Captive Conversations

In this episode of Captive Conversations, Adam sits down with Claire Reid, a marketing consultant with a career that spans hospitality, charity communications, brand building, feedback, data, internal culture and coffee. Claire shares how her early experiences in cafés, retail, charity communications and Wood Street Coffee shaped the way she thinks about hospitality. The conversation explores why marketing and operations need to work together, why feedback should be treated as the voice of the guest, and why the best hospitality often comes down to something much harder to measure: how a place makes people feel. From Dishoom and Wood Street Coffee to freelance life, local marketing, data storytelling and the importance of not diluting a brand as it grows, this is a warm, honest conversation about building hospitality brands that feel human. #hospitality #marketing #guestexperience #operations #restaurantmarketing #data #captiveconversations

In this episode of Captive Conversations, Adam sits down with Kevin to explore what it really takes to turn data into meaningful hospitality experiences. From his early career in consulting to leading digital transformation at one of the largest restaurant groups in the US, Kevin shares a rare behind-the-scenes look at how systems, data, and people come together in real operations. From fragmented tech stacks to enterprise-wide transformation, this is a story of complexity, challenge, and learning. At the heart of the conversation is a simple but powerful truth. Recognition matters. As Kevin puts it, “When someone says, welcome back in… it’s great to see you… that just sets the tone.” The episode explores how businesses can move beyond collecting data to actually using it, and why adoption, trust, and usability are what ultimately drive results. #hospitality #restaurants #data #guestexperience #crm #loyalty #technology

The journey into content does not always start with a strategy. Sometimes it starts with curiosity. In this episode of Captive Conversations, Adam Forman sits down with Thomas, founder of Fearless Media, to explore how starting young and learning through doing can shape a career in content and business. From making videos at 12 to building a creative agency, this is a conversation about consistency, experimentation and long-term thinking. The episode dives into how content creates goodwill, builds relationships and opens doors over time. It also explores how different platforms play different roles, and why brands that show up consistently have an advantage. For hospitality businesses, this is a powerful reminder that connection starts before the visit. Content is not just marketing. It is relationship building at scale. #hospitality #marketing #content #socialmedia #growth #captiveconversations

Big things just dropped at CaptiveWiFi. In this episode Adam Forman walks through the most significant platform update in CaptiveWiFi's history. No guests, no interviews — just a straight-talking rundown of everything that has just shipped and what is coming next. Covered in this episode: the Live Guest Dashboard, built after a conversation with Ben Heppell from Aqua Restaurant Group, now pulling in real-time spend data, loyalty points, CRM tags and a VIP triage from SevenRooms, ResDiary, Airship, Me&U and Klaviyo. A major feedback upgrade with new templates, emoji ratings, WhatsApp and SMS delivery, and SevenRooms feedback reporting. Competitor analysis against up to five locations. Fully branded scheduled email reports. Two brand new WiFi portal designs. And gamification — scratch cards, spin to win and shake to reveal, with live voucher integrations from Airship and Square. If you work in hospitality and you want to know what connected guest data actually looks like in practice right now, this is the episode to start with. #CaptiveWiFi #HospitalityTech #GuestExperience #Gamification #GuestData #ProductUpdate #CaptiveConversations

What does it actually take to bring a guest back? Not through aggressive re-targeting or bulk email sends, but in a way that fits inside a premium hospitality experience and makes the guest feel genuinely valued? In this episode, recorded live on stage at HT360 at ExCeL London, Adam Forman sits down with Ben Heppell, Global Digital Marketing Director at Aqua Restaurant Group. They talk about the repeat guest challenge that sits at the centre of Ben's role, why ecommerce tactics do not translate into premium dining, and what changes when you start connecting WiFi visit data to your reservation and CRM systems. Ben also shares how Aqua changed the way they measure repeat guest rate and what that revealed about the real problem underneath a metric that looked fine on the surface. A grounded, honest conversation from a practitioner doing this work in real venues, in real time. #CaptiveConversations #HospitalityMarketing #GuestRetention #HospitalityTech #CaptiveWiFi #RepeatGuests #HT360

