase their visitor numbers. You can find show notes and transcriptions from this episode and more over on our website, rubbercheese.com/podcast.
In preparation for Episode 600, we are going to be releasing a series of "classic" eps for a few weeks... this is the first episode in which we did "ReFlicktions" as an entire episode -- from July 28, 2014, its Episode 130. You can find the original show notes by clicking this link Here are the movies discussed Maximum Overdrive Transformers: Age of Extinction Snowpiercer Oldboy Angel Heart American Graffiti Dazed and Confused Awful Nice Charlie & the Chocolate Factory Bram Stoker's Dracula Go Superman: The Movie Superman II Superheroes Superman III Superman IV Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit Dawn of the Planet of the Apes 21 and Over Escape from Tomorrow Steal Sixteen Candles Paradise Lost Trilogy West of Memphis Planes 2 Detachment Delivery Man Carrie Godzilla Primal Fear The Sandlot 2 The Rock Little Black Book Life Itself Natural Born Killers Deliver Us from Evil Bernie This is Martin Bronner Think Like a Man 2 Begin Again Without a Paddle Wayne's World Bad Santa Earth to Echo Purge: Anarchy My Bodyguard Tammy 20 Feet from Stardom Sex Tape Lucy Hercules 22 Jump Street Under the Skin
Rev Dr. Kurt Taylor, Director of Church Ministries program director for Concordia Wisconsin, joins Andy and Sarah for our Set Apart to Serve Series to talk about the role and job description of an average Director of Church Ministries, why DCMs are so important in our church and support the pastor in the congregation, what specialties exist within the DCM program, and how this program appeals to individuals who are looking for a second career in a church work capacity. Learn more about the Set Apart to Serve Initiative at lcms.org/setaparttoserve. Christ's church will continue until He returns, and that church will continue to need church workers. Set Apart to Serve (SAS) is an initiative of the LCMS to recruit church workers. Together, we pray for workers for the Kingdom of God and encourage children to consider church work vocations. Here are three easy ways you can participate in SAS: 1. Pray with your children for God to provide church workers. 2. Talk to your children about becoming church workers. 3. Thank God for the people who work in your congregation. To learn more about Set Apart to Serve, visit lcms.org/set-apart-to-serve.
Nick is joined by Racing Post senior writer Lee Mottershead to cast a glance at all the latest goings-on from around the world of racing. Today, Nick and Lee reflect on an eventful weekend around the globe, beginning with the French and German Group Ones, where they are joined by former trainer John Hammond, now manager to Gerard Augustin Normand, owner of Grosser Preis Von Baden winner Zagrey and Irish Champion Stakes fancy Onesto. Alex Cole, manager to the Hays, tells Nick how the ownership pulled off an audacious intercontinental treble over the weekend, while Amr Zedan reflects on the Pacific Classic triumph of Arabian Knight and managing owner Rod Lyons pays tribute to star Aussie speedster Nature Strip, who was retired after his run on Saturday. Nick and Lee also discuss what is likely to be on the table at the DCMS select committee hearing tomorrow.
Nick is joined by Racing Post senior writer Lee Mottershead to cast a glance at all the latest goings-on from around the world of racing. Today, Nick and Lee reflect on an eventful weekend around the globe, beginning with the French and German Group Ones, where they are joined by former trainer John Hammond, now manager to Gerard Augustin Normand, owner of Grosser Preis Von Baden winner Zagrey and Irish Champion Stakes fancy Onesto. Alex Cole, manager to the Hays, tells Nick how the ownership pulled off an audacious intercontinental treble over the weekend, while Amr Zedan reflects on the Pacific Classic triumph of Arabian Knight and managing owner Rod Lyons pays tribute to star Aussie speedster Nature Strip, who was retired after his run on Saturday. Nick and Lee also discuss what is likely to be on the table at the DCMS select committee hearing tomorrow.
* Officially Endorsed by Sarna * First up thank you everyone at Sarna for delivering another great article! Thanks to Nic and Sean for letting me make these official and thank you everyone at Sarna for all your hard work! It truly is the greatest god damm Wiki in the world! What do you do when you have a problem, that weights in at 35 tons. Comes loaded with an array of lasers and is designed to hunt and kill your scout, support and light mechs. Well simple really isn't it! You make your own hunter killer, meet the Wolf Trap. On paper the Wolf Trap is fast, well armed and well protected. In the field it performs well (well except against the Clanners) but it has a problem. You are the DCMS and you hate the FedSuns. So when you are forced to use their tech and designs to beat them..it doesn't sit well with your mechjocks. So begins the rumours, the rejections and the eventual demise of a great 'mech. Patron Producer : Derek Please support the artists and publishers so that they can keep creating the content we all love! read the Bad 'Mech articles here https://www.sarna.net/news/?s=bad+mech :::::::::::::::::::: Want to Help Support the Channel You can join my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/battletopia Or say thanks with Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/battletopia Follow me on Insta : https://www.instagram.com/battletopia_stories/#battletech #mech #battletopiastories #battletechlore Battletech Sarna Wiki (The Best Damn Wiki ~ https://www.sarna.net/wiki/Main_Page
After 28 months in development and overseen by the tenure of three Prime Ministers, three Secretaries of State and six junior Ministers, the Gambling Act review White Paper has finally been released this afternoon. Andy McCarron, SBC's Managing Director, provides his initial reaction to Lucy Frazer's statement in the House of Commons and first impressions of the White Paper.Check out SBC News to find out more information on the newly released White Paper - Gambling White Paper lands on RET levy, ombudsman, age restrictions and affordability (sbcnews.co.uk)Andrew Rhodes, CEO of the UK Gambling Commission, will also be in attendance at the CasinoBeats Summit, taking place between 23-25 May, 2023, at the Intercontinental Malta, participating in a panel entitled - 'Fireside Chat with UKGC's CEO'. Click the following link for further information - https://sbcevents.com/casinobeats-summit/
After a record-breaking early start in county cricket for Glamorgan, James Harris is back with them after spells with Middlesex and Kent. He has also begun his second term as chair of the Professional Cricketers Association. He is the guest of Peter Oborne and Richard Heller in their latest cricket-themed podcast. In this edition Roger Alton replaces Peter as co-host.James has just returned from Glamorgan's pre-season tour of Zimbabwe. He gives an upbeat account of the country and its cricket.He looks forward to reconnecting with his colleague Marnus Labuschagne, who will be rejoining the county in advance of the Ashes series. He describes him as a great player who has kept the eagerness of a t2-year-old.He gives an overview of the PCA. Its founder, Fred Rumsey of Somerset and England, had found it hard to recruit among the generally conservative cricketers of the 1960s. But this was not true today: membership for first-class cricketers was almost automatic, as they took stock of its wide range of services at a very reasonable subscription. It represented professional players in the first-class game, present and past (for life if they wanted). Present membership was 475 men and 99 women (up from 18 in just a few years). The membership included overseas players with an English professional contract and when necessary the PCA represented English players overseas. It had relationships with other countries' players unions through the Federation of International Cricket Associations.He had involved himself under the influence of friends and team mates at Glamorgan, and as a payback for a fulfilling professional career of 17 years (at just 32). Re-elected for a second term, he would now serve as chairman for another two years. Although demanding, the job was a rich opportunity for personal development, combining board membership of the PCA, being a trustee of its charity, and a regular place at the table on major issues with the England and Wales Cricket Board. As the voice of playing members, he saw its prime responsibilities in securing for them a fair share of all the game's revenues, looking after their welfare and well-being, creating an environment that encouraged them to play at their best, and to prepare them for life after their playing careers. The PCA had to react rapidly to constant change in domestic and global cricket.James explains the complex arrangements that now determine English county finances and players' earnings. Although some counties are better off than others, he believes that English cricket is now reasonably stable financially, helped by money from the Hundred filtering down to all levels of cricket. He sees no danger of county clubs following rugby union clubs into insolvency with unsustainable wage bills. He describes the impact of the salary collar and cap in county cricket and the range of earnings from professional county cricket. The PCA had secured its objective of £27,500 a year as a starting salary for a professional in his first year. The 18 counties were independent employers not tied to a salary scale but he thought that their best-paid players were on something over £100,000. Earnings and opportunities were not remotely comparable with those of football, and he suggested that there was no economic motive for sportspeople to choose cricket for over other sports – they do this for the appeal of the game itself.Continue reading here: chiswickcalendar.co.uk/episode-116-from-teenage-record-breaker-to-players-champion-james-harris-of-glamorgan-and-the-pcaGet in touch with us by emailing obornehellercricket@outlook.com, we would love to hear fr
