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What if your short-term rental could outperform the entire market it's in, before your first guest even checks in?In this episode, I sit down with Heather Martini and Emily King, of Data Led Designs, to talk about what it really takes to build a profitable short-term rental in today's competitive landscape. Heather brings her business intelligence background and Airbnb Superhost experience, while Emily blends luxury marketing expertise with hands-on hosting success. Together, they're helping investors make smarter, data-driven decisions.We unpack how to choose the right market, how to select amenities that actually produce ROI, and how to design a guest experience that commands higher nightly rates and better reviews.Emily also shares the real numbers behind her Cary, North Carolina STR—and they are wildly impressive.Find It Quickly:00:30 - Meet Heather and Emily01:52 - Heather's Journey and the Birth of Data Led Designs03:54 - Emily's Background and Role in Data Led Designs05:14 - The Importance of Guest Experience in Short-Term Rentals05:58 - Market Insight Reports: Customization and Client Collaboration10:00 - Maximizing Investment in Short-Term Rentals11:42 - Amenity Strategy: Quick Wins vs. Premium Positioning20:01 - Navigating Established vs. Up-and-Coming Markets23:38 - Navigating Local Regulations for Short-Term Rentals24:56 - Handling Uninvestable Areas26:22 - Market Insight Report for Cary, North Carolina27:54 - Renovation and Amenity Strategy32:19 - Guest Experience and Hospitality38:32 - Impressive Occupancy and Revenue NumbersMentioned in this EpisodeCohosting with Ali: brandandmarket.co/cohosting-servicesConnect with Data Led DesignsWebsite: dataleddesigns.comReports: dataleddesigns.com/airbnb-market-research | Use the code "brandandmarket10" for 10% off any report.Instagram: instagram.com/dataleddesigns_strInstagram: instagram.com/bramble.cary
In this episode of Skip the Queue, Andy Povey is joined by Ray Hole of Ray Hole Architects for a wide-ranging and thought-provoking conversation about strategy, storytelling and the true economics of experience design. Key Topics Discussed The “Camelot” collaboration model in attraction development Experience economy vs. pure economics Primacy and recency effects in guest psychology Designing the departure experience Turning operational cost into experiential value Storytelling through architecture Instagrammable design and generational behaviour Empathy in ticketing and security Integrating accommodation into attraction strategy Converting capex into revenue-generating experiences Show References: Ray Hole, Managing Director of Ray Hole Architects https://www.rayhole-architects.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/ray-hole-a6b7396/ Skip the Queue is brought to you by Merac. We provide attractions with the tools and expertise to create world-class digital interactions. Very simply, we're here to rehumanise commerce. Your host is Andy Povey. Credits: Written by Emily Burrows (Plaster) Edited by Steve Folland Produced by Emily Burrows and Sami Entwistle (Plaster) Download The Visitor Attractions Website Survey Report - https://www.merac.co.uk/download-the-visitor-attractions-survey We have launched our brand-new playbook: ‘The Retail Ready Guide to Going Beyond the Gift Shop' — your go-to resource for building a successful e-commerce strategy that connects with your audience and drives sustainable growth. Download your FREE copy here
Mike Kurtz, Founder of Mike's Hot Honey, shares invaluable hospitality insider insights on building a successful hospitality business from the ground up. Discover how strategic restaurant partnerships and collaborations fueled the rapid growth of Mike's Hot Honey, making it one of the fastest-growing food brands nationwide. Mike dives deep into hospitality trends shaping brand expansion from restaurant menus to grocery store shelves through effective CPG strategies. Listeners will learn key restaurant growth strategies and what it takes to stay authentic amid intensifying competition. Mike also discusses menu innovation, flavor experimentation, and how hospitality executives and restaurant operators can create lasting brand trust while scaling their businesses without losing their unique identity. Tune in for a wealth of knowledge from a hospitality industry leader that offers practical advice for anyone involved in the restaurant industry podcast landscape, hospitality media, or looking to elevate their hospitality leadership skills. Episode Credits:Sponsored by: DirecTVProduced by: Branded Hospitality MediaHosted by: Michael Schatzberg, JImmy FrischlingProducer: Julie ZuckerCreative Director: Adam LevineShow Runner: Drewe RaimiPost Production: GrodMediawww.thehospitalityhangout.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Send us a message!In this episode, Alex & Annie sit down with Krista Goodrich and Kymberlee Nguyen, the duo behind Salty Dog Vacations, to talk about what it really takes to build a vacation rental company that guests remember and a team that is proud to be part of it.They share how Salty Dog grew from early investing decisions in Daytona Beach into a full-scale operation, and how their approach to branding goes beyond design choices. It shows up in the details, the guest experience, and the way they protect their people.The conversation also expands into Krista's work in local advocacy and zoning, their broader mission to help more women build wealth through real estate, and how their community has grown through retreats and education.Episode Chapters:08:20 – How local rules, zoning, and community involvement shape what it takes to operate responsibly15:07 – Building a brand guests remember: personality, pet-friendly touches, and guest joy19:37 – Krista's “Boss Lady Investor” work, and why real estate education needs to feel accessible25:00 – How retreats and community experiences can become part of a bigger platform, not just a side project33:32 – What it looks like to build a company culture where your team feels protected and respected35:44 – The moment they fired an owner, and why that decision mattered for the business long term40:25 – Why consistency matters more than “cute ideas,” especially once you are scalingIf you're trying to build a stronger guest experience and a business that holds up as you grow, this one's worth a listen.Connect with Kym & Krista:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/krista-goodrich-2823198/ Podcast: https://www.thebossladyinvestor.com/ Website: https://mysaltydogvacation.com/ ✨ Exclusive Offer to Alex & Annie Listeners:Streamline your short-term rental operations with Hostfully.Mention the Alex & Annie Podcast when you sign up and get free onboarding ($1000 value).
Danielle Parra, Chief Brand Officer of McAlister's Deli, joins the Hospitality Hangout to share her expert insights on building and scaling a renowned hospitality brand. With over 500 locations and a billion-dollar presence in the hospitality industry, McAlister's continues to lead with innovative strategies in fast casual dining. From pioneering data-driven loyalty programs to creative menu innovations like pickle-powered limited-time offers, Danielle reveals how guest-centered hospitality drives sustainable restaurant growth. This episode also explores catering strategies, beverage and mocktail trends, franchisee economics, and how authentic hospitality leadership remains a key factor in success. Tune in for insider hospitality trends, restaurant growth strategies, and much more! Episode Credits:Sponsored by: DirecTVProduced by: Branded Hospitality MediaHosted by: Michael Schatzberg, JImmy FrischlingProducer: Julie ZuckerCreative Director: Adam LevineShow Runner: Drewe RaimiPost Production: GrodMediawww.thehospitalityhangout.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Why are guests leaving earlier than you think they should?Your pricing's solid, the drinks are good, the team's doing their job and still, tabs are closing after two rounds.Most operators assume it's a marketing issue or a menu problem, but a lot of the time it's the room itself working against you.Lighting that's too bright, music that's just a little too loud, or a space that's slightly uncomfortable can quietly shave minutes off dwell time.In this episode, we break down how to measure those invisible factors and make simple adjustments that actually show up in your sales.If you think your bar is “fine” but your numbers say otherwise, this episode is for you.
⭐ This is a featured encore of one of our most downloaded STR Investing episodes. Originally released on June 6th 2024, this episode continues to inspire investors to think bigger and execute smarter.In this episode of the STR Investing Podcast, co-host Taylor Jones welcomes Tyann Marcink, the "Queen of Guest Experience," to share how she transformed a $55,000 drug house into a $1.5 million short-term rental success story.Tyann walks through: • How she identified hidden potential others overlooked • The renovation strategy that unlocked massive value • The guest experience upgrades that drive revenue • Lessons learned from turning a distressed property into a high-performing assetThis episode proves that creative vision, execution, and guest-focused design can completely change the trajectory of a deal.If you're serious about scaling your short-term rental portfolio, this is one to study.__Episode Sponsored By:STR SearchSTR Search is the industry leading property finder service. They've helped investors acquire over 215 profitable STRs across the US. If you'd like the data professionals to help you find your next STR, reach out to STRsearch.com
In this episode of Skip the Queue, Andy Povey is joined by Mark Lofthouse, Creative Director and Business & Client Strategy Manager at RWS Global, a global entertainment company delivering experiences across attractions, live events and destination design.Mark shares his journey into the attractions industry, from starting out in haunted attractions as a teenager to leading creative strategy on IP-led experiences around the world. Andy and Mark talks about how brands and attractions can create meaningful emotional connections, why guest-first design is critical to commercial success, and how IP partnerships can help venues reach new audiences when done thoughtfully. The conversation also looks ahead to the future of immersive experiences, personalisation, and what regional and family attractions can learn from projects that are thriving today.Key Topics Discussed:Emotional connection as the core of great attractionsHow IP and brands can attract new audiencesWhy guest-first design matters more than visualsWhat makes IP partnerships succeed or failLessons for regional and family attractionsThe future of immersive and personalised experiences Show References: Download The Visitor Attractions Website Survey Report - https://www.merac.co.uk/download-the-visitor-attractions-survey Mark Lofthouse, Senior Manager, Business & Client Strategy at RWS Globalhttps://www.rwsglobal.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/markloftcd/ Skip the Queue is brought to you by Merac. We provide attractions with the tools and expertise to create world-class digital interactions. Very simply, we're here to rehumanise commerce. Your host is Andy Povey. Credits:Written by Emily Burrows (Plaster)Edited by Steve FollandProduced by Emily Burrows and Sami Entwistle (Plaster) We have launched our brand-new playbook: ‘The Retail Ready Guide to Going Beyond the Gift Shop' — your go-to resource for building a successful e-commerce strategy that connects with your audience and drives sustainable growth. Download your FREE copy here
In this episode of Hospitality Hangout, hospitality industry leaders Jason Morgan (CEO of The Original ChopShop), Kelly Gray (SVP of Hot Head Burritos), Lawrence Brown (Chief Development Officer of Rita's Italian Ice), and Yann de Rochefort (CEO of Boqueria) come together to share their expertise on building iconic food brands. Dive into essential hospitality trends, restaurant growth strategies, and hospitality insider insights that are shaping the modern hospitality business. Episode Credits:Sponsored by: Restaurant Finance & Development ConferenceProduced by: Branded Hospitality MediaHosted by: Michael Schatzberg, JImmy FrischlingProducer: Julie ZuckerCreative Director: Adam LevineShow Runner: Drewe RaimiPost Production: GrodMediawww.thehospitalityhangout.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Ari Weinzweig, co-founder of Zingerman's Delicatessen, shares invaluable hospitality insider insights and leadership lessons from building one of the most respected brands in the hospitality business. As a pioneering restaurant CEO, Ari discusses how vision and community-building in the hospitality industry have driven their long-lasting success, all while staying true to core values rather than chasing fleeting hospitality trends. Episode Credits:Sponsored by: Restaurant Finance & Development ConferenceProduced by: Branded Hospitality MediaHosted by: Michael Schatzberg, JImmy FrischlingProducer: Julie ZuckerCreative Director: Adam LevineShow Runner: Drewe RaimiPost Production: GrodMediawww.thehospitalityhangout.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Join Richard Schneider, COO and Chief Development Officer of Areas USA, on Hospitality Hangout as he shares insider insights into scaling one of the largest airport and travel plaza hospitality operators in the country. From his early start in restaurants at six years old to leading innovation in airport dining, Richard discusses why hospitality will always trump technology and how emerging brands are transforming food service across airports and highways nationwide. In this episode, explore hospitality trends and bold ideas that drive memorable guest experiences in the restaurant industry. Richard also reflects on leadership strategies, acquisitions, and the growth of local concepts in travel hospitality, offering valuable perspectives for anyone in the hospitality industry or interested in the future of food service and airport dining. Episode Credits:Sponsored by: DirecTV for BusinessProduced by: Branded Hospitality MediaHosted by: Michael Schatzberg, JImmy FrischlingProducer: Julie ZuckerCreative Director: Adam LevineShow Runner: Drewe RaimiPost Production: GrodMediawww.thehospitalityhangout.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
