Podcasts about Harrods

Welcome to the DMF! I'm Justin Younts, and in this episode, we explore Alan Katz's unforgettable experiences filming in England.Alan described the entire journey as a dream come true—from shooting in breathtaking castles to immersing himself in the country's vibrant culture. But it wasn't all glamour and ease. Behind the stunning backdrops were challenges that tested his patience and professionalism. Working under tight schedules and managing the high costs of filming in London gave him a new appreciation for the privilege and pressure of international production.Alan recalled memorable moments—like grocery shopping at Harrods with cash or staying at a luxurious hotel in Paris after a shoot—that captured the surreal side of the filmmaking lifestyle. Yet, he admitted that leaving that world behind was heartbreaking.He also reflected on the joy of collaborating with exceptional British talent, including Ewan McGregor and Steve Coogan, whose work ethic and artistry elevated every scene. Through his stories, Alan revealed that beyond the allure of filmmaking lies a deep commitment to storytelling, discipline, and heart.Join me as we uncover the highs and lows of Alan Katz's remarkable journey—and what it truly means to be a storyteller on the world stage.00:00:05 - Shooting in England00:00:51 - Dorney Court Experience00:02:22 - Catering Mishap00:03:28 - Dover Castle Shooting00:04:29 - Living in England00:05:22 - End of the Shoot and Paris Trip00:06:23 - Reflections on the Show00:07:04 - Challenges in London00:08:17 - Working with British Actors00:10:28 - Missed Opportunities00:13:30 - Future ProjectsCheck out his other podcast:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-how-not-to-make-a-movie-podcast/id1616014436⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0441623/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-how-not-to-make-a-movie-podcast/id1616014436⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thedonorpodcast.com/

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

Send us a textWhat if the very doubts that make you question yourself as a leader were actually the fuel that could help you grow?Ready to Feel Fully Supported in Leadership and Life? Join the waitlist for 3SIXTY Leaders Club, the premier coaching experience for ambitious women in senior corporate roles. You'll get early access to the next cohort, behind-the-scenes insights, and priority on applications.Podcast Details: In this week's episode of The 360 LeadHERship Podcast, I'm joined by Heather Elkington, founder of Fresh Start Leadership. Heather's journey is one that so many women in leadership will resonate with from battling imposter syndrome as a young assistant manager on the shop floor at Harrods, to scaling and selling a tech company, to becoming an Ops Director in a FTSE 100 subsidiary leading five diverse teams across 11,000 employees.Now, she's using her wealth of experience to empower the next generation of managers and create workplaces where people genuinely love the work they do. And trust me, her story and insights will spark some powerful mindset shifts for you too.Tune in to discover:The truth about imposter syndrome and why so many women in leadership experience it (and how to overcome it).Why small companies can be powerful stepping stones for women in leadership to gain diverse experience and accelerate growth.The impact of supportive managers on performance and mental healthWhy avoiding difficult conversations only makes problems bigger and how to reframe them with courage and ownership.The power of vulnerability and authenticity in creating psychological safety and trust in teams.Recommended Next Steps

The Cybercrime Magazine Podcast brings you daily cybercrime news on WCYB Digital Radio, the first and only 7x24x365 internet radio station devoted to cybersecurity. Stay updated on the latest cyberattacks, hacks, data breaches, and more with our host. Don't miss an episode, airing every half-hour on WCYB Digital Radio and daily on our podcast. Listen to today's news at https://soundcloud.com/cybercrimemagazine/sets/cybercrime-daily-news. Brought to you by our Partner, Evolution Equity Partners, an international venture capital investor partnering with exceptional entrepreneurs to develop market leading cyber-security and enterprise software companies. Learn more at https://evolutionequity.com

AI-generated code used in phishing campaign blocked by Microsoft WestJet notifies American consumers of data breach Ukrainian cops spoofed in fileless phishing attacks on Kyiv Huge thanks to our sponsor, Nudge Security AI tools have spread to every corner of your tech stack, which is great for innovation, but not so great for data governance. That's where Nudge Security comes in. Nudge discovers shadow AI across your org - chatbots, MCP integrations, AI in the supply chain, and more. And, Nudge delivers guardrails to employees to help you stop data leakage before it even starts. The best part? You'll have a full inventory of AI assets on Day One of your free trial, even those introduced before you started using Nudge. No time machine required. Gain visibility and control of AI use. Get started at nudgesecurity.com/genai  

If you like what you hear, please subscribe, leave us a review and tell a friend!Cybercriminals and hackers are exploiting platforms like Facebook and Google Ads, targeting children, and taking down major companies such as Asahi, while governments and authorities respond with seizures, warnings, and new security guidance. Major incidents include the UK seizing £5.5 billion in Bitcoin, Japanese brewer Asahi hit by attacks, Harrods reporting a third-party breach, and global warnings on malware and vulnerabilities.

Hinesh Shah, General Manager of Diageo Luxury Company, shares how heritage spirits brands like Johnnie Walker and Don Julio are evolving for today's luxury consumer. Recorded in July 2025, Fred Moore explores with Hinesh why luxury spirits require a fundamentally different approach—from cultural partnerships with Live Nation and Perfect Moment to exclusive launches at Harrods. They discuss the surprising growth of tequila in the UK market, why premium rum could be the next category to break through, and Diageo's significant investment in the on-premise trade, adding over 40 staff focused solely on bars and restaurants.

