Captive Conversations, The Hospitality Podcast · 2026-07-17 · 1h 25m
Key moments - from our scoring
Substance score
56 / 100
Five dimensions, 20 points each
Jade Craig's career trajectory reveals the foundations of modern UK hospitality leadership built on hands-on experience. Starting at her mother's Secret Garden Cafe in Camberwell - where she once served David Attenborough as a child - Craig progressed rapidly through pub and bar management, becoming a general manager at 18 and area manager by 23 overseeing 25 sites for operators including Slug and Lettuce and Litton Trees Bar. Her subsequent moves through Stonegate (formerly Laurel Pub Company), the Ink Group, Clean Space Partnership, and UK Hospitality (formerly Alamar) shaped her understanding of both operational excellence and industry advocacy. Today, as founder of Game Changers and through her work with Integra, Craig emphasizes the decline of genuine hospitality - the personal touch and care that made venues feel like extensions of customers' living rooms. She critiques the transactional nature of London's hospitality sector while celebrating the authentic service still found in regional venues like Manchester. Craig's passion centers on restoring hospitality as a career - something Europe and Australia have maintained - where staff genuinely know their guests and operate with intentionality rather than treating employment as temporary.
Jade Craig is the founder of Game Changers and works with Integra in the UK hospitality sector. She organizes major industry events like the Game Changers annual gathering that attracts 1,585+ delegates, and advocates for hospitality industry issues through her network of relationships with trade bodies.
Craig started working in her mother's restaurant, the Secret Garden Cafe in Camberwell, as a child, progressing to bar work as a teenager. She became a pub general manager at 18, was promoted to area manager by 23 overseeing 25 sites (including Slug and Lettuce locations), because owners trusted her work ethic and dedication to their venues.
Craig laments the loss of genuine hospitality care - where staff knew guests personally and made them feel treasured. She observes that London's transient staffing (driven by shift-sharing apps) creates indifference, whereas regional cities like Manchester and European venues maintain superior personal service and treat hospitality as a career.
Craig is inspired by Mike Hill (NTIA), Steve Alton and Emma McLark (BBPA), and Alan Simpson and Kate Nichols (UKH) because they fight for industry justice and support through trade bodies, demonstrating commitment to hospitality's broader welfare.
Craig worked as commercial manager for UK Hospitality, organizing major events including the UKH Christmas Lunch, race days, ski days, and golf days. She spent three years there before deciding to launch her own venture due to leadership turnover (three CEOs in three years).
Our reviewer’s read on each dimension, with quotes from the episode.
The episode contains scattered valuable insights about hospitality operations, community building, and event management, but is heavily padded with personal anecdotes, meandering storytelling, and repetitive throat-clearing. For every substantive point about venue operations or industry trends, there are multiple tangents about nightclubs, personal memories, and casual conversations that add little operational value.
I learned from loads of companies and I learned from my team as well
So I was consulting, doing surprise visits, count light bulbs that were out
While Jade's perspective on community-driven event management and the comp-sock sector pivot is somewhat fresh, most of the core frameworks (mentorship, hospitality service standards, trade body collaboration) are well-worn industry tropes. The originality mainly lies in the specific execution of Game Changers and treating events as community-building rather than revenue extraction, but these ideas aren't deeply contrarian or first-principles.
comp sock venues are the saviors of the high street because they're taking over pubs
we've got more people of difference in higher management positions in compsoc than there is in anywhere else in our industry
Jade Craig is a legitimate practitioner with 40+ years of direct hospitality experience (starting at age 4, GM at 18, area manager by 23, now running 42 events annually and a 3,500-venue membership community). She has credibility across both operator and supplier sides. However, the interview doesn't push her to reveal deep strategic insights or proprietary data; instead it stays at the surface of her impressive resume.
I was 18, I moved in upstairs in a pub
by the time I was 23, I became an area manager with 25 sites
The transcript includes some concrete numbers (1585 delegates at CompsOc, 3,500 Game Changers members, 42 events/year, £29/month membership, 22-33% insurance savings) but lacks depth of evidence for most claims. No financial data on event ROI, limited detail on the mechanics of how Game Changers saves money, vague references to 'two companies saved from administration,' and no third-party validation. Many claims are asserted without supporting data.
Last year it was 1585 delegates
we have just shy of 3,500 venues of membership
The host asks reasonable opening questions but rarely pushes back, challenge, or dig deeper into claims. Follow-ups are often softball acknowledgments ("Yeah," "That's insane") rather than substantive probes. The guest rambles frequently with tangential stories and the host doesn't redirect or challenge. There's minimal intellectual friction; it reads more like a friendly catch-up than a rigorous interview.
Yeah.
That's insane.
Computed from the transcript - who did the talking, and the words that came up most.
Running your own pub at 18 is one thing. Running 25 sites by 23 is something else entirely. In this episode of Captive Conversations, Adam sits down with Jade Craig, founder of Inntegra and Gamechangers, for a warm and wide-ranging conversation about thirty years in hospitality and what it really takes to build a community people want to stay in. Jade shares her journey from her mother's restaurant in Camberwell, to her name above the door of a Clapham pub at 18, to becoming an area manager across 25 sites, through the supplier side and the trade bodies, and on to launching Inntegra in 2015 and running 42 events a year. The conversation explores why she spotted competitive socialising in 2016 when the industry called it a flash in the pan, how CompSoc grew from 500 people in Holborn to 1,585 delegates, why trust sits behind every introduction she makes, and why Gamechangers was built around helplines, support and mentoring rather than discounts.
Transcribed and scored by The B2B Podcast Index.
Speaker A: We take over the Lighthouse. Last year it was 1585 delegates. We do the awards in the evening. You get there at 10:30 in the morning.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: You go home at 11:30 at night. We make sure you are fed and watered and your phone's charged and there's Wi fi, obviously, um, throughout the entire event. It's fast paced. It's lots of leisure time as well that you can test out the games and have cocktails with your friends. The awards are really speedy because we, we were requested that when you go upstairs, we're going to do quiet rooms and seatings there with a specific part. We're going to give them little spaces and areas so they can go up there. It's an amazing event. Uh, obviously it's on again this year, but we're doing it on the 15th of September. And anybody that wants to work with or any of your guys that are listening to this, if you use captive 25 kind of, you get 25% up.
Speaker B: Welcome to Captive Conversations, brought to you by Captive Wi Fi. I'm your host, Adam Foreman. This podcast brings you the best stories from suppliers, marketers and operators from our beloved hospitality sector. Now let's get on with the show. Hello, everyone. Episode 98. Uh, uh, we have the amazing Jade Craig. Thank you for coming from Game Changers and Integra. Um, thank you so much for coming.
Speaker A: Thank you for inviting me.
Speaker B: No, it's been a pleasure. I'm really excited for your history. Uh, I know some of it, but it'd be good to share it with everyone actually. So, um, it's a long one. Yeah, but it's good, uh, and you do a lot for the industry. So we're going to start with the two questions from the last guest. Uh, and again, my apologies because he only came this morning. So super advanced notice for you. Um, that was Will from Fanatic, his awesome digital, uh, agency. They look after some amazing brands, uh, from like web and SEO and that sort of jazz. His question, first question was, who in your industry really inspires you? Um, is. And where, where do you learn from, what companies you learn from? But mainly, mainly, who in your industry really inspires you?
Speaker A: Well, it would be the guys that run the trade bodies. So it would be people like Mike hill from the NTIA, Steve Alton, very close friend Bii, Emma McLark in BBPA, and Alan Simpson and Kate Nichols, who I've known for a very, very long time from uk. So it's all, it's all the trade bodies that inspire me and how much justice they get and fighting for our industry and what was the other one? So people.
Speaker B: Yeah. And where do you learn from or m. What companies maybe do you learn from?
Speaker A: I learned from loads of companies and I learned from my team as well. So with the compsoc side of things, I'm constantly learning and love talking to people about what we, what we do and what they're doing and that, that's quite an inspiration watching all of those people grow.
Speaker B: So amazing. And uh, the second question is, what are your hopes for hospitality over the next five years and where do you see the sector going? It's a tricky one, that one.
Speaker A: I want to see the sector stabilizing a little bit. I know that there's the vats, the problem that everybody is talking about at the moment. We've just launched the Oracle News EAM today, so it's all online for everybody to read. Um, everybody should be signing the. That's the problem. Ah, just. What ah, was the.
Speaker B: So good. What are your hopes for the next five years?
Speaker A: Just that we all stabilize and a lot of people have been really doom and gloomy this year and I don't like to uh. I'm one of those people that lives on the dark side so I always have to be positive and I think the fact that we have so many venues, there are people in growth, we've got pub side, uh, diversifying. I do think it is a good story. I just, I don't like doing. I just don't like hearing doom and gloom and I think we fought through world wars, we fought through recessions, we fought through Covid and we're still here. So I want everybody to be positive about hospitality. If I'm honest.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: The one thing that I'm not liking is watching the change in hospitality. So if you read Rosie Marsh's posts, for example, who I absolutely adore. She's my baby girl. She calls me her spooky. Spooky Mama Jade or spooky Auntie Jade. Well, obviously, um, bit of a goth, but it's from when you walk into a venue and how you're looked after 20 years ago compared to now. I still walk into venues and get completely ignored. Don't know where I'm sitting, wait to be seated, nobody makes eye contact and you're like, it's hospitality.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: Whereas when back in my day of running pubs, it was like having your living room and inviting people into your living room. And that's what winds me up. It's. It's the care that it's. Some places are Phenomenal at it. And some places are shocking at it.
Speaker B: Yeah. I think it's interesting. You can swear you're allowed to some places you're allowed to. I think, I think we see a lot as well is that um, in America and Australia you have hospitalized as a career.
Speaker A: It is a career. And in Italy.
Speaker B: Yeah, completely. Completely. And all over Europe, to be fair, if you go to a local restaurant, they're going to be either all the way over locals. It's insane. And you get. And they'll remember you and look after you and even in tourist areas where there's a huge turnaround. And I think here is a mix of I'm here for the job or m. I'm here for. And you can tell the difference between someone who's here for hospitality.
Speaker A: Yeah.
Speaker B: Uh, and I went, I went to.
Speaker A: Don't, uh, name the company.
Speaker B: No, no, no. This is all good. It's all good. It's positive. I'm no doom and gloom. I'm like, I'm positive. I was a. Weirdly enough, a pizza express in Stratford kid was at dance and then we had to drive all the way to Stratford. I'm like, let's go for lunch with my wife. And like, okay, let's go to Westfield. We're going to Westfield. I'm not gonna buy any shopping. We're just gonna go for lunch. And we went shopping. But anyway, we sat down and I had nice. You know, she's gluten free and stuff so you know, limited options. Um, and they were great and they were really nice. And the waiter, waitress, she was so nice. She'd hand printed Google feedback review cards.