DAMIONMLK Day:Incoming Walmart CEO John Furner:Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy reminds us blahblahblah. During our annual MLK Day Celebration, we reflected on blahblahblah. We care for people. Blahblahblah We strive to be honest, fair, and courageous. And we put others first in the work we do to help people live better.When we lead with care, show respect and do what's right, we honor Dr. King's legacy through action and continue building a Walmart that reflects our purpose and values.Walmart: $27,408,854, the fiscal 2025 annual total compensation of our median associate was $29,469, and the ratio of these amounts was 930:1.By 11:14 AM: He has earned $29,469 (the median worker's entire year of labor).Total Earnings by MLK Day: ~$1,425,000That $1.4 million is equivalent to the lifetime earnings of 48 median Walmart associates (assuming each works for one year at $29,469)As of January 20, 2026, the combined net worth of the Walton family has reached a historic $513.4 billion, according to the latest Bloomberg and Forbes data.As of January 2026, the Walton family collectively receives approximately $3.4 billion per year in dividends from Walmart.Per Day: The family earns roughly $9.27 million every day just by owning the stock.Per Hour: They earn about $386,000 per hour, 24 hours a day.King was literally campaigning for a living wage in Memphis when he was shot by the FBI. your move, walmart CEO John Furner WHO DO YOU BLAME?WestJet reverses cramped seating layout after viral videos show passengers' knees pressed against seats.In the reconfigured layout, which rolled out in late October on select Boeing 737s, space between rows was reduced to 28 inches to accommodate an extra row of seats. WestJet also made economy class seats non-reclinable, offering passengers the option to pay extra for adjustable seats.In a news statement, the company said it will reverse what it called the "densified seating" by removing the additional row of seats.WHO DO YOU BLAME?Samantha (Sam) Taylor was appointed WestJet Group Executive Vice-President and Chief Experience Officer March 2025. Sam joined Sunwing in March 2020 as Chief Marketing Officer. Sam's portfolio is accountable for critical touch points in the guest journey and includes leading all Marketing, Guest Experience and Contact Centres for WestJet and Sunwing Vacations. MMStakeholders!Customers: WestJet's rollout of the reconfigured seats has sparked widespread outrage among travelers and even crew members.Employees: Reuters reported that pilots and flight attendants have raised concerns over the new configuration's comfort and safety, specifically whether passengers could safely evacuate the plane in an emergency due to the confined seating.Journalists: Reuters reported that pilots and flight attendants have raised concerns over the new configuration's comfort and safety, specifically whether passengers could safely evacuate the plane in an emergency due to the confined seating.Labor Unions: Alia Hussain, president of the union local representing WestJet cabin personnel, said: "It created a hostile working environment for us as cabin personnel."Onex Corporation, WestJet's publicly traded ownersWhich is really founder and board Chair Gerry Schwartz (annual Chair fee of $1 million), who maintains 100% control of the Multiple Voting Shares (MVS) of Onex Corporation, which effectively grants him 60% of the total voting power in the company.This control allows him to elect 60% of the members of Onex's Board of Directors. While he also personally holds a significant portion of the Subordinate Voting Shares (SVS)—roughly 11.3% as of late 2024—the primary mechanism of his control is the MVS class.All stupid U.S. dual class dictatorships who do not do this!!The "Sunset" Provision: In May 2023, Onex shareholders approved a plan to implement a "sunset" on these special voting rights. Under this agreement, Schwartz's multiple voting rights are scheduled to expire three years after the effective date of the amendment (roughly May 2026).Current Status: As we are currently in early 2026, Schwartz remains the controlling shareholder. Upon the "Event of Change" later this year, the Multiple Voting Shares will convert into Subordinate Voting Shares, and he will lose his absolute control, shifting the company toward a more traditional governance structure.Matt Damon says Netflix wants to make action movies differently to account for shorter attention spansHow the art of filmmaking is being subvertedThe "Say What You Do" Rule: Writers are frequently being told to eliminate subtext. In traditional filmmaking, if a character is sad, you show them staring at a cold cup of coffee. Now, streamers often request that the character explicitly say, "I'm just so sad right now," or have another character ask, "Why are you so sad?"The Reason: If you are looking at your phone during a silent, emotional shot, you miss the story. If the character says it out loud, you can follow the plot without looking at the screen.Heightened Audio Cues: If you've noticed that modern movies have very aggressive sound design—sudden loud bangs, dramatic musical stings, or high-pitched notification-like sounds—it's often intentional.The "Audio Hook": These sounds act like a "ping" to pull your eyes back from your phone to the TV. It's a literal alarm clock for your attention.The "First 10 Minutes" Mandate: In the past, a movie could have a "slow burn" opening (think 2001: A Space Odyssey). Today, Netflix and other streamers use data that shows exactly when a user hits the "Back" button.The Note: Writers are told that a "major event" (an explosion, a death, or a massive hook) must happen within the first 2 to 5 minutes. If the "inciting incident" happens at the 20-minute mark, the data shows they will lose 30% of the audience to TikTok.Centered Framing: Cinematographers are increasingly being told to keep the "important" action in the center of the frame.The Reason: This makes the content easier to view on a mobile device if the user decides to switch from the TV to their phone, or if they are watching a cropped "clip" of the movie on social media later.Increased "Recapping": Have you noticed characters summarizing what just happened more often?The "TikTok Brain" Fix: Because people are multitasking, they often lose the thread of the plot. Streamers now encourage dialogue like, "So, let me get this straight, we have to get the key from the vault before the guard returns in five minutes?" It's a recap for someone who tuned out for the last three minutes.WHO DO YOU BLAME?Netflix: Ted Sarandos & Greg Peters (Co-CEOs of Netflix), Reed Hastings, Jay HoagDrug CEOs (re: The Algorithm): Passive Viewing: Data shows that up to 94% of people use a phone while watching TV.TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew: TikTok is widely considered the pioneer of the "Short-Form Video" era. Its algorithm is specifically designed to provide "intermittent reinforcement" (like a slot machine), which studies suggest can reduce the ability to focus on long-term tasks.Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg: Zuckerberg pivoted Facebook and Instagram (Reels) to aggressively compete with TikTok. Critics argue this transition turned a platform for connection into one of "passive scrolling" that further erodes focus.YouTube CEO Neal Mohan: Under his leadership, YouTube Shorts was launched to capture the short-attention-span market. Even YouTube co-founder Steve Chen has recently warned that these short videos are "shrinking kids' attention spans."Smartphones: Former Apple CEO Steve Jobs MMStanford: The "Father of Persuasive Tech": B.J. FoggStanford's Persuasive Technology Lab, run by B.J. Fogg, taught many of the founders and early employees of Instagram and Facebook.The "Fogg Behavior Model" taught engineers how to use "triggers" and "rewards" to change human behavior through software. He provided the scientific framework that allowed tech companies to treat the human brain like hardware that could be "hacked" for maximum engagement.Trump calls NYSE Dallas expansion plans 'unbelievably bad' for New York: Trump says move poses 'big test' for newly inaugurated Mayor Zohran Mamdani. WHICH HYPOCRISY DO YOU BLAME?The Free Market BullshitTrump and Texas leaders have long championed the freedom of businesses to flee blue-state regulations. However, now that a prestigious icon like the NYSE is actually expanding to Dallas, Trump has pivoted to calling it "unbelievably bad" for New York.The Anti-Woke /Anti-ESG scaremongeringTexas frames itself as a "Sanctuary from Socialism," yet the Texas Stock Exchange (TXSE) is being used to bypass ESG transparency. While railing against woke mandates, these leaders are creating their own ideological silos—demanding a protected market where management isn't held accountable by shareholders for social or environmental impacts.Texas AG Ken Paxton described BlackRock, State Street, and Vanguard as an "investment cartel" that was "illegally controlling national energy markets" and "squeezing more money out of hardworking Americans."Paxton sent a formal warning to Larry Fink and other CEOs, stating that their "radical environmental policies" and "race-based quotas" (DEI) would face severe enforcement actions if they prioritized "politics over consumers."Lead by example: Trump quits NYC and Musk's Dexit to Y'all StreetThroughout his 2024 campaign, Trump consistently compared New York unfavorably to states like Florida and Texas: as an example, he pointed to the lack of state income tax in Florida as a reason why "everyone is leaving New York." Elon Musk's Dexit from Delaware/California is sold as a strike for freedom, yet his empire is built on nearly $40 billion in government subsidies and contracts. He moved to Texas to escape over-regulation (re: his pay package and people being mad about nooses in his factories) while simultaneously heading the most over-regulatory body ever: Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).Leader name calling and scaremongeringTrump's pre-bromance attacks on New York's new mayor, Zohran Mamdani (communist lunatic" and a "Marxist"). Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson (UPenn, Harvard, Princeton): "un-American socialist impulse" and explicitly marketed Dallas as a "sanctuary from socialism" for businesses looking to Dexit New York. The Elite vs. Common Man NonsenseDespite bullshit Y'all Street populist framing, the Texas Stock Exchange is backed by the world's most powerful financial titans. There is no common man victory here; it is the CEO class moving the financial capital to a jurisdiction with fewer labor protections and less oversight.The Big Four Anchor InvestorsBlackRock: (managing ~$14 trillion), despite being the primary target of "anti-woke" and anti-ESG rhetoric from the same politicians who support the TXSE.Citadel Securities: Led by Ken Griffin, this firm executes roughly 1 in 4 of all stock trades in the U.S. Left Chicago for Miami.J.P. Morgan Chase: Jamie Dimon. Joined in 2025 during a $90 million funding round and holds an observer seat on the board.Charles Schwab: handles over 50% of U.S. retail stock orders.MATTWalmart International CEO Kath McLay to step down - WHO DO YOU BLAME?Half exiting CEO Doug McMillonMcLay was under McMillon her entire tenure at WalMart, raised to CEO of the international divisionClearly a protege - passed over for the new CEO?Incoming CEO John FurnerThe white guy who became CEO is such an interesting new story, but Furner started as a sales clerk and has been with the WALTONS a long time through Sam's Club as CEO, another Walton jointFurner/McMillon/Walton family named David Guggina CEO of Walmart US (passing McLay), Chris Nicholas replace McLay, Seth Dallaire was made chief growth officer… rounding out an all male promotion cycle of new execs - no women in major positionsMaybe McLay read the tea leaves - women got chief legal and chief of people, like everywhere else, but leave the big jobs to the swinging dicks.The compensation and management development committee, who according to the company charter, ir responsible to “periodically review and recommend to the full Board succession planning practices for the Company's CEO and other executive officers.”Carla Harris (chair) - black woman with “multicultural” in her job description at Morgan Stanley who apparently didn't apply “multiculturalism” to Walmart executive search?Marissa Mayer - yes, THAT Marissa Mayer, who is on the board of Starbucks with Brian Niccol and AT&T where Randall Stephenson was CEOBrian Niccol - CEO of Starbucks, with no conflict by having Marissa Mayer on the same boardRandall Stephenson - ex CEO of AT&T, with no conflict of interest by having Marissa Mayer on the board. Also on the board - Tom Horton, ex CEO of American Airlines who was… CFO of AT&T under StephensonShishir Mehrotra - who worked at Google via YouTube when… Marissa Mayer worked there (she was in search/maps)Kath McLay, who just couldn't cut it at Walmart anymoreAn SEC official has said (implied) you don't HAVE to vote your proxies as an investor - WHO DO YOU BLAME?Brian Daly, who gave a speech titled (Re)Empowering Fiduciaries in Proxy Voting on Jan 8 in which he argued that not voting doesn't necessarily violate fiduciary dutyGamblers: “Not voting makes sense in many situations. Look, for example, at quantitative and systematic managers, who often operate models that merely seek exposures to identified sources of alpha.”Index investors: “But it may be appropriate for these categories of investment advisers (and the Boards that exercise oversight over this function) to consider whether taking positions on fundamental corporate matters, or on precatory proposals, is consistent with their investment mandates.”Hedging himself: “So, there is no stock answer to the “Must I vote?” question... Instead, it is important that advisers and clients have a fair amount of latitude to decide what works in their individual cases.”Threatening using proxy advisors: “And if we are raising issues for consideration, I will also mention, because the President did, that there is real concern out there that habitual adherence to a proxy consultant's recommendations could pull an adviser into a Section 13(d) group.”Investors, because no matter what Brian Daly suggests, investors almost never vote against management and neither do proxy advisors, so what the fuck are we talking about?Cost, because Daly points out, “And in assessing proposed votes, investment advisers might utilize the Fiduciary Interpretation's concept of a “reasonable inquiry into the client's objectives.” If an investment adviser routinely follows a proxy advisor's stock recommendations without a tailored engagement or independent analysis, is this “reasonable inquiry?” Maybe, but it is certainly worth thinking about. And, to go back to the first question, if the voting process is so burdensome that it requires extensive external resources, why is the adviser voting at all?”John Chevedden, along with Jim McRitchie, without whom we have maybe half the shareholder rights as SP500 companies, and who the no-action data is now showing is disproportionately getting responses for exclusion from the SEC (as if to double down on the idea that we can ignore those commie socialists entirely, but we want to tell you explicitly you're totally legally cool and there's no threat if you exclude Chevedden). Chevedden might be the reason investors were voting at all - maybe now they won't have to?