A Chinese state-sponsored group exploited enterprise devices in a global espionage effort. The UK Government guarantees £1.5 billion financing to help Jaguar Land Rover's recovery efforts. A maximum-severity flaw in Fortra's GoAnywhere Managed File Transfer product is under active exploitation. The AI boom faces sustainability questions. Akira ransomware bypasses MFA on SonicWall devices. Dutch teens are arrested for allegedly spying for Russia. Luxury retailer Harrods confirms a data breach. An Interpol crackdown targets African cybercrime rings. We've got our Monday business briefing. Brandon Karpf joins us to discuss the cybersecurity ecosystem in Japan. Cyber crooks offer a BBC journalist an early retirement package. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Miss an episode? Sign-up for our daily intelligence roundup, Daily Briefing, and you'll never miss a beat. And be sure to follow CyberWire Daily on LinkedIn. CyberWire Guest Today our guest is Brandon Karpf, friend of the show, and he joins to discuss the Cybersecurity ecosystem in Japan. Selected Reading Chinese hackers breached critical infrastructure globally using enterprise network gear (CSO Online) UK government bails out Jaguar Land Rover with $2 billion loan (Metacurity) Maximum severity GoAnywhere MFT flaw exploited as zero day (Bleeping Computer) The AI boom is unsustainable unless tech spending goes ‘parabolic,' Deutsche Bank warns: ‘This is highly unlikely' (Fortune) Akira ransomware breaching MFA-protected SonicWall VPN accounts (Bleeping Computer) Dutch teens arrested for trying to spy on Europol for Russia (Bleeping Computer) Harrods: Hackers contact firm after 430,000 customer records stolen (BBC) Africa cybercrime crackdown includes hundreds of arrests, Interpol says (The Record) Cyberbit acquires RangeForce. Terra Security raises $30 million. (N2K Pro)  'You'll never need to work again': Criminals offer reporter money to hack BBC (BBC) Share your feedback. What do you think about CyberWire Daily? Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts with us by completing our brief listener survey. Thank you for helping us continue to improve our show. Want to hear your company in the show? You too can reach the most influential leaders and operators in the industry. Here's our media kit. Contact us at cyberwire@n2k.com to request more info. The CyberWire is a production of N2K Networks, your source for strategic workforce intelligence. © N2K Networks, Inc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Morse code transcription: vvv vvv Woman raped by group of men in Banbury churchyard Rachel Reeves to guarantee paid work for young people unemployed for 18 months Shabana Mahmood to demand migrants earn right to settled status How weight loss injections are making obesity a wealth issue Labour needs debate about how to beat Reform UK, says Burnham Hackers contact Harrods after 430,000 customer records stolen Another migrant becomes latest to die trying to cross English Channel Lola Young doing OK after collapsing on stage in New York From drug theft to Dubai arrests How a Scottish gangland feud went global Moldovans await pivotal election result as leader warns of Russian interference

Morse code transcription: vvv vvv From drug theft to Dubai arrests How a Scottish gangland feud went global Lola Young doing OK after collapsing on stage in New York Labour needs debate about how to beat Reform UK, says Burnham Woman raped by group of men in Banbury churchyard How weight loss injections are making obesity a wealth issue Rachel Reeves to guarantee paid work for young people unemployed for 18 months Moldovans await pivotal election result as leader warns of Russian interference Hackers contact Harrods after 430,000 customer records stolen Shabana Mahmood to demand migrants earn right to settled status Another migrant becomes latest to die trying to cross English Channel

Morse code transcription: vvv vvv Lola Young doing OK after collapsing on stage in New York Woman raped by group of men in Banbury churchyard From drug theft to Dubai arrests How a Scottish gangland feud went global Rachel Reeves to guarantee paid work for young people unemployed for 18 months Another migrant becomes latest to die trying to cross English Channel Hackers contact Harrods after 430,000 customer records stolen Labour needs debate about how to beat Reform UK, says Burnham Shabana Mahmood to demand migrants earn right to settled status How weight loss injections are making obesity a wealth issue Moldovans await pivotal election result as leader warns of Russian interference

Morse code transcription: vvv vvv Lola Young doing OK after collapsing on stage in New York From drug theft to Dubai arrests How a Scottish gangland feud went global Moldovans await pivotal election result as leader warns of Russian interference Rachel Reeves to guarantee paid work for young people unemployed for 18 months Woman raped by group of men in Banbury churchyard Hackers contact Harrods after 430,000 customer records stolen Another migrant becomes latest to die trying to cross English Channel Shabana Mahmood to demand migrants earn right to settled status Labour needs debate about how to beat Reform UK, says Burnham How weight loss injections are making obesity a wealth issue

Harrods, Stellantis, Volvo, the Canadian Government and so much more is why these segments are ALWAYS open bar!

Morse code transcription: vvv vvv Trump promised retribution how far will he go How the war detectives solved the mystery of two missing Scottish soldiers Elon Musk and Prince Andrew named in new Epstein files Harrods says customers data stolen in IT breach Holocaust survivor Ruth Posner and husband die at Swiss clinic Two women die during failed Channel crossing attempt Scottish Banksy investigated over mural painted on listed flats Chris Mason Starmer unflinching as he seeks to take on Reform Strictly Come Dancing Backstage with the couples ahead of first live show Reeves pushes for EU youth migration scheme ahead of Budget

Morse code transcription: vvv vvv Chris Mason Starmer unflinching as he seeks to take on Reform Strictly Come Dancing Backstage with the couples ahead of first live show Two women die during failed Channel crossing attempt Elon Musk and Prince Andrew named in new Epstein files Reeves pushes for EU youth migration scheme ahead of Budget Holocaust survivor Ruth Posner and husband die at Swiss clinic Harrods says customers data stolen in IT breach How the war detectives solved the mystery of two missing Scottish soldiers Scottish Banksy investigated over mural painted on listed flats Trump promised retribution how far will he go

Morse code transcription: vvv vvv Trump promised retribution how far will he go How the war detectives solved the mystery of two missing Scottish soldiers Two women die during failed Channel crossing attempt Scottish Banksy investigated over mural painted on listed flats Chris Mason Starmer unflinching as he seeks to take on Reform Holocaust survivor Ruth Posner and husband die at Swiss clinic Harrods says customers data stolen in IT breach Strictly Come Dancing Backstage with the couples ahead of first live show Elon Musk and Prince Andrew named in new Epstein files Reeves pushes for EU youth migration scheme ahead of Budget