Speaker A: Oh.
Speaker B: And she gave it to us and you could tell they were handmade. And I was like, did you make these? And she's like, yeah. And I was like, this is. And I gave a glow. And she was awesome. And it wasn't that busy. Uh, and then it got busy and she was still amazing. And then she gave us these little cards and they're just a little memory points. I think when you. That makes. That makes you remember. Right. We gave her awesome review because she was amazing. Um, and I said, you know, I have been to other restaurants like you. You walk in, you know, and, and, and I just walk straight past the reception because that no idea. And then I try and find where I need to where my friends are. So I think it's hard work sometimes.
Speaker A: But there's good and bad. I just, I just miss the old school. And there are. It does still exist. Maybe because I live in central London,
Speaker B: that there's so many restaurants here, it doesn't really matter.
Speaker A: Whereas in pubs in the country, or when I go to Norfolk or when I go. When, when. When you're outside of London and you're not in a big city. Uh, I was in Manchester a couple of months ago. Every bar I went into, I was meeting, greeted. People were really friendly and happy and the atmosphere was lovely and you were treated like, you know, the number one guest is a priority. Da, da, da. Whereas in London, I think it's just so transient and it's a shame.
Speaker B: Yeah. But I also think here there's a lot of, um, switcheroo. There's a lot of, um, individual shifts with different apps people use to go get those shifts. So they might not necessarily be at the event at that working for them.
Speaker A: Yeah.
Speaker B: And also there's a lot of transitions, so people will move from place to place. So I think that it's really weird here. Like, it's so tight here. Someone might only work there for three weeks and then on to the next, and it's difficult to. To do it. But I understand what you're saying. It's. We, uh, had Gabriel Good on a little while ago and she was like, I just want to feel treasured.
Speaker A: Yeah. I mean, I'm at smiling, so I'm never going to be. I mean, you know, I was always behind the bar. I was never a meter and greeter. I was never. I was never the one that was like, hi, um, I was just the one that served you the drink and got my job done kind of thing. Um, but, yeah, you just. You just do want to feel, you know, you're spending money and it's not cheap nowadays, so I can't get a pint for less than £12 anymore.
Speaker B: Good. Ananda's just been 20 quid. That's insane. I did a trick, though. I, uh, where I. I had a. Two Nandino's, uh, chicken wings and I. And I spent 12 pounds. I was like, I got drink included. I was like, that's insane in venue. Yeah.
Speaker A: And they let you do it.
Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah. I ordered online. I think my choice had a QR code. I ordered all the qr. She came along, she was saying, oh, it was dead. And I was very happy with my. With my. Because I was going to order the normal main, which was going to be like £19. So I actually ordered. I think it was £12.
Speaker A: I think it cost me 219.
Speaker B: And, uh, it was great job done. I was very happy with it. She looked at me, she put two plates down and gave me a smile.
Speaker A: Love it.
Speaker B: So, yeah, it's, it's, it's. Yeah. Everything's more expensive now, so I think there's the challenges. But, um. Okay, we're going to move on to the standard questions. Um, best hosta, best hospitality experience.
Speaker A: God, I've got too many. I've been in the trade for too long.
Speaker B: Is that memorable one that like. Like when you look back and you think about it, because everyone's got different ones that hooks a memory or you know, and so on.
Speaker A: That would be. In all honesty, that would be in Italy, when you go back to the same restaurant. This. When I go home and I see the same. And it's the same waiter and it's. I order. They know exactly what I want when I walk in. And it's the same. There's a pub around the corner from me called number 32 and it's a lovely place and they even do chips and money from the chips go to only a pavement away. So obviously I'm going to go back there.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: And that's where I meet my clients when they want to meet in London, come and meet here. And, uh, they know me, they know where I want to sit. It's. It's lovely. That's that. And then obviously I have a little bit of a problem in going to Fair Game because that's one of my favorite places to go and play games. And Lola, the marketing manager, is phenomenal friend and m. She's. She's one of my girls. So obviously love going there as well. They're my. They're My game's insane. Their games. Epic.
Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker A: So, yeah. Not that I should have a preferred concert because I, I don't have a preference.
Speaker B: It's about the experience, not necessarily the venue. So. Okay. And they. I. I do. Yeah. The local one's. N. Like, it's always nice to have that local that understands you.
Speaker A: Yeah.
Speaker B: You've had the conversation with them at a quiet time and stuff like that. So I like that. Okay. Best hospitality tech. Wow.
Speaker A: See that one? I'm not. I can't. I can't. I work with.
Speaker B: How about something that you've used yourself? Maybe not, uh, not com. Sock tech, maybe. There you go. That'll help you.
Speaker A: Well, I work with so many tech people that I'm not. I can't. If I do, I do. I'm going to annoy other people. And we work with so many suppliers of hospitality tech. I can't. If I did. I'm gonna have to say you wi fi. Am I? Yeah. You're the best tech and you. You support our events and you're there for us and help us with what we need, so it's gonna be you.
Speaker B: Okay, I appreciate that. Thank you very much. That. That's appreciate. Okay, um, we're gonna go back in time now to the very beginning. So, uh, uh, um, we can go back to back home if you like. To the very beginning, before you. Before you came here. So I always ask the questions. It's really interesting. Did you work younger? Younger. When you. When you, like, when you were super young, did you work in hospital?
Speaker A: I did. So if you start from the very beginning.
Speaker B: Yes.
Speaker A: My. Well, I came to the UK when I was four.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: Um, because basically in Italy you didn't really grow up in the 70s and 80s as a single parent. It wouldn't. It wouldn't work for my mum at all. So she moved back to the UK to give me an education and make sure I was looked after. Because we would have been shunned in Italy back then.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: Especially, you know, it anyway, is what it is. So my mum had a restaurant. It was called the Secret Garden Cafe. It was in Camberwell. It was underneath an antique shop.
Speaker B: I love that.
Speaker A: And it was epic. Um, like artists and local heroes, they all came to this restaurant. My mum was always. My mum was doing hummus before it was popular.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: Um, she did falafels and bits and pieces. But because of her upbringing and the way that she was taught to cook, she, you know, Sunday roast and family friends think one of the best things is obviously peeling spuds and putting cross crosses in every single Brussels sprout.
Speaker B: Yeah. Just.
Speaker A: I don't eat them. I'm never going to eat them because of it. Um, growing up, doing that. And I think one of the funnest stories from that was David Attenborough came in, not like I was 7 or 8, and I took the food out as a waitress and put the food down and looked at David Attenborough. And apparently I don't remember much about it. A tear came out of my eye and asked him why he always eating an animal. So the next day, some toys arrived.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: As an apology. So that's, um. He's a God anyway, isn't he? He's just a phenomenal human being. So went from there, Worked in my mum's restaurants, worked at, uh, my mate's pub, like collecting glasses and stuff, doing the legal stuff before you get to a Certain age. And then carried on working in pubs and restaurants until I got to 17. And then I was an assistant manager. Still couldn't legally sell alcohol, but I was the assistant manager.
Speaker B: But you couldn't. I love that.
Speaker A: So I wasn't allowed to. I was allowed to make the drinks, but I wasn't allowed to take the money for the drinks.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: And then I got to 18 and the owners of the company said that they wanted me to become the general manager. So I moved in. Pub called the Railway in Clapham. It's still there. Yeah. In Clapham High Street. It's a great pub. Um, what was that like?
Speaker B: Hold on. At 18, moving into upstairs in a pub. That's insane.
Speaker A: I loved it.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: I think I grew up kind of quick. So I'd worked in Sicily as a lifeguard during the day and working in the nightclub, uh, on the door and, um, behind the bar from 16 to 17 or 15 to 17, anyway. And I got away with murder because of my height and build. Everybody thought I was 21 anyway, so it didn't really matter. And things were slightly more relaxed and I still.
Speaker B: Definitely more relaxed.
Speaker A: A little bit more relaxed. Um, so got my personal license from John Gaunt. Still work with John Gaunt. They're a great company. Although there are other solicitors that we work with. Lots and lots of them. Um, so got my. Got my first pub at 18, moved in.
Speaker B: It wasn't so became you came in licensee at 18, basically.
Speaker A: Yeah. Name above the door.
Speaker B: That's insane.
Speaker A: Great. Um, great pub. Full of people that you didn't really want in the pub. So we got rid of them. Got, um, some DJs in on Friday and Saturday night.
Speaker B: What was that like? Because I've spoken to loads of people who have moved in and they're not the right people. Are in the right pub and it's right. You can go to the pub across the road. Yeah, well, yeah, the weirdest 18 as well.
Speaker A: A lot of them I grew up with.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: So they got it. They were like, well, yeah, we'll go to the pub across the road. Because this is what you want to do with your life and your work.
Speaker B: Uh, uh, yeah.
Speaker A: And I was like, if you want to deal drugs, go and do it across the road.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: End of story, you know. So did that, uh, turn the pub around, basically? Turn the pub around real quick. Yeah, yeah. Repainted it. Read it. I'm one of those that will go on ladders and repaint and decorate any pub that I play with. Anyway.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: Then got moved so they asked me to look after three of their sites because they had three sites in Clapham, which is still obviously there. The sun, the Railway and the Falcon. They're still in Clapham. They're owned by different companies, I think. I don't know who quite owned it. I think it's Mitchell and Butler, but I can't remember.
Speaker B: Uh, so how many pubs did they own in total?
Speaker A: They only had five.
Speaker B: Okay, nice.
Speaker A: Three in the same area, but three were in Clapham and two were in Chalk Farm.
Speaker B: Okay.
Speaker A: So bit far.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: So, yeah, it was weird.
Speaker B: How did you get in touch with them? How was that?
Speaker A: Uh, the owners. So I'd known the owners. Owners were family, friends trusted me, knew that I didn't take shitloads of drugs, which every other general manager at the time did.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: And knew that I was going to take care of their babies, as it were. Their pubs.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: So loved working with them. They asked me to look after all of them. It was really weird having 25 year old blokes going on. You're not my M. Manager, kind of am.
Speaker B: Yeah. But you don't really look at. I'm sure back then you probably didn't look at 18, did you?
Speaker A: No. But they knew I was 18. 19. I was 19 by 1920. By that time.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: Then stupidly fell in love, um, moved to Bournemouth to be with them and started out as an assistant manager, um, in a pub. And then they realized, read my cv, were like, oh, yeah, you're really hard working, you're always here. So became general manager of quite a big bar, 303,000 capacity. Wow. Inside Bournemouth. So you had the street part, you had the inside part and you could, uh. And a balcony wrapped around. It's Slugger Nettis now, I believe.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: And she was working with them and the area managers started saying, I need you to do some admin for me and bits and pieces and keep an eye on this. So by the time I was 23, yeah, I became an area manager saying,
Speaker B: this is like unheard of. I know. Uh, this is like graph, graph.