John Dillon, CEO of La Madeleine, joins Hospitality Hangout to share his expert strategies on reviving a 42-year-old legacy brand by blending tradition with modern hospitality trends. Drawing on his journey through major restaurant chains like Blockbuster, Pizza Hut, and Denny's, John reveals how clarity, simplification, and execution drive sustainable growth in the restaurant industry.In this insightful episode, John discusses the power of third place thinking — creating welcoming spaces that encourage guests to linger — and how La Madeleine balances grab-and-go convenience with a hospitable atmosphere. He dives into how leveraging technology, social media trends, and thoughtful design innovation enhances guest experiences without losing the brand's unique charm.Tune in to hear insider insights on hospitality innovation, emerging food service trends, and bold ideas shaping today's café culture, all from one of the industry's leading CEOs. Whether you're a foodie, restaurateur, or hospitality professional, this episode offers valuable perspectives on evolving legacy brands in a competitive market. Episode Credits:Produced by: Branded Hospitality MediaHosted by: Michael Schatzberg, JImmy FrischlingProducer: Julie ZuckerCreative Director: Adam LevineShow Runner: Drewe RaimiPost Production: Three Cheers Creativewww.thehospitalityhangout.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
This week on the Boxoffice podcast, co-hosts Daniel Loria, Rebecca Pahle, and Chad Kennerk cover the latest industry news and preview Sony's 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple. Then in the feature segment, Daniel speaks with Dine-In Cinema Summit founders Amy and Matt Mader of Venue Valet to preview this year's show happening February 2-6 in Austin, TX. Give us your feedback on our podcast by accessing this survey: https://forms.gle/CcuvaXCEpgPLQ6d18 What to Listen For00:00 Intro01:07 Weekend Box Office: Primate Overperforms02:41 Repertory Cinema & Theatrical Experiences06:18 Remembering Colleen Barstow08:27 Industry Leadership Updates10:34 ICTA North America Cinema Awards12:09 Blue Ribbon Awards Relaunch14:11 Box Office Outlook & Horror Trends16:22 28 Years Later Franchise Discussion21:46 Dine-In Cinema Summit Interview Begins23:18 Evolution of the Dine-In Cinema Summit26:41 Hospitality & Guest Experience in Cinemas29:44 “Let's Adapt” Programming & Diversification33:06 Alternative Content & FEC Strategies37:58 Food, Beverage & Kitchen Operations39:12 Battle of the Brands Cook-Off41:36 Operations, Pricing & Data Insights45:02 Summit Sponsors & Industry Support48:21 Why the Summit Matters Before CinemaCon50:37 Registration Details & Final Takeaways51:18 Closing Remarks & Subscribe CTA
Nate Fowler, CEO of Long John Silver's, joins Hospitality Hangout live from RFDC in Las Vegas to share insider insights on revitalizing a 56-year-old restaurant brand while maintaining its core identity. This episode dives deep into hospitality trends, focusing on how technology, loyalty programs, and strategic partnerships drive growth and innovation in the restaurant industry.Nate discusses his unique approach to leadership shaped by his background in banking and finance, exploring unit economics and franchise growth during a pivotal turnaround. Listeners will learn about the brand's investment in technology, including a new mobile app, and creative marketing tactics like the chicken-focused logo stunt that reignited customer interest.The conversation also covers franchisee economics, procurement strategy, and the significance of partnerships with companies like Foodbuy for improving cost structures and attracting new franchisees. Packed with valuable hospitality industry insights, this episode is a must-listen for food service professionals, emerging restaurant brands, and anyone interested in the future of hospitality innovation. Episode Credits:Produced by: Branded Hospitality MediaHosted by: Michael Schatzberg, JImmy FrischlingProducer: Julie ZuckerCreative Director: Adam LevineShow Runner: Drewe RaimiPost Production: Three Cheers Creativewww.thehospitalityhangout.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
dieser Episode von Cloud Horizonte sprechen wir mit Jens Attumalil, Director RGR Technology bei McDonald's Deutschland, über die spannende Reise von zwei klassischen Rechenzentren in die AWS Cloud – und warum das erst der Anfang ist. Das erwartet euch:
Alex Dunn, CEO of Swig, shares insider insights on how Swig pioneered and scaled the dirty soda category from its Utah roots to a thriving national franchise. Explore key hospitality trends in the beverage and restaurant industry as Alex discusses personalization, premium fountain beverages favored by Gen Z, and how innovation drives brand authenticity and growth at scale. From franchising strategy to staying competitive amid major beverage players entering the space, this episode is packed with valuable lessons for food service professionals and hospitality insiders aiming to build bold, category-defining brands. Episode Credits:Produced by: Branded Hospitality MediaHosted by: Michael Schatzberg, JImmy FrischlingProducer: Julie ZuckerCreative Director: Adam LevineShow Runner: Drewe RaimiPost Production: Three Cheers Creativewww.thehospitalityhangout.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Change remains the only constant in hospitality, but today's accelerated pace brings unprecedented opportunities to innovate and differentiate your brand. Technology and AI are enabling streamlined operations and personalized guest experiences that drive loyalty and revenue.Consumer behavior shifts like mindful drinking trends, for example, present deep challenges but can also open new revenue streams for savvy operators who know how to pivot. In this Keynote from Cornell's Nolan School of Hotel Administration, we'll explore successful adaptation strategies that can strengthen your business model and broaden your appeal.Join industry leader Peter Karpinski from Pyramid Global Hospitality and Cornell Senior Lecturer and industry veteran Douglass Miller as they discuss how to survive and thrive in this rebounding market as well as what it takes to gain competitive advantage. They'll also share storytelling techniques for reaching today's experience-hungry consumers.Check out Doug's Beer Essentials Cornell Certificate Program herePyramid Global Hospitality Follow eCornell on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and X.
Featuring top hospitality leaders from Groucho's Deli, Long John Silver's, Tiki Taco, Cowboy Chicken, Crazy Pita, and Beans & Brews Coffee House, including Mehdi Zarhloul, Brittany Mercer, Eric Knott, Deric Rosenbaum, Doug Willmarth, and Tim Newton, this episode dives deep into the latest hospitality trends and technology shaping the food service industry. Recorded live at FS/TEC from Amazon Business Studios, Hospitality Hangout brings you insider insights on growth strategies, brand building, and innovating within the hospitality industry.Our guests share valuable perspectives on scaling both legacy and emerging brands while maintaining strong culture and operational excellence. The conversation covers key topics such as franchising, modernizing technology stacks, leadership best practices, digital marketing, and disciplined management needed to thrive in today's competitive food service landscape.Join us for an engaging discussion that captures the energy of FS/TEC and offers actionable advice for entrepreneurs, founders, and hospitality professionals focused on long-term growth, innovation, and staying ahead in the evolving hospitality industry. Episode Credits:Produced by: Branded Hospitality MediaHosted by: Michael Schatzberg, JImmy FrischlingProducer: Julie ZuckerCreative Director: Adam LevineShow Runner: Drewe RaimiPost Production: Three Cheers Creativewww.thehospitalityhangout.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Kaleb Harrell, CEO and co-founder of Hawkers Asian Street Food, joins Hospitality Hangout to share hospitality insider insights on building an authentic restaurant brand rooted in Asian street food culture. Discover how understanding true hawker culture and hands-on hospitality leadership shaped Hawkers' unique growth strategy and helped the brand stay genuine without feeling like a traditional chain.In this episode, Kaleb dives into early challenges of bootstrapping, balancing multiple ventures, and system-building, giving listeners an inside look at entrepreneurial strategies in the food industry. He also discusses disciplined investment decisions and partnership dynamics, offering valuable lessons for hospitality entrepreneurs navigating growth while preserving culture.Tune in for an engaging conversation that explores emerging hospitality trends, leadership in the food service industry, and the business strategies behind one of the fastest-growing authentic food brands. This episode is packed with insider stories and lessons any entrepreneur or hospitality insider won't want to miss! Episode Credits:Produced by: Branded Hospitality MediaHosted by: Michael Schatzberg, JImmy FrischlingProducer: Julie ZuckerCreative Director: Adam LevineShow Runner: Drewe RaimiPost Production: Three Cheers Creativewww.thehospitalityhangout.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Recorded live at SocialWest 2025 in Calgary, this special episode of the Marketing News Canada podcast features a conversation with Joshua Counsil, Co-Founder of Good Robot Brewing and guest host Meredith McKeough.Joshua shares candid lessons from building a multi-dimensional hospitality and beverage business spanning beer, non-alcoholic drinks, events, and co-packing for major retailers like Costco. The conversation explores why guest experience is one of the most powerful marketing tools available, how storytelling influences customers, employees, and even lenders, and why scrappy, generous marketing often outperforms big-budget campaigns.From navigating PR crises to designing small moments that create outsized word-of-mouth, this episode is packed with practical insights for marketers, founders, and brand leaders looking to build trust, loyalty, and long-term growth.
Mark Politzer, CEO of Norms Restaurants and a prominent figure among hospitality insiders, shares his extraordinary journey in the food service industry on Hospitality Hangout. From starting as a dishwasher to leading a beloved Southern California diner, Mark talks about the hospitality strategies and leadership principles that sustain Norms' 76-year legacy. Featuring insights on maintaining a multi-generational workforce and fostering long-term loyalty, this episode explores how industry trends shape consistency and culture in established hospitality brands. Episode Credits:Produced by: Branded Hospitality MediaHosted by: Michael Schatzberg, JImmy FrischlingProducer: Julie ZuckerCreative Director: Adam LevineShow Runner: Drewe RaimiPost Production: Three Cheers Creativewww.thehospitalityhangout.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
In this episode, Shannon gets fired up about one of the biggest mistakes retreat leaders make: discounting their retreats. While a discount might feel like an easy way to fill a few spots, the long-term damage is real - it devalues your experience, trains your audience to wait for price drops, signals desperation, and hurts the entire retreat industry. Shannon breaks down exactly why discounting is harmful, what it communicates to potential guests, and better alternatives like early-bird bonuses, pay-in-full perks, and smart payment options. She also unpacks the real reason retreat leaders discount - fear - and how to address it in a healthier, business-savvy way. If you're ready to protect your profit, elevate your positioning, and stop shrinking your worth, this episode is a must-listen. Key Takeaways Retreats are transformational live experiences - not products to be marked down like retail. Discounting immediately lowers perceived value and conditions your audience to never pay full price again. It signals desperation and damages not just your brand, but the entire retreat industry. Live experiences require emotional labor, planning, expertise, and responsibility - none of which should be discounted. Instead of discounting, offer early-bird bonuses, pay-in-full perks, and extended payment plans. The real reason people discount is fear - not strategy. If enrollment is low, you need better messaging, positioning, urgency, and audience warming… not cheaper prices. The Retreat Leaders Podcast Resources and Links: Learn to Host Retreats Join our private Facebook Group Top 5 Marketing Tools Free Guide Get your legal docs for retreats Join Shannon in Denver at the Retreat Industry Forum Join our LinkedIn Group Apply to be a guest on our show Thanks for tuning into the Retreat Leaders Podcast. Remember to subscribe for more insightful episodes, and visit our website for additional resources. Let's create a vibrant retreat community together! Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Google Podcast | Spotify --------- TIMESTAMPS The Problem with Discounting Retreats (00:00:50) Shannon expresses frustration about retreat leaders discounting their retreats and outlines why this is harmful. Why Discounting Retreats is Harmful (00:01:12) Explains how discounting devalues retreats, signals desperation, and attracts difficult guests. Negative Impact on Guest Experience and Industry (00:03:42) Discusses how discounting attracts ungrateful guests and lowers perceived value across the retreat industry. Discounting Hurts Your Margins and Business (00:06:02) Details how discounts cut into profits, making it harder to sustain a retreat business. Retreats as Premium, Transformational Experiences (00:07:16) Emphasizes that retreats are not products but containers for transformation, requiring significant energy and expertise. Alternatives to Discounting: Bonuses and Perks (00:08:14) Suggests offering early bird bonuses, pay-in-full perks, and extended payment plans instead of discounts. Why Retreat Leaders Discount: The Role of Fear (00:10:22) Explores the real reasons behind discounting, such as fear of failure and low signups. Building Confidence and Enrollment Without Discounts (00:11:30) Encourages improving messaging, marketing, and mindset instead of lowering prices. Final Advice and Invitation to Community (00:12:39) Urges listeners to stop discounting, value their work, and join the Retreat Industry Forum for support. Podcast Closing and Resources (00:13:39) Shannon thanks listeners, encourages sharing, and offers free resources for retreat leaders.
André Vener shares the inspiring hospitality story behind DogHaus—from a late-night idea to a nationally recognized food brand. Discover industry trends in food service and hospitality strategies as André discusses the importance of food quality, guest experience, and how entertainment blends seamlessly with hospitality. This episode explores key investment and scaling strategies to grow a brand without losing its original soul. André also shares his experiences working with celebrity partners like Jake Paul and highlights why relationships and trust are just as crucial as business strategy in the hospitality industry. Perfect for entrepreneurs and hospitality professional's eager for insider insights and emerging brand success stories. Episode Credits:Produced by: Branded Hospitality MediaHosted by: Michael Schatzberg, JImmy FrischlingProducer: Julie ZuckerCreative Director: Adam LevineShow Runner: Drewe RaimiPost Production: Three Cheers Creativewww.thehospitalityhangout.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Kelli Valade, CEO of Denny's and a leading hospitality insider, shares her purpose-driven leadership approach, and the powerful role hospitality plays beyond the dining room. In this special No Kid Hungry miniseries episode, explore how Denny's commitment to fighting childhood hunger through a 15-year partnership and signing the CEO Pledge highlights impactful hospitality trends. Kelli dives into building culture at a legacy brand, staying relevant across generations, and leading with empathy in the food service industry. Discover insider insights into how hospitality strategies can serve communities and develop future leaders in this inspiring conversation. Episode Credits:Produced by: Branded Hospitality MediaHosted by: Michael Schatzberg, JImmy FrischlingProducer: Julie ZuckerCreative Director: Adam LevineShow Runner: Drewe RaimiPost Production: Three Cheers Creativewww.thehospitalityhangout.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
In this episode of Disruption/Interruption, host KJ sits down with John Choate, co-founder of Apogee Travel, to discuss how the travel industry hides value, the illusion of price comparison, and how Apogee is disrupting the online travel agency model by turning every hotel booking into a charitable donation. Discover the truth behind loyalty programs, the commoditization of hotels, and how transparency and social good can reshape an entire industry. Four Key Takeaways: The Illusion of Comparison Shopping [00:41]John explains how consumers believe they are comparison shopping for hotels, but in reality, prices are controlled and nearly identical across platforms. The Birth of Apogee’s Value Model [06:55]The story of how a charity hotel stay and a conversation with Steve Wynn inspired the idea of using hotel profits for social good. Exposing Loyalty Program Devaluation [24:15]John breaks down how hotel loyalty programs manipulate point values, creating “value blindness” for consumers. How Apogee Travel Disrupts the Industry [32:05]Apogee’s unique model: every booking generates a donation to a charity of the traveler’s choice, at no extra cost, while still earning brand rewards points. Quote of the Show (34:20):"Most people think charity is emotional. In our model, it's structural. Travel's the largest overlooked fundraising engine in the world. We just plugged it in." – John Choate Join our Anti-PR newsletter where we’re keeping a watchful and clever eye on PR trends, PR fails, and interesting news in tech so you don't have to. You're welcome. Want PR that actually matters? Get 30 minutes of expert advice in a fast-paced, zero-nonsense session from Karla Jo Helms, a veteran Crisis PR and Anti-PR Strategist who knows how to tell your story in the best possible light and get the exposure you need to disrupt your industry. Click here to book your call: https://info.jotopr.com/free-anti-pr-eval Ways to connect with John Choate: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnchoate/ Company Website: https://apogeetravel.com How to get more Disruption/Interruption: Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/eccda84d-4d5b-4c52-ba54-7fd8af3cbe87/disruption-interruption Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/disruption-interruption/id1581985755 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6yGSwcSp8J354awJkCmJlD?si=22332d4cd4ef4e41See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
That's The Ticket! brings you the stories behind the action happening at Gas South District in Duluth, GA. On this episode, host Stan Hall is joined by Marcia Powell, Director of Guest Experience at Gas South District. Marcia pays a huge role in shaping the experience of every guest who visits the Gas South District […]
Jennifer Dodd, CEO of Main Squeeze Juice, shares her journey and insights into building an emerging brand within the food industry. Dive deep into hospitality trends around wellness-driven concepts, cold-pressed juice, and gut health, and discover how this innovative approach transforms food service experiences.Jennifer breaks down what sets Main Squeeze apart—from fresh, unpasteurized juice with a six-day shelf life to catering to fitness enthusiasts and GLP-1 users. She reveals the importance of educating customers on raw versus pasteurized juice and how plant-based options continue to expand in the growing wellness market.This episode also explores business strategies including leadership, franchise growth, and non-traditional expansion, giving listeners insider insights into the hospitality and food industry. Tune in for a compelling discussion on building a wellness-driven brand amid evolving industry trends. Episode Credits:Produced by: Branded Hospitality MediaHosted by: Michael Schatzberg, JImmy FrischlingProducer: Julie ZuckerCreative Director: Adam LevineShow Runner: Drewe RaimiPost Production: Three Cheers Creativewww.thehospitalityhangout.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
I'm Josh Kopel, a Michelin-awarded restaurateur and the creator of the Restaurant Scaling System. I've spent decades in the industry, building, scaling, and coaching restaurants to become more profitable and sustainable. On this show, I cut through the noise to give you real, actionable strategies that help independent restaurant owners run smarter, more successful businesses.In this episode, I break down a problem I see all the time in our industry: identity drift. When your purpose, priorities, and daily practices stop lining up, the entire business starts to wobble. I walk through the identity compass and show how it helps you get centered again so you can make decisions that actually move the restaurant forward. If you feel pulled in a hundred directions or unsure why your growth has stalled, this conversation will help you refocus on what matters and clear out the noise holding you back. TakeawaysYour purpose isn't a tagline. It's a compass for every decision.Priorities reveal your real beliefs; budgets and calendars are your true mission statements.What you invest in is what you believe.The real mission statements are lived through repetition.Burnout isn't caused by effort, it's caused by confusion.Alignment gives your effort direction.Start by writing your restaurant's one line purpose.Audit your spending to match your purpose.Add a branch head question for pre-shift lineups.Eliminate one tactic that isn't serving your compass.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Full Comp and AI Toolkit01:55 Understanding Identity Drift in Restaurants05:45 The Identity Compass: Purpose, Priority, and Practice07:34 Practical Steps for Realignment and ImprovementIf you've got a marketing or profitability related question for me, email me directly at josh@joshkopel.com and include Office Hours in the subject line. If you'd like to scale the profitability of your restaurant in only 5 days, sign up for our FREE 5 Day Restaurant Profitability Challenge by visiting https://joshkopel.com.