Morse code transcription: vvv vvv Reeves pushes for EU youth migration scheme ahead of Budget Chris Mason Starmer unflinching as he seeks to take on Reform Holocaust survivor Ruth Posner and husband die at Swiss clinic Elon Musk and Prince Andrew named in new Epstein files Strictly Come Dancing Backstage with the couples ahead of first live show How the war detectives solved the mystery of two missing Scottish soldiers Scottish Banksy investigated over mural painted on listed flats Two women die during failed Channel crossing attempt Harrods says customers data stolen in IT breach Trump promised retribution how far will he go

Despite Jaguar Land Rover announcing some of its systems are back online, not a single car has rolled off the production line since the end of August. And there's still no date set for the factories to reopen. All because of a cyber attack, costing hundreds of millions of pounds and threatening thousands of jobs.JLR is just the latest British company harassed by hackers – with Marks & Spencer, Harrods and Co-op all suffering major (and expensive) outages in recent months. Airports and national institutions have also been attacked.It all raises serious questions about the UK's vulnerability to cyber terrorists. Who has been targeting these companies and why? What can companies do to defend themselves? Are we heading for a cyber attack pandemic? And what can your business do to prepare for the inevitable?Niall is joined by James Hatch, chief digital officer at BAE Systems, and Sky's business correspondent Paul Kelso.Producer: Soila Apparicio Editor: Mike Bovill 

On this week's Bonus Ep: An ASMR intro, Vogue's seen some nudes, we want to go to Harrods food hall, a woman who wants 100 kids, advice for a lady debating another kid and are you an asshole if you share a secret?Remember, if you want to get involved you can:Watch us on Youtube! CLICK HERE! or search Vogue & AmberEmail us at vogueandamberpod@gmail.com OR find us on socials @voguewilliams @ambrerosolero and @vogueandamberListen and subscribe to Vogue & Amber on Global Player or wherever you get your podcasts.Please review Global's Privacy Policy: https://global.com/legal/privacy-policy/

Over the course of 15 years, Shafik Meghji traveled repeatedly to South America, falling in love with the continent and in particular with Buenos Aires, which he came to feel was his second home. Traveling from London, Shafik noticed that Britain came up a lot on his travels; the eerie hulk of a Harrods branch in central Buenos Aires, the rusting shells of British buses on the salt flats of Bolivia, and the surnames of the descendants of settlers hanging out in Patagonia. The result is Small Earthquakes: A Journey Through Lost British History in South America - Published last month by Hurst Publishers, to wide acclaim. Shafik joins the Travel Writing Podcast to talk about how the book came to be, to geek out on his influences such as Bruce Chatwin, and to bring writers behind the scenes on his publishing journey.

Discover how Fieldbar turned a “boring” cooler category into a premium lifestyle brand, and the exact marketing levers they pulled to do it. You'll learn their luxury positioning framework (including safari heritage), the paid media metrics that matter, and how authentic scarcity improved ROAS. We unpack their Shopify stack—from Instagram to 3PLs to Klaviyo—and why enabling Apple Pay (via Stitch) instantly lifted conversions. Plus, hear their stance on UGC cadence, AI in creative, 5-year warranty as risk removal, and the simple “continuous improvement” loop that scales.

Season 7 of @onthescentpodcast is here, & for the very first time, we're sharing a Patreon-exclusive deep-dive with ALL of you!This week we're exploring salt in scent: how the mineral magic transforms a fragrance, adding texture, tempting the senses, & evoking everything from windswept cliffs to decadent desserts.We so enjoyed making this episode & couldn't wait to share our thoughts on these briny beauties (lol!)The line-up:@jomalonelondon Wood Sage & Sea Salt: Imagine the bracing British coast, briny air, wild waves, & mineral cliffs, earthy sage grounding the sparkling saltiness.@shayandblue Salt Caramel: Gourmand temptation with caramel and vanilla, cut by a tang of sea salt, rich, indulgent, and impossible to resist.@penhaligons_london Changing Constance: Cardamom & pimento heat up salted butter caramel, finished with vanilla and tobacco for rebellious elegance.@nishane.istanbul Oudous Lux Solis: Honeyed pomelo & mandarin glisten over smoothly salty oud & patchouli - a golden radiance from sun to shadow (exclusive at Harrods).@sarahbakerperfumes Atlante: Sparkling yuzu & orris swirl through tidepools of seaweed & ambergris, as ancient & alluring as a siren's song.@libertylondon LBTY Zephirine: Incense & green fig weave through velvet rose & suede in a palace garden by the sea.@isseymiyakeparfums Le Sel d'Issey: The freshness of the ocean meeting sun-warmed land, salt, incense & seaweed on a sun-bleached driftwood base.Our Patreon supporters get an EXTRA episode every single week (that's 127 extra episodes so far ) among other perks. If you loved listening, tap the link in our Instagram bio @onthescentpodcast for all the extra episodes in the archive or go via this link