Speaker A: And I still speak to the woman that was head of HR at the time. She's still in the industry. Phenomenal human being. Maureen Heffernan, who owns Leisure pr. Yeah, she remembers me.
Speaker B: A little black book, even back then. Yeah.
Speaker A: I've. I've still got it. I won't sell it, I won't sell it. I've been offered money for it. Won't sell it. So, yeah, 25 sites, uh, was.
Speaker B: Hold on, what at 23 you had 25 sites?
Speaker A: 23. Ah, I had 25 sites as area
Speaker B: manager, which were these, like, bars, nightclubs,
Speaker A: pubs, or just combination of. So we had Litton Trees bar, Meds bar. Mm, Slug and Lettuces. Uh, a bar called Label, where we used our training site. So that was my GM site. Um, so we. That's where we train people. And it was so good, like bringing in a general manager and then like bringing an assistant manager, training them up, general manager, giving them a site.
Speaker B: Was that an actual site and it was just a test site?
Speaker A: It was a site that was the first slug and lettuce in Bournemouth. And then they swapped it and the big, big, big site became the slug and lettuce. It's still there. It's huge. Overlooks the beautiful gardens in Bournemouth. Mental. So, yeah, that was a bit of a life. Uh, worked there for a really long time until. So Laurel Pub Company, which is now Stonegate, because thousands. They were the biggest pub company at the time, went wrong. They changed the name to Bay Trading, then they changed the name to Stonegate. It's all out there for everybody to read about. I'm not going to talk about it. Yeah, there were court cases and lots of things. Um, it. It just. It disenfranchised me a little bit because a lot of mine, general managers lived on site, um, had kids. They didn't like me being, like, answering to me. But after a few, like, after a good number of years, yeah, they got it. It was better admin.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: Um, but making them redundant and homeless was, um. So I dropped out of hospitality for a little while and working in pubs and bars and went and worked for a supplier.
Speaker B: Okay.
Speaker A: Um, was that.
Speaker B: That was interesting.
Speaker A: So that. Yeah, I just. I just. Yeah.
Speaker B: Um, took a break.
Speaker A: Took a break, Worked with a supplier, did, uh, some trade accounts, bits and pieces. Then got called back in and was asked to work at a company, uh, called the Ink Group. And they owned half of Greenwich and half of the Dome.
Speaker B: Oh, wow. Okay.
Speaker A: Uh, by a guy called Frank Dowling. Uh, he still exists. He's still out there and he owns a Trafalgar in Greenwich and a couple of other venues. And we parted ways after six months. Just disagreement in things. I was just basically refurbing. I'd go to one site, refurb it, another site, refurb it. And I'm like, am I actually gonna run a venue?
Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker A: But they were amazing. It's just beautiful, beautiful venues. Like Lawrence, Will and Bowen designed the bars. And it was just, you know, the Wallpaper with porn on it and just very beautiful venues. And that's where I met Lil, who is now the sales director, uh, for Amazing Grace and KG hospitality. So that's 25 years there. And then. Then because of what happened there, I decided to play with a supplier again for a little while called Clean Space Partnership. They were an ethical cleaning company that cleaned pubs. So helped them out there and then got recruited by a woman called Miranda French, who I've known since I was 15. And she said, I've got this job for you. I think you'd really enjoy it. And that was when I became the commercial manager, whatever you want to call it, for the Alamar, which is now UK hospitality. O so that was a big step and into the corporate world of. But it was great because you'd phone and you'd say, hi, I'm Colin from the alumnr. And people instantly knew who you were because you were right, you know, you were looking after pubs and bars and you were the voice of. And it was. It was an amazing three years of my life.
Speaker B: So what were the roles? What were you doing there?
Speaker A: So I did all the events.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: Uh, I looked after a lot of events. The ukh Christmas lunch.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: Is a beast. That was.
Speaker B: That was.
Speaker A: Yeah. We used to do race days and ski days and golf days. I think golf day was a couple of weeks last week, I think for UKH phenomenal company. Really good. But I had three CEOs in three years, so I wanted to go and do something myself.
Speaker B: And so how old are you at this point?
Speaker A: So that was in 2015.
Speaker B: Yes.
Speaker A: So what am m I now? I'd have been 37.
Speaker B: That's a lot, isn't it? That's a lot.
Speaker A: Yeah. I've been 37 then.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: And a lot of my suppliers were, we'd like you to negotiate on our behalf for us to partner or spons sponsor, which we all know Jay doesn't use that word. Um, so they would employ me to negotiate on their behalf. Them partnering an event. Yeah. And whatever. I saved them from the rack rate. We'd share.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: And that worked. And then people started to approach me going, do you want to do an event for us? Blatantly obvious. You know how to run events. You used to do it, you know, lots of people in the industry, Black books, bigger and bigger and bigger. Supplier and operator.
Speaker B: Uh, yeah, it's really interesting. It's spread across the. Both. Right. Both sides. Like I rare. It's rare that you have that. Most people have that. It's either one or the other.
Speaker A: Yeah. And I've been on. I've been on both sides and I have no problem in being a supplier or an operator.
Speaker B: So the conversation over the phone is pretty. You understand both sides.
Speaker A: I don't think I could do a 20 hour shift again to be honest. Although I am up 20 hours a day. But I don't think I could do a 20 hour shift on my feet again. I just, I just. All we do for events but you know.
Speaker B: Well, the concept one is, is how many hours.
Speaker A: I mean you're there from 78 hours. We're on site. You're on time for 70M8 hours and it's great. Compsog. Com. Socks. My biggest. My biggest. Our biggest event. Um. But yeah, going back to. So started Integra.
Speaker B: Yes. So was it, was that, was that. Was it originally called that?
Speaker A: Yeah.
Speaker B: So it was out the bat.
Speaker A: Yeah. But the first logo was more like something out of Iron Maiden and everyone.
Speaker B: I love that jade.
Speaker A: You need to just be a little bit careful on that. So I came up with a logo Integra with the I double N as in meaning ins was a play on words because of pubs. Um. And I am all about integrity. So I won't work with people I don't agree with if I don't like their policies or if somebody. If I've watched somebody, supplier or operator being rude to a member of my team or a member of the team of the event I'm running. I'm not likely to work with them. I know I'm a psychotic bitch at events but that's my job.
Speaker B: You know what you really are, you've definitely calmed down to be honest with you. Because you.
Speaker A: I've got a good deal.
Speaker B: People say know. But I've seen you, you're a machine. You're um, an absolute machine. You are. I. Yeah. And the team. But anyway, let's go back to. Let's go back to where we were. So. So you, you started to help some of the brands.
Speaker A: Yeah.
Speaker B: You started Integra. It's just you on your own.
Speaker A: Just me all on my own.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: And it was consulting. So I'd go to pubs and bars and do things like do surprise visits.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: Count light bulbs that were out and you know, I had a certain number of pub clients and venue clients and I had a certain number of supplier clients and no brainer to just kind of amalgamate the two. I was working and helping out Propel at the time as well and I still, you know, still think Everybody should go to propel events. Um, I do think they're a really good community.
Speaker B: They are good at bringing everyone together.
Speaker A: Yeah.
Speaker B: I think that's a nice way.
Speaker A: All the events that are out there. So on the Integra website, there is a hospitality calendar that we have made sure everybody can see that. Every hospitality event in the hospitality.
Speaker B: I didn't have that.
Speaker A: So, yeah.
Speaker B: I always get asked the whole time,
Speaker A: tell them to go on the website. And not only that, because my CTO Kieran's a phenomenal human being. So what he's done, he's done the full calendar of every. Everybody's events.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: We don't ostracize anyone because I don't agree with it. We're all in the same space and if you click on it, it takes you direct to the website, but it also, if you click on the button, it puts it into your diary for you as well.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: Which. There you go.
Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. Super nice.
Speaker A: Super nice.
Speaker B: That's what you want.
Speaker A: Yeah.
Speaker B: So it's always difficult. People are always, always, always like, what's going on? What's happening? You know, you've got the big ones people know about. But there's. There's loads.
Speaker A: There's loads. Yeah, there's loads. And perfect example. We just did the Camlor no event. You were there with us and there were three events on the same day.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: Targeting the same people, if not more. There m were three that I knew of that day, but I've heard there were a few more. But the one thing that I love,
Speaker B: the hottest day of the year.
Speaker A: Uh, it wasn't that everybody was 37. 37. 37. It dropped down to 30, especially for Camlo. And.
Speaker B: No.
Speaker A: So it wasn't the hottest day of the year. Friday afterwards was.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: I was freezing. I was walking around with a blanket all day.
Speaker B: Well, in there. But it was freezing. They had.
Speaker A: That went on the back. Yeah. So that's the other thing that everybody thinks is funny because everybody gets hot flushes when they get their menopause. I'm lovely in the middle of my menopause thanks to what happened to me in 24. And I have cold flushes.
Speaker B: I do.
Speaker A: So Sharon will be there going, yeah, yeah, I'm really hot.
Speaker B: And I'm like. So you just give her a cup of. I'm really.
Speaker A: But you can see it. It's really weird. You can watch the goosebumps, um, cover my whole body. It's wrong. Yeah, yeah. That's my wonderful. I get cold flashes. Great.
Speaker B: Better than hot Flashes.
Speaker A: Oh, yeah. I. Poor Sharon suffers with him, but, um, I think a lot of women suffer with them. I'm glad that people talk about menopause now, actually, to be fair.
Speaker B: Yeah. It's not a hidden thing anymore.
Speaker A: No.
Speaker B: Thank God.
Speaker A: As well as being tapped or Neurodiverse and. Or whatever you want to call it. Um, that's lovely because we've got those people to thank that we can speak that. So. Integra. Yeah. Right.
Speaker B: So you started. Then you started realizing. And then you had. When you were consulting for some pubs that were. That needed help. And then obviously then you. Were they using you? Like, I need to read, I don't know what I'm doing. Or I need help. How I need to get X. Can you just deal with it?
Speaker A: It was bringing in suppliers for some of the pub companies. Uh, with the suppliers I actually still work with to this day. And then it was also, you know, little bits of training and things like surprise visits. They were always like, there are 98 fag butts outside your venue. You've just opened. That's outrageous behavior. Why isn't someone swept up? Because that's a basic for me. Um, but it's also, I. When I ran bars, my team would stand behind with their hands behind their back when I walked into the venue. Give you eye contact and all the nozzles and all of the spirits face the same way.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: Now you walk in and it's just. I'm one of the worst people to go to a pub with.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: Because you're looking, uh. Yeah.