The guest journey doesn’t start at the door anymore. It starts long before that. In this episode of Captive Conversations, Adam Forman sits down with Natalie Dunning, CEO and Founder of Kitch, to unpack how hospitality is changing and why brands need to rethink how they attract, understand and retain their guests. From data and CRM to TikTok, discoverability and automation, Natalie shares a clear view of where the industry is heading. This is a conversation built on real experience, from growing up around restaurants to building a business focused on helping hospitality brands connect the dots between marketing, operations and guest behaviour. What stands out is how much has shifted. Guests are discovering brands in completely different ways. Loyalty is no longer just about points. And the brands that are winning are the ones thinking more like ecommerce, building relationships before a guest even walks through the door. This episode is a reminder that hospitality is still about people. But understanding those people now starts much earlier. #hospitality #guestexperience #marketing #crm #restaurants #data #captiveconversations

In this episode of Captive Conversations, Adam Forman sits down with Chloe Dodd and Alex O’Reilly, two people I’ve known for a while now and whose journey in hospitality is seriously impressive. From nightclubs and bar floors to national sales roles and multi-site operations, this is a conversation built on real experience. Not theory. Not guesswork. Just years of being in it, figuring it out and now helping other businesses do it better. We get into where hospitality is still getting it wrong. Missed enquiries, slow responses, teams not aligned and how simple things are still costing operators real money. There’s also a lot of honesty in this one. About taking risks, backing yourself and why experience across both ops and sales gives you a completely different perspective. If you’re in hospitality, this will feel very familiar. And probably a little uncomfortable in the right way. #hospitality #guestexperience #restaurants #sales #operations #captiveconversations

In this episode of Captive Conversations, Adam Forman sits down with Tom Stanley, founder of Williams Stanley & Co, to explore the financial realities facing hospitality operators today. Tom shares his journey into hospitality finance and explains why understanding the numbers behind a venue is just as important as the guest experience on the floor. The conversation explores the pressure operators face, how better financial visibility can support stronger decisions, and why hospitality businesses need to think differently about growth, investment and resilience in a changing market. This episode is a practical and honest look at the intersection between finance, operations and hospitality leadership. #hospitality #hospitalitybusiness #restaurantindustry #hospitalityfinance #restaurants #hospitalityleaders #captiveconversations

In this episode of Captive Conversations, Adam Forman sits down with Catherine Gwynne, founder of 2G Design and Build, to explore the psychology behind hospitality design. Catherine shares her journey from travelling the world in the drinks industry to building a hospitality design company focused on how spaces truly work. The conversation dives into why the best venues start with people, not aesthetics, and how staff experience directly shapes the guest experience. They explore the importance of flow, acoustics, atmosphere and emotional connection in hospitality spaces, and why operators must design environments that create memories if they want guests to return. A fascinating conversation about the intersection of hospitality, culture and design. #hospitality #restaurantdesign #guestexperience #hospitalityindustry #restaurants

In episode 85 of Captive Conversations, Adam speaks with Yaro Tsyhanenko about the hidden blind spot in modern hospitality: the pickup counter. From building marketplaces in Ukraine to shutting down businesses when the war started, and rebuilding in the US, Yaro shares his journey and the operational problem that caught his attention. The gap between digital ordering systems and real-world pickup. This episode explores timing, order accuracy, promise time performance, and why “completed” is not the same as “collected.” A must-listen for operators serious about growth and efficiency. #hospitality #restaurantoperations #delivery #guestexperience #hospitalitytech #pickup #digitalordering

In this episode of Captive Conversations, Adam sits down with Gabrielle Goode, hospitality marketing consultant and founder of thehospitalitymarketer.co.ukGabrielle shares her journey from cocktail bartender in Nottingham to leading marketing roles across The Ivy Collection, Langan’s, Rhubarb and global hospitality brands. But this conversation goes deeper than career milestones. It explores what guests actually remember.“I don’t go there for the food. I go because I’m making a memory.”Together, they discuss emotional personalisation, loyalty done properly, leadership perspective, brand identity, and why hospitality must never lose its human core in a world of automation and AI.If you care about guest experience, loyalty, brand impact and long-term legacy in hospitality, this episode is for you.⸻Subscribe for more hospitality insights and visit www.captivewifi.io#HospitalityIndustry #RestaurantMarketing #GuestExperience #Leadership #HospitalityPodcast #BrandBuilding