Discussion d'été de DDoS à la Chine Shamelessplug Hackfest Swag Join Hackfest/La French Connection Discord Join Hackfest us on Masodon Conférence GoSEC 2025 - Montréal - 10-11 sept 2025 - Colloque cybersécurité et protection des données personnelles - Saint-Hyacinthe - 2 octobre 2025 Hackfest - Québec - 16-17-18 Octobre 2025 POLAR - Québec - 16 Octobre 2025 Montréal Connecte 2025 - Montréal - 28-31 octobre 2025 - Cyberchess les 29-30 octobre - Latvia Nouvelles Europol Disrupts NoName057(16) Hacktivist Group Linked to DDoS Attacks ‘123456' password exposed info for 64 million McDonald's job applicants PATCH YOUR SYSTEMS ! Microsoft - Fortinet - Cisco - Citrix - ZScaler - VMWare - Google Chrome - SonicWall Cyber Threat Intelligence Report: Australia H1 2025 China-Backed Salt Typhoon Hacks US National Guard for Nearly a Yea Spain awards Huawei contracts to manage intelligence agency wiretaps Russian vodka producer reports disruptions after ransomware attack FCC wants to ban Chinese tech from undersea cables RFTA - Submarine Cables Face Increasing Threats Amid Geopolitical Tensions and Limited Repair Capacity Global operation targets NoName057(16) pro-Russian cybercrime network Chinese Hackers Target Taiwan's Semiconductor Sector with Cobalt Strike, Custom Backdoors Cloudflare says 1.1.1.1 outage not caused by attack or BGP hijack Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 incident on July 14, 2025 PerfektBlue Bluetooth flaws impact Mercedes, Volkswagen, Skoda cars Four arrested in UK over M&S, Co-op, Harrods cyberattacks Co-op confirms data of 6.5 million members stolen in cyberattack Trump administration to spend $1 billion on ‘offensive' hacking operations A Little-Known Microsoft Program Could Expose the Defense Department to Chinese Hackers WeTransfer clarifies it won't use your files to train AI _ Mashable Crew Patrick Mathieu Francis Coats Steve Waterhouse Crédits Montage audio par Hackfest Communication Music par Sinewinder – Superstring - Spaghettification Locaux virtuels par Streamyard

On this episode, Darren tells us about his recent Harrods experience, we check some wrists, we talk deconsolidation, there's a Sher Watch update, Darren tells us about the Zenith White Surfer launch, and lots more.

(Rec: 24/7/19) Kev moves to Fulham but we focus mainly on Mohamed Al-Fayed selling lions in Harrods and the magnificence of Ray Wilkins. Join the Iron Filings Society: https://www.patreon.com/topflighttimemachine and on Apple Podcast Subscriptions Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stanley Kubrick, Eyes Wide Shut, Mohamed al-Fayed, Adnan Khashoggi, British intelligence, Julian Amery, Israel, Suez Crisis, Haiti, George de Mohrenschildt, CIA, Nasser, Lonrho, Tiny Rowland, Mayfair Set, Harrods, Sultan of Brunei, Jonathan Aitken, arms trafficking, Gerard Bull, Project Babylon, Le Cercle, Dutroux affair, Dodi Fayed, the rivalry between al-Fayed and the Khashoggis over Dodi, Prince Diane, the Dodi-Di romance, the death of Diane and Dodi, possible MI6 involvement, the Israeli link in the crash, the white Fiat Uno, Lyndon Larouche, the similarities between Robert Maxwell and al-Fayed, al-Fayed as a sexual predator, Kubrick's initial plans to use the Earl of Spencer's residence in Eyes Wide Shut, references to al-Fayed in Eyes Wide Shut, Kubrick's awareness of al-Fayed as a sexual predator, Punch magazine and Kubrick's lawsuit against, the break-in on the Eyes Wide Shut set, the white Fiat Uno reduxMusic by: Keith Allen Dennishttps://keithallendennis.bandcamp.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mitch Tonks didn't start out as a chef. He was a 27-year-old dad trying to make ends meet when a fishmonger's shop in Bath changed the course of his life. In this episode, Mitch shares the real, often chaotic, journey behind his seafood empire—from sleeping on a futon above his first restaurant to serving curry to Johnny Depp. He recalls the early inspiration he found in European markets, the fish counters of Harrods, and even a Paul Weller track that convinced him to never return to his office job.Mitch talks us through the highs and lows of founding FishWorks, the award-winning restaurant chain that made him a press darling—and nearly broke him. He opens up about the moment it all imploded after a disastrous IPO, and how that failure led to the creation of Rockfish, a coastal group of restaurants rooted in sustainability, direct supply chains, and deep respect for the fishermen who catch his product. He also describes how a COVID-era gamble to sell fish off the back of a boat in Brixham sparked a thriving nationwide delivery business.We also hear about Mitch's life behind the scenes—long lunches that turned into overnight adventures, cooking side-by-side with his son Ben at the Seahorse, and why he keeps a stash of armagnac on hand for hangovers and inspiration alike. It's a conversation packed with honesty, humour, and hard-won lessons from someone who's spent three decades reshaping how Britain sees fish.-----------------Please leave us a great rating and a comment and share it with your friends - it really helps us grow as a show.If you're in the industry and are looking for the greatest POS system in the world than look no further as Blinq are tearing up the rulebook—no long-term contracts, no hidden fees, and no per-device charges.Just £49 a month for unlimited devices and 24/7 UK-based support that's always there, in person when you need it.Built for hospitality, by hospitality, blinq is the fastest, easiest POS system on the market—so intuitive, anyone can use it. And while others take weeks to get you up and running, with blinq, you're live in just 2 hours.Join the hospitality revolution today & use the code GOTOBLINQ to get your first month free - https://blinqme.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode at a glance0:00 Intro – Alex & Simone set the scene1:21 Magnum's affordable luxury play5:11 Smaller, faster, more targeted UK store formats8:12 Cybersecurity breaches erode consumer trust11:13 Omnichannel fulfilment: John Lewis × Uber Eats & B&Q marketplace C&C12:41 Culture collabs: Buzz Social app and community‑first retail14:23 Wrap‑up & next week's teaserKey takeawaysAffordable luxury wins Gen‑Z wallets. Magnum positions a £1.50 treat as a lifestyle statement, partnering with Hailey Bieber's Rhode Beach Club and Primavera Sound to flood social feeds with golden sticks.Store footprints are compressing. Co‑op's 1,500 sq ft “On‑the‑Go” in Solihull and Primark's 12,000 sq ft Trafford home concept mark a pivot to high‑velocity assortments and commuter missions. Trust is the new margin. Repeated attacks—from Harrods to Sanderson—show why only 11 % of UK retailers carry cyber insurance. M&S's public cyber update proves transparency must join price, product, and CX in the trust stack.Last‑mile gets luxury treatment. John Lewis pilots 30‑minute delivery via Uber Eats in Leeds and Stratford; B&Q scales marketplace click‑and‑collect to 300 stores, turning each location into a micro‑fulfilment node. Culture is the channel. Independent “Buzz” app curates Nike x music x art events, proving brands must participate—not commentate—in community spaces.Reference linksMagnum Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/magnum/?hl=enEast of England Co‑op store opening plans — https://www.eastofengland.coop/news/opening-plans-confirmed-for-new-east-of-england-coB&Q Click + Collect (marketplace roll‑out) — https://www.diy.com/customer-support/click-collectBuzz Social App IG — https://www.instagram.com/buzzsocialapp/?hl=enM&S Cyber Update — https://corporate.marksandspencer.com/cyber-updateBuzz App (iOS) — https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/buzz-find-creative-events/id6744612334Calls‑to‑Act