Speaker B: It's like an actor going to watch a movie. Right. It's the same thing. You're like, yeah, you're itching.
Speaker A: Yeah.
Speaker B: You just want to get up and adjust stuff.
Speaker A: So. But it's never going to go out of my blood because I. I really did love being on the operation side of it. And a lot of people think I'm, um, just an scale and don't actually know the history. And I am. I was heavily into operations and loved working in pubs and bars and nightclubs. I ran.
Speaker B: It's a big way of growing up. Like, it's like you're. You've grown up fast. Like, it. It must have made you really. Because like, I did events for like eight years. Right. So going, you know, I go in, I wouldn't really drink. I'd be running around. And then at the end I might have a drink or I'll have a drink. I'll, uh, have like one drink, like a cocktail in the middle. And then I'll be like on it for the rest of the night or I'll just be looking happy and running around, just keeping an eye on everything. And it just changes how you work, you know, like you could. You're always keeping an eye on what's going on, what's happening, why things are happening, uh, and so on. Which is basically what you do as well and more. And it's. It, I think. And that was my grown up years. So, um, it's you, you have really like from young age gone, like growing up in hospital. It's like you've actually. Your, your history is growing up in hospitality. Yes.
Speaker A: I mean I did, I, I started my degree and I was like, I'm getting paid.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: So much more money.
Speaker B: What was it, what was the degree?
Speaker A: It was, uh, Italian. Well, it was fine art and Italian thrown in. So my gap year would have been going to Verona to live for a year. But yeah, yeah, they did, um, it was. Would have been at Westminster University and the dean called me and did the whole interview in Italian and they were like, yeah, you're fine, just come and your history. Because I'd already. My mum went to Glasgow School of Arts. She's really arty. So definitely am more that side of the brain.
Speaker B: Yeah. Creative.
Speaker A: Creative. Rather than, I mean, the spreadsheets I have to do. My, my clients love the spreadsheets that I do. But that's because of my ocd, because I'm good. Of course they are.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: With little tabs that you can write notes in. Yeah. But it, it works for this, works for the team and.
Speaker B: Yeah. So. But hospitality pulled you back in, basically.
Speaker A: It did.
Speaker B: You saw the value. I mean you're probably at that age, you're probably earning like my kid, my eldest is a hairdresser now, so all my friends are back. It's about to go to uni and she's already earning like a, you know, she's a quarterback. She's earning money.
Speaker A: Yeah.
Speaker B: So she's buying stuff where, you know, whatever and, and just she's, you know, and it's so interesting because she's like, you know, we'll be buying, you know, renting a flat earlier, uh, than everyone else. And that's good. And I think it's really interesting. Yeah, she loves it. I mean she, she's not you need type of kid. Um, but uh, I think, I think it's really interesting because it pulls you in. It's pulled her in. She loves the whole industry, she loves it all. And I think same, I mean I love hospitality as well, obviously. Um, and then doing what I did. But it's really interesting because you. You had the opportunity to go to university, but hospitality was there pulling you back in. You know, it's very different, isn't it?
Speaker A: I think. I think when you grow up, like a lot of people did in the 80s and 90s. Well, 80s. I'm a 70s child as you are.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: I think with a single parent family, you want to start. Uh. Nothing against my mum because she gave me everything I always wanted, anything I wanted. Except for Nike Air trainers. That was stupid money at the time.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: So I had high techs. Um, not. No grudges. Um, but you want to start earning because beans on toast was a staple and you were eating at your mum's restaurant. But beans on toast for a staple at home. Don't forget, my mum's a phenomenal cook and she was there, but she was busy working three, four jobs.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: To support me that you want to start earning. And I'm not academic. So the art course with the languages. Because the speech. Three, four languages on, um, just about English. But you know that I could have gone on the trail of becoming an interpreter or doing something with art.
Speaker B: Ah.
Speaker A: Or any of those kind of things, but that would have been 10 years more study and then more experience where I was earning money. So that was more important to me at the time.
Speaker B: And do I remember also there was the people thing there as well.
Speaker A: Right. People thing. I mean, we all know Jay doesn't like many people, but even back then,
Speaker B: you must have built some really nice relationships.
Speaker A: No, I built some. Do you know what? Back then, back then, back then, back then, I've built. I've built friends for life throughout hospitality. Um, there are people that I don't consider. I work with them. They are friends and they are true friends. And I know now if I did need support or help from them that they would be there in a heartbeat because they've known me for so long and they know that I would do the same.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: Um. But I think money won out, if I'm honest. And hospitality and the life that you live. So where I was 18 and I was running the pub in Clapham High street when you finished your shift, because we had a pub we had to close at 11.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: So there was another nightclub across the road and, you know, you knew the door staff there and you knew the general manager there. And then you'd pop into this bar and then you'd end up in Brixton at 4 o' clock in the morning. But you never paid for a drink. Yeah, and I'm, I'm not one for drugs because we all know they're not probably a good idea for me, but, uh, having a bottle of Jack Daniels delivered to your table by your mate that runs a nightclub or at Mass in Brixton or any of the clubs that I used to go to, yeah, it felt like, yeah, princess.
Speaker B: Yeah, of course.
Speaker A: I love doing that in a classroom.
Speaker B: No people being told what to do
Speaker A: or I can go and do this. So, yeah, did that.
Speaker B: Yeah. Listen, I think it's great. I mean, I, I, uh, yeah, I think for me it was the same. I, I, you know, I left it completely to go into hospital, so it was, it was, it just, it's intoxicating, especially with the people you meet. And, and uh, yeah, I think it's amazing. I think just the industry and back then as well, it was, it was, there was so much more. Like, you talk about nightclubs. There's probably like four nightclubs left, so five.
Speaker A: Don't, you know, speak to my kid on that one because he's fighting all the time to keep nightclubs open. I mean, he's the one that did hashtag the Save the Fetler and fabric and all those. And there is a phenomenal song, I'll send it to you called We've Lost Dancing.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: And it does like the Music Venue Trust. And all of those people are fighting for the venues to stay open just like this. What do you do?
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: And you are, uh, watching the demise of these super clubs and now you've got to go over to Ibiza if you want to go to Napa to go to one of the.
Speaker B: We used to go to like four or five clubs in a night. Just, you know, clubhop, club hop. And, and I speak to my niece and she's like, we're going to Pizza Pilgrims in Soho and then we're gonna go to a bar and then go home. Okay. And I was like, okay. I literally said, I literally said, I was like, okay.
Speaker A: Okay.
Speaker B: Yeah. Mhm.
Speaker A: It's a shame.
Speaker B: But there are some, there are some.
Speaker A: I mean, Coco Camden. Chloe used to.
Speaker B: Oh, ah, I mean, about that, that place is, um. The last event I ran was 2007 in Coco. Christmas Eve before it was what it is now.
Speaker A: Yeah.
Speaker B: And um, what it is now, she said to me, you've got to go. I haven't even been since it's been changed because you have to have is in. And uh, I drive past it the whole time. It's insane what they've done there. It's insane.
Speaker A: There are, there are, there are. You still got ministries down, still exists.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: And then, then you've got places that will do.
Speaker B: The old. The cross was sort of like what they took their other site in, in Camden and turned it into like a mini cross.
Speaker A: Yeah.
Speaker B: You know, so there are some little places there.
Speaker A: There are if you find them.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: Um, or if you're in the know. And then there are obviously, you know, there, there, there are, there's still a couple of nightclubs at the back of, um. Begins with okay, K. Kingston. There's a huge nightclub still in Kingston. And I was at an opening of Compsoc venue and I walked past this nightclub Thursday evening, so the Comstock venue had just opened. Wicked venue.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: And then walked around the corner and there was a nightclub and Kylie Minogue was playing.
Speaker B: I know, that's insane.
Speaker A: And I was like, I don't understand. It's a Thursday night in the middle of autumn. I don't understand what's going on. And she was still playing this, you know, she was playing a nightclub and fair play that. She still goes to nightclubs and doesn't think she's too big for it.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: Um, maybe they should have booked her for Pride London.
Speaker B: Yeah, yeah.
Speaker A: Thinking Freddie Pink Knickers were going to turn up. But anyway, um, yeah, I, I, I used to, I miss dancing. I used to go to mass in Brixton all the time because obviously it's in an old church, so. Bonus.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: But I'm a drum and bass garage head rather than a house and.
Speaker B: Yeah, yeah.
Speaker A: So it's really hard to find that kind of nightclub now. So we, we used to do the old telephone booth, phone call, find this, get to this trace, find another one and then you'd end up in a bit of a field.
Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker A: That was probably my, uh.
Speaker B: Nowadays there's just a sticker on, on the, on the, on the, on there. There's a big poster on traffic light the next time a base event. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Hold on. You're like, hold on, take a photo of that.
Speaker A: No, I don't, I don't. I think, I think I've. Especially now that I've unfortunately developed what I've got. I, I do still now in that a volume of people. I mean, I know it's crazy, right? I do loads of events but I'm in control of those events.
Speaker B: Yes, of course.
Speaker A: So people get out of my way. Whereas if I'm in pubs and bars, and nightclubs and is too crowdy. I wear these special loop earpods to kind of turn cool.
Speaker B: Yeah, that looks good.
Speaker A: Tone myself out of it and. But if people start shoving me and stuff it is going to turn violent. So it's probably best that I don't.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: Do that anymore.
Speaker B: Yeah. They can back in your memories.
Speaker A: Yeah. Or miss it though.
Speaker B: No, maybe. Maybe they'll be. Have a VR little VR headset and you can, you can just join in.
Speaker A: But I'm not gonna get the fluffy pink boots anymore. The fluffy big pink boots and the match and those. It's string vest. It was like fishnet.
Speaker B: Fishnet. Yeah.
Speaker A: Um. Cyber Dog.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: Sorry.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: Cyber Dog.
Speaker B: They're awesome.
Speaker A: They still there?
Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Camden's so different though, isn't it? It's. Everything's different. It's uh, a. It's interesting that. I mean I think it takes us on to. Which is quite nice actually. Uh, to Comsock because the slight demise of nightclubs, um, has had the rise of. Of comsoc.
Speaker A: It has.
Speaker B: Which is, which I think is amazing. And to have someone have the opportunity of going out to either playing arcade games to all the way down to cricket and to throwing axes and darts and shuffle and whatever, all that sort of stuff. And even the thing I'm liking even more is is that the opportunity of uh, brands like SingPods, Unlucky Voice and all the rest that have the give the pubs who have got like. Well, we've gone upstairs and we don't use it. And before it would be like an empty space. It would just be left there dead.