UK Film & TV Giants prepare to fight tax changes - TV producer Steven D Wright explains why it matters and just how critical a tax shake-up could be for the industry.Pay transparency - embarrassing or an equaliser? Radio Techconn's Ann Charles gives a compelling take on why more media companies should disclose salary ranges. Also on the programme: CEO of Love Productions Richard McKerrow joins us to discuss his brand new series for Channel 4: The Piano. Plus he shares an update on how the search for Matt Lucas' replacement on Bake Off is going...AND it's a World Radio Day themed Media Quiz looking at the past, present and future.A Rethink Audio Production, produced by Phoebe Adler-Ryan with support from Matt Hill.Hear more of Richard McKerrow discussing - including how he first heard Nadine Dorries had made dispariging remarks about Love Productions' Tower Block to the DCMS select committee - on our Patreon. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
As the death toll from the earthquake in Syria and Turkey continues to rise, Development Minister Andrew Mitchell defends the governments cuts to the international aid budget as Conservative MP John Redwood calls for tax cuts at home.Plus, SNP MP John Nicolson and member of the DCMS select committee says Richard Sharp's position is no longer tenable after a report critical of the BBC chairman's connections to former prime minister Boris Johnson is published. On the Sophy Ridge on Sunday podcast, Sophy is joined by political correspondent Liz Bates to analyse the interviews. Podcast producer: Rosie Gillott Editor: Paul Stanworth
Matt Deegan is joined by Maggie Brown (media commentator & Channel 4 historian) and Alex Farber (Times media correspondent) to examine the latest media shake-ups across the industry.The UK Culture Ministry goes from DCMS back to CMS, and receives its twelfth Secretary in as many years as Lucy Frazer replaces Michelle Donelan.Also on the programme: the panel discuss BBC Chair Richard Sharp's select committee grilling - is another role change imminent?And over the pond, Bob Iger plans to cut 7,000 jobs at Disney and implement a major restructure. Our guests reflect on whether changes are also coming to the UK.PLUS: Faraz Osman (MD Gold Wala) records live from GrowthLab - the brand new event for growing your indie. Exploring the halls of Canary Wharf, he asks the big brains behind telly what's new and how they're weathering the chilly economic climate. We hear from: Victoria Powell (IndieLab), Sam Barcroft (Creatorville), Jasmine Joseph & Paul Heaney (Bossanova), plus Matt Campion (Spirit Studios).Find out more about the event: https://weareindielab.co.uk/growthlabAND it's a telly content-themed Media Quiz looking at the reboots and finales causing a stir.A Rethink Audio Production, produced by Phoebe Adler-Ryan with support from Matt Hill.And hear more of Faraz Osman at GrowthLab on our Patreon. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On Tuesday Richard Sharp the BBC chairman faced questions from the Department of culture, media and sport select committee. They were examining the process of the appointment of the BBC chairman, and as the committee which approved his appointment were they given the relevant information it could and should have known about. Richard Ayre, a former controller of editorial policy and deputy chief executive of BBC news and a former member of the OFCOM content board discusses with Roger Bolton the chairman's appearance. “After the performance today, I think within the BBC, there will be very, very considerable disquiet among the staff, and among many licence fee payers. And I think they'll be right to be disquieted. And I think it may well be that Sharp feels the right thing to do is to step down in the fullness of time.” Support the podcast by subscribing here. Find all our podcasts here roger@rogerboltonsbeebwatch.com@BeebRoger Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Phil Walker, Katya Witney, Jo Harman and Yas Rana celebrate a decade of Joe Root as an international cricketer and 20 years of James Anderson in an England shirt by sharing some of their favourite moments of the two England greats. The panel also look ahead to the 3rd Pakistan-England Test at Karachi, before reflecting on the latest DCMS hearings on racism in cricket, England women's ongoing tour of West Indies, Kane Williamson stepping down as New Zealand Test captain and much, much more. Use the code WISDEN22 at www.charlestyrwhitt.com to get 20% off anything, including shirts, polos, chinos and knitwear. You can follow Wisden Cricket on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok: https://www.facebook.com/WisdenCric https://www.instagram.com/wisden_cric... https://twitter.com/WisdenCricket https://www.tiktok.com/@wisdencricket The latest issue of Wisden Cricket Monthly is available now at https://wisden.com/shop/wisden-cricke... You can find the perfect gift for any cricket fan at the Wisden shop: https://www.wisden.com/shop
CMU's Andy Malt and Chris Cooke review key events in music and the music business from the last week, including last week's Digital, Culture, Media & Sport Select Committee hearing, which saw music industry experts and representatives updating MPs about the work that has been ongoing within the music community since the committee published its report last year on the economics of music streaming. STORIES DISCUSSED THIS WEEK • Artist remuneration remains a key sticking point as MPs return to the economics of streaming debate • DCMS Economics Of Streaming Inquiry timeline ALSO MENTIONED • Music consumption at all time high powered by streaming and video apps • IFPI Engaging With Music report 2022 (ifpi.org) • MMF Song Royalties Manifesto (themmf.net) • Watch the DCMS select committee hearing (parliamentlive.tv) • CMU Podcast: Spotify mechanicals, BBC pay, BBC music show with guest presenter Becky Brook (July 2017) MORE FROM CMU • Upcoming CMU webinars • Buy MMF and CMU Insights' Dissecting The Digital Dollar book on Amazon • Sign up to receive the CMU Daily news bulletin • Listen to the full Setlist theme tune
Épisode 835 : Pour bien attaquer la semaine on vous a préparé un condensé d'actualité Social Media ! Au menu : Tiktok Now VS BeReal, Snapchat Desktop, Unicode 14.0 enfin en place, nouvelle messagerie pour Linkedin et Meta qui lance un nouveau format de discussion communautaire.Tiktok Lance Tiktok NowIl y a un peu plus d'un an on voyait apparaître Be Real sur nos mobiles avec un bel engouement au lancement. Pour rappel, l'application te lance un rappel quotidien pour créer un contenu 9/16 une fois par jour.A l'époque on l'imaginait devenir un concurrent d'Instagram avec cette nouvelle approche, un peu moins chronophage, la peur de manquer quelque chose qui nous habite en moins ! Si je ressors le dossier Be Real c'est parce que l'application continue de cartonner aux US auprès de la Gen Zet que Tiktok a annoncé le lancement de son propre BeReal : Tiktok Now.Selon l'annonce, le concept ne change pas : « Now vous invite, vous et vos amis, à capturer ce que vous faites sur le moment en utilisant l'appareil photo avant et arrière de votre appareil « 2 choses diffèrent de Be Real : 3 minutes au lieu de 2 vous sont laissées pour prendre votre photo + il sera aussi possible de prendre des vidéos de 10 sLA fonctionnalité sera intégrée à Tiktok mais sera également déployée sur une application Tierce, comme Instagram a pu le faire avec threads ou IGTV.Fin août dernier, Instagram a été repéré en train de tester une fonctionnalité similaire appelée Candid Challenges. Et, c'est finalement TikTok qui se lance en premier à la conquête de BeReal.sourceLinkedin améliore sa messagerieSoyons honnête, la boite de réception de Linkedin c'est pas ouf. On peut même dire que c'est carrément minimaliste. Aujourd'hui j'ai une inbox unique et aucun moyen de trier étant ranger mes messages entrants.Et bien Linkedin travaille à l'amélioration de sa messagerie en intégrant une logique de filtre apriori. Ils appellent ça le mode focus.La boite de réception va désormais proposer deux onglets distincts - « Focus » et « Autre ». La messagerie va automatiquement détecter les messages les plus importants pour moi.LinkedIn précise qu'au fil du temps, votre boîte de réception deviendra plus intelligente. Seront pris en compte la façon dont vous l'utilisez, notamment ce que vous considérez comme un inmail indésirable.Le compte Anglais du Département du Digital, de la Culture, des Medias et des Sports passe en mode événementiel »C'est une news assez cocasse puisque finalement nous n'avons jamais vécu ça.Le compte anglais Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport > DCMS sur Twitter habitué à partager des nouvelles du pays, des photos de lieux historiques ou de reconstitutions de batailles est passé en mode évènementiel depuis le décès de la Reine.Ce week end je lisais un article sur la manière quasi militaire dont les Anglais gèrent le décès de leur reine et l'exemplarité dont ils font preuve dans cette queue de 14h d'attente pour faire leurs adieux à la Queen.Et là j'ai vu qu'un compte Twitter > le DCMS proposait en temps réel des informations sur l'état de la queue.Toutes les heures depuis la mise en place de la queue, ils publiaient un post accompagné d'une créa donnant la position géographique de la queue, la durée d'attente estimée et le point d'entrée à l'instant T. Pour ceux qui voulaient s'y rendre, la queue est fermée aux nouveaux entrants depuis minuit.sourceL'unicode Standard 14.0 est officiellement disponible !J'ai le plaisir de t'annoncer que la version 14.0 de l'unicode Standard est officiellement disponible !Chaque année, le consortium Unicode décide d'ajouter de nouveaux Emojis à nos claviers. Cette année 37 emojis ont été ajouté à la base officiel de 838 caractères.On y trouve quoi ?Un emojis Smiley qui fond et un autre en pointillé.Vous aurez aussi le plaisir de pouvoir y trouver une boule à facettes, un élan et des maracas.Sympa, mais comment ça s'utilise tout ça ?Ca veut dire quoi si je te balance une tête d'élan par exemple ?Adobe a publié son rapport annuel sur les tendances Emoji. Une enquête auprès de 5 000 utilisateurs d'emoji aux US pour savoir comment ils utilisent des emojis.73% des américains trouvent que les utilisateurs d'emojis ont l'air plus sympa que ceux qui n'en utilisent pas.57% du temps les Genz utilisent un emoji dans leur message.71% des GenZ avouent être plus susceptibles d'acheter un produit lorsque le message intègre un emoji.