Over 100 survivors of alleged sexual abuse by former Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed have entered the company's compensation scheme, reports confirmed. The retailer set up the scheme after dozens of women came forward with allegations of abuse by the late owner, with some going as far back as 1977. UK correspondent Gavin Grey explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to another episode of the best Arsenal podcast out there! This week Seun, German Dan, Khalil and Dankoogs run through the latest Arsenal news including Noni Madueke signing Gyok-9? Eze transfer Listener's questions Be sure to follow us on Twitter to keep up to date with all the latest AFC and TG news - https://twitter.com/TLGunners Love what you hear? Want more Touchline Gunners content? Join our Patreon - www.patreon.com/touchlinegunners Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

HEADLINES:• Oil Markets Steady Despite Iran's Missile Strikes on US Bases in Gulf• Saudi CEOs Are Getting Younger and More Local, Says New Korn Ferry Report• Oman to Introduce First Personal Income Tax in Gulf by 2028• The Arab Influx of London Is More Than Just Shopping at Harrods Newsletter: https://aug.us/4jqModrWhatsApp: https://aug.us/40FdYLUInstagram: https://aug.us/4ihltzQTiktok: https://aug.us/4lnV0D8Smashi Business Show (Mon-Friday): https://aug.us/3BTU2MY

Why assertiveness is hard for women and how to make it work for you, with Kate Rainford-FoakesSeason 5, Episode 53: Show Up and Be HeardToday's episode is a brilliant chat with Kate Rainford-Foakes, all about assertiveness, negotiation, and showing up with confidence - without losing your kindness or compassion along the way.Whether you're in the corporate world, running your own business, or figuring out your next steps, this one's packed with insight and practical tips to take away.We talk about the language of leadership, the emotional load women carry when trying to be ‘nice' and assertive at the same time, and how to blend your career goals with your personal wellbeing without burning out. Kate has such a wonderful perspective from both corporate and entrepreneurial life, and her advice is super practical and empowering.BOSS THINGS YOU'LL LEARN IF YOU TUNE IN:How thinking of negotiation as collaboration can totally change how you show upTips for setting boundaries and being assertive without feeling bad about itWhy being kind to yourself and understanding your emotions is a strength, not a weaknessIf you enjoyed this episode or found it useful, then I would really appreciate if you could take just a few minutes to give it a review on whatever platform you are listening on - because every one I get really does make me do a little squeal and a happy dance!ABOUT KATE:Kate is a Careers and Leadership coach who brings a wealth of experience from both the corporate and entrepreneurial worlds to her work supporting female leaders. After a 15-year career in senior leadership at CHANEL, Kate now helps women navigate critical career transitions with confidence and authenticity.Her unique perspective comes from straddling both sides of business - from leading luxury retail operations and negotiating with senior stakeholders at retailers including Harrods and Selfridges, to being a founding shareholder and coach in a successful tech startup. This blend of corporate and entrepreneurial experience allows her to deeply understand the challenges faced on both sides of the coin.Kate is particularly passionate about helping women integrate their professional ambitions with personal wellbeing, drawing on her experience as a yoga teacher and her own journey of transitioning from corporate leadership to entrepreneurship while raising two young children. She believes that success comes not from maintaining perfect balance, but from authentic integration of all aspects of life.Through her coaching practice, Kate helps female entrepreneurs and leaders move from uncertainty to purposeful action, enabling them to create businesses and careers that align with their values and bring fulfilment and success while making meaningful impact.LINKS YOU DEFINITELY WANT TO CHECK OUT:Connect with Kate on LinkedInCheck out Kate's websiteJoin Kate's mailing listCONNECT WITH BECCI:Connect with Becci on Instagram, LinkedIn or Facebook

Cyber criminals have seriously damaged some household names recently - M&S, Co-op, North Face, Harrods - but what really happens behind the scenes when a business is hacked?Evan Davis speaks to the former head of information security at Royal Mail about the major attack it suffered in 2023 - from the initial alert and the eye-watering ransom demand, to the media leak and the long, slow rebuild.Plus, how should you negotiate with hackers, how sophisticated have they become, and how do they choose their victims?Evan is joined by:Jon Staniforth, former Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at Royal Mail; Lisa Forte, founder and partner, Red Goat.Production team:Producer: Simon Tulett Editor: Matt Willis Sound: Nathan Chamberlain and James Beard Production co-ordinator: Sophie Hill and Janet Staples