Amy Hom, COO of Barcelona Wine Bar and a recognized hospitality insider, shares her leadership journey and insights into navigating hospitality trends through talent development and brand expansion. From early experiences at major food service brands to shaping the culture at Barcelona Wine Bar and its new concept Corsica Wine Bar, Amy outlines how investing in people drives success. She discusses mentorship, emerging leaders, and strategic hospitality strategies that foster long-lasting careers and strong talent pipelines. Tune in for a deep dive into industry trends and insider insights on scaling multi-unit operations while preserving brand identity, delivering valuable lessons for hospitality entrepreneurs and food industry professionals alike. Episode Credits:Produced by: Branded Hospitality MediaHosted by: Michael Schatzberg, JImmy FrischlingProducer: Julie ZuckerCreative Director: Adam LevineShow Runner: Drewe RaimiPost Production: Three Cheers Creativewww.thehospitalityhangout.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Would you be interested in dining at a restaurant where your phone is locked away? One restaurant who has adapted this policy is Punk Royale in London and we spoke to Katherine Bont, Head of Guest Experience at The Punk Royale Group.
Today's attractions need to do more than look amazing — they need to feel, sound, and even smell unforgettable. In this episode, we explore how to go beyond the visual and bring audio, scent and motion to the forefront of the guest experience. Paul Marden is joined by Liam Findlay, Theme Park and Museum Scenting Consultant from AromaPrime Themed Scents; David Wakefield Director and Co-founder of On the Sly; and Matt Clarkson, Creative Director of Simworx. Show References:Liam R. Findlay – Theme Park & Museum Scenting Consultant, AromaPrime Themed ScentsWhy smell is a form of mind control, with Liam Findlayhttps://aromaprime.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/liam-r-findlay/David Wakefield – Director & Co-founder, ON THE SLYhttp://www.onthesly.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/davidonthesly/Matt Clarkson – Creative Director, Simworxhttp://www.simworx.co.ukhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-clarkson-a42a95124/ Skip the Queue is brought to you by Crowd Convert. We provide attractions with the tools and expertise to create world-class digital interactions. Very simply, we're here to rehumanise commerce. 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 SkiptheQueue.fm.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 LinkedIn. We have launched our brand-new playbook: ‘The Retail Ready Guide to Going Beyond the Gift Shop' — your go-to resource for building a successful e-commerce strategy that connects with your audience and drives sustainable growth. Download your FREE copy here
Suzie Tsai, CEO of Bonchon Chicken, joins Hospitality Insiders to share captivating insights into one of the most iconic Korean fried chicken brands shaping hospitality trends worldwide. Dive into the science behind perfect twice-fried chicken, explore Bonchon's explosive growth through word-of-mouth, and learn about bold hospitality strategies driving their global expansion. Suzie also discusses innovative flavor development, the impact of K-culture on younger diners, and why kimchi might be the new natural wonder for health-conscious food lovers. This episode blends industry insights, business strategy, and memorable moments, making it essential listening for anyone passionate about the food service and hospitality industry. Episode Credits:Produced by: Branded Hospitality MediaHosted by: Michael Schatzberg, JImmy FrischlingProducer: Julie ZuckerCreative Director: Adam LevineShow Runner: Drewe RaimiPost Production: Three Cheers Creativewww.thehospitalityhangout.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
You can have a packed dining room and still be bleeding money, and most owners don't realize it until it hurts. The real problem isn't that you're not busy, it's that you're guessing which hours actually pay the bills instead of looking at what the numbers are quietly trying to tell you. In this episode, I walk you through a simple 5-minute daily habit that shows you exactly which shifts are truly profitable and which ones are just keeping the lights on. You'll see how to spot your strongest dayparts, where labor is quietly eating your margins, and where small adjustments in hours, staffing, or promos could pay off big. By the end, you won't just feel busy, you'll know, in black and white, when your restaurant actually makes money. What You'll Learn
AI isn't the threat — it's the opportunity most hosts are ignoring.In this episode, we walk through how top operators are using AI and automation to scale smarter, simplify operations, and outpace the competition.• How AI is transforming pricing, operations, and marketing• The biggest mistake hosts make when “trying” automation• Tools that save hours per week without losing the human touch• Why your business model must evolve in 2025• The new advantage: data-driven decision-makingGet the full AI Automation Playbook at strsecrets.com/ai00:00:18 – Why AI Is the Next Big Shift in STR 00:02:12 – What Hosts Get Wrong About Automation 00:05:09 – The Tools Replacing Busywork in STR Operations 00:08:47 – How AI Enhances the Guest Experience 00:11:38 – Dynamic Pricing and Predictive Data in Action 00:15:22 – Building Systems That Learn While You Scale 00:19:10 – How to Combine AI With a Human Team 00:23:38 – Avoiding the “Set It and Forget It” Trap 00:27:41 – The STR Playbook for 2025 and Beyond 00:30:52 – Final Take: Use AI Before It Uses You Get FREE Access to our Community and Weekly Trainings:https://group.strsecrets.com/
AI isn't the threat — it's the opportunity most hosts are ignoring.In this episode, we walk through how top operators are using AI and automation to scale smarter, simplify operations, and outpace the competition.• How AI is transforming pricing, operations, and marketing• The biggest mistake hosts make when “trying” automation• Tools that save hours per week without losing the human touch• Why your business model must evolve in 2025• The new advantage: data-driven decision-makingGet the full AI Automation Playbook at strsecrets.com/ai00:00:18 – Why AI Is the Next Big Shift in STR 00:02:12 – What Hosts Get Wrong About Automation 00:05:09 – The Tools Replacing Busywork in STR Operations 00:08:47 – How AI Enhances the Guest Experience 00:11:38 – Dynamic Pricing and Predictive Data in Action 00:15:22 – Building Systems That Learn While You Scale 00:19:10 – How to Combine AI With a Human Team 00:23:38 – Avoiding the “Set It and Forget It” Trap 00:27:41 – The STR Playbook for 2025 and Beyond 00:30:52 – Final Take: Use AI Before It Uses You Get FREE Access to our Community and Weekly Trainings:https://group.strsecrets.com/
Scott Lawton, Co-Founder and Chairman of BarTaco, joins to share his unique journey from busboy to a leader in the food industry. In this episode, Scott offers insider insights on hospitality strategies, the importance of brand culture, and scaling a lifestyle-focused restaurant business. He reflects on industry trends that have shaped his approach, including his time at Tribeca Grill and the founding of Barcelona Wine Bar. Scott also discusses the sale and revival of BarTaco, highlighting key lessons learned and opportunities for growth in the hospitality landscape. Tune in for an engaging conversation filled with practical wisdom and a deep dive into hospitality business growth and culture. Episode Credits:Produced by: Branded Hospitality MediaHosted by: Michael Schatzberg, JImmy FrischlingProducer: Julie ZuckerCreative Director: Adam LevineShow Runner: Drewe RaimiPost Production: Three Cheers Creativewww.thehospitalityhangout.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
BP's Head of Guest Experience Derek Gaskins sat down with co-hosts Carolyn Schnare and Chase Smith with Retail Insight to explore how convenience retail is being transformed by a surprising number of words beginning with the letter “c” that emphasize convenience from couch to curb to counter to customers through consistency, choice, and customization. Recorded at the 2025 NCS Show, the trio talked about Derek's visions for BP as it expands its footprint eastwards across the U.S. with some of Chase's favorite things! With special guest: Derek Gaskins, Head of Guest Experience, BP Hosted by: Carolyn Schnare and Chase Smith, Principal Client Advisor, Retail Insight
Debbie Stroud, President and CEO of Whataburger, shares her unique hospitality leadership journey, guiding one of America's most iconic brands into a future driven by hospitality strategies and a people-first culture. In this episode, we explore Whataburger's 75-year legacy, insider insights into balancing growth with authenticity, and emerging hospitality trends that inspire innovation and team motivation. Discover how listening and care are at the heart of Whataburger's success and what it takes to lead with pride in today's dynamic food service industry. Episode Credits:Produced by: Branded Hospitality MediaHosted by: Michael Schatzberg, JImmy FrischlingProducer: Julie ZuckerCreative Director: Adam LevineShow Runner: Drewe RaimiPost Production: Three Cheers Creativewww.thehospitalityhangout.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Jim Bitticks, President and COO of Dave's Hot Chicken, shares insider insights on building a billion-dollar hospitality brand. From a humble $900 East Hollywood pop-up to one of the fastest-growing food industry sensations, Jim reveals leadership strategies, hospitality culture, and growth secrets vital for scaling with integrity. Dive into hospitality trends and the power of viral moments that have propelled Dave's Hot Chicken to phenomenal success. Whether you're interested in hospitality investment, emerging brands, or innovative food service approaches, this episode offers expert strategies and inspiring stories for entrepreneurs and industry professionals alike. Episode Credits:Produced by: Branded Hospitality MediaHosted by: Michael Schatzberg, JImmy FrischlingProducer: Julie ZuckerCreative Director: Adam LevineShow Runner: Drewe RaimiPost Production: Three Cheers Creativewww.thehospitalityhangout.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Send us a message!As hospitality companies race to scale, many face a difficult trade-off: grow fast or stay personal. But Zzzing, a leading hospitality brand based in Malta, is proving you can do both.In this episode, we're joined by Sab Mulligan, Head of Teams at Zzzing, to explore how they've scaled rapidly by using AI not to replace the human touch, but to protect and enhance it.Through a thoughtful blend of technology, team culture, and brand consistency, Zzzing is setting a new benchmark for what modern hospitality can look like.We cover:1️⃣ How Zzzing scaled from 40 to nearly 500 properties without compromising guest experience2️⃣ How Boom allows their team to grow fast without worrying about the tech stack3️⃣ Why they embraced AI as a teammate (not a replacement) for human hospitality4️⃣ How they use AI to automate routine tasks and free up teams for more meaningful guest interactions5️⃣ How they maintain consistency across properties while delivering personalized, local experiences6️⃣ How they balance rapid operational growth with a deep commitment to guest careWhether you manage a small portfolio or lead a growing hospitality brand, this episode offers actionable insights into scaling with intention and staying human in an AI-driven world.Connect with Sab:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabrinamulligan/ Website: https://www.zzzing.com/ Get 20% off any yearly or bi-yearly Lodgify plan, plus free personalized onboarding (a $3,000 value).
Too many bar and restaurant owners rely on gut feel to judge staff performance and profit.A packed house doesn't mean you're making money and a friendly server doesn't always mean a top performer.In this episode, Geoffrey Toffetti reveals how data, not guesswork, uncovers hidden revenue leaks, lazy service habits, and quiet performance killers.You'll learn how top hospitality brands are using AI, psychology, and POS metrics to spot gaps, train smarter, and increase revenue without more hours or more guests.If you've ever asked, “Why are we busy but still broke?” This is your wake-up call.What You'll Learn
Rose Tipka's presentation at the JRE Summit, autumn 2025.