—Il semblerait aussi qu'avec le temps notre usage des emojis évolue. Le Language c'est vivant.Et notamment quant à l'usage des emojis dans le cadre professionnel. Avant c'était un grand non, mais les choses se sont bien détendues.Ils sont 79% des interrogés à estimer que cela permet de faire passer une idée plus simplement.Meta clone les chats communautaires de DiscordL'annonce est toute récente puisqu'elle a été fait par Meta ce 13 Septembre, un nouveau canal d'échange communautaire va s'intégrer à Facebook et Messenger.De la même manière que sur Discord, les grands groupes Messenger et les groupes Facebook pourront créer des catégories, comportant des canaux audio et vidéo pour les discussions en temps réel, entre administrateurs et pour les événements prévus.Un nouveau Moyen selon Meta d'interconnecter les 3 milliards d'utilisateurs de Facebook et le 1 milliard de personnes sur Messenger.La modération sera gérée automatiquement par les administrateurs des groupes. Cette fonctionnalité qui évoque clairement les chatroom de Discord et rappelle aussi les débuts de Facebook où chaque sujet avait sa communauté.Cette frénésie qui nous poussait à nous abonner à des tas de pages et groupes. C'est cet esprit que chercher à retrouver le groupe MEta.sourceOn peut maintenant utiliser Snapchat depuis son ordinateur de bureauCet été, Snapchat avait annoncé le lancement à venir d'une version web complète. ET bien voilà on y est : Snapchat sur le web est désormais disponible pour tous les utilisateurs.Qu'est-il possible de faire sur Snapchat en version web.Et bien déjà créer des Snaps. Exclusivement au format photos pour l'instant. Mai j'ai accès aux lentes Snapchat directement depuis la webcam de mon ordinateur de bureau. Sympa.C'est surtout du côté de la messagerie que Snapchat web se révèle précieux. L'ensemble de vos conversations sont synchronisées entre votre smartphone et votre ordinateur.Je peux répondre et envoyer des messages.Autre option très cool, la fonction appels vocaux ou vidéos Snapchat directement depuis mon desktop.Comme Snapchat web prend ma caméra de desktop comme outil de vidéo on peut faire des trucs vraiment quasi. Notamment si j'ai une webcam explique externe par exemple.https://web.snapchat.com/——Le Super Daily est le podcast quotidien sur les réseaux sociaux. Il est fabriqué avec une pluie d'amour par les équipes de Supernatifs.Nous sommes une agence social media basée à Lyon : supernatifs.com/. Ensemble, nous aidons les entreprises à créer des relations durables et rentables avec leurs audiences. Ensemble, nous inventons, produisons et diffusons des contenus qui engagent vos collaborateurs, vos prospects et vos consommateurs.
John Whittingdale OBE MP is former Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. A Member of Parliament for over 30 years, he also previously chaired the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee during its most famous moment – when a pie was tossed in the face of media mogul Rupert Murdoch at the end of a session. The Sun dubbed John ‘Maggie's Toy Boy' when in 1988, aged just 28, he became then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's political secretary. In this in-depth interview, John discusses how people are surprised when they hear of the “vast range of responsibilities” he had when leading the DCMS – including overseeing the work of The National Lottery, leading on policy relating to blockchain and the digital economy, and promoting the UK on a global stage; praises the BBC as “the finest broadcaster in the world” and acknowledges that it may “surprise some people” to hear his strong support – making the case again for the continuation of the licence fee settlement; and shares the challenges involved in balancing protecting the vulnerable from “harmful content online” yet preserving the core democratic principle of free speech – a conundrum which gave rise to the predictably divisive Online Safety Bill.
On this episode of Build Better Brands, Danielle Clarke is joined by Emily Redfearn, independent illustrator, animator and designer, to talk about her business which she started in 2020 after becoming a freelancer at a very difficult time. KEY TAKEAWAYSIt's taken me a long time to develop my own style and it is something that's ever changing and evolving, but it's something that so many people struggle with. Some people like your style to be diverse where others want to hone in on a specific visual aesthetic and everyone wants to be unique and different. But, it's inevitable in this day and age that nothing's entirely unique or different, some things will break that mould. But something I've come to realise is that I should be doing what makes me happy rather than what's going to change the world and how can I be immortalised? I can't choose what my favourite piece of work for a brand is. I've always been in quite varied roles doing multiple things. I love doing book covers, I love doing animations, I really enjoyed the documentary I worked on for Quorn, but it's really hard to say because there are different benefits to all of them.One of the biggest challenges as a freelancer is making time for yourself, giving yourself the boundaries between work and personal and letting yourself have that holiday, whether it's a day or a week. It's easy to neglect if you run your own business, you want to succeed and get more work. I wish I'd thought about budgeting for tax better, it's something people don't really talk about. It needs to be like a bill you pay every month to put aside for your tax and pension. But, I have an accountant who helps me to take a portion off each job to put aside now rather than leaving it til I needed to pay it and scraping it all together. Maths has always been such a struggle for me and I think it is the same for a lot of creatives. BEST MOMENTS‘Who am I trying to please? Is it the art directors, clients, my peers, is it something where people will remember me and is bigger than myself? Asking those questions has got me nowhere, in the end I've thought about what makes me happy? What do I enjoy doing the most? Through a process of elimination, I've found what's most fun for me to do: animation, fruit character, character design, illustration.'‘You can't force things; you've got to try it ‘til it feels right.'‘The five-day working week doesn't work today, what the hell's that about?! I can't imagine doing a regular week, 9-5 with an hour break. I like a two hour lunch so I can go on a long walk with the dog.'‘Set yourself lists to do so you don't go to bed and can't sleep because you're thinking about what you've got to do.' ABOUT THE GUESTEmily Redfearn is an illustrator, animator & designer based in Sheffield, UK. Some of the work Emily has been commissioned for ranges across TV documentaries, TV commercials, social/digital advertising, OOH advertising, GIFs & animations, hand drawn murals, branding assets and infographic designs.Previously Emily has created work for Vodafone, Intel, Quorn, Beauty Kitchen, True North Brewery Co, Heist Brewery Co, Bodog, DCMS, The Leadmill, Terrace Goods, Lucky Fox, Crooked, Hooch, The Scout Association, Sheffield Hallam University, Grimm & Co, Dig Deep, Printed by Us, Cathedral Archer Project and more.Website: https://www.emilyredfearn.co.uk/ Tag for all social media: @emredfearnEmail: emily@red-fearn.co.uk ABOUT THE HOSTDanielle Clarke is a Brand and Marketing Consultant, University Lecturer and Business Owner.Since 2006 Danielle has provided brand design and marketing support for clients including Škoda, Gtech, UK Biocentre, UK Mail and GIRLvsCANCER Danielle is committed to helping brands that want to have a positive impact on people's lives. She spends her time consulting and working with business owners to help them attract and retain their best customers.Insta - @danielleclarkecreative | [https://www.instagram.com/danielleclarkecreative/]LinkedIn - [https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-clarke-creative/]Twitter - @D4nielleCl4rke | [https://twitter.com/D4nielleCl4rke]Email - hello@danielleclarkecreative.comWebsite: www.danielleclarkecreative.com This show was brought to you by Progressive Media Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
From housing to aviation, the digital economy to patient safety, ministers have a huge range of responsibilities. Yet little is known about how different ministers approach their roles and the reasons for these differences. How do ministers make decisions? How do they work with the civil service and devise policy? And how do they manage their teams? Dr John Boswell and Dr Jessica Smith of the University of Southampton, drawing on the Institute for Government's Ministers Reflect archive, have identified different patterns in the way ministers work and seek to lead the civil service - and the different approaches taken by men and women serving in ministerial roles. To discuss their findings, and how this can help future ministers and civil servants, we were joined by: Dr John Boswell, Associate Professor of Politics at the University of Southampton Dr Jessica Smith, Lecturer in Politics at the University of Southampton Margot James, former minister at DCMS and BEIS and MP for Stourbridge, 2010-19 Dame Una O'Brien, former permanent secretary, Department of Health This event was chaired by Tim Durrant, Associate Director at the Institute for Government. #IfGministers We would like to thank the University of Southampton and the ESRC for supporting this event.
