Captive Conversations, The Hospitality Podcast

🎙️ Catherine Allen on Selling with Empathy & Building StereoIn this episode of Captive Conversations, Adam chats with Catherine Allen, sales leader turned founder, about building