For years, the Harrods owner Mohamed Al-Fayed used his power to abuse and rape women who worked for him. He was never prosecuted. In her new book The Monster of Harrods: Al-Fayed and the secret, shameful history of a British institution, Alison Kervin reveals the staggering scale of his abuse and the huge number of people who enabled it.This episode contains details of rape and sexual abuse. If you need support, go to www.247sexualabusesupport.org.uk or call 0808 500 2222.This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestoryGuest: Alison Kervin, Author of The Monster of Harrod's: Al-Fayed and the secret, shameful history of a British Institution.Host: Manveen Rana.Producer: Edith Rousselot.Further reading: The monster of Harrods: ‘Mohamed Al Fayed raped me'Clips: BBC News, Sky News, 7News Australia. Photo: Getty Images.Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fresh from the buzzing halls of Shoptalk Europe in Barcelona, the Omni Talk team delivers a rapid-fire breakdown of the biggest retail trends shaping the future live from the conference stage with Shoptalk's very own Ben Miller and Adam Plom. From TikTok Shop's explosive growth (seriously, it's everywhere) to the rise of agentic AI that's already saving Amazon $200 million annually, this episode covers the tech, strategies, and insights that had everyone talking while eating tapas down the aisles of the Barcelona convention center. Discover why European business confidence is holding steady despite global uncertainty, how Google's new "Try It On" feature is revolutionizing online shopping, and why investing in your store teams might be the smartest move you make this year. Plus, hear why Harrods turns OFF their AI when buyers select merchandise, the surprising demographics shopping on TikTok, and how Mars is shifting 70% of their media spend to digital. Whether you're navigating the complexity of social commerce, implementing new store technologies, or trying to balance engagement with efficiency, this episode delivers actionable insights direct from one of the best conferences out there. The retail landscape is evolving faster than ever – make sure you're keeping up.

Recent digital developments show a growing gap between technological innovation and the protections needed to safeguard privacy, autonomy, and society at large. A string of high-profile incidents showcases the systemic vulnerabilities across sectors.Data breaches remain rampant. LexisNexis Risk Solutions, a leading data broker, suffered a breach via a third-party vendor, compromising the PII of over 364,000 individuals. This underscores the inherent risks of outsourcing sensitive data and the challenge of securing even “security-focused” firms.Retail giants like Cartier, Victoria's Secret, Harrods, and Marks & Spencer have been targeted by cyberattacks, exposing customer data and causing disruptions. Notably, Marks & Spencer reported potential losses of up to £300 million. Credential-stuffing attacks, such as the one affecting The North Face, exploit reused passwords from earlier breaches, emphasizing the cascading risks of weak user hygiene.Social media platforms are still vulnerable. A scraping operation exposed data from 1.2 billion Facebook users due to a public API flaw—reaffirming that even mature platforms are prone to exploitation when data is monetizable at scale.Government surveillance is expanding in concerning ways. The U.S. has collected DNA from over 133,000 migrant children—many without criminal charges—and stored it in a national criminal database. This raises major ethical concerns about consent, privacy, and the erosion of legal norms like the presumption of innocence.Brazil's dWallet initiative offers a contrasting vision: enabling citizens to monetize their personal data. While empowering, it also prompts questions about equity, digital literacy, and the unintended consequences of commodifying identity.AI tools are now weaponizing digital footprints. “YouTube-Tools” scrapes public comments and uses AI to infer users' locations, political views, and more—posing risks of harassment and surveillance, despite being marketed for law enforcement.LLMs show serious limitations in sustained, autonomous operations. Simulations involving AI running simple businesses failed dramatically—some models contacted the FBI, others misunderstood basic logic, showing how far AI remains from reliable real-world decision-making.AI ethics research via "SnitchBench" shows that some models will autonomously report unethical behavior, raising questions around AI moral agency and alignment—specifically, when and how AI should intervene in human affairs.Finally, a grave data leak in Russia revealed nuclear infrastructure details through a procurement portal—due to careless document handling. This illustrates that critical security failures often originate not from elite hacks, but from bureaucratic neglect.

【欢迎订阅】 每天早上5:30，准时更新。 【阅读原文】 标题：The Uber of the underworld 正文：EVERYTHING'S POSSIBLE at Harrods, proclaims the website of Britain's glitziest department store. Alas, on May 1st this universe of possibilities included an attempted cyber-attack that forced the company to restrict internet access at its sites, it said. The attempted intrusion came just days after hackers took down computer systems at Marks & Spencer (M&S), a supermarket and clothing retailer which says the disruptions will cost it some £300m ($405m). These breaches, which also hit the Co-op supermarket chain, were more than just costly cyber-attacks. They are worrying examples of how crime is evolving beyond simple street thuggery, or even the work of small groups of clever hackers, into a global service economy where anyone with cryptocurrency can buy the tools to paralyse a multinational corporation. 知识点：Harrods n. /ˈhærədz/ a famous luxury department store in London 哈罗德百货公司（伦敦著名的奢侈品百货公司） • She bought a designer handbag at Harrods. 她在哈罗德百货买了一个名牌手袋。 • Harrods attracts millions of visitors every year. 哈罗德百货每年吸引数百万游客。 获取外刊的完整原文以及精讲笔记，请关注微信公众号「早安英文」，回复“外刊”即可。更多有意思的英语干货等着你！ 【节目介绍】 《早安英文-每日外刊精读》，带你精读最新外刊，了解国际最热事件：分析语法结构，拆解长难句，最接地气的翻译，还有重点词汇讲解。 所有选题均来自于《经济学人》《纽约时报》《华尔街日报》《华盛顿邮报》《大西洋月刊》《科学杂志》《国家地理》等国际一线外刊。 【适合谁听】 1、关注时事热点新闻，想要学习最新最潮流英文表达的英文学习者 2、任何想通过地道英文提高听、说、读、写能力的英文学习者 3、想快速掌握表达，有出国学习和旅游计划的英语爱好者 4、参加各类英语考试的应试者（如大学英语四六级、托福雅思、考研等） 【你将获得】 1、超过1000篇外刊精读课程，拓展丰富语言表达和文化背景 2、逐词、逐句精确讲解，系统掌握英语词汇、听力、阅读和语法 3、每期内附学习笔记，包含全文注释、长难句解析、疑难语法点等，帮助扫除阅读障碍。