I flew to the Bahamas to interview Sam Bankman-Fried, the CEO of FTX! He talks about FTX’s plan to infiltrate traditional finance, giving $100m this year to AI + pandemic risk, scaling slowly + hiring A-players, and much more.Watch on YouTube, or listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other podcast platform. Read the full transcript here. Follow me on Twitter for updates on future episodes.Timestamps(00:18) - How inefficient is the world?(01:11) - Choosing a career(04:15) - The difficulty of being a founder(06:21) - Is effective altruism too narrowminded?(09:57) - Political giving(12:55) - FTX Future Fund(16:41) - Adverse selection in philanthropy(18:06) - Correlation between different causes(22:15) - Great founders do difficult things(25:51) - Pitcher fatigue and the importance of focus(28:30) - How SBF identifies talent(31:09) - Why scaling too fast kills companies(33:51) - The future of crypto(35:46) - Risk, efficiency, and human discretion in derivatives(41:00) - Jane Street vs FTX(41:56) - Conflict of interest between broker and exchange(42:59) - Bahamas and Charter Cities(43:47) - SBF’s RAM-skewed mindUnfortunately, audio quality abruptly drops from 17:50-19:15TranscriptDwarkesh Patel 0:09Today on The Lunar Science Society Podcast, I have the pleasure of interviewing Sam Bankman-Fried, CEO of FTX. Thanks for coming on The Lunar Society.Sam Bankman-Fried 0:17Thanks for having me.How inefficient is the world?Dwarkesh Patel 0:18Alright, first question. Does the consecutive success of FTX and Alameda suggest to you that the world has all kinds of low-hanging opportunities? Or was that a property of the inefficiencies of crypto markets at one particular point in history?Sam Bankman-Fried 0:31I think it's more of the former, there are just a lot of inefficiencies.Dwarkesh Patel 0:35So then another part of the question is: if you had to restart earning to give again, what are the odds you become a billionaire, but you can't do it in crypto?Sam Bankman-Fried 0:42I think they're pretty decent. A lot of it depends on what I ended up choosing and how aggressive I end up deciding to be. There were a lot of safe and secure career paths before me that definitely would not have ended there. But if I dedicated myself to starting up some businesses, there would have been a pretty decent chance of it.Choosing a careerDwarkesh Patel 1:11So that leads to the next question—which is that you've cited Will MacAskill's lunch with you while you were at MIT as being very important in deciding your career. He suggested you earn-to-give by going to a quant firm like Jane Street. In retrospect, given the success you've had as a founder, was that maybe bad advice? And maybe you should’ve been advised to start a startup or nonprofit?Sam Bankman-Fried 1:31I don't think it was literally the best possible advice because this was in 2012. Starting a crypto exchange then would have been…. I think it was definitely helpful advice. Relative to not having gotten advice at all, I think it helps quite a bit.Dwarkesh Patel 1:50Right. But then there's a broader question: are people like you who could become founders advised to take lower variance, lower risk careers that in, expected value, are less valuable?Sam Bankman-Fried 2:02Yeah, I think that's probably true. I think people are advised too strongly to go down safe career paths. But I think it's worth noting that there's a big difference between what makes sense altruistically and personally for this. To the extent you're just thinking of personal criteria, that's going to argue heavily in favor of a safer career path because you have much more quickly declining marginal utility of money than the world does. So, this kind of path is specifically for altruistically-minded people.The other thing is that when you think about advising people, I think people will often try and reference career advice that others got. “What were some of these outward-facing factors of success that you can see?” But often the answer has something to do with them and their family, friends, or something much more personal. When we talk with people about their careers, personal considerations and the advice of people close to them weigh very heavily on the decisions they end up making.Dwarkesh Patel 3:17I didn't realize that the personal considerations were as important in your case as the advice you got.Sam Bankman-Fried 3:24Oh, I don’t think in my case. But, it is true with many people that I talked to.Dwarkesh Patel 3:29Speaking of declining marginal consumption, I'm wondering if you think the implication of this is that over the long term, all the richest people in the world will be utilitarian philanthropists because they don't have diminishing returns of consumption. They’re risk-neutral.Sam Bankman-Fried 3:40I wouldn't say all will, but I think there probably is something in that direction. People who are looking at how they can help the world are going to end up being disproportionately represented amongst the most and maybe least successful.The difficulty of being a founderDwarkesh Patel 3:54Alright, let’s talk about Effective Altruism. So in your interview with Tyler Cowen, you were asked, “What constrains the number of altruistically minded projects?” And you answered, “Probably someone who can start something.”Now, is this a property of the world in general? Or is this a property of EAs? And if it's about EAs, then is there something about the movement that drives away people who took could take leadership roles?Sam Bankman-Fried 4:15Oh, I think it's just the world in general. Even if you ignore altruistic projects and just look at profit-minded ones, we have lots of ideas for businesses that we think would probably do well, if they were run well, that we'd be excited to fund. And the missing ingredient quite frequently for them is the right person or team to take the lead on it. In general, starting something is brutal. It's brutal being a founder, and it requires a somewhat specific but extensive list of skills. Those things end up making it high in demand.Dwarkesh Patel 4:56What would it take to get more of those kinds of people to go into EA?Sam Bankman-Fried 4:59Part of it is probably just talking with them about, “Have you thought about what you can do for the world? Have you thought about how you can have an impact on the world? Have you thought about how you can maximize your impact on the world?” Many people would be excited about thinking critically and ambitiously about how they can help the world. So I think honestly, just engagement is one piece of this. And then even within people who are altruistically minded and thinking about what it would take for them to be founders, there are still things that you can do.Some of this is about empowering people and some of this is about normalizing the fact that when you start something, it might fail—and that's okay. Most startups and especially very early-stage startups should not be trying to maximize the chances of having at least a little bit of success. But that means you have to be okay with the personal fallout of failing and that we have to build a community that is okay with that. I don't think we have that right now, I think very few communities do.Is effective altruism too narrowminded?Dwarkesh Patel 6:21Now, there are many good objections to utilitarianism, as you know. You said yourself that we don't have a good account of infinite ethics—should we attribute substantial weight to the probability that utilitarianism is wrong? And how do you hedge for this moral uncertainty in your giving?Sam Bankman-Fried 6:35So I don't think it has a super large impact on my giving. Partially, because you'd need to have a concrete proposal for what else you would do that would be different actions-wise—and I don't know that that I've been compelled by many of those. I do think that there are a lot of things we don't understand right now. And one thing that you pointed to is infinite ethics. Another thing is that (I'm not sure this is moral uncertainty, this might be physical uncertainty) there are a lot of sort of chains of reasoning people will go down that are somewhat contingent on our current understanding of the universe—which might not be right. And if you look at expected-value outcomes, might not be right.Say what you will about the size of the universe and what that implies, but some of the same people make arguments based on how big the universe is and also think the simulation hypothesis has decent probability. Very few people chain through, “What would that imply?” I don't think it's clear what any of this implies. If I had to say, “How have these considerations changed my thoughts on what to do?”The honest answer is that they have changed it a little bit. And the direction that they pointed me in is things with moderately more robust impact. And what I mean by that is, I'm sure one way that you can calculate the expected value of an action is, “Here's what's going to happen. Here are the two outcomes, and here are the probabilities of them.” Another thing you can do is say - it's a little bit more hand-wavy - but, “How much better is this going to make the world? How much does it matter if the world is better in generic diffuse ways?” Typically, EA has been pretty skeptical of that second line of reasoning—and I think correctly. When you see that deployed, it's nonsense. Usually, when people are pretty hard to nail down on the specific reasoning of why they think that something might be good, it’s because they haven't thought that hard about it or don't want to think that hard