This week on Skip the Queue, we're stepping into the turret and turning up the tension, as we explore one of the UK's most talked-about immersive experiences.Our guest is Neil Connolly, Creative Director at The Everywhere Group, who have brought The Traitors Live Experience to life. With over 10 million viewers watching every betrayal, backstab and banishment on the BBC show, expectations for the live version were nothing short of murderous.So, how do you even begin to transform a TV juggernaut into a thrilling, guest-led experience? Let's find out who's playing the game… and who's about to be banished…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 SkiptheQueue.fm.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 LinkedIn. Show references: The Traitors Live website: https://www.thetraitorslive.co.uk/Neil's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neil-connolly-499054110/Neil Connolly is a creative leader of design and production teams focused on development, production and installation of live theatre, entertainment, multi-media and attractions for the themed entertainment industry worldwide.Neil began his career as a performer, writer, producer & artist in Londons alternative theatre/art scene. It was during this time Neil developed a love and passion for story telling through the platform of interactive playable immersive theatre.Having been at the vanguard of playable & immersive theatre since 2007, Neil had a career defining opportunity in 2019 when he devised, wrote & directed an immersive experience as part of Sainsbury's 150th Birthday Celebrations. Making him the only immersive theatre & game maker in the world to have HRH Elizabeth Regina attend one of their experiences.In a distinguished career spanning 20 years, Neil has brought that passion to every facet of themed entertainment in the creative direction and production of attractions such as; Handels Messiah, Snowman & The Snowdog, Peppa Pig Surprise Party, Traitors Live, The Crystal Maze Live Experience, Tomb Raider Live Experience & Chaos Karts, an AR go-kart real life battle. Other clients and activations include: Harrods, Sainsbury's, Camelot/The National Lottery, Samsung, Blenheim Palace, Land Rover and Warner Brothers.Neil has worked across 4 continents for many years with private individuals; designing, producing and delivering live entertainment on land, sea & air. A world without boundaries requires freethinking.Neil is currently working with Immersive Everywhere on creative development of show and attraction content for projects across U.K, Europe, North America & Asia. Transcriptions: Paul Marden: This week on Skip the Queue, we're stepping into the turret and turning up the tension as we explore one of the UK's most talked about immersive experiences.Paul Marden: Our guest is Neil Connolly, Creative Director at The Everywhere Group, who've brought The Traitor's live experience to life. With over 10 million viewers watching every betrayal, backstab and banishment on the BBC show, expectations for the live version were nothing short of murderous. So how do you even begin to transform a TV juggernaut into a thrilling guest-led experience? Let's find out who's playing the game and who's about to be banished.Paul Marden: So, we're underground. Lots of groups running currently, aren't they? How did you make that happenNeil Connolly: Yeah, so now we're two floors under us. There's a lower basement and some other basement. So the building that we are in, there's a family in the 1890s who owned all of the land around Covent Garden and specifically the Adelphi Theatre.Paul Marden: Right.Neil Connolly: And they wanted their theatre to be the first theatre in the UK to have its lights powered by electricity. So they built their own private power station in this building. Like, literally like, all this, this is a power station. But unfortunately for these the Savoy had taken to that moniker, so they quickly built their important institution. The family had this building until the 1980s when the establishment was assumed through the important UK network.Neil Connolly: And then it was sat there empty, doing nothing for 40 years. And so the landlord that is now started redeveloping the building 10 years ago, added two floors onto the top of the building. So now what we're in is an eight-storey structure and we've basically got the bottom four floors. Two of which are ground and mezzanine, which is our hospitality area. And the lower two floors, which are all in the basement, are our experience floors. What we're looking at right now is, if you look off down this way to the right, not you people on audio, but me here.Neil Connolly: Off this side is five of the round table rooms. There's another one behind me and there's two more upstairs. And then I've got some Tretters Towers off to the left and I've got my show control system down there.Neil Connolly: On the floor above me, we've got the lounges. So each lounge is connected to one of the round table rooms. Because when you get murdered or banished, one of the biggest challenges that I faced was what happens to people when they get murdered or banished? Because you get kicked out of the game. It's not a lot of fun, is it? Therefore, for me, you also get kicked out of the round table room. So this is a huge challenge I face. But I built these lounge concepts where you go— it's the lounge of the dead— and you can see and hear the round table room that you've just left. We'll go walk into the room in a while. There's lots of interactivity. But yeah, super fun. Neil Connolly: But unfortunately for these the Savoy had taken to that moniker, so they quickly built their important institution. The family had this establishment until the 1980s when the establishment was considered through the important UK network.Paul Marden: Yeah. So we've got 10 million people tuning in to Traitors per episode. So this must be a lot of pressure for you to get it right. Tell us about the experience and what challenges you faced along the way, from, you know, that initial text message through to the final creation that we're stood in now.Neil Connolly: So many challenges, but to quote Scroobius Pip on this, do you know Scroobius Pip? Paul Marden: No. Neil Connolly: Great, he's amazing. UK rapper from Essex.Neil Connolly: Some people see a mousetrap and think death. I see free cheese and a challenge.Neil Connolly: There's never any problems in my logic, in my thinking. There's always just challenges to overcome. So one of the biggest challenges was what happens to people when they get murdered or banished. The truth of the matter is I had to design a whole other show, which happens after this show. It is one big show. But you go to the Lounge of the Dead, there's more interactivity. And navigating that with the former controller, which is O3 Media and IDTV, who created the original format in the Netherlands, and basically designing a game that is in the world and follows the rules of their game with some reasonable adjustments, because TV and live are not the same thing.Neil Connolly: It takes 14 days to film 12 episodes of The Traitors. Paul Marden: Really? Okay. Neil Connolly: So I was like, how do I truncate 14 days of somebody's life down into a two-hour experience and still deliver that same impact, that same power, that same punch?Paul Marden: Yep.Neil Connolly: But I knew from the beginning of this that it wasn't about time. There is a magic triangle when it comes to the traitors, which is time, space, atmosphere. And time was the thing that I always struggled with. I don't have a Scottish cattle show, and I don't have two weeks. No. So I'm like, 'Cool, I've got to do it in two hours.' So our format follows exactly the same format. We do a breakfast scene, then a mission, then a roundtable banishment, then there's a conclave where the traitors meet and they murder somebody. And I do that in a seven-day structure, a seven-day cycle. But it all happens within two hours around this round table.Neil Connolly: I'm the creative director for Immersive Everywhere. We're a vertically integrated structure in the sense that we take on our own venues. So we're now standing in Shorts Gardens in the middle of Covent Garden. So we've leased this building. We've got a lease that is for a number of years and we have built the show into it. But we also identify the IP, go after that ourselves, we capitalise the projects ourselves. We seek strategic partners, promoters, other people to kind of come involved in that journey. But because we're also the team that are licensing the product, we are also the producers and I'm the creative director for that company. So I developed the creative in line with while also getting the deal done. This is incredibly unusual because other producers will be like, 'Hey, I've identified this IP and I've got it.' Now I'm going to approach a creative agency and I'm going to get them to develop the product. And now I've done all of that, I'm going to find someone else to operationally put it on, or I'm going to find a venue to put it on in, and then I'm going to find my ticketing partner. But we don't do that. We have our own ticketing platform, and we have our own database, so we mark our own shoulders.Neil Connolly: As well as other experiences too. Back, we have our own creative industry, we are the producers, we are the female workers. So we cast it, we hire all the front of house team, we run the food and beverage, we run the bars. The operations team is our operations team because they run the venue as well as the show at the same time. So that's what I mean. We're a vertically integrated structure, which means we do it, which makes us a very unusual proposition within... certainly within the UK market, possibly the world. It makes us incredibly agile as a company and makes us to be able to be adaptive and proactive and reactive to the product, to the show, to the market that we're operating in, because it's all under one roof.Neil Connolly: This show started January 24th, 2023. Right. It's very specific because I was sitting on my sofa drinking a lovely glass of Merlot and I had just watched... UK Traitors, Season One. Yep. Because it came out that Christmas. Immediately I was like, 'Oh my God, this is insane.' And then I got a text message that particular night from our head of licensing, a guy named Tom Rowe, lovely man. And he was like, Neil, I'm at a licensing event with some friends of mine and everyone's talking about this thing called Traitors. I've not watched it. Have you watched it? Sounds like it might be a good thing. And so I sat back and drank my Merlot. And about five minutes later, I text him back and I was like, Tom, get us that license.Neil Connolly: And then I sent him a bunch of other details of how the show in my head would work, both from a commercial standpoint, but also from a creative standpoint, because I'm a commercially minded creative. Right. So I instantly took out my notebook and I started writing down exactly how I thought the show was going to do, the challenges that we would face and being able to translate this into a live thing. But I literally started writing it that night. And then he watched the first episode on the train on the way home. And then he texted me the next morning and he was like, 'I love it.' What do we need to do? And I was like, 'Get us in the room.' Two days later, we were in the room with all three media who own the format globally.Paul Marden: Okay.Neil Connolly: So we sat down and then they came to see one of our other shows and they were like, 'Okay, we get it now.' And then that was like two and a half years of just building the show, getting the deal done and facing the myriad of challenges. But yeah, sometimes it just starts with the text message.Paul Marden: So they get to experience all the key parts of the TV.Neil Connolly: All the key beats. Like right now, I'm holding one of the slates. They're not chalkboard slates. Again, this is... Oh, actually, this is a good challenge. So in the TV show, they've got a piece of slate and they write on it with a chalkboard pen. This seems so innocuous and I can't believe I'm talking about this on a podcast.Neil Connolly: Slategate was like six months of my life. Not in its entirety, but it was a six month long conversation about how we do the slates correctly. Because we do... 48 shows a day, six days a week. And those slates will crack. They will bash. And they're kind of a bit health and safety standards. I was like, can't have them. Also, they write on them with chalk pens, white ink chalk pens. But in the TV show, you only do it once a night. Yeah.Paul Marden: And then you have a producer and a runner.Neil Connolly: They just clean them very, very leisurely and set them back for the next day. And I was like, no, I've got to do a whole bunch of roundtable banishments in two hours. So we talked a lot about material, about style, literal viewership, because if you take a seat at the table. Yeah. If you're sitting at the table here, you'll notice that we've got a raised bit in the middle. If I turn mine around, the other person on the other side can't see it. So I was like, 'Okay, cool.' So we had to do a whole bunch of choreography. But also, the room's quite dark. Yes. At times, atmospheric. Yeah. In that magic triangle time-space atmosphere. So anything that was darker, or even that black slate, you just couldn't read it. And then there was, and then I had to— this is the level of detail that we have to go into when we're designing this kind of stuff. I was like, 'Yeah, but I can't clean off these slates with the white ink because everyone will have to have like a wet cloth chamois. Then I've just got loads of chamois around my venue that I just don't need.' And so then we're like, 'Oh, let's use real slates with real chalk.' And I was like, 'No, because dust will get everywhere.' I'll get chalk just all over my table. It'll just ruin everything. It'll ruin the technology that's inside the table because there's lots of hidden tricks inside of it. Paul Marden: Is there really? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Neil Connolly: There's loads of hidden tricks inside the table. So after a while, going through many different permutations, I sat down with Christian Elenis, who's my set designer and my art director. And we were, the two of us were nearly in tears because we were like, 'We need,' and this only happened like.Neil Connolly: I would say two, three weeks before we opened. We still hadn't solved how to do the slate, which is a big thing in the show. Anybody who's seen the show and loves the show knows that they want to come in, they want to write somebody's name on the slate, and they want to spell the name incorrectly.Neil Connolly: Everyone does it on purpose. But I wanted to give people that opportunity. So then eventually we sat down and we were like, Christian, Neil. And the two of us in conversation went, why don't we just get a clear piece of Perspex, back it with a light coloured vinyl. And then Christian was like, 'Ooh,' and I'll make it nice and soft and put some felt on the back of it, which is what I'm holding. And then why don't we get a black pen? And we were like, 'Yeah,' like a whiteboard marker. And then we can just write on it. And then A, I can see it from the other side of the table. Thing one achieved. Two. Every marker pen's got an eraser on the top of it. I don't know why everyone thinks this is important, but it is. That you can just rub out like that, and I'm like, 'There's no dirt, there's no mess, and I can reuse this multiple times, like dozens of times in the same show.' And I know that sounds really weird, but that's the level of design I'm going to need.Paul Marden: I was just about to say, and that is just for the chalkboard. Yeah. Now you need to multiply that. How many decisions?Neil Connolly: How many decisions in each game. But also remember that there are eight round tables in this building. Each round table seats 14 people. And we do six sessions a day. So first ones at 10 a. m. Then we do 12, 2, 4, 6, and 8 p. m. So we do 48 shows a day, six days a week.Paul Marden: I love the concept that these are shows. This is not this is not visitor attraction. This is theater repeated multiple times a day for multi audience is concurrently.Neil Connolly: And I've just spent five minutes describing a slate to you. Yeah. But like, I haven't even got— it's like the sheer amount of technology that is in the show. And again, theatrical, like, look above our heads. Yeah. You've got this ring light above every seat. It's got a pin light. There's also microphones which are picking up all the audio in the room, which again is translating to the lounge of the dead. Every single one of the round table rooms has four CCTV cameras. Can you see that one in the corner? Each one of them is 4K resolution. It's quite high spec, which is aimed at the opposite side of the table to give you the resolution in the TV. In the other room. Then you've got these video contents. This is constantly displaying secret information through the course of the show to the traitors when they're in Conclave because everyone's in blindfolds and they took them off. They get secret instructions from that. There's also a live actor in the room. A live actor