Speaker A: Yeah.
Speaker B: Wouldn't do it. And now is the opportunity of, you know, even Michael Halls who we work with.
Speaker A: Yeah.
Speaker B: Have done a whole concept piece.
Speaker A: They are in Oxford and one of them is I think one of them speaking at compsoc. Yeah. Oh, cool. So we've got someone.
Speaker B: So it's so interesting. They've taken a whole side part of it because it was just seats, you know, and, and, and, and to do something cool with the space. I think that's interesting. So I mean you were there from the beginning, so you know, don't mean
Speaker A: tell you about that one. Um, yeah, so Integra carried on and we did events. So with Integra we're now up to 42 events a year.
Speaker B: 42 events a year.
Speaker A: Yeah. So we've got the big ones. So I'll do it chronologically.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: So we do the EAG show with Bacter, uh, in January. That's huge. That's every single piece of equipment that you can possibly imagine. All with. Um, we do all the seminars. Then we've got Cam Pub Spotlight, which is another biggie. We do that at Westminster Chapel.
Speaker B: That space is insane.
Speaker A: Isn't it beautiful?
Speaker B: I've never seen. I've never been there. And it is. I spoke to the events lady there and she was walking me around. Oh, my God, it's gorgeous. And I was like. She goes, yeah, it's amazing because we can just close this off and then we have the cafe open. You come into the cafe. I was like. I was like. I was. I was just. Aw. That. I was like, you have to stand there and just turn around.
Speaker A: Especially the ceiling is just beautiful. So the thing that got everybody takes the piss out of me for doing an event in a church.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: But the reason why we do the events in churches or in. I like to persuade our clients to do events and churches is because the money goes back to a local community. Yeah. Uh, we've worked. We work. We work with big hotel chains and we do big venue and big holdings. But it's really nice to see an event giving back to a local community. So, anyway, so Cam Pub Spotlights in February.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: Then we do the BBPA conference. Um, that's in May. Um, in between, then we do eight dinners.
Speaker B: Wow. Okay. And then are you bringing operators? And, um. And, um. And, um, what are you doing?
Speaker A: So, suppliers. So it'll be a single supplier. So like someone like Dojo, for example, they will want to meet a specific group. So whether it's pubs, whether it's bars
Speaker B: or wherever it might be, you're bringing more together. Nice.
Speaker A: So we do. We do have a nice dinner. We do. We do dinners for a lot of our supplier clients. So that's why the 42 racks up.
Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker A: Then we do.
Speaker B: Because it's difficult trying to get hold of X. Uh, if you've got the breadth of what you have.
Speaker A: Yeah, that. We've got some great data, which is why I won't use a CRM system, because I'm like, it's my data.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: So I'm very 100%. Yeah. I'm really protective of who we work with. So I've never gone in and gone, this is an amazing new product. You should stock it in your venue because you only run out. You run out of those introductions. Whereas if you're a trusted partner with an Integra event and I have brought you on as a supplier, like you do with all our WI Fi and helping us with the box pops and stuff, it means that the operators that, uh, are in the venue or that are at the event understand and know that there is a. Yeah, there's a trust.
Speaker B: There's a trust, There's a trust there. It's not just. I get. All the time, I get a LinkedIn message, uh, with. On the IT side, they're like, oh, we've got a supplier. Do you want to go for a dinner? I don't know. You are.
Speaker A: I get over 900 messages a day on LinkedIn and it's becoming a little bit. Yeah, but then I don't trust anyone, do I?
Speaker B: JDI next year.
Speaker A: No, I'm not. You can speak to Kieran about AI. Because I'm. Yeah, no, not going to talk about. Yeah, I know you're going to make me talk about it. So, yeah, we do, um, EAG January Camp Spotlight February, then March and April we do loads of dinners and then we do ad hoc breakfast and bits and pieces. Then in May we do the BBPA Conference. In June we do Camlo and no, we've just done one and we used to do, um, COMPSOC in May but we've now bumped it to September because of obviously the World cup for this year and lots of other things that are happening. And then we do the BBPA dinner in October, the BII People Conference and Meters and National Innovation and Training Awards in November. And then in December I fall asleep.
Speaker B: Let's start over again and then start
Speaker A: it all over again. And what we now do, because of the phenomenal team that I have, is so, for example, Camelo and Noah's, a couple of weeks ago, we've already started confirming with partners for 2027 and the tickets go on sale in the next couple of weeks for 2027.
Speaker B: Oh, wow.
Speaker A: So we're now working on such a rotational basis.
Speaker B: So rare of what happened. Like, you're like. You're like retail. Do you know what I mean? Because Hospo isn't like that hospital is what's happening in the next three months.
Speaker A: No, I can't do that anymore because I want to look after. So my clients are a big, big priority to me so they know that they can get hold of me. They've all got my personal mobile number as well as my work number in cases an emergency. And I. Because we bring on the partners for the events as well as run the events and look after them. I mean, some of our clients bring on their own or there's a mixture of 2. It depends on the contract. That you have with us. But I.
Speaker B: Because you can choose. I think I've been to others where you'll just. You'll do part of it.
Speaker A: Yeah.
Speaker B: And then it'll be run by X or like, comsor is obviously yours. So then your team are like all over it. So it's interesting how you give that flexibility. So you could be. You can be the behind the scenes.
Speaker A: Uh, so we can power an event. So we, we caught. So, um, Joby from the ltc. He was chatting to me the other day and he's like, oh, that you, pouch. So we power, own and run events.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: So if we power an event, we are paid by the client. X amount of money. It's all on the website for everybody to see. I'm really transparent with what we do because I don't see the point in bullshit. It's all on our website. We have our, uh, partnership deck and everybody can see how much it costs to be a partner. Yes, we do give intro rates if you ask nicely. Um, but we work with a lot of partners throughout all of our events. And you do all the wi fi for all of our events. Kokabian Logic do all the hot drinks for all of our events. So we work with a set group of partners for everything. So we do it on a rotational basis. The Pub Spotlight tickets for February will be in on sale next. Hopefully this week, maybe next.
Speaker B: That's insane.
Speaker A: And that's February 27th. EEG show. The website's already up. We work with Bacter on that. We've already got 68 speakers lined up for that. And that's in January. So we work.
Speaker B: Yeah, that's insane.
Speaker A: So as soon as an event finishes, we start work on the event for the year after one. Because it gives the client peace of mind.
Speaker B: Yeah, your organization's done. There's no worry. Yeah.
Speaker A: Would you like to do it? Eat, speak, repeat. There's a slight increase. Change the venue. This is the new date. Do you want to do it? Job done. And we do it. Sometimes I email suppliers and I've emailed them 25 times and I'm like, do you want to do this? Do you want to do this? It's your last chance to do it. Please can you respond? Yeah. And it does say on LinkedIn that I hate late reply, but it's sometimes it's like flogging a dead horse. And sometimes people respond really, really quickly and everybody's really busy in the industry. So if we do it on that rotational basis, the client has that peace of mind and that's really important, I have to say. So do I.
Speaker B: Talking to the. So the. The one that you did in the church, that was powered by you. Right. Or was that run by Cam?
Speaker A: The Cam Pub Spotlight at Westminster Chapel. That's. So we do a bit of both.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: So can bring in partners. We bring in partners. We. We run the event, they do the speakers. We don't do that.
Speaker B: Yeah, yeah.
Speaker A: And they have an invite list and then the tickets. So we have a. We have an inbuilt ticket platform onto the Integra platform. Thank you, Kieran. Yes, thank you, Kieran.
Speaker B: Um, consistently building.
Speaker A: Consistently phenomenal. So we have a spreadsheet for every single one of our clients. Events.
Speaker B: Yeah. Nice.
Speaker A: And the client has access. My entire team has access. The ticket tabs locked.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: Because that's a direct feed from the website, so you can't type in there, but it's got a consistent running P. L. Who the partners are, what they're paying, what the conditions are, if the contracts are sent, what the social media tiles are, who the names are on the list, what they get. And there are like 20 tabs per event.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: On a live document that our clients can see at all times.
Speaker B: Uh, that's insane.
Speaker A: And we do that with all our clients. I've, I.
Speaker B: You're being open and understanding. Right? There's not. There's nothing hidden.
Speaker A: Nobody can say, jade, I need to know where we are with such and such. Because it's on spreadsheet for them.
Speaker B: I love that.
Speaker A: Which I think is a really important thing to do because I'm not always contactable. So if they have a question, it's there on their spreadsheet for them. It's always constantly updated by me and the team. And that's. That was a learning curve. But you are right, it is color coded. Um, but it, it works for all of our clients. So some of us like the Cam one. They do the speakers, we both do the partners, we do the print runs, we do the badges, we do the tickets. And then we bring in the partners, we do the logistics so CAM can arrive with what they want to do at that event and concentrate on the speaking while you guys are running around behind the scenes. We can do everything else for them and they can relax.
Speaker B: And I think that's the stress, isn't it?
Speaker A: That's the stress, yeah.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: It's the venue, the running around. Have we got any ice? I mean, um, have we got enough bottles of water? Because that's a legal requirement. And we offer 30 inclusive. Things. If you become a Integra partner or you want us to do an event for you, you get 30 things. So you get use of our lockups. We set up stands, we've got insurance, we do the marketing, we do the pr. We. It's a full list that's out there for everybody to see that we give to a client that I don't think many other event companies do, but it's what I want to do to service, uh, the client, as it were. So. And it. It brings back loyalty, um, with the clients as well.
Speaker B: And I'm going to go back a tiny bit from. How did Integra expand with your team?
Speaker A: So I was, uh. Right. Sharon Dickinson, who's my commercial director.
Speaker B: Yes.
Speaker A: I have been friends with her back from her Propel days, and we got really close and we shared quite a lot of life experiences. She's got 10 years on me, I don't think she'll mind me saying. So when I hit 50, she hits 60 and we're having a massive birthday. And our events director, uh, we've de. Aged her by two years. So she's now 38. I'm 48, Sharon's 58.
Speaker B: Nice.
Speaker A: We'll have a big party together.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: Um, and I. I just needed help with partnership and someone else. That was good. On the registration desk because I'm. I'm like, well, you put your name on the ticket. If you put your. I am, unfortunately.
Speaker B: Yeah. Um.