about it. The much better analyzed and vetted pathways are the ones we should be paying attention to.That being said, I do think that sometimes EA gets too narrow-minded and specific about plotting out courses of impact. And this is one of the reasons why that people end up fixating on one particular understanding of the universe, of ethics, of how things are going to progress. But, all of these things have some amount of uncertainty in them. And when you jostle them, some theories of impact behave somewhat robustly and some of them completely fall apart. I’ve become a bit more sympathetic to ones that are a little robust under thoughts about what the world ends up looking like.Political givingDwarkesh Patel 9:57In the May 2022 Oregon Congressional Election, you gave 12 million dollars to Carrick Flynn, whose campaign was ultimately unsuccessful. How have you updated your beliefs about the efficacy of political giving in the aftermath?Sam Bankman-Fried 10:12It was the first time that I gave on that scale in a race. And I did it because he was, of all the candidates in the cycle, the most outspoken on the need for more pandemic preparedness and prevention. He lost—such is life. In the end, there are some updates on the efficacy of various things. But, I never thought that the odds were extremely high that he was going to win. It was always going to be an uncertain close race. There's a limit to how much you can update from a one-time occurrence. If you thought the odds were 50-50, and it turns out to be close in one direction or another, there's a maximum of a factor-of-two update that you have on that. There were a bunch of sort of micro-updates on specific factors of the race, but on a high level, it didn’t change my perspective on policy that much.Dwarkesh Patel 11:23But does it make you think there are diminishing or possibly negative marginal returns from one donor giving to a candidate? Because of the negative PR?Sam Bankman-Fried 11:30At some point, I think that's probably true.Dwarkesh Patel 11:33Continuing on the theme of politics, when is it more effective to give the marginal million dollars to a political campaign or institution to make some change at the government level (like putting in early detection)? Or when is it more effective to fund it yourself?Sam Bankman-Fried 11:47It's a good question. It's not necessarily mutually exclusive. One thing worth looking at is the scale of the things that need to happen. How much are things like international cooperation important for it? When you look at pandemic prevention, we're talking tens of billions of dollars of scale necessary to start putting this infrastructure in place. So it's a pretty big scale thing—which is hard to fund to that level individually. It’s also something where we’re going to need to have cooperation between different countries on, for example, what their surveillance for new pathogens looks like. And vaccine distribution If some countries have a great distribution of vaccines and others don't, that's not good. It's both not fair and not equitable for the countries that get hit hardest. But also, in a global pandemic, it's going to spread. You need global coverage. That's another reason that government has to be involved, at least to some extent, in the efforts.FTX Future FundDwarkesh Patel 12:55Let's talk about Future Fund. As you know, there are already many existing Effective Altruist organizations that do donations. What is the reason you thought there was more value in creating a new one? What's your edge?Sam Bankman-Fried 13:06 There's value in having multiple organizations. Every organization has its blind spots, and you can help cover those up if you have a few. If OpenPhil didn't exist, maybe we would have created an organization that looks more like OpenPhil. They are covering a lot of what we’re looking at—we're looking at overlapping, but not identical things. I think having that diversity can be valuable, but pointing to the ways in which we intentionally designed to be a little bit different from existing donors:One thing that I've been really happy about is the re-granting program. We have a number of people who are experts in various areas to who we've basically donated pots that they can re-grant. What are the reasons that we think this is valuable? One thing is giving more stakeholders a chance to voice their opinions because we can't possibly be listening to everyone in the world directly and integrating all those opinions to come up with a perfect set of answers. Distributing it and letting them act semi-autonomously can help with that. The other thing is that it helps with a large number of smaller grants. When you think about what an organization giving away $100 million in a year is thinking about, “if we divided that up into $25,000 grants, how many grants would that mean?” 4,000 grants to analyze, right? If we want to give real thought to each one of those, we can't do that.But on the flip side, sometimes the smaller grants are the most impactful per dollar and there are a lot of cases where someone really impressive has an exciting idea for a new foundation or a new organization that could do a lot of good for the world and needs $25,000 to get started. To rent out a small office, to be able to cover salaries for two employees for the first six months. Those are the kind of cases where a pretty small grant can make a huge change in the development of what might ultimately become a really impactful organization. But they're the kind of things that are really hard for our team to evaluate all of, just given the number of them—but the re-grantor program gives us a way to do that. Instead, we have 10, 50, or 100 re-grantors, who are going out and finding a lot of those opportunities close to them, they can then identify those and direct those grants—and it gives us a much wider reach. It also biases it less towards people who we happen to know, which is good.We don't want to just like overfund everyone we know and underfund everyone that we don’t. That's one initiative that I've been pretty excited about that we're going to keep doing. Another thing we've really tried to have a lot of emphasis on making the (application) process smooth and clean. There are pros and cons to this. But it drops the activation energy necessary for someone to decide to apply for a grant and fill out all of the forms. We’ve really tried to bring more people into the fold.Adverse selection in philanthropyDwarkesh Patel 16:41If you make it easy for people to fill out your application and generally fund things that other organizations wouldn't, how do you deal with the possibility of adverse selection in your philanthropic deal flow?Sam Bankman-Fried 16:52It's a really good question. It’s a worry that Bob down the street might see a great book case study that he wants and wonder if he can get funding for this bookcase as it’s going to house a lot of knowledge. Knowledge is good, right? Obviously, we would detect that pretty quickly. The basic answer is that we still vet all of these. We do have oversight of them. But, we also do a deep dive into both all of the large ones, but also into samplings of all the small ones. We do deep dives into randomly sampled subsets of them—which allows us to get a good statistical sense of whether we are facing significant adverse selection in them. So far, we haven't seen obvious signs of it, but we're going to keep doing these analyses and see if anything worrying comes out of those. But that's a way to be able to have more trusted analyses for more scaled-up numbers of grants.Correlation between different causesDwarkesh Patel 18:06A long time ago, you wrote a blog post about how EA causes are multiplicative, instead of additive. Do you still find that's the case with most of the causes you care about? Or are there cases where some of the causes you care about are negatively multiplicative? An example might be economic growth and the speed at which AI takes off.Sam Bankman-Fried 18:24Yeah, I think it’s getting more complicated. Specifically around AI, you have a lot of really complex factors that can point in the same direction or in opposite directions. Especially if what you think matters is something like the relative progress of AI safety research versus AI capabilities research, a lot of things are going to have the same impact on both of those, and thus confusing impact on safety as a whole.I do think it's more complicated now. It's not cleanly things just multiplying with each other. There are lots of cases where you see multiplicative behavior, but there are cases where you don't have that. The conclusion of this is: if you have multiplicative cases, you want to be funding each piece of it. But if you don't, then you want to be trained to identify the most impactful pieces and move those along. Our behavior should be different in those two scenarios.Dwarkesh Patel 19:23If you think of your philanthropy from a portfolio perspective, is correlation good or bad?Sam Bankman-Fried 19:29Expected value is expected value, right? Let's pretend that there is one person in Bangladesh and another one in Mexico. We have two interventions, both 50-50 on saving each of their lives. Suppose there’s some new drug that we could release to combat a neglected disease. This question is asking, “are they correlated?” “Are these two drugs correlated in their efficacy?” And my basic argument is, “it doesn't matter, right?” If you think about it from each of their perspectives, the person in Mexico isn't saying, “I only want to be saved in the cases where the person in