On this episode of Rethink Retail, host Melissa Moore chats with Liliana Scyz, Wholesale Manager at Valentino, live from the Retail Technology Show! Liliana shares her incredible 20-year journey in retail, from Harrods to iconic luxury brands. Discover how a pivotal moment led her to Oxford Said Business School, transforming her view on leadership and the power of teamwork. We explore the essence of great leadership in luxury retail, the critical role of understanding people, and how technology drives customer-centric operations at Valentino. Liliana's bold approach and commitment to continuous learning offer invaluable lessons on embracing change and overcoming fear. Join our global retail community:www.globalretailleaders.com

URGENT: Cyber Criminals Target US Retailers After UK Rampage The cyber attack wave that devastated UK retail is crossing the Atlantic. Our panel, including a former retail CEO with firsthand cyber security experience, breaks down the alarming reality of retail vulnerability. Key Moments: 0:00-1:00 - Breaking news: UK retail hackers now targeting major US brands 1:01-1:15 - Marks & Spencer, Co-op, and Harrods attack details 1:16-3:00 - Michael's shocking revelation: Only 20% of US retailers truly prepared 3:01-4:15 - Real-world experience: What happened when Joann Fabrics got serious about security 4:16-5:35 - The customer loyalty catastrophe: Why cyber attacks destroy businesses permanently 5:36-6:25 - Target 2013 and Vegas casino breaches: Long-term customer relationship damage 6:26-7:25 - Michael's warning: "Not your parents' cyber attack anymore" - recovery takes weeks, costs multiply The sobering reality that could save your business - or destroy it. This week's episode was brought to you with the help and support of the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Simbe, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and ClearDemand. #cybersecurity #retailsecurity #cyberattacks #databreach #businesssecurity #retailtech #cybercrime #retailnews #securitybreach #businessrisk #cyberthreats For the full episode head here: https://youtu.be/Qx2hUtMWmTY

In the past few weeks Marks & Spencer, the Co-op and Harrods have all been grappling with the effects of cyber attacks. The most profitable form of cyber attack at the moment is ransomware where criminals infiltrate computer systems, shut them down and then demand a ransom to restore services, or even to stop them publishing data they've stolen. This is now a global criminal industry which can affect the running of whole businesses. Marks & Spencer said this week that disruption to its online ordering service would continue throughout June and into July. David Aaronovitch asks his guests how ransomware works, who is responsible and what can be done to stop it.Guests: Emily Taylor, CEO of Oxford Information Labs and co-founder Global Signal Exchange Geoff White, investigative journalist and author and co-host of the BBC's podcast series, The Lazarus Heist Susan Landau, Professor of Cyber Security and Policy at Tufts University Professor Alan Woodward, a computer security expert at the University of SurreyPresenter: David Aaronovitch Producers: Caroline Bayley, Kirsteen Knight and Nathan Gower Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison Sound Engineers: James Beard and Neil Churchill Editor: Richard Vadon

This is the first real episode of the new call-in format. I go through all the emails sent to the show, where clearly my back catalogue is being fully explored! ITIL, Bees, AppSumo and the recent cyber attacks on Harrods, M&S, and the Co-op are explored. Remember, kids, use an authentication app like Authy or Google Authenticator wherever you can! Be on the next show, call in! https://richardsonsrubicon.com/be-on-the-show/#liveshow

Harrods, high tea, and TK Maxx. Charlie talks about what he has done all weekend in London. Did Rover call his mom for Mother's day? A woman is suing her veterinary doctor after they pulled 16 of her dog's teeth and her dog died during the process. An influencer takes her Great Dane service animal on a flight. Charlie's dog gets the nervous poops.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jeffrey went out with the red head Saturday night. Snitzer is locked out of the secret bathroom. Charlie tried to stick Rover with the bill at the Kevin Hart show. Harrods, high tea, and TK Maxx. Charlie talks about what he has done all weekend in London. Did Rover call his mom for Mother's day? A woman is suing her veterinary doctor after they pulled 16 of her dog's teeth and her dog died during the process. An influencer takes her Great Dane service animal on a flight. Charlie's dog gets the nervous poops. Will Duji ever get a man? Ten signs a woman might be lonely. As an adult can you order off the kids' menu? What happened with Charlie's hotel room on Friday? Popular Ohio weatherman released from his position. Finding Tom Cruise. Did JLR have fun at Mammoth on Friday night?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Harrods, high tea, and TK Maxx. Charlie talks about what he has done all weekend in London. Did Rover call his mom for Mother's day? A woman is suing her veterinary doctor after they pulled 16 of her dog's teeth and her dog died during the process. An influencer takes her Great Dane service animal on a flight. Charlie's dog gets the nervous poops.

Jeffrey went out with the red head Saturday night. Snitzer is locked out of the secret bathroom. Charlie tried to stick Rover with the bill at the Kevin Hart show. Harrods, high tea, and TK Maxx. Charlie talks about what he has done all weekend in London. Did Rover call his mom for Mother's day? A woman is suing her veterinary doctor after they pulled 16 of her dog's teeth and her dog died during the process. An influencer takes her Great Dane service animal on a flight. Charlie's dog gets the nervous poops. Will Duji ever get a man? Ten signs a woman might be lonely. As an adult can you order off the kids' menu? What happened with Charlie's hotel room on Friday? Popular Ohio weatherman released from his position. Finding Tom Cruise. Did JLR have fun at Mammoth on Friday night?