Speaker A: Well, you book. Book the ticket. I've printed the badge with the name that you typed in.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: That's not my fault if you typed it wrong. I'm not doing you a new badge. Whereas Shan's like, yeah, I'll just do it. Sharon. Sharon's the Ying to my Yang. She's. We're so close. She's like a big sister.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: She's. She's really, really become my backbone. Like if I have work life issue, balance problems. As if she does. We. We're on phone four or five times a day.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: So when Sharon goes on holiday or I go on holiday, we still speak two, three times a day for sure. Because she's. She's just like my big sister.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: So I asked her if she wanted. She was working a couple of days a week consultancy after she left Propel. Um, and I was fine.
Speaker B: I do a thousand events a year. Do you want to help me?
Speaker A: Well, it was. It was. Do you want to do a couple of days consultancy? And she's like, yeah. Um, so got her on board and we did it all on our own until we got our event director, um, who's a phenomenal human. But I'm not allowed to say who is just yet. Um, phenomenal human. You've met her, you know who she
Speaker B: is, but same m. She, she's.
Speaker A: She's like. She reminds me of me but she's the karma pragmatic version of me.
Speaker B: So she's a pocket rocket. I've not. She's just there. She's there, she's there, she's there. I, uh, look up and she's there. Like I. The eye. She's definitely got your eye. Yeah, she's definitely got your eye.
Speaker A: Yeah, she's phenomenal. She's phenomenal. So Sharon's my right hand and they are, uh, my left hand and they work with me. So, yeah. And then I got Kieran because Kieran was going through some problems in the company that he was working with. Um, we worked well with each because we were doing bits and pieces with each other anyway on certain events and I said, just go and take a six month break. Go and do your operations. What you need to do. I'm going to give you a couple of days a week here and there to do my brands and marketing and my website and bits. Because here's one of those. That's why we called. Well, we'll talk about Comic Stock in a minute. Um, and Game changers because obviously. And yeah, I seem to attract neurospicy people.
Speaker B: I love how you call that because you put it on LinkedIn as well. And you're a spicy. Oh, that's.
Speaker A: That's from Kieran. Kieran. That's Kieran.
Speaker B: I love that.
Speaker A: Done. That terminology. Yeah. Because I used to say, look, I'm totally tapped, mate. What you want?
Speaker B: Yeah. Um, and I only want 75 to 80 people in hospital.
Speaker A: Are we.
Speaker B: Are.
Speaker A: We're all, we're all on. We're all. We're all special in our own way, I think is the right way to put it. Um, and I am a big believer in, you know, doing unto others. So you treat people the way 100 you want to be treated. Basic basics, really. So, yeah, Integra grew and that's how I grew the team. I needed a new website. I couldn't. I. I learned I was doing a website on, you know, particular companies. Yeah, you can. I'm sorry, I can't do it. I can't do it. I don't have time.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: So, yeah, that's, that's how the team grew for Integra.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: And that's all we need because we've got. We've got lots of transient people that help us with the events. With a company that I use for temp stuff that do restaurants, hotels, bars, weddings. This.
Speaker B: That's when you need to.
Speaker A: So I can pull them in when I need. And they're trusted people. So we normally you will see the same faces at our event and that's through that. That in particular company that we use for our temp style.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: So yeah, you will see the same faces. But they are. There are lovely humans. They are. They're all great people that come and work at my event. So. But yeah, Sharon's my backbone. Big sister backbone. Like she's been on. We've been on the phone to each other four times today, I think then when I leave here.
Speaker B: Yeah, I'll give her a call to let her know. Yeah, it went all right. It went all right.
Speaker A: Yeah.
Speaker B: Okay. So then. And then game changes. So. So I mean that's uh, another beast of adding to the. Your list of things to do.
Speaker A: Yeah.
Speaker B: How did that all start?
Speaker A: So I noticed a trend in London of comp sock venues opening up, darts being played more often, venues being taken over. You know, certain companies taking foothold of pubs and bars that had closed down. And I was like, this is a thing. This is a thing and we need to pay attention to it. And that was in 2016, 2017. Went to every supplier, uh, and PR and magazine. It's a flash in the pan. Jade. It's not going to happen. Wow.
Speaker B: Uh, I'm like Apple before it was Apple.
Speaker A: But it's happening.
Speaker B: Yeah. Ah, you saw it and we need
Speaker A: to do something about it because no one's done an event about it. There was, there was a couple of mini events on experiential. Experiential experience. Yeah, something.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: But there wasn't anything like stand up and pay attention. These guys are actually, yeah. Uh, really becoming saviors of the high street because they were taking on things like WH Smiths and Bits and Pieces and other little nightclubs and bars. I mean they still don't have one in Clapham High Street. It's really annoying because I can't go and do compsock anywhere near my house.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: It's like the old revolution is a gym.
Speaker B: Oh, is it moved into?
Speaker A: Right.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: But it was a two story massive venue. But rent. I. Oh, uh. So that. I'll talk about that one minute. So I went and worked with a specific partner that we've parted ways with as of last year. And I now own compsoc independently. It's trademarked by Integra, which is, you know, been a bit of a battle.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: Shall we say, um, almost went bust last. Almost went bust at Christmas. Thanks for that. Um, so I went to market. We did an event at sway in Holborn. 500 people. 700 people on the wait list.
Speaker B: Wow.
Speaker A: Oh, it is a thing.
Speaker B: Yeah. When was that? When was the first event?
Speaker A: 2020.
Speaker B: Okay.
Speaker A: Is it 2020 or 20? No, 2018. 2018 was the first one.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: Then we did 2019, then 2020, 21 we didn't do.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: Anyway, and then it became a big thing and a bigger and a bigger and a bigger. And we've moved venues. We've been at the same venue now for three years. I asked all the supplier partners of the event last year. Do you want to go back to the same place? And it makes sense.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: Because one, yeah, it's a church, you know, me. And two, it's got a car park and it's set free from the car park into the venue. And if you're delivering a pool table.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: That's kind of important.
Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, yeah. But it's an insane space, though, that.
Speaker A: It's a beautiful space.
Speaker B: Really. Really.
Speaker A: And they are really good guys. They own quite a lot of churches across London.
Speaker B: Oh, do they?
Speaker A: Yeah. And borough halls and places. They're really, really good guys. And they get what we do.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: And love working with us because all over food and drink from Compso.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: Goes to their food bank the day after the event.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: So there's no, there is zero waste from quite a lot of our events, which is.
Speaker B: Yeah. Uh, unheard of.
Speaker A: I'm sadly passionate about looking after others.
Speaker B: Yeah. That's where the community side comes in, which is really nice.
Speaker A: Yeah.
Speaker B: No one really talks about it. I think it'd be nice for you to mention that. To talk about that as well. Yeah. You should.
Speaker A: Really.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: So with, with, with compsock, it became a thing. We take over the Lighthouse. Last year, it was 1585. Delegates, we do the awards in the evening. You get there at 10:30 in the morning.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: You go home at 11:30, uh, at night.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: We make sure you are fed and watered and your phone's charged and there's WI fi, obviously, um, throughout the entire event. It's fast paced. It's lots of leisure time as well that you can test out the games and have cocktails with your friends. The awards are really speedy because we, we were requested that I love doing traditional award shows and awards events for my cl. But the comp sock lot are like extent like me. You know, the attention span of a gnat. So quick, we quickly do the awards and we've got lots. You know, we've had fire breathers.
Speaker B: The nice thing is you've got the panels, but the pounds are all broken up as well.
Speaker A: Yeah.
Speaker B: So it's nothing. You're not. I've been to events in the past where it's just everything draining. Like it's all from then. Until then it's full out and you're like your brain is done.
Speaker A: Done.
Speaker B: It's done. No, no, what you've done is quite nice is because you split it out, people can then disappear. Yeah, they can m. Have a ref fresh.
Speaker A: This year we'll be doing. Sorry. There you go. Integra pink cushion. The. This year, when you go upstairs, you know the big hallway, we're gonna do quiet rooms and seatings there with a specific partner yet to be, um, spoken about.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: Um, so there'll be meeting rooms and quiet rooms there because I know that
Speaker B: I've got a little bit where to do whatever.
Speaker A: Yeah. They've got bits and pieces to do. So we're going to give them little stuff spaces and areas so they can go up there.
Speaker B: Um, two side bits you're talking about. They're sort of empty space, aren't they, as you go up.
Speaker A: No, no. When you come out. So. But that, that wouldn't be quiet because anybody. Anybody that speaks downstairs when the conference is on, it reverberates upstairs. So I have to run around like a headless chicken going. They can hear you up there. Which is obviously a bad side to the venue that we use.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: But when you walk, walk out of the auditorium.
Speaker B: Okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker A: Towards the actual internal staircase, not in the actual auditorium. There's huge hallways that people can use.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: So that's compsor. It's an amazing event. Um, obviously it's on again this year, but we're doing it on the 15th of September. And anybody that wants to work with or any of your guys that are listening to this, if you use captive 25 kind of. You get 25 up.
Speaker B: Yeah. I'll put it just up there, but above you stop there. Just up there. Yeah.
Speaker A: And that's as a thank you to you for working with us. So compsoc became a thing. And in the beginning, before COVID happened, I was approached by the CEOs and MDs of these operators, saying the insights and the White paper and the researchers and everything else were kind of being bundled in and nobody's actually paying attention to the fact that we are a different part of and we have our own sector. Because you do this event, you should start a membership group for us.
Speaker B: Yeah. You're like, all right then. Yeah, sure.
Speaker A: I've got nothing else to do in my life. So that's how game changers began.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: We have just shy of 3,500 venues of membership.
Speaker B: Wow.
Speaker A: Um, that's independence. As well as the big chains that you all know, we've got 70 supplier partners that all give benefits. Discounts. I like the word discounts but benefits and special offers to our operator members.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: We've saved 4Com. Well we've saved two companies from going into administration and we've saved two companies that went into administration and we phoenix them out.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: With our finance houses that we. We now we work with six different finance houses that will all give funding to operators that are in problems.
Speaker B: Yeah. Because is that advice piece is really difficult.
Speaker A: It's really, really hard.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: Um, but we have three helplines. There's three 24 hour helplines.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: So one take Char, one's health and well being and one's legal and licensing.
Speaker B: Yeah. Ah.
Speaker A: And let's face it, people fall downstairs at 10 o' clock at night, not between 9 and 5 where you have to pay your solicitors 600 pound an hour to go and make sure we have our solicitors on call and if you need them there on site there will be somebody within the area that you live or where your venue is that can come and give you advice.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: And that was really important to me.
Speaker B: Uh, that's important for everyone. I mean it's, it's like uh, if you think a big corporate uh, every, you know we, we have stuff as well like health to hand. Like you need that advice. Like the 24 hour uh, advice uh, in, in is needed especially in late night.