Bangladesh is or isn't saved.” That’s not relevant. They want to live.The person in Bangladesh similarly wishes to live. You want to help both of them as much as you can. It's not super relevant whether there’s alignment or anti-alignment between the cases where you get lucky and the ones where you don't.Dwarkesh Patel 20:46What’s the most likely reason that Future Fund fails to live up to your expectations?Sam Bankman-Fried 20:51We get a little lame. We give to a lot of decent things. But all the cooler or more innovative things that we do, don't seem to work very well. We end up giving the same that everyone else is giving. We don’t turn out to be effective at starting new things, we don't turn out to be effective at thinking of new causes or executing them. Hopefully, we'll avoid that. But, it's always a risk.Dwarkesh Patel 21:21Should I think of your charitable giving, as a yearly contribution of a billion dollars? Or should I think of it as a $30 billion hedge against the possibility that there's going to be some existential risk that requires a large pool of liquid wealth?Sam Bankman-Fried 21:36It's a really good question, I'm not sure. We've given away about 100 million so far this year. We're going to start doing that because we think there are really important things to fund and to start scaling up those systems. We notice opportunities as they come and we have systems ready in place to give to them. But it's something we're really actively discussing internally—how concentrated versus diffuse we want that giving to be, and storing up for one very large opportunity versus a mixture of many.Great founders do difficult thingsDwarkesh Patel 22:15When you look at a proposal and think this project could be promising, but this is not the right person to lead it, what is the trait that's most often missing?Sam Bankman-Fried 22:22Super interesting. I am going to ignore the obvious answer which is that the guy is not very good and look at cases where it's someone pretty impressive, but not the right fit for this. There are a few things. One of them is how much are they going to want to deal with really messy s**t. This is a huge thing! When I was working at Jane Street, I had a great time there. One thing I didn’t realize was valuable until I saw the alternative—if I decided that is a good trade to buy one share of Apple stock on NASDAQ, there's a button to do that.If you as a random citizen want to buy one share of Apple stock directly on an exchange, it'll cost you tens of millions of dollars a year to get set up. You have to get a physical colo(cation) in Secaucus, New Jersey, have market data agreements with these companies, think about the sip and about the NBBO and whether you’re even allowed to list on NASDAQ, and then build the technological infrastructure to do it. But all of that comes after you get a bank account.Getting a bank account that's going to work in finance is really hard. I spent hundreds, if not thousands of hours of my life, trying to open bank accounts. One of the things at early Alameda that was really crucial to our ability to make money was having someone very senior spend hours per day in a physical bank branch, manually instructing wire transfers. If we didn't do that, we wouldn't have been able to do the trade.When you start a company, there are enormous amounts of s**t that looks like that. Things that are dumb or annoying or broken or unfair, or not how the world should work. But that’s how the world does work. The only way to be successful is to fight through that. If you're going to be like, “I'm the CEO, I don't do that stuff,” then no one's going to do that at your company. It's not going to get done. You won't have a bank account and you won't be able to operate. One of the biggest traits that are incredibly important for a founder and for an early team at a company (but not important for everything in life) is willing to do a ton of grunt work if it’s important for the company right then.Viewing it not as “low prestige” or “too easy” for you, but as, “This is the important thing. This is a valuable thing to do. So it's what I'm going to do.” That's one of the core traits. The other thing is asking if they’re excited about this idea? Will they actually put their heart and soul into it? Or are they going to be not really into it and half-ass? Those are two things that I really look for.Pitcher fatigue and the importance of focusDwarkesh Patel 25:51How have you used your insights about pitcher fatigue to allocate talent in your companies?Sam Bankman-Fried 25:58Haha. When it comes to pitchers, in baseball, there's a lot of evidence that they get worse over the course of the game. Partially, because it's hard on the arm. But, it's worth noting that the evidence seems to support the claim that it depends on the pitchers. But in general, you're better off breaking up your outings. It's not just a function of how many innings they pitch that season, but also extremely recently. If you could choose between someone throwing six innings every six days, or throwing three innings every three days, you should use the latter. That's going to get the better pitching on average, and just as many innings out of them—and baseball has since then moved very far in that direction. The average number of pitches thrown by starting pitchers has gone down a lot over the last 5-10 years.How do I use that in my company? There’s a metaphor here except this is with computer work instead of physical arm work. You don't have the same effect where your arm is getting sore, your muscles snap, and you need surgery if you pitch too hard for too long. That doesn't directly translate—but there's an equivalent of this with people getting tired and exhausted. But on the other hand, context is a huge, huge piece of being effective. Having all the context in your mind of what's going on, what you're working on, and what the company is doing makes it easier to operate effectively. For instance, if you could have either two half-time employees or one full-time employee, you're way better off with one full-time employee because they're going to have more context than either of the part-time employees would have—thus be able to work way more efficiently.In general, concentrated work is pretty valuable. If you keep breaking up your work, you're never going to do as great of work as if you truly dove into something.How SBF identifies talentDwarkesh Patel 28:30You've talked about how you weigh experience relatively little when you're deciding who to hire. But in a recent Twitter thread, you mentioned that being able to provide mentorship to all the people who you hire is one of the bottlenecks to you being able to scale. Is there a trade-off here where if you don't hire people for experience, you have to give them more mentorship and thus can't scale as fast?Sam Bankman-Fried 28:51It's a good question. To a surprising extent, we found that the experience of the people that we hire has not had much correlation with how much mentorship they need. Much more important is how they think, how good they are at understanding new and different situations, and how hard they try to integrate into their understanding of coding how FTX works. We actually have by and large found that other things are much better predictors of how much oversight and mentorship they’re going to need then.Dwarkesh Patel 29:35How do you assess that short of hiring them for a month and then seeing how they did?Sam Bankman-Fried 29:39It's tough, I don't think we're perfect at it. But things that we look at are, “Do they understand quickly what the goal of a product is? How does that inform how they build it?” When you're looking at developers, I think we want people who can understand what FTX is, how it works, and thus what the right way to architect things would be for that rather than treating it as an abstract engineering problem divorced from the ultimate product.You can ask people like, “Hey, here's a high-level customer experience or customer goal. How would you architect a system to create that?” That’s one thing that we look for. An eagerness to learn and adapt. It's not trivial to ask for that. But you can do some amount of that by giving people novel scenarios and seeing how much they break versus how much they bend. That can be super valuable. Specifically searching for developers who are willing to deal with messy scenarios rather than wanting a pristine world to work in. Our company is customer-facing and has to face some third-party tooling. All those things mean that we have to interface with things that are messy and the way the world is.Why scaling too fast kills companiesDwarkesh Patel 31:09Before you launched FTX, you gave detailed instructions to the existing exchanges about how to improve their system, how to remove clawbacks, and so on. Looking back, they left billions of dollars of value on the table. Why didn't they just fix what you told them to fix?Sam Bankman-Fried 31:22My sense is that it’s part of a larger phenomenon. One piece of this is that they didn't have a lot of market structure experts. They did not have the talent in-house to think really deeply about risk engines. Also, there are cultural barriers between myself and some of them, which meant that they were less inclined than they otherwise would have been to take it very seriously. Ignoring those factors, there's something much bigger at play there. Many of these exchanges had hired a lot of people and they got in very large. You might think they were more capable of doing things with more horsepower. But in practice, most