Brits face empty shelves and suspended meal deals as cybercriminals hit major high street retailers, and a terminated Disney employee gets revenge with a little help with Wingdings. Plus Graham challenges Carole to a game of "Malware or metal?", and we wonder just happens when you have sex on top of a piano?All this and more is discussed in the latest edition of the "Smashing Security" podcast by cybersecurity veterans Graham Cluley and Carole Theriault.Plus! Don't miss our featured interview with Jon Cho of Dashlane.Warning: This podcast may contain nuts, adult themes, and rude language.Episode links:Why is the M&S cyber attack chaos taking so long to resolve? - BBC News.M&S 'had no plan' for cyber attacks, insider claims, with 'staff left sleeping in the office amid paranoia and chaos' - Sky News.Hackers target the Co-op as police probe M&S cyber attack - BBC News.Harrods latest retailer to be hit by cyber attack - BBC News.Alleged ‘Scattered Spider' Member Extradited to US - Krebs on Security.British 'ringleader' of hacking group 'behind M&S cyber attack' fled his home after 'masked thugs burst in and threatened him with blowtorches' - Daily Mail.Incidents impacting retailers – recommendations - NCSC.Ex-Disney employee gets 3 years in the clink for goofy attacks on mousey menus - The Register. United States of America V Michael Sheuer - Plea Agreement - US District Court PDF.At 99, David Attenborough shares strongest message for the ocean - Oceanographic magazine.Smashing Security merchandise (t-shirts, mugs, stickers and stuff)Sponsored by:Dashlane - Protect against the #1 cause of data breaches - poor password habits. Save 25% off a new business plan, or 35% off a personal Premium plan! Vanta – Expand the scope of your security program with market-leading compliance automation… while saving time and money. Smashing Security listeners get $1000 off!Material - Email security that covers the full threat landscape – stopping new flavors of phishing and pretexting attacks in

In this 30‑minute episode, Jon and Lewis unpick the coordinated ransomware wave that struck Britain's high‑street giants. They trace the attack chain that emptied Co‑op shelves, froze M&S online orders and attempted, but failed, to extort Harrods.Lewis takes a look at Amazon's latest generative‑AI arsenal: Amazon Q's new developer‑first agents, the multimodal Nova Premier family running on Bedrock, and AWS's landmark decision to let any SaaS vendor list in Marketplace regardless of where the software runs, a direct play to become the app store for the whole cloud economy. Finally, they ask whether enterprises can really keep their data out of Google's AI engines.Hosts:https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanshanks/https://www.linkedin.com/in/lewismarshall/

RSAC 2025 comes to an end. Canadian power company hit by cyberattack. Ascension Health discloses another breach. UK luxury department store Harrods discloses attempted cyberattack. Microsoft fixes bug flagging Gmail as spam. An unofficial version of the Signal app shared in photo. EU fines TikTok for violating GDPR with China data transfer. US Treasury to cut off Southeast Asian cybercrime key player. Passwordless by default coming your way. Our guest is Kevin Magee, from Microsoft, sharing a medley of interviews he gathered on the show floor of RSAC 2025. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Miss an episode? Sign-up for our daily intelligence roundup, Daily Briefing, and you'll never miss a beat. And be sure to follow CyberWire Daily on LinkedIn. Kevin on the Street Joining us this week from RSAC 2025, we have our partner Kevin Magee, Global Director of Cybersecurity Startups at Microsoft for Startups. Kevin closes out RSAC 2025 with a high-energy medley of interviews straight from the show floor, packed with sharp insights and bold ideas from some of cybersecurity's standout voices. It's a dynamic and fast-paced finale to our RSAC coverage—and you can find links to all of the guests featured in the show notes. In this segment, you'll hear from Christopher Simm, CTO at Bulletproof; Dr. Chase Cunningham (aka Dr. Zero Trust), Chief Strategy Officer at Ericom Software; Helen Patton, cybersecurity advisor at Cisco; Jeremy Vaughan, CEO and co-founder of Start Left Security; and Tzvika Shneider, CEO of Pynt. You can also catch Kevin on our Microsoft for Startups⁠ Spotlight, brought to you by N2K CyberWire and Microsoft, where we shine a light on innovation, ambition, and the tech trailblazers building the future right from the startup trenches. Kevin and Dave talk with startup veteran and Cygenta co-founder FC about making the leap from hacker to entrepreneur, then speak with three Microsoft for Startups members: Matthew Chiodi⁠ of ⁠Cerby⁠, ⁠Travis Howerton⁠ of ⁠RegScale⁠, and ⁠Karl Mattson⁠ of ⁠Endor Labs⁠. Whether you are building your own startup or just love a good innovation story, listen and learn more here. Selected Reading Day 4 Recap: Closing Celebration with Alicia Keys, RSAC College Day, and What's Ahead for 2025 (RSAC Conference)  Canadian Electric Utility Hit by Cyberattack (SecurityWeek) Ascension discloses second major cyber attack in a year (The Register) Harrods latest retailer to be hit by cyber attack (BBC) Microsoft fixes Exchange Online bug flagging Gmail emails as spam (Bleeping Computer)  Mike Waltz Accidentally Reveals Obscure App the Government Is Using to Archive Signal Messages (404 Media) TikTok hit with 530 million euro privacy fine in investigation into China data transfer (AP News) Ukrainian extradited to US for alleged Nefilim ransomware attack spree (CyberScoop) US wants to cut off key player in Southeast Asian cybercrime industry (The Record)  Microsoft makes all new accounts passwordless by default (Bleeping Computer) Share your feedback. We want to ensure that you are getting the most out of the podcast. Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts with us by completing our brief listener survey as we continually work to improve the show. Want to hear your company in the show? You too can reach the most influential leaders and operators in the industry. Here's our media kit. Contact us at cyberwire@n2k.com to request more info. The CyberWire is a production of N2K Networks, your source for strategic workforce intelligence. © N2K Networks, Inc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From the BBC World Service: Australians go to the polls this weekend to vote in what's being called a “cost of living” election. Home prices and rents there have skyrocketed over recent years. Then, Japan's top negotiator says talks in Washington have been constructive as Tokyo tries to avoid steep new tariffs. And the luxury department store Harrods is the latest U.K. retailer to be targeted in a cyberattack.

From the BBC World Service: Australians go to the polls this weekend to vote in what's being called a “cost of living” election. Home prices and rents there have skyrocketed over recent years. Then, Japan's top negotiator says talks in Washington have been constructive as Tokyo tries to avoid steep new tariffs. And the luxury department store Harrods is the latest U.K. retailer to be targeted in a cyberattack.