Speaker A: Yeah. You know and health and work. Like you don't need to go and do an old school seller talk at 2 o' clock in the morning when you've got a helpline there that even if it is just to somebody to go help.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: You can do that. So health, well being HR and legal and licensing and we've got partners for that. The, we work in partnership with the BII because there was no way that I was going to try and do some sort of body without working with a trade body. And Steve Orton was the obvious fit because no. 15 years of friendship he gets, he gets m. Me. Um, and he, he. Molly, who is their. The head of comms, she writes regularly in the magazine the Oracle. And people like Cam do our insights and research and white papers. And the amount we have saved for us operator members is well over a million pounds.
Speaker B: That's amazing. I remember you saying to me ages ago, like just a phone call was. Pool tables are being like a contract being ended and one, um, phone call saved an absolutely ridiculous amount of money, which is just insane.
Speaker A: And it's the same with our insurance providers as well. So we have a couple of different insurance providers, but NDML are our biggest ones. The Romero Group, I've known them for donkeys years and they save on average 22 to 33% on all insurance for venues.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: Including pop ups.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: Um, you know, like the random takeovers, they, they'll do the insurance and because you're a game changers member but you save tons of money.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: Um, and that's why I created it. So it's the community because they get lost.
Speaker B: Right. Even the smaller ones, like the ones and twos, they'll do their thing and
Speaker A: they don't get it.
Speaker B: No.
Speaker A: Whereas if we're there to help. Yeah. I mean, yeah, I do get some very random phone calls, but we are there to help. And compsoc venues, and I'm not saying this in a pretentious way, but comp stock venues are the saviors of the high street. Not because they're taking over pubs, because that's not what I'm talking about. It is the old shops, the old supermarkets, the old WH Smiths, the old Boots chemists, all of those places.
Speaker B: It is also like the pubs that are bringing in.
Speaker A: Yeah.
Speaker B: Are bringing people to the pub, back to the pubs.
Speaker A: Well, we're helping pubs diversify as well. So we've helped a couple of pub companies and work with a couple of pub companies that have got, you know, the space, the old function room upstairs.
Speaker B: Never get used.
Speaker A: No.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: And that Normally creates a 45% year on year return yield.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: If you just put. And we work with a company called IH Solutions and they will come out and do a white paper. So it's game changers.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: But obviously IH do it and they do a solution for you. So they'll do a full SWOT analysis of the area that you want to open your new venue.
Speaker B: Oh, wow. Okay.
Speaker A: And they will tell you what the right kit would be for the area that you want. Your function room or your new area. So we Just did it with the opportunity company, IH Solutions, for McManus Pubs.
Speaker B: Yeah. Nice.
Speaker A: So the FIPS is phenomenal. The opportunity company, IH Solutions, they worked. They've created a dream pub. Um, and pub diversification is a thing. So we do work with the BII and Steve and Molly and Natalie and all of those guys are at our event because. And I'm at their. Or. We run. We won their B. We run one of their events with obviously, Integra. But we built. We built such a community around the event.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: Uh, that they're all. It says. Because they're all phenomenal human beings and they're all different in so many ways. I mean, there's more. I mean, I harp on about it, but there are more people of difference in higher management positions in compsoc than there is in anywhere else in our industry. And I love that because I found my family, I found my tribe.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: Um, so the community that we built, that's why Game Changers happened.
Speaker B: With Game Changers, you were asked to build it, Really?
Speaker A: I was asked to build it, yeah.
Speaker B: Which is amazing.
Speaker A: It's cost me an absolute mint to create the portal for the members.
Speaker B: Yeah. And it's a portal.
Speaker A: Yeah, it's huge.
Speaker B: Yeah. Thank you.
Speaker A: Um, thank you, Kieran, again. Um, but it's. It's a massive portal and it helps people and that's the important thing for me, because we don't. We want to help pubs diversify. I don't get me wrong, I love a traditional old pub. I really, really do. So the Windmill. Sorry, the Windmill on Clapham Common is a must for me and it is a traditional pub and I love traditional pubs, so that, you know. But there are some that needs a wee bit of help or something to increase a little bit of dwell time and we're. We're there to help them as well.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: And that's why we work so closely with the BII game changes is there to protect and help. We're, um, working with so many venues, we're working with so many operators and
Speaker B: there's more and more.
Speaker A: And there's more and more every day. There's a new company out there on the market. I'm happy to help them. Excuse me, sorry. But that's what we're built to do. So the suppliers give. Like yourself, you give so many benefits to our operator members and we work in partnerships with lots of people. So, you know, we. We work with, um, SingPods, there are AV clubs, so they do a lot of the AV for their stories.
Speaker B: I'm gonna need to get him on. His story is really interesting how you need to start. Yeah. He's. I've spoken to him a few times. He's busy man. He's a busy man. And it's really interesting. Their whole story is interesting. And, um. And I. And I love the. I love the origin story.
Speaker A: You need to get him on because he's got new things coming out. Like, you need to get Johnny from 501 on as well because he's got new kit coming out. I get really excited.
Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker A: And it's really bad because I've got to keep my mouth shut because I know what's coming.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: Out. And I know it will be at my event.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: But I want to speak to your pres. And go.
Speaker B: Oh, you should just hold on until
Speaker A: you hear about this just yet.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: Yeah. But I. I love what we do and I do think I've found my tribe.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: With. We are all slightly different. That working comps are, shall we say, different. Yeah.
Speaker B: Yeah. If your brain works in a better way. Announce how it works. It works. Right. Uh, this has been insane. So we've got. Comps are coming up, which is really cool. And how many 42 events a year did you say?
Speaker A: 42 at the minute with. With Integra. And then we do grub clubs and BDM meetups with game changers as well.
Speaker B: Nice. So is that bringing some of the community together?
Speaker A: Yeah. Yes. So we bring BDM and sales guys together because they're just running around the country, right? Yeah. And they've got a lot on. And the one thing that's lovely, and I'm finding it more and more in regular, you know, the actual hospitality as a whole. But compsoc have always been collaborative. They have never been. You're my competitor. I'm not talking to you. They all love and work with each other.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: So the girls that, uh, I mentor at the minute, two from suppliers and two from operators.
Speaker B: Well, hold on. This is new. So no go. Okay, tell me no.
Speaker A: So for the past. Is it four and a half? Four and a half? Yeah. Four and a half years. I mentor four people. It doesn't have to be girls.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: But so far it has been girls. And it's two from suppliers and two from operators every single year.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: And they've reached out to me going, right, I love what you do. I love the fact that you're so open and honest. Maybe to a pop, to a. To the detriment of some people, I guess. Um, and I'VE sat and mentored them. So when they're going through work and they've got an interview or they've got a re interview or they need to go and do, you know, their probation conversation and all those kind of things.
Speaker B: Any challenges? Right.
Speaker A: Anything there?
Speaker B: Yeah, you've been through it, right?
Speaker A: I've been through it and I am a bitch. And one of the CEOs of the suppliers of one of the girls that I was looking after phone me up, went, stop, stop, stop. It's like having you in the boardroom. I don't want you in the boardroom anymore. Leave her alone. She's got directorship. Leave it. So then she phoned me and went, thanks. Um, and we're really good friends. And I do that because there was no one there for me and I went through hell and high water of thinking I wasn't good enough, having imposter syndrome. And if you have got someone that answers the phone going, that's normal, darling.
Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker A: Don't worry about it. That's a normal thing. That's a normal way to react. That. That does happen in our industry. But this is how you combat it.
Speaker B: And the coaching's so important.
Speaker A: And if you've got someone that will answer the phone and I will do that. So even if they called me now, if one of four girls is girls at the moment, but if one of the four girls called me right now, I would say, stop, I need to go and check on.
Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker A: Um, and I've done it. I've been out with friends, playing pool and having a really good time, and I've seen my phone and a name come up and I've been, I just need to pop outside and make sure this person's okay.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: And that's important to me because I never had it.
Speaker B: Yeah, that's really important. I love that you do that. That's really nice.
Speaker A: You've got to give back.
Speaker B: Yeah, Andrew, I totally agree with you.
Speaker A: I never got it.
Speaker B: Yeah, yeah.
Speaker A: But, yeah, we give back. And I give back to the community with compsoc as well. So they, they wanted game changers, they got it.
Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. But under your, under your rules. Right? Under my rules, which is nice because you've set it up in the right way rather than just being like, right, this is a community, everyone has to pay X, I'm going to keep X.
Speaker A: So that's what everybody forgets is it's from 29 pound a month for an operator join.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: Um, and the services that you get that's insane. Within the first month. Month you get back tenfold.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: What you pay a month.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: And then suppliers can join from four grand a month.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: That's game changers. But the biggest reward for me was given Sharon her own magazine.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: She'd worked for so many publications, and now she's got her Oracle. I hired her an editor in chief. Yeah. Uh, who's phenomenally well known in the industry. Matt Ely is great guy. And I finally gave Sharon M magazine.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: And she's got it and she loves it because she's in control. She's like, I want this. This will happen. And she loves it.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: Um, and obviously it's important as well,
Speaker B: because you got to know, got to let people know what's going on as well.
Speaker A: Yeah. And then obviously Kieran creates it.
Speaker B: Yeah. So, yeah.
Speaker A: Uh, yeah, we've got. I, I. The last time Kieran gave me the stats, I, I was physically sick with the amount of. Not in a bad way.
Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah. That's crazy.
Speaker A: That's a crazy amount of people that are reading the Oracle, that are subscribing because of the community that we've. And that's the thing. If you're authentic and you give a. About people and you put on an event that costs next to nothing to attend because we have tons put on.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: You get the community. And they all know I love and care about them because they all phone me or want calls or they see me at something or we go out and we meet.
Speaker B: You're very accessible, which is, which is very rare.
Speaker A: Well, it's. I like, I care about people. I don't like people people, but I care about the humans and the community that I've built.
Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker A: So, yeah.
Speaker B: That's amazing. I mean, the, it's the being at the event last year, I, I've never been number one. Seeing that you're a machine. Seeing you, Seeing you, like, literally steam through everything, which is amazing.
Speaker A: And go on stage and throw up.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: Drink. That's the worst thing, you know, shot.
Speaker B: Don't worry about the TV and, uh, you know, and that sort of stuff. I mean, literally, you combated every. Everything. Nothing was an issue. It was all dealt with and done. You know what I mean? Was just. But, like, it was. I mean, I came in the morning and then I came back later, and the whole thing had transformed in, like, the space of six hours.
Speaker A: Yeah.