of the time that we see a company grow really fast, really quickly, and get really big in terms of people, it becomes an absolute mess.Internally, there's huge diffusion of responsibility issues. No one's really taking charge. You can't figure out who's supposed to do what. In the end, nothing gets done. You actually start hitting the negative marginal utility of employees pretty quickly. The more people you have, the less total you get done. That happened to a number of them to the point where I sent them these proposals. Where did they go internally? Who knows. The Vice President of Exchange Risk Operations (but not the real one—the fake one operating under some department with an unclear goal and mission) had no idea what to do with it. Eventually, she passes it off to a random friend of hers that was the developer for the mobile app and was like, “You're a computer person, is this right?” They likely said, “I don’t know, I'm not a risk person,” and that's how it died. I’m not saying that’s literally what happened but sounds kinda like that’s probably happened. It's not like they had people who took responsibility and thought, “Wow, this is scary. I should make sure that the best person in the company gets this,” and pass it to the person who thinks about their risk modeling. I don't think that's what happened.The future of cryptoDwarkesh Patel 33:51There're two ways of thinking about the impact of crypto on financial innovation. One is the crypto maximalist view that crypto subsumes tradfi. The other is that you're basically stress-testing some ideas in a volatile, fairly unregulated market that you're actually going to bring to tradfi, but this is not going to lead to some sort of decentralized utopia. Which of these models is more correct? Or is there a third model that you think is the correct one?Sam Bankman-Fried 34:18Who knows exactly what's going to happen? It's going to be path-dependent. If I had to guess I would say that a lot of properties of what is happening crypto today will make their way into Trad Fi to some extent. I think blockchain settlement has a lot of value and can clean up a lot of areas of traditional market structure. Composable applications are super valuable and are going to get more important over time. In some areas of this, it's not clear what's going to happen. When you think about how decentralized ecosystems and regulation intersect, it's a little TBD exactly where that ends up.I don't want to state with extreme confidence exactly what will or won't happen. Stablecoins becoming an important settlement mechanism is pretty likely. Blockchains in general becoming a settlement mechanism, collateral clearing mechanism, and more assets getting tokenized seem likely. There being programs written on blockchains that people can add to that can compose with each other seems pretty likely to me. A lot of other areas of it could go either way.Risk, efficiency, and human discretion in derivativesDwarkesh Patel 35:46Let's talk about your proposal to the CFTC to replace Futures Commission Merchants with algorithmic real-time risk management. There's a worry that without human discretion, you have algorithms that will cause liquidation cascades when they were not necessary. Is there some role for human discretion in these kinds of situations?Sam Bankman-Fried 36:06There is! The way that traditional future market structure works is you have a clearinghouse with a decent amount of manual discretion in it connected to FCMs. Some of which use human discretion, and some of which use automated risk management algorithms with their clients. The smaller the client, the more automated it is. We are inverting that where at the center, you have an automated clearing house. Then, you connect it to FCM, which could use discretionary systems when managing their clients.The key difference here is that one way or another, the initial margin has to end up at the clearinghouse. A programmatic amount of it and the clearinghouse acts in a clear way. The goal of this is to prevent contagion between different intermediaries. Whatever credit decisions one intermediary makes, with respect to their customers, doesn't pose risk to other intermediaries. This is because someone has to post the collateral to the clearinghouse in the end—whether it's the FCM, their customer, or someone else. It gives clear rules of the road and lack of systemic risk spreading throughout the system and contains risk to the parties that choose to take that risk on - to the FCMs that choose to make credit decisions there.There is a potential role for manual judgment. Manual judgment can be valuable and add a lot of economic value. But it can also be very risky when done poorly. In the current system, each FCM is exposed to all of the manual bespoke decisions that each other FCM is making. That's a really scary place to be in, we've seen it blow up. We saw it blow up with LME nickel contracts and with a few very large traders who had positions at a number of different banks that ended up blowing out. So, this provides a level of clarity, oversight, and transparency to this system, so people know what risk they are, or are not taking on.Dwarkesh Patel 38:29Are you replacing that risk with another risk? If there's one exchange that has the most liquidity om futures and there’s one exchange where you're posting all your collateral (across all your positions), then the risk is that that single algorithm the exchange is using will determine when and if liquidation cascades happen?Sam Bankman-Fried 38:47It’s already the case that if you put all of your collateral with a prime broker, whatever that prime broker decides (whether it's an algorithm or a human or something in between) is what happens with all of your collateral. If you're not comfortable with that, you could choose to spread it out between different venues. You could choose to use one venue for some products and another venue for other products. If you don't want to cross-collateralized cross-margin your positions, you get capital efficiency for cross-margining them—for putting them in the same place. But, the downside of that is the risk of one can affect the other. There's a balance there, and I don't think it's a binary thing.Dwarkesh Patel 39:28Given the benefits of cross-margining and the fact that less capital has to be locked up as collateral, is the long-run equilibrium that the single exchange will win? And if that's the case, then, in the long run, there won't be that much competition in derivatives?Sam Bankman-Fried 39:40I don't think we're going to have a single exchange winning. Among other things, there are going to be different decisions made by different exchanges—which will be better or worse for particular situations. One thing that people have brought up is, “How about physical commodities?” Like corn or soy? What would our risk model say about that? It's not super helpful for those commodities right now because it doesn't know how to understand a warehouse. So, you might want to use a different exchange, which had a more bespoke risk model that tried to understand how the human would understand what physical positions someone had on. That would totally make sense. That can cause a split between different exchanges.In addition, we've been talking about the clearing house here, but many exchanges can connect to the same clearinghouse. We're already, as a clearing house, connected to a number of different DCMs and excited for that to grow. In general, there are going to be a lot of people who have different preferences over different details of the system and choose different products based on that. That's how it should work. People should be allowed to choose the option that makes the most sense for them.Jane Street vs FTXDwarkesh Patel 41:00What are the biggest differences in culture between Jane Street and FTX?Sam Bankman-Fried 41:05FTX has much more of a culture of like morphing and taking out a lot of random new s**t. I don’t want to say Jane Street is an ossified place or anything, it’s somewhat nimble. But it is more of a culture of, “We're going to be very good at this particular thing on a timescale of a decade.” There are some cases where that's true of FTX because some things are clearly part of our core business for a decade. But there are other things that we knew nothing about a year ago, and now have to get good at. There's been more adaptation and it's also a much more public-facing and customer-facing business than Jane Street is—which means that there are lots of things like PR that are much more central to what we're doing.Conflict of interest between broker and exchangeDwarkesh Patel 41:56Now in crypto, you're combining the exchange and the broker—they seem to have different incentives. The exchange wants to increase volume, and the broker wants to better manage risk, maybe with less leverage. Do you feel that in the long run, these two can stay in the same entity given the potential conflict of interest?Sam Bankman-Fried 42:13I think so. There's some extent to which they differ, but more that they actually want the same thing—and harmonizing them can be really valuable. One is to provide a great customer experience. When you have two different entities with two completely different businesses but have to go from one to the other, you're going to end up getting the least common denominator of the two as a customer. Everything is going to be supported as poorly as whichever of the two entities support what you're doing most poorly - and that makes it harder. Whereas synchronizing them gives us