who is Claudia? They're not Claudia. They're not pastiches of Claudia. They are characters that we have created and they are the host of The Traitor's Game. Right. They only exist inside this building. We never have them portrayed outside of this building in any way whatsoever.Neil Connolly: They are characters, but they live, they breathe— the game of Traitors, the world of Traitors, and the building that we have designed and constructed here. And they facilitate the game for the people. And they facilitate the game for the people. One actor to 14 people. There are no plants, even though everyone tries to tell me. Members of the public will be convinced that they are the only person that's in that show and that everyone else is a plant. And I'm like, no, because that would be insane.Neil Connolly: The only actor in the room is the host.Paul Marden: 14 people that can sit around this table. How many of them are in the same group? Are you with your friends or is it put together where there are other people that you won't know in the room? If you book together, you play together.Neil Connolly: Yes. Okay, so if you don't book 14 people... Ah, we also capped the number of tickets that you can purchase to eight. Right. So you can only purchase a maximum of eight tickets unless you do want a full table of 14, at which point you have to then purchase a VIP package because you are booking out a whole table for yourselves. The game doesn't work if there's less than 10 people at the table. So there has to be 10, 11, 12, 13 or 14 people sat at a round table for the show to actually happen, for it to work. By capping the number of tickets that you book for eight, then that guarantees that strangers will be playing together. And that is the basis of strangers. Yeah, yeah. Like, you need to be sat around a table with people you know, you don't know, that you trust and you don't trust. Yeah. Fact of the matter. And do you see people turning on the others in their own group? Every single time. People think genuinely, and I love this from the public, you would think that if you're turning up as a group of eight and a group of four and a group of two, that the bigger group would just pick everybody off to make sure that someone in their group gets through to the end game.Neil Connolly: I'm sure they think that and they probably plot and plan that before they arrive on site. As soon as this game starts, gloves are off and everyone just starts going for each other. We've been open nearly two months now. I have seen, like, children murdered of their mothers.Neil Connolly: Husbands murder their wives, wives murder their husbands. I've seen, like, three generations—like, we get, because it's so intergenerational, like our lowest, the lowest age that you can play this is 12. Right. And then it's upwards. I've seen three generations of family come in and I've seen grandkids murder their own nan.Neil Connolly: Absolutely convinced that they're a traitor. Yeah, yeah, yeah. 100%. Or they banish them. Like, it's just mental. I've also seen nans, who are traitors, murder their grandkids.Neil Connolly: Like, and this is in a room full of strangers. They're just like, 'No, I'm not going to go for Barbara, who I met two hours ago in the bar. I'm going to go for my own grandson. It's mental.'Neil Connolly: The very, very first thing that I always think about whenever I'm creating an experience or whenever I'm designing a show is I put myself in the position of 'I'm a member of the public.' I have bought a ticketNeil Connolly: What's the coolest thing that I am going to do for my money? What is my perceived value of my ticket over actually what is the value of that ticket? I wanted to give people the experience of knowing what it was like to be sitting in one of these chairs at this table and feeling their heart. The pounding in their chest and I mean, the pounding in their chest, that rush of adrenaline from doing nothing— from sitting in a chair and all you were doing was sitting in a room talking to people and your heart is going.Neil Connolly: Because you're either being accused of being a liar. And trying to defend against it. And trying to defend against it. Or you actually are lying and you're trying to whittle your way out of it. And that feeling is the most alive that you will ever feel. Not ever. Like, I'm sure they're... No, no, no. But, like, give people that opportunity and that experience, as well as, like, access to the world of traitors and the law and everything else. But also, it's like any other theme park ride. People go on roller coasters because the imminent fear of death is always there. Yeah. And you feel alive. You're like, you've got such a buzz of adrenaline. Whereas, arguably, we do exactly the same thing as roller coasters, but in a much more longer-drawn format and multiple times. Yeah. And people do feel alive. When people walk out of the show, you see them go upstairs to the bar, and they are... Yeah.Paul Marden: You've said to me already that you don't use the word 'immersive,' but you know, I'm, I'm, I'm sat. The company is called 'immersive' everywhere. I'm sat behind the scenes. Okay. I'm sat in the room and the room is hugely convincing. It's like the highest fidelity escape room type experience that I've ever sat in. It feels like I'm on set, yeah, yeah. Um, I can totally believe that, in those two hours, you can slip. I sat on a game. It was only a two-minute game at iApple, but I was being filmed by one of the team. But within 30 seconds, I'd forgotten that they were there because I was completely immersed in the game. I can believe that, sitting in here right now, you could forget where you were and what you were doing, that you were completely submerged in the reality of the land that you're in.Neil Connolly: Yeah, 100%. Like, the world does not exist beyond these worlds. And for some people, like, I have my own definition. Everyone's got a different definition of what immersive is. I've got my own definition. But... I can tell you right now, as soon as people enter this building, they're in the bar, they're kind of slowly immersed in that world because the bar is a themed bar. It's done to the same, like we designed and built that bar as well. But as soon as they start descending that spiral staircase and coming into the gameplay floors, into the show floors, they just forget the rest of the world exists. And especially when they sit down at this table, it doesn't matter. I'm sat next to you here, but you could be sat at this table with your loved one, strangers, whatever. The gloves come off and just nothing exists apart from the game that you're about to go through.Paul Marden: You've been open now for a couple of months. More success than you were anticipating, I think. So pre-sales went through the roof? Yes. So you're very happy with the results?Neil Connolly: Yeah, yeah, we were. Yeah, well, we still are.Neil Connolly: We were very confident before we'd even started building the show, like the literal structural build, because we did very well. But then that set expectations quite high because I had a lot of people that had bought tickets and I was like, 'OK, I need to put on a good show for these people. And I need to make sure that they get satisfaction relative to the tickets that they bought.' But I don't feel pressure. I do feel anxiety quite a lot. Creatively? Yeah. I mean, I meditate every day.Paul Marden: But you've created this amazing world and you're inviting people into it. And as a creative, you're opening yourself up, aren't you? People are walking into the world that you've created.Neil Connolly: Yeah, this was said to me. This is not something that I came up with myself, and I do say this really humbly, but it was something that was said to me. It was on opening day, and a bunch of my friends came to playtest the show. And they were like, 'Oh, this is your brain in a building.'Neil Connolly: And I was like, 'Yeah, I hadn't thought about that.' But yeah, it is my brain in a building. But also that's terrifying, I think, for everybody else, because I know what happens inside my brain and it's really quite chaotic.Neil Connolly: But, you know, this I am. I'm so proud of this show. Like you could not believe how proud I am of this show. But also a huge part of my job is to find people that are smarter than me at the relative thing that they do, such as the rest of my creative team. They're all so much smarter than me. My job is vision and to be able to communicate that vision clearly and effectively so that they go, 'I understand.' The amount of times that people on the creative team turn around to me and go, 'Neil, that's a completely mental idea.' If people are saying to me, 'No one's ever done that before' or 'that's not the way things are done.'Neil Connolly: Or we can do that, but we're going to have to probably invent a whole new thing. If people are saying those things to me, I know I'm doing my job correctly. And I'm not doing that to challenge myself, but everything that I approach in terms of how I build shows is not about format. It's not about blueprints. It's not like, 'Hey, I've done this before, so I'm just going to do this again because I know that's a really neat trick.' I go back to, 'I made the show because I wanted people's heart to pound in their chest while they're sitting in a chair and make them feel alive.'Paul Marden: Is that the vision that you had in your head? So you're articulating that really, really clearly. Is that the vision that you sold to everybody on, not maybe day one, but within a couple of days of talking about this? No, it was day one.Neil Connolly: It was day one. Everyone went, that's a completely mental idea. But, you know, it's my job to try and communicate that as effectively and clearly as I can. But again, I am just one man. My job is vision. And, you know, there's lighting design, sound design, art direction, there's game logic. We haven't even gotten to the technology of how this show works yet, or how this room works.Neil Connolly: Actually, I'll wander down the corner. Yeah, let's do that. But, like, there's other, like, lots of hidden tricks. Like, this is one of the games, one of the missions. In the world and the lore of the show, the round table is sacrosanct.Paul Marden: Yes.Neil Connolly: Traitors is the game. The game is in other people. I can do so many missions and there's loads of missions and they're really fun in this show. But the game is in other people. It's in the people sat on the other side of the room. But also I wanted to do a thing where people could interact directly with the set. And so I designed one of the missions to be in the round table itself.Neil Connolly: So there's a course of these moon dials, which you basically have to align through the course of it. And there are sensors built into the table so that they know when they're in the correct position. How you find out the correct position is by solving a very, very simple puzzle and then communicating effectively to a bunch of strangers that you just met.Neil Connolly: And the sensors basically read it all. And when that all gets into position, the lights react, the sound reacts, the video content reacts, the whole room reacts to you. So I wanted to give people something tangible that they can touch and they make the room react to them. Yes, it's. I mean, I've designed, I've got background in escape rooms as well, right? Um, so I've done a lot of that kind of stuff as well. So I wanted people to feel in touch, same, but like, there's more tangible props over here. Um, yeah, that is a model box of the room that we are stood in, yeah. Also, there's an exact replica of it on the other side of it. There are very subtle differences between it, and that informs one of the missions. So that is two model boxes in this roundtable room. There's one of these in every single roundtable room. So there's 16 model boxes of the show that you're stood in on the set. And again, theatre. It's a show. But it's one of the missions, because I wanted people to kind of go, 'Oh, there's a live actor in front of me.' I'm having fun. Oh, look at all these lights and all the sound. Oh, there's a model box over here. That's in theatre land and blah, blah, blah. But that is also a really expensive joke. It's a really expensive joke. And there's other, like, lots of hidden tricks.Neil Connolly: Let's go look at backstage. Yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely.Neil Connolly: I say backstage, like how we refer to it or how I always go. I use 'I' and 'we' very interchangeably. Like right now you're on the set. Like you're on the stage. Yes. We're just wandering around a long corridor. There are round table rooms off to either side. But like, you know, there's a green room upstairs where the actors get changed, where the front of house team are, where the bar team all are. But as soon as they go out onto the show floor, they're on stage—yes, completely. We'll very quickly have a look at the gallery—yes, show control. Hi, Robbo. Do you mind if I stand in your room for the purposes of the audio? I'm talking to the technical manager, Thomas Robson. We're recording a podcast.Paul Marden: Robbo, oh yeah, okay. My mind is absolutely blown. So you've got every single room up on screen.Neil Connolly: Yeah, so that's great. There's 164 cameras—something like that. But every roundtable room has four cameras in it. Each camera is 4K resolution. So we've got cameras on all of them. We've got audio into those rooms. That's two-way, so that if show control needs to talk directly to them, they just press a button here and they can talk directly to the room itself. Mainly just like, stop misbehaving, we're watching you.Neil Connolly: We've then got cameras into all of the lounges, all of the show spaces, all the front of house, all of the bar areas, the mezzanine and back of house. And then you've got QLab running across all of the different shows. We've got backups on all of these screens. So if one... of the computers goes down, we can very quickly swap it in for a backup that's already running. We've got show control, which is, there's a company called Clockwork Dog, who, they're an amazing company. What COGS, their show control system, is doing is pulling in all of the QLab from sound, all of the QLab from lighting, and also we built our own app. to be able to run the show. So there's a whole logic and decision tree based on the decisions that the public do through the course of the game. So yes, there is a beginning, a middle, and an end in terms of our narrative beats and the narrative story of the show that we're telling people. But also that narrative can go in. Hundreds of different directions depending on the actions and the gameplay that the people do during the course of the show. So, you haven't just learned one show— you have to learn like You have to learn a world, and you have to learn a whole game.Neil Connolly: Like, there's the server, stacks, which we had to build. You had to network and cable the entire building. So we have built an entire new attraction, which didn't exist before. And also we're pulling in information from the front of house system which is also going into the show itself because again, you put your name into the iPad when you arrive on site and then you tick a box very crucially to say, 'Do you want to be selected as a trader? Yes or No.' Because in the game, it's a fundamental rule. If you say no, you cannot be selected as a traitor by the host during traitor selection. That doesn't mean you can't be recruited.Paul Marden: By the traitors later on in the game. So you could come and do this multiple times and not experience the same story because there were so many different pathways that you could go down.Neil Connolly: But also, the game is in other people. Yes. The show is sat on the opposite side of the table to you because, like, Bob and Sandra don't know each other. They'll never see each other ever again. But Bob comes again and he's now playing against Laura. Who's Laura? She's an unknown quantity. That's a whole new game. That's a whole new show. There's a whole new dynamic. That's a whole new storyline that you have to develop. And so the actors are doing an incredible job of managing all of that.Paul Marden: Thanks, Robbo. Thank you. So you've worked with some really, really impressive leading IP, Traders, Peppa Pig, Doctor Who, Great Gatsby. What challenges do you face taking things from screen to the live experience?Paul Marden: Challenges do I face? We're wandering here.Neil Connolly: So we are in... Oh, we're in the tower.Neil Connolly: Excellent. Yep, so we're now in Traitor's Tower. Good time for you to ask me the question, what challenges do I face? Things like this. We're now stood in Traitor's Tower. Paul, let me ask you the question. Without the show lights being on, so we're just stood on a set under workers, what's your opinion of the room that we're stood in?Paul Marden: Oh, it's hugely impressive. It feels like, apart from the fact you've punched the fourth wall out of the telly, it does feel like you're on set.Neil Connolly: It's a really faithful reproduction of the set. So that's kind of one of the challenges is managing the public's expectations of what they see, do and feel on site. So that I don't