In this episode of Captive Conversations, we're sharing a powerful panel discussion from PUB Spotlight 2026: "The Pub Customer Perspective." Featuring Laurence Brown (Head of Insights, Stonegate), Louise Fleming (Head of Guest & Retail Insights, Punch Pubs), and Kiran Quinn (Group Marketing Director, Red Cat Hospitality), moderated by Jo Lynch from KAM Insights. This insightful session explores how consumer behaviour is shifting in the hospitality industry, what customers really want from their pub experience, and how venues can adapt to meet changing expectations in an increasingly challenging economic climate. Recorded live at PUB Spotlight 2026, this discussion brings together industry leaders sharing real-world insights on customer engagement, loyalty, and the future of the pub sector. Huge thanks to KAM Insights for organizing this incredible event and to Inntegra for their exceptional work behind the scenes making PUB Spotlight 2026 possible. #PubSpotlight #pubspot26 #HospitalityIndustry #PubLife #CaptiveConversations #Podcast #HospitalityPodcast #CustomerExperience

In this episode of Captive Conversations, Adam Forman sits down with Rosie Lewis-Marsh, the London Hospitality Girl, to talk about sales, booking journeys, and why hospitality overcomplicates the things that should be simple. Rosie breaks down decision-making inside teams, the fear of automation, and the cost of slow response times. From shorter booking windows to conversion and automation, she shares a grounded view of what operators can fix quickly without losing the human side of hospitality. #hospitality #hospitalitysales #guestexperience #restaurantindustry #captiveconversations #hospitalityleaders

In this episode of Captive Conversations, Adam Forman sits down with Massimo from Restaurant Keys to explore what it really takes to build, grow, and scale hospitality brands without losing their soul. Massimo shares his experience working with operators across the UK and internationally, from opening restaurants from scratch to helping brands expand nationally and abroad. The conversation covers relevance in marketing, the importance of listening to teams on the floor, and why hospitality remains a deeply human business. They also discuss how technology, design, and operational flow should support people rather than replace them, and why comfort, familiarity, and emotional engagement are becoming more important for guests. #hospitality #restaurantindustry #guestexperience #peopleandculture #hospitalityleaders #captiveconversations

The final episode of 2025. What a year it's been. In this one, Adam sits down with Oliver Pugh, founder of Yeti Pay, and Chris Jolliffe, their Sales Director, to explore how a simple observation about tipping behaviour sparked a payments revolution. It started with a question most people never ask. When a guest leaves a tip on a card, why doesn't the waiter feel it? Oliver noticed this disconnect years ago. And instead of accepting it, he built something to fix it. The result? Tips went up 300%. From the early days of Table Yeti to winning BrewDog and building embedded payments infrastructure, Oliver and Chris share the realities of competing in a crowded market by doing things differently. This is a conversation about listening before building, enabling partners instead of competing with them, and why hospitality deserves payments that actually feel different. Thank you to everyone who listened this year. Here's to 2026. 🎧 #CaptiveConversations #YetiPay #HospitalityPayments #EmbeddedFinance #FinTech #Hospitality

As the year comes to a close, Episode 80 of Captive Conversations takes a step back to reflect on how hospitality makes decisions. Adam speaks with Mark from Tenzo about why instinct alone is no longer enough, how operators are overwhelmed by dashboards, and why better data frameworks matter more than more reports. They explore how context, experience, and curiosity still play a critical role, and how AI can support teams without losing the human side of hospitality. A grounded conversation for anyone thinking about how to approach the year ahead. ✨ #hospitality #hospitalitytech #restaurantdata #leadership #captiveconversations

In this episode of Captive Conversations, Adam sits down with Jonatan from All Gravy to explore how frontline technology can feel more human, more supportive and far more connected to the reality of hospitality work. Jonatan shares the story of his early career, the leaders who shaped him, and the moment he realised frontline teams were being asked to juggle seven or eight different apps just to get through a shift. He explains how that insight led All Gravy to pivot, rebuild and create a single platform focused on communication, learning and engagement. They also explore the future of AI for frontline teams, the importance of real service, why user research came before sales, and what hospitality truly needs to support retention and development. A warm, thoughtful and practical conversation for anyone shaping the future of workforce tech. #hospitality #allgravy #peopletech #frontlineteams