more ability to provide a great experience.Bahamas and Charter CitiesDwarkesh Patel 42:59How has living in the Bahamas impacted your opinion about the possibility of successful charter cities?Sam Bankman-Fried 43:06It's a good question. It's the first time and it’s updated positively. We've built out a lot of things here that have been impactful. It's made me feel like it is more doable than I previously would have thought. But it's a lot of work. It's a large-scale project if you want to build out a full city—and we haven’t built out a full city yet. We built out some specific pieces of infrastructure that we needed and we've gotten a ton of support from the country. They've been very welcoming, and there are a lot of great things here. This is way less of a project than taking a giant, empty plot of land, and creating a city in it. That's way harder.SBF’s RAM-skewed mindDwarkesh Patel 43:47How has having a RAM-skewed mind influence the culture of FTX and its growth?Sam Bankman-Fried 43:52On the upside, we've been pretty good at adapting and understanding what the important things are at any time. Training ourselves quickly to be good at those even if it looks very different than what we were doing. That's allowed us to focus a lot on the product, regulation, licensing, customer experience, branding, and a bunch of other things. Hopefully, it means that we're able to take whatever situations come up and provide reasonable feedback about them and reasonable thoughts on what to do rather than thinking more rigidly in terms of how previous situations were. On the flip side, I need to have a lot of people around me who will try and remember long-term important things that might get lost day-to-day. As we focus on things that pop up, it's important for me to take time periodically to step back and clear my mind and remember the big picture. What are the most important things for us to be focusing on? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dwarkeshpatel.com
Need some content ideas for June? In this episode of the Courageous Content Podcast, I'll share four ready-to-go content ideas for June for small business owners. You can use them as inspiration for social media posts, blogs, newsletters, podcasts (and any other content you create to promote your business). Here's the awareness dates I cover: Her Majesty the Queen's Platinum Jubilee (June 3) Best Friends Day (June 8) World Productivity Day (June 20) Social Media Day (June 30) *Join the Platinum Jubilee conversation by sharing your events, activities, tributes and creativity using the hashtags #PlatinumJubilee and #HM70 and tagging https://twitter.com/DCMS?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor (@DCMS on Twitter) orhttps://www.instagram.com/dcmsgovuk/?hl=en ( @dcmsgovuk on Instagram) andhttps://www.facebook.com/dcmsgovuk/ ( Facebook.) Key Links Save 30% on myhttps://janetmurray.co.uk/courageous-email-lead-magnet-kit-waitlist/?fbclid=IwAR0kdtOMdep1SEik_HGIfcXEcK_SjTslRkuY-EthxdGCQDytVgMTj4olV18 ( Courageous Email Lead Magnet Content Kit) using the code MAGNET67. Save 25% on myhttps://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fjanetmurray.co.uk%2Fbusiness-basics-content-kit%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR0Gn0X8LN0BP6FpjxJbRdEhtRmB4905AZiQXKHCPpR4z4_Bh3HPfCC6KiQ&h=AT0Bsmss2i3rp_9AS1bM-3zcJ-OAm_7-7Zvj-oZcWYrL_KqRrpmXzDZ5fgq5fLL3fmF5yw1EcfpLaGTteHjVpe6CV_RxjBCjFRZ3hNXbKbt2qAMf-IhILZ3rzQyhhUBS6D0 ( Business Basics Content Kit) using the code PODCAST67. Save 25% on myhttps://janetmurray.co.uk/courageous-launch-content-kit/ ( Courageous Launch Content Kit) using the code PODCAST67. https://janetmurray.co.uk/non-cheesy-ways-to-turn-awareness-days-into-social-media-posts/ (Non-cheesy ways to turn awareness days into social media posts) (podcast) https://courageous-content.captivate.fm/episode/3-myths-about-using-awareness-days-in-your-content (3 myths about using awareness days in your content) (podcast) Janet Murray'shttps://janetmurray.co.uk/live-waitlist ( Courageous Content Live) event Janet Murray's FREEhttps://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fjanetmurray.co.uk%2Fthe-ultimate-course-launch-checklist%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR3dsPrPU0ya0myvtFeElsM-hthLgszz_hihZD_mQTNTBrAZ-wRgGdfa3ek&h=AT233KuUmv2ZPYdDXerw4bdUqik7OgnFRZyEWYtWUFttj3cC0L6UvPt2fO7hUxRpkG9nAdGQVtIIhWo_IwmSIZENnkhFrVpt0nDWEfuG3XJ9YtRqQk5VHB0AZf_PkueK3vM ( Ultimate Course Launch Checklist) Janet Murray'shttps://janetmurray.co.uk/product/courators-kit/ ( Courators Kit) Janet Murray'shttp://www.courageouscontentplanner.com/ ( Courageous Content Planner) Janet Murray'shttp://www.janetmurray.co.uk/ ( website) Janet Murray onhttps://www.instagram.com/janmurrayuk/ ( Instagram) Janet Murray onhttps://www.facebook.com/janetmurrayofficial ( Facebook) Janet Murray onhttps://www.tiktok.com/@janmurrayuk ( TikTok) Janet Murray onhttps://twitter.com/jan_murray ( Twitter) Janet Murray onhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/janet-murray74/ ( LinkedIn)
Nadine Dorries is the Secretary of State for the Department of Culture, Media and Sports and MP for Mid Bedfordshire. After leaving school at 16, Dorries went on to become a nurse and an entrepreneur before entering politics at the age of 49. She was a minister in the Department of Health during the pandemic, and in her current role is leading five bills at DCMS through Parliament, including the controversial Online Safety Bill. On the podcast, she talks to Katy Balls about her plans for the BBC and Channel 4, why she believes much of the criticism against her comes from those unable to accept her background, and where her red line would be in sticking up for Boris Johnson, as one of his most loyal allies.
Nadine Dorries is the Secretary of State for the Department of Culture, Media and Sports and MP for Mid Bedfordshire. After leaving school at 16, Dorries went on to become a nurse and an entrepreneur before entering politics at the age of 49. She was a minister in the Department of Health during the pandemic, and in her current role is leading five bills at DCMS through Parliament, including the controversial Online Safety Bill. On the podcast, she talks to Katy Balls about her plans for the BBC and Channel 4, why she believes much of the criticism against her comes from those unable to accept her background, and where her red line would be in sticking up for Boris Johnson, as one of his most loyal allies.
Stamford Chidge and Jonathan Kydd are joined by Martin Wickham and Daniel Chillds from Football.London, making his debut on the Fancast, to look ahead to Chelsea's match against Brentford and check in with the week's Chelsea news.In part one we look at the latest developments in the sale of Chelsea with more revelations appearing about the short listed bids; the DCMS unbending over selling tickets to members and plans for a #NoToRicketts protest on Saturday before the Brentford match.In part two we discuss Thomas Tuchel's press conference today. Everyone bar Hudson-Odoi is fit, although Pulisic is jet lagged. Azpi extends his contract to 2023; are Rudiger and Christensen going to Barcelona? And Tuchel's method of dealing with the sanctions and the bidding process – focus on the nowIn part three we preview the Chelsea v Brentford match. Looking at Chidge's team selection; the return of Christian Eriksen; Brentford's form and what will be the International break impact and will Tuchel have one eye on Real Madrid? Finally how do we see it going plus our predictions. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Stamford Chidge and Jonathan Kydd are joined by Dean Mears to look back at Chelsea's defeat of Lille and ahead to Saturday's FA Cup 1/4 final against Middlesbrough.In part one we look back at Chelsea's 2-1 win against Lille. Was Tuchel's team selection over cautious or sensible? Jorginho conceding a penalty, a great goal from Pulisic and a great time to score and Mason Mount made the difference supplying a great Azpi goal. And Thomas Tuchel post-match antics – heart-warming and he always gets it right.In part two we discuss the latest on Chelsea being sold. The rediculous situation with no tickets for Boro and no Champions' League tickets. Who are the bidders to date – Boehly; Ricketts; Johnson; Candy/Vialli; Broughton/Coe; Saudi Media and why should we be worried about sports franchises and investment funds buying the club. Plus we report on what the Chelsea Supporters' Trust have been up to this week with an open letter to bidders; a statement on Chelsea's Boro statement; pressure on the Govt re. ticket sales; lobbying the shadow DCMS spokesperson and Chelsea MP Greg Hands. All to keep up the message where the key aims remain the same.In part three we preview the Middlesbrough v Chelsea FA Cup 1/4 final. What's our team selection? We discuss Chelsea's history with Boro and Boro's form. We wrap up by discussing how do we see it going including our predictions. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Dan Bardell is joined by The Athletic's Matt Slater & Oli Kay discuss the horrendous scenes at Wembley stadium ahead of the EURO 2020 final that saw fans clash with stewards and police as they attempted to break through gates for Sunday's historic sporting occasion.As Uefa open disciplinary proceedings into security breaches & Chair of DCMS select committee, Julian Knight MP, writes to FA demanding answers could this scupper England's chances of hosting the World Cup in 2030? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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