Speaker B: I've never seen anything like. Yes, you're right. Getting something into that venue from the ground level is, is, is quick, smart, but the, the. From the organization, from the events that I've been. I've been to that you guys do. From the organization all the way through to end. I m. I've been to other events. I've never seen anyone on it as much as you and your team. Team. So I have to give you. I'm m gonna give you the. There you go. That's that round of applause. It is insane that attention to detail to, to how you're running it from even the, you know, Pub Spotlight where you're doing. You're doing that part and others and other events you're doing. You guys are just behind the scenes making sure everything is smooth and running and it's. And it just works and it's. And it's. I've. I used to event, so my brain is a bit teetering in and I literally. It's insane. Like everything's there. Like even like uh. Amazing Grace. You had water downstairs. You know, it was a boiling day and you had. Even people who wanted to leave. It was just there.
Speaker A: Yeah.
Speaker B: So, you know, I think, um, you know, there's always challenges which I'm sure you've had. Um, but I think it's amazing like the, the, the, the, the, the space and the amount of people and looking after 1500 people for a whole day. It's not, it's not. I mean normally most events would be like a couple of hours.
Speaker A: Yeah.
Speaker B: This is a whole day now.
Speaker A: I made it a beast. Beast. It is a beast.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: And for an operator to go obviously with your discount, which I'm sure you'll put up here again. Um, it's 29 pound a ticket.
Speaker B: Yeah. It's nothing.
Speaker A: Yes. I am a little bit mean.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: To suppliers that you need to pay 10. You need to pay more than that.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: Or partner the event.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: And we've got trusted people, you know, we've got trusted people that we have worked with from its inception that are still partners to this day. And the, you know, was a community.
Speaker B: You built a really nice community. And there's the trust there as well. Right?
Speaker A: There is, There is. So we, we do have some of the same suppliers. Every single year we're bringing on new suppliers so there'll be new products.
Speaker B: Awesome.
Speaker A: And this year the biggest change is now that I've trademarked it and it's an Integra.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: Owned event which is really important for those out there is that instead of having one kit supplier that we. You obviously parted ways with that I'm not talking about. No because then I'll cry. Um, but we've gone to market to all of the other kit suppliers and they're like, yeah, we'll do it.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: So now we have for this year. Yeah. We have so many different kit suppliers that everybody that attends is going to see stuff that they have never seen before and it's accessible to them. Yeah. Through Game Changers membership.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: So this year Sharon and I and Kieran have busted our bollets.
Speaker B: Uh, yeah, I can imagine.
Speaker A: To recoup that partnership to make sure that there's lots of other partnerships with 501 accelerated play sing Pods.
Speaker B: Because there's going to be loads more stuff for people to see.
Speaker A: There's going to be so much more and there's going to be innovative like brand new tech.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: That.
Speaker B: That you can't talk about now.
Speaker A: Which is at the event.
Speaker B: Yeah. Which. So, you know, it's good to have them on baited breath, to be honest with you.
Speaker A: Well, I, I love the event and yeah, I don't like going up on stage but I know I saw you
Speaker B: get up and have a little quick talk and then like wrestle off.
Speaker A: Well, yeah, there's a special bucket for me to decide so I can't. I'm not very good at eye contact.
Speaker B: You don't need to be eye contact on stage.
Speaker A: No, it's not that. It's thousand people staring down at you. It's like, yeah.
Speaker B: Ah, you should have a pre recorded message. Maybe you do that and you put it up on the big screen, you go, what?
Speaker A: And say. Because they all want to send me up there.
Speaker B: True.
Speaker A: They do give you a round of applause. Yeah. And I do, I do. It's just because of my. We all know I'm neurodivergent and the biggest thing for me is things like
Speaker B: this that I think you've done pretty well, to be honest.
Speaker A: Cameras, people looking at me. But I love what I do and I love compsoc and that's why we went and we did what we did.
Speaker B: Yeah. I love. And I love, I love for you that you do something you love.
Speaker A: Yeah.
Speaker B: Because that's really important.
Speaker A: It is. Because I wouldn't sleep only four hours a night if I didn't enjoy what I did. Um, but the one thing that Kieran did do a couple of years ago was take my emails off my phone.
Speaker B: Oh, well done. Yeah.
Speaker A: And I do believe I'm not a brain surgeon. No one's gonna die if I don't respond to your email until maybe tomorrow.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: Um, but that's the biggest stressor I had was sitting in bed at night at 2 o' clock in the morning, responding to emails.
Speaker B: Ah.
Speaker A: Because I'd average. I really do average 2000 emails a day across both of the companies and I want to respond to them. I just don't have time.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: Um, so Sharon. Sharon and Kieran did decide I was on holiday and all of a sudden
Speaker B: it just disappeared off your phone and
Speaker A: I. I couldn't get into my emails. I phoned Sharon and said, you know, what's happening then? And Sharon went, yeah, I do. I phoned Kieran, I went, I'm not, I'm not. It's all. Sharon told me to do it. It's done. And I haven't put them back on. And I do have a permanent out of office.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: On my computer saying, look, for I am here, I will respond. I might be out with a client, but for my mental health and for that of my team, more importantly.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: I don't.
Speaker B: Because you don't want to be a me. Them at 2 o' clock in the morning anyway.
Speaker A: No, I don't. Yeah, No, I don't. So, yeah, I love that I don't have my emails on my phone and people find it really weird.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: Like, really.
Speaker B: So I'm impressed. I'm super impressed. It's important. It gives you this.
Speaker A: It gives me that space. So when I do, I mean, I have worked out a wicked way. Hence tan. I am. I know people like, had you been on holiday? No. I have worked out a way of having my laptop in the garden.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: And that's really important to me because I am that sun worshiper.
Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah. I have a tan. Look. Can't you see? This is me pasty white. So, you know, I think I'm gonna go to the park later and. And top up my hula hoops.
Speaker A: In the park.
Speaker B: Oh, yeah, no, it's a private event. Yeah. I can't go there.
Speaker A: I will go in Nikahulu for you if you want me to.
Speaker B: It looks really good actually, to be fair. So next, next Integra event. You can. You can. You can get bills. Who down there? Bills are just over there. You can get them in and do an event with them in the park.
Speaker A: Could do.
Speaker B: So, uh, they're off walking to their offices just up there.
Speaker A: Rebecca Lamb's just gone to Bills. Amazing human.
Speaker B: Um, they're a great brand, to be fair.
Speaker A: Have you met the Lamb sisters?
Speaker B: No, no, no.
Speaker A: You've got to meet Rachel and Rebecca Lamb. They are two amazing women. In our industry. Um, and Lola Bushby from Fair Game, you've met. There's lots of. There's lots of them, but the Lamb sisters. So Rebecca Lamb has moved back up to the Wirral, Liverpool. Don't get me wrong. Don't shoot me. Um, and she's working with Bills. And Rachel Lamb is at, ah, um, London Shuffle. And they're both amazing, wonderful women in our industry, as are a lot. Lola as well, and Rosie. They're like. They're like, they're like my nieces. I absolutely adore them. But when I'll introduce you, I'm gonna get the girls to come.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: Hopefully they can take the day off of work. Um, and you have a sandwich. It's a lamb sandwich. And they are, they are. But they're amazing girls. There's so. There's so many. I mean, I could go on. There's Rory. That's Lucky Goat. He's a great guy. There's Faye, Uh, um, Faye Etherington. She's at Roxy. Ben Warren's one of my closest friends. I absolutely adore him. And I could go on and on and on and on, um, about the people that I love and care about and I'll write you a list one day. Well, all people can read my Friday post.
Speaker B: Yes. There you go. I love your posts. I like. You do a lot. I mean, it pains me you'll be
Speaker A: in it this week.
Speaker B: Yeah, it literally did something this week. I did this. It's not like some people would be like, so today I went here. You do. And it's. I mean, wow. I mean, someone just look at your three posts in the last three weeks. I mean, it's just insane.
Speaker A: But people love it because it's authentic and it's not written by AI. It takes me three hours.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: To write that.
Speaker B: What's a lot to write?
Speaker A: But it's also to put all the links in and then when, obviously, you know, the app that you're using crashes. Um, a lot. Lot.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker A: But, yeah, I write that. And Sharon made me do that. Start doing that a couple of years ago and 7, 500 people read it.
Speaker B: We'll move you. We'll move you on to doing the little videos next. Yeah, no, no, And I'm here. I'll tell you, I'll. Next time I've got my meta glasses on. I'll just follow you around for the day.
Speaker A: No, don't.
Speaker B: We can sniff up where.
Speaker A: Where would that be? You'll be at camp.
Speaker B: Yeah, they'll be on.
Speaker A: They'll be on the trainers.
Speaker B: Yeah, that's fine. I'm definitely going to follow you around. Okay, this has been. I'm gonna give you. That's the round of applause, which I think you definitely deserve. Um, this has been super interesting. I'm really excited for later on.
Speaker A: Rambled too much.
Speaker B: No, no, this is all good. You've done really well. And also your history is insane. Like, it's just you were built for hospitality. Like you literally were built from working in fields.
Speaker A: Right. As one or the other. I know that.
Speaker B: Um, amazing. So, okay, we're gonna go to the quick fire. Questions? Best restaurant.
Speaker A: I can't. My mum at, uh, home. My mum cooking for me at home. Yeah, sorry.
Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, that's okay. The last guy, I was like, best burgers. Mine during COVID He goes, they were amazing.
Speaker A: My back garden and a lot of clients do come over to mine and my mum will cook for them. I moved back in with my mum to house and stuff during COVID and I moved back in. My mama, she's important to me. So my mum's restaurant, she has a
Speaker B: choice chalkboard in the, uh, really in the house.
Speaker A: And she writes a menu. And then I go down in the morning. I select what I'd like for my dinner. I'm a spoiled.
Speaker B: That's insane. That's insane. Okay. Best burger.
Speaker A: Do you know? I. There's. I don't know if there's any left, but Hashay used to be my favorite one.
Speaker B: Used to be really good. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know that one. Okay. Best hotel,
Speaker A: right? It's in Leeds. Oh, what is it called? I can't remember what it's called. It's in Leeds.
Speaker B: Just let me know and I'll tag them in.
Speaker A: I will let you know. It's amazing. It's really good. And they upgraded me so I had a garden that. I've had a party for 20. I will remember it and I will tell you the name.
Speaker B: Sorry. Okay, two questions for the next guest.
Speaker A: Are you coming to comp Shock?
Speaker B: If not, why not?
Speaker A: If not, why not? Um, and gosh. Because you do the who are in your inspirations in so who. Who.
Speaker B: No, I don't. No, that was just. That was your question.
Speaker A: Okay. So are, ah, you a member of a trade body? If not, why not?
Speaker B: Yeah, I like uh, that.
Speaker A: There you go.
Speaker B: Yeah, perfect. I'm gonna give you another round of applause. You can give everyone a wave goodbye and then thank you so much. It was awesome.
Speaker A: Thank you.
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