In this episode of Captive Conversations, Adam sits down with Rosie Akenhead to explore one of the biggest challenges facing hospitality today: the covers problem. Rosie describes how changing guest behaviour, home comforts and broader societal pressures have reshaped the way people choose to dine out. She also reflects on the emotional weight this places on teams who are still expected to deliver energy and inspiration every day. Rosie draws on her experience in both tenanted and managed pubs to explain the realities of supporting operators, balancing brand consistency and enabling local creativity. She shares practical insight into CRM transformation, booking journey improvements and the value of simple, thoughtful personalisation such as avoiding irrelevant content for the wrong audience. Together they explore: ✔ Why covers feel unpredictable and what drives guest behaviour ✔ The difference between tenanted and managed pub challenges ✔ How disconnected marketing creates confusion for guests ✔ What Rosie learned from implementing full CRM and data journeys ✔ Why simple personalisation still matters more than complex automation ✔ The moment she realised it was time to build her own business --- Packed with honest insight for operators, marketers and CRM teams, this episode highlights the human and operational realities behind modern hospitality. #HospitalityMarketing #CaptiveConversations #GuestExperience #HospitalityTech #CRM #HospitalityStrategy #RestaurantTech #OperatorLife

In this episode of Captive Conversations, Adam sits down with Edd Bower, Data Lead at Guestwise, to explore how hospitality can turn scattered information into clear, actionable guest insight. Edd draws on his journey from the creative world into data operations to explain why most brands struggle with disconnected platforms, limited visibility and inconsistent feedback loops. Edd reveals how guest data often lives in many different systems that do not speak to each other. He explains why this creates missed opportunities for personalisation and why operators need a realistic path toward a single customer view. With a background in analytics, CRM support and hospitality data design, he brings a practical and grounded perspective on what operators can achieve today. Together they dive into: ✔ Why only a tiny percentage of guests leave feedback and what that meansEdd Bower - How Operators Can Personalise at Scale ✔ How bookings, CRM, loyalty and feedback can work together ✔ The daily digest method that helps teams prepare for key guests ✔ What a real single customer view looks like in hospitality ✔ How smaller operators can benefit from simpler automation ✔ Why data should empower teams to deliver more human hospitality Packed with practical insight for hospitality operators, marketers, CRM teams and anyone working to improve guest experience, this episode highlights how connected data can transform service, communication and loyalty. #HospitalityData #CRM #Guestwise #SingleCustomerView #GuestExperience #HospitalityTechnology #CaptiveConversations #HospitalityStrategy #DataIntegration #HospitalityMarketing #RestaurantTech #OperatorLife

In this episode of Captive Conversations, Adam sits down with Simon Anderson — hospitality consultant, co-founder of Market Halls and founder of Next Space — to explore how food halls, regeneration projects and community-driven design are reshaping the UK’s high streets. Simon reveals how vacant department stores, declining footfall and post-COVID shifts in behaviour have created both risk and opportunity for towns and cities. With a background spanning Saatchi & Saatchi, publishing, and large-scale hospitality operations, he offers a rare mix of creative thinking and real operational clarity. Together they dive into: ✔ How food halls can spark economic revival and uplift property values by 10–14% ✔ Why collaboration between councils, developers and operators is the “missing ingredient” ✔ The difference between a successful food hall and a big empty space filled with traders ✔ How co-living, co-working and hybrid venues will shape the next era of hospitality ✔ The danger of over-relying on social media and why storytelling still wins ✔ What operators can learn from brands like Curb, Blend Family, Dishoom and Time Out ✔ The biggest mistakes in regeneration — and how to avoid them Packed with insight for hospitality operators, developers, marketers, councils and anyone involved in place-making, this episode explores how food, culture and community can breathe life back into towns and cities across the UK. Keywords: food halls, urban regeneration, Market Halls, hospitality innovation, place making, high street recovery, Captive Conversations, hospitality strategy, community-led design, Next Space