change the show so that people come and play the game that they're expecting to play. But making reasonable adjustments within that, because TV and live are two very, very different things. So first and foremost was making sure that we get the format right. So the game that people play, which informs the narrative of the show and the narrative structure of the show. Breakfast, mission, round table, conclave. Breakfast, mission, round table, conclave. I've designed a whole bunch of new missions that are in this, taken some inspiration from missions that people know and love from the TV shows, whether that's the UK territory or other territories around the world. And also just other stuff is just clear out of my head. So there's original content in there. paying homage and respect to the world that they've built and allowing ourselves to also play and develop and build out that world at the same time. Other challenges.Neil Connolly: This is not a cheap project. No, no. I mean, the production quality of this is beautiful. Yeah, yeah, thank you. It is stunning. When people walk in here, they're like, 'Oh my God, this is... High end.' I am in a luxury event at a very affordable price.Paul Marden: Thank you. And then we're going back upstairs again. Yes. And in the stairwell, we've got the crossed out photos of all of those that have fallen before us.Neil Connolly: No, not quite. All of the people that are in this corridor, there's about 100 photos. These are all the people who built the show.Neil Connolly: So this is David Gregory. He's the sound designer. This is Kitty, who is Immersive Everywhere's office manager. She also works in ticketing. That is Tallulah and Alba, who work in the art department. Elliot, who's our lighting designer. So all of these people are the people who brought the show to life.Paul Marden: Amazing.Neil Connolly: And we wanted to pay homage to them because some of them gave years of their lives to building the show from literally the inception that I had in 2023. Through to now and others are the people who literally spent months of their life underground in these basements building hand-building this set and so we wanted to pay homage to them so we got all of their photos we did the iconic red cross through it yeah and we stuck them all up in the corridor just because we thought it'd be a nice thing to do.Paul Marden: You're in the business of trading and experiences and that ranges from art exhibitions to touring shows. There's always going to be a challenge of balancing innovation and profitability. What is the formula? What is the magic formula?Neil Connolly: I believe, first and foremost, going back to what I was telling you earlier about us being a collaborative organisation. We are not a creative crack that has been used for the show. We are also the producers of the show. And to make my point again, I'm a commercially minded creative. So I actually sit down with the producers and go, 'Okay, cool.' There are 112 seats in the show.Paul Marden: Yep.Neil Connolly: Therefore, how many shows do we need to do per day? How many shows do we need to do per week? How many shows do we need to do per year? Therefore, let's build out a P &L. And we build a whole business plan based around that.Paul Marden: By having everybody— that you need in the team— makes it much easier to talk about that sort of stuff. It makes it much easier for you to design things with the end result in mind. You don't have a creative in a creative agency going off— feeding their creative wants without really thinking about the practicalities of delivering on it.Neil Connolly: Exactly. So you've got to think like, literally, from the very, very beginning: you've got to think about guest flow. You've got to think about throughput. You've got to think about your capacities. Then you've got to basically build out a budget that you think— how much, hey, how much really is this going to cost? Yeah. Then you build out an entire business plan and then you go and start raising the money to try and put that on. And then you find a venue. I mean, like the other magic triangle, like the traitor's magic triangle is, you know, time, space, atmosphere. That's how you do a show. Like with my producer's hat on, the other magic triangle is show, money, venue.Neil Connolly: The truth of the matter, like I make no bones about it, I can design shows till the cows come home, but I'm always going to need money to put them on and a venue to put them in. Also, I want to stress this really important. I use the words 'I' and 'we' very interchangeably.Paul Marden: It's a team effort.Neil Connolly: You can see that in that corridor. I am not a one-man band. I am the creative director of a company. I am a cog that is in that machine, and everybody is doing... We are, as a team... I cannot stress this enough. Some of the best in the business are doing what we do. And everyone is so wildly talented. And that's just us on the producing side. That's immersive everywhere, limited. Then I've got a whole other creative team. Then we've got operations. Then we've got... It's just mad. It's just mad, isn't it? This is a job. Who would have thought, when you were at school, this was an opportunity? Not my principal or my maths teacher.Neil Connolly: So, sorry, just to balance the kind of economies of scale. That was the question, wasn't it?Paul Marden: Well, we were talking about what is the formula for making that an investment, but you know, the authority here is the effort you've put in to do this feels high, but at the same time, you have to find this thing. There is a lot of investment that goes into the front.Neil Connolly: But that comes back to creatives. Caring and I'm not saying the creatives don't, but I care. I care about building businesses. Yeah, not necessarily like building my own CV, like there's so many projects that across our desks. I'll be like, 'Yeah, that'd be really fun to work on.' But do I think that I can make that a touring product? Can it be a long-running location-based entertainment sit-down product? Can it be an art shop? Like you've kind of got a balance with what do you think is just creatively cool versus what can we do as a company that is a commercially viable and financially stable product? And so all that comes through in terms of the creative, but also in terms of the activities of how we run the building, how this model realizes. Because if you think about it, let's make Phantom of the Opera run in the West End. Yes. The show is very obvious, with many casts on a room, away, fruit team away, terrace, it's a big activity. If they haven't sold half that away, they have to use the whole show and play all those people.Neil Connolly: But if they haven't sold half that away from one of my shows... I only have to activate four of my rooms, not eight of them. Therefore, I don't have to call in four actors. I don't have to call in a bunch of the other front of house team and I can scale in the operations on the back. It's an entirely scalable process. Flexible, yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, 100%. But also, like, we've got eight rooms here. If we decide to take this to another territory, and that territory demands a much higher throughput, then instead of eight rooms, I can do 20 rooms, 30 rooms. As long as we know that the market is there to be able to kind of get people through it.Neil Connolly: I love this show and I'm so proud of it. The main reason why I'm proud of it is when the show finishes, let's go into one of the lounges. Have you been into one of the lounges?Paul Marden: I've had a nose around a lounge.Neil Connolly: There are different shapes and sizes. We won't go into that one. We'll go into this one down here. That one, that one. It's always such a buzz when you're stood in the bar and the shows kick out, and you see tables and tables of 14 people going up into the bar.Neil Connolly: Area and before they've even gotten a drink, they will run straight over to their friends, families, strangers, whoever they were playing with in that table of 14, and instantly be like, 'Right, I need to know everything that was going on inside your head, your heart, and your soul over the last two hours of my life because this was my experience.'Neil Connolly: And they'll just go, and they'll be like, 'And this is what I was thinking.' And then I thought it was you because you did this and you touched your nose in a weird way. And then I thought you were sending secret signals. And then everyone's like, 'No, that's not what I was doing.' I was just trying to be a normal person. And they were like, 'Well, why did you say that thing?' It sounded super weird. And they're like, 'That's just what I do.' And it's just totally mental. And then they all get a drink from the bar. And we call it the bar tab chat.Neil Connolly: It's another revenue stream.Neil Connolly: I do talk about this like it's a show. And it is a show. You've walked around, do you think it's a show? Completely. I talk to established houses all the time. Like, you know, the big theatres of the land. Organisations that are national portfolio organisations who receive a lot of Arts Council funding. The thing that they want to talk to us about all the time is new audiences. They're like, 'How do I get new audiences through my door?' What can I do? And I'm like, 'Well, firstly, make a show that people want to go and see.'Neil Connolly: Again, they're like, 'But I've got this amazing writer and he's a really big name and everyone's going to come because it's that name.' And I'm like, 'Yeah, that's wicked. That's cool.' And they can all go pay reverence to that person. That's really wonderful. Whereas when you look at the attractions landscape or the immersive theatre landscape or like anything like... Squid Game, or The Elvis, Evolution, or War of the Worlds, which has also laid reality, or any of that kind of stuff, across the landscape, it is nothing but new audiences. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It is nothing but actual ticket-buying audiences.Neil Connolly: And they come from all different walks of life. And what I love is that they do come in to this experience and we hit them with this like secret theatre.Neil Connolly: And they're like, 'Oh my God.' And often it's a gateway to them being like, 'Oh, I didn't realise that.' Maybe I'll go see a Western show or maybe I will go to the National Theatre and see something. Because that's the level of archery. Because those organisations, I love them and I've worked in a few of them, but those buildings can be quite austere, even though they're open and porous, but it's still very difficult to walk through that threshold and feel a part of it.Paul Marden: Whereas coming in here, coming into an event like this, can feel like a thing that they do.Neil Connolly: Because it's the same demographic as theme park junkies. People who love going to theme parks love going to stuff like this because it's an experience, it's an otherness, it's an other nature kind of thing. Because modern audiences want to play and do, not sit and watch. But we all exist in the kind of same ecosystem. I'm not taking on the National Theatre.Paul Marden: Gosh, no. I always talk about that. I think the reason why so many attractions work together in the collaborative way that they do is they recognise that they're not competing with each other. They're competing with sitting on your backside and watching Netflix.Paul Marden: Yeah, yeah.Paul Marden: Our job for all of us is to drag people away from their screens and drag people off of their sofas to do something. And then that's the biggest challenge that we all face.Neil Connolly: I think then that kind of answers the question that you asked me earlier, which I didn't answer. And I'm very sorry.Neil Connolly: is about identifying different pieces of IP. Like, yes, we largely exist in the world of licensing IP. And how do we identify that kind of IP to be able to translate? Not just how do we do it, but like, actually, how do we identify the right thing that's going to... How do you spot the winner? Yeah, exactly. Yeah. And that is one of the biggest challenges to your point of we're talking directly to people who consume arts, culture and media and technology in a slightly more passive way, whether that's just at home and watching Netflix and then bringing that to life. In a very, very different way. If you have a very clear marketing campaign that tells people what it is that they're buying and what they're expected to see or do on their particular night out, because that's what modern people really care about, what they do with their money. Yeah. And they want to have a good night out. And I'm in the business of giving people a good night out. We also happen to be murdering a lot of people in the course of the show.Neil Connolly: Still a good night out. Still a good night out. But I'm in a place where the dead sit. Yeah, exactly. Lounge of the dead. And like, you know, this is a really cool space. Oh, it's just beautiful. You know, we've got the telephone really works. There's lots of information that comes through that. The radio works, that does different things. The TV screen on the wall, that has the actual live feed into the round table room that you've just left. And there's other little puzzles and hints and tricks in this room, which means that after you've been murdered or banished and you come to the Lounge of the Dead, you're still engaged with the game to a degree. You just don't directly influence the outcome of the game. But you're still involved in it. You're still involved in it. It's super fun. Oh, and you can have a drink in here.Paul Marden: I don't let people drink in the round table. Even more important. What's this?Neil Connolly: The dolls, the creepy dolls. What this is, this is the void. Creatively speaking, this is where all the gold goes when people win or lose it. And the creepy dolls are from the TV show. Ydyn nhw'r un gwirioneddol o'r sioe? Felly, gafodd studio Lambert, sy'n gwneud y sioe tebyg, llawer o brops o'r sioe tebyg i ni eu rhoi ar y ddispleiddio yma. Felly, mae gennych chi'r Dolls Creepy o'r lles 3 yno. Rydyn ni'n mynd i fyny. Yn ôl yma, mae'r peintiwch Deathmatch.Paul Marden: Which is from season three.Neil Connolly: And they get the quill and they write the names and got the quill upstairs. We've also got over here, the cards that they used to play the death match with. Excellent.Paul Marden: So you began your career in theatre. How did that evolve into the world of immersive live experiences?Neil Connolly: Life story. I am the son of a postman and a cook. And if you haven't noticed already, I'm from Ireland. There was no theatre in our lives, my life, when I was growing up. And I stumbled into a youth theatre. It's called Kildare Youth Theatre. And the reason why I joined that is because there was a girl that I really fancied.Neil Connolly: She had just joined this youth theatre and I was like, 'Oh, I'm gonna join that as well' and that kind of opened the world of theatre for me. At the same time, I then got spotted by this guy, his name's Vijay Baton, his real name's Om, but he converted to Hare Krishnanism in the 90s. And he set up a street theatre company in Ireland. He just taught me street theatre. So he taught me stilt walk, he taught me juggling, he taught me how to build puppets. And so I spent years building puppets with him and going around Ireland doing lots of different street theatre while I was a teenager. And doing street theatre and doing my youth theatre and then kind of all of that kind of came to a head when I had to decide what I was going to do with my life. I applied to go to drama school. And I applied to two drama schools. One was Radha. Didn't get in. Didn't even get an audition. And the other one was Rose Bruford. And they took me. And the reason why they took me— I probably wasn't even that good. But on the day that I was auditioning to get into Rose Bruford was the same day as my maths exam for my final exams at school. You call them your A-levels, we call them the leaving certificate.Neil Connolly: And while all of my friends were back in Ireland doing their maths exam, I was in an audition room pretending to be a tree or the colour black.Neil Connolly: Who knows? And they kind of went, 'Well, if I fail my maths exam, I don't get into university in Ireland.' Like, it's just a blanket thing. And so I was like, 'I literally sat across the panel' and I was like, 'eggs, basket.' And they were like, 'cool.' So they let me in based off of that. So I got a classical training. Then what happened is I came out of university. I was living with two of my friends, Natalie and Joe. And we had our own little production company called The Lab Collective. And we just started making shows. In weird ways, we joined a company called Theatre Delicatessen. Let's get away from this. Yeah, yeah, yeah.Neil Connolly: So Theatre Deli was a company set up to take over disused spaces in London and convert them into art spaces.Neil Connolly: Basically legalised squatting. It's the same as like a guardianship. But we weren't living in the buildings. We were just putting on shows and we put on art shows, we put on theatre shows. We did Shakespeare for a while. We wrote our own work and we just did lots of really, really cool stuff. And I worked in music festivals, classically trained actor. So I was trying to do shows. I did a lot of devising. I also joined an improvisation group. And kind of through all that mix, like those years at Delhi, which was making these weird shows in these weird buildings, were very, very formative years for us. The Arts Council wouldn't support the kind of work that we were making. We were like, 'Cool, how do we get space?Neil Connolly: How do we get or make money to support ourselves? And what are the shows? There's the magic triangle all over again. Space, show, money. And that's your apprenticeship, I guess, that brings you to here. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And like, again, I make no bones about it. 10 years ago, I was selling programs on the door of the Royal Festival Hall while doing all of that stuff. So in one of the Theatre Daily buildings, we did a show called Heist, which is you break into a building and steal stuff. That's what the public do.Neil Connolly: And a bunch of us did that. I mean, it's so much fun— kind of doing it. And off the back of that, somebody else basically tried to chase down the crystal maze. And then they went away, and then they called me up and they were like, 'Hey, I've got the rights. Do you want to make the crystal maze?' And I was like, 'Yeah, sounds like fun.' So I got involved with that, did that for a while. And then, from there, this is the end of a very long story. I'm so apologised. Yeah, from there, all of those different things that I've done through the course of my life in terms of operations, designing experiences, being a creative, understanding business.Neil Connolly: Building a P&L, building a budget, talking to investors, trying to convince them to give you money. All of that stuff kind of basically came together. And over the last few years, like the wildest ride is that pre-2020.Neil Connolly: We were just a bunch of people doing a bunch of weird things, making weird shows and weird attractions in kind of different ways. And then that year happened. And I don't know what happened, but literally every single major studio, film, TV production, game designer, licensor in the world, suddenly just went— brand extensions, world extensions, and they all just started calling us. And they were like, 'Hi, I've got this thing.' Can you develop it into a thing? Because I need to extend my brand or I want to build a world and extend that for the public. And we were like, 'Yeah, okay, cool.' And we were just lucky, serendipitously, to be in the right place at the right time. To be those people that people can approach. And we're always, we're very approachable.Neil Connolly: As you can tell, I talk a lot. And, you know, so the last five years, it's just been a mad ride.Paul Marden: So look, Neil, it's been amazing. I have had the most fun. Last question for you. What's next? Are you putting your feet up now because you finished this? Or on to the next? Neil Connolly: Very much on to the next thing. So we're already in production with our new show, which is called Peppa Pig Surprise Party. And that is opening at the Metro Centre in Gateshead next year. Oh, how exciting is that? It's very exciting.Paul Marden: So quite a different demographic.Neil Connolly: The demographic for Peppa Pig is two to five year olds. It's been a really fun show to design and create. To go back to a question that you asked me very early on, there is no blueprint, there is no format. I have embraced the chaos tattooed on my arm. And always when I approach things, any new show or any new creative, I am thinking of it from a ticket buying perspective: 'I have paid my money.' What is the coolest thing that I can possibly do with that money? And so therefore, I'm now looking at families and, like, what's the coolest thing that they can do for that ticket price in the world of Peppa Pig?Paul Marden: Let's come back in the new year, once you've opened Peppa Pig, let's go to Gateshead and see that. That sounds pretty awesome to me. I reckon there's a whole new episode of Designing Worlds for two to five-year-olds that we could fill an hour on.Neil Connolly: Oh yeah, 100%. It's a totally different beast. And super fun to design.Paul Marden: Oh mate. Neil, it has been so wonderful having a wander around the inside of your crazy mind.Paul Marden: If you've enjoyed today's episode, please like it and leave a comment in your podcast app. It really does make it so much easier for other people to find us. This episode was written by Emily Burrows from Plaster, edited by Steve Folland, and produced by Sami Entwistle from Plaster and Wenalyn Dionaldo. Thanks very much. See you next week. The 2025 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 conversionsTake the Rubber Cheese Visitor Attraction Website Survey Report
I'm Josh Kopel, a Michelin-awarded restaurateur and the creator of the Restaurant Scaling System. I've spent decades in the industry, building, scaling, and coaching restaurants to become more profitable and sustainable. On this show, I cut through the noise to give you real, actionable strategies that help independent restaurant owners run smarter, more successful businesses.In this episode, I dive into strategies for boosting restaurant profitability without raising prices. I explain why it's so important to see restaurants as providers of time slots rather than just food and beverage, and how that shift impacts service. I share why the first 20 minutes of the guest experience matter most, plus the tactics I use to improve pacing, satisfaction, and table turns.Takeaways:Most restaurant marketing fails because it's built on guesswork.Awareness doesn't pay the rent, behavior does.If it doesn't move a booking, a purchase or return visit, then it's just noise.We want to align with behavior, not alter it.Triggers turn offers into rituals.The fastest money you can make is in the list you already own.Stop chasing strangers while your regulars gather dust.Create experiences that use desire that already exists.If it wouldn't move you, it probably won't move them.Your marketing must move the needle in your business.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Restaurant Success01:21 Reframing Restaurant Profitability02:51 Understanding Time as Inventory05:45 Optimizing Service for ProfitabilityIf you've got a marketing or profitability related question for me, email me directly at josh@joshkopel.com and include Office Hours in the subject line. If you'd like to scale the profitability of your restaurant in only 5 days, sign up for our FREE 5 Day Restaurant Profitability Challenge by visiting https://joshkopel.com.
Investor Fuel Real Estate Investing Mastermind - Audio Version
In this episode of the Real Estate Pros podcast, host Q Edmonds interviews Chad Hart, a property management expert specializing in short-term rentals. Chad shares insights into the importance of professional management, the challenges of scaling a business, and the impact of technology and AI on the real estate industry. He emphasizes the significance of building relationships and managing customer reviews effectively to enhance business growth. Professional Real Estate Investors - How we can help you: Investor Fuel Mastermind: Learn more about the Investor Fuel Mastermind, including 100% deal financing, massive discounts from vendors and sponsors you're already using, our world class community of over 150 members, and SO much more here: http://www.investorfuel.com/apply Investor Machine Marketing Partnership: Are you looking for consistent, high quality lead generation? Investor Machine is America's #1 lead generation service professional investors. Investor Machine provides true ‘white glove' support to help you build the perfect marketing plan, then we'll execute it for you…talking and working together on an ongoing basis to help you hit YOUR goals! Learn more here: http://www.investormachine.com Coaching with Mike Hambright: Interested in 1 on 1 coaching with Mike Hambright? Mike coaches entrepreneurs looking to level up, build coaching or service based businesses (Mike runs multiple 7 and 8 figure a year businesses), building a coaching program and more. Learn more here: https://investorfuel.com/coachingwithmike Attend a Vacation/Mastermind Retreat with Mike Hambright: Interested in joining a “mini-mastermind” with Mike and his private clients on an upcoming “Retreat”, either at locations like Cabo San Lucas, Napa, Park City ski trip, Yellowstone, or even at Mike's East Texas “Big H Ranch”? Learn more here: http://www.investorfuel.com/retreat Property Insurance: Join the largest and most investor friendly property insurance provider in 2 minutes. Free to join, and insure all your flips and rentals within minutes! There is NO easier insurance provider on the planet (turn insurance on or off in 1 minute without talking to anyone!), and there's no 15-30% agent mark up through this platform! Register here: https://myinvestorinsurance.com/ New Real Estate Investors - How we can work together: Investor Fuel Club (Coaching and Deal Partner Community): Looking to kickstart your real estate investing career? Join our one of a kind Coaching Community, Investor Fuel Club, where you'll get trained by some of the best real estate investors in America, and partner with them on deals! You don't need $ for deals…we'll partner with you and hold your hand along the way! Learn More here: http://www.investorfuel.com/club —--------------------
Send us a message!Flexible cancellation policies are no longer optional in today's vacation rental market. Guests expect them, OTAs prioritize them, and competitors are already adapting. But for property managers, relaxed policies often feel like a direct threat to revenue and owner trust.In this episode, we talk with Sasha Lawler, CEO and Founder of Roam, about how her company is eliminating that trade-off. Roam's embedded insurance model allows managers to offer flexible bookings that attract more guests while ensuring income is protected even if cancellations occur.Sasha shares her 15+ year journey in hospitality and vacation rental tech, the conversations with property managers that inspired Roam, and why now is the moment for the industry to catch up with hotels and airlines in offering flexibility.We discuss:1️⃣ Why strict cancellation policies create tension between managers, owners, and guests2️⃣ How Roam's model differs from traditional travel insurance3️⃣ The tech behind embedding refundable and non-refundable rate options into booking sites4️⃣ Why smaller operators are leveraging Roam to stabilize revenue and win new owners5️⃣ How turning cancellations into a strength can improve guest trust and long-term brand growthIf cancellations have ever kept you up at night, this episode will show you how flexibility can protect (not jeopardize) your revenue.Connect with Sasha:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sasha-lawler-a4b33677/ Website: https://goroam.io/ ✨ Exclusive Offer to Alex & Annie Listeners:Get free onboarding when you partner with Xplorie! Valid through November 30, 2025.
Send us a message!In this week's episode, we're joined by Adrienne Clark (President & COO) and Caleb Yaryan (Chief Product Officer) of Xplorie, a trusted partner for vacation rental operators looking to enhance guest satisfaction while gaining a competitive edge.For nearly 30 years, Xplorie has been connecting lodging providers with local attractions in more than 70 destinations across the U.S., creating seamless, curated activity experiences that guests actually value. But more than just a perks program, Xplorie is a strategic tool that helps property managers attract bookings, improve guest loyalty, and offer real hospitality that extends beyond the front door.Adrienne and Caleb share their personal paths into the industry, the philosophy behind Xplorie's business model, and the behind-the-scenes work that goes into ensuring every activity meets their high standards of quality and service.We discuss:1️⃣ How Xplorie supports PMs in creating meaningful guest experiences2️⃣ Why activities are a powerful differentiator in a crowded market3️⃣ Trends in traveler behavior post-COVID, from outdoor demand to last-minute bookings4️⃣ How Xplorie helps guests and operators when things don't go as planned5️⃣ The importance of local partnerships and activity curation6️⃣ Real-time integrations, guest support, and why call centers still matter7️⃣ Why Xplorie limits the number of partners per market8️⃣ What's ahead for Xplorie as they approach their 30th anniversaryWhether you're looking to stand out without lowering rates, boost shoulder season bookings, or create memories guests will talk about long after check-out, this conversation is packed with actionable insights you won't want to miss.Connect with Adrienne:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrienneclark1322/ Connect with Caleb:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caleb-yaryan-15447219/ Connect with Xplorie:Website: https://xplorie.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/xplorie/ ✨ Exclusive Offer to Alex & Annie Listeners:Get free onboarding when you partner with Xplorie! Valid through November 30, 2025.
Investor Fuel Real Estate Investing Mastermind - Audio Version
In this episode of the Real Estate Pro Show, host Erika interviews Kim Egger, a former banking executive who transitioned into property management. Kim shares her journey of discovering her passion for the service industry after a health crisis, leading her to establish Treasures in Heaven Property Management. She discusses the challenges of starting her business, the importance of building relationships with property owners, and how she balances the needs of both owners and guests. Kim emphasizes the significance of networking, listening to clients, and creating exceptional guest experiences. She also talks about her goals for scaling the business and the importance of training her team to maintain high service standards. Professional Real Estate Investors - How we can help you: Investor Fuel Mastermind: Learn more about the Investor Fuel Mastermind, including 100% deal financing, massive discounts from vendors and sponsors you're already using, our world class community of over 150 members, and SO much more here: http://www.investorfuel.com/apply Investor Machine Marketing Partnership: Are you looking for consistent, high quality lead generation? Investor Machine is America's #1 lead generation service professional investors. Investor Machine provides true ‘white glove' support to help you build the perfect marketing plan, then we'll execute it for you…talking and working together on an ongoing basis to help you hit YOUR goals! Learn more here: http://www.investormachine.com Coaching with Mike Hambright: Interested in 1 on 1 coaching with Mike Hambright? Mike coaches entrepreneurs looking to level up, build coaching or service based businesses (Mike runs multiple 7 and 8 figure a year businesses), building a coaching program and more. Learn more here: https://investorfuel.com/coachingwithmike Attend a Vacation/Mastermind Retreat with Mike Hambright: Interested in joining a “mini-mastermind” with Mike and his private clients on an upcoming “Retreat”, either at locations like Cabo San Lucas, Napa, Park City ski trip, Yellowstone, or even at Mike's East Texas “Big H Ranch”? Learn more here: http://www.investorfuel.com/retreat Property Insurance: Join the largest and most investor friendly property insurance provider in 2 minutes. Free to join, and insure all your flips and rentals within minutes! There is NO easier insurance provider on the planet (turn insurance on or off in 1 minute without talking to anyone!), and there's no 15-30% agent mark up through this platform! Register here: https://myinvestorinsurance.com/ New Real Estate Investors - How we can work together: Investor Fuel Club (Coaching and Deal Partner Community): Looking to kickstart your real estate investing career? Join our one of a kind Coaching Community, Investor Fuel Club, where you'll get trained by some of the best real estate investors in America, and partner with them on deals! You don't need $ for deals…we'll partner with you and hold your hand along the way! Learn More here: http://www.investorfuel.com/club —--------------------
Most STR deals fail before they even start—95% don't pencil out. But the ones that work? They're powered by more than numbers.In this episode, we break down both sides of the equation: finding deals that actually perform and delivering hospitality that scales profit.• 10-point hospitality playbook• Why 95% of STR deals never make sense on paper• The creative edge investors need to make deals work• Why service ≠ hospitality (and why guests feel the difference)• How to balance ROI with guest delight and repeat bookings00:03:56 – Service vs. Hospitality00:06:11 – Setting Higher Financial Targets00:08:09 – Guest Experience at Every Stay00:15:12 – Building a Hospitality-Driven Team00:16:23 – Guest-Centric Business Model00:17:17 – Scaling Means Scaling Leadership00:20:27 – The Roots of Modern Hospitality00:22:52 – Designing Emotional Guest CheckpointsGet FREE Access to our Community and Weekly Trainings:http://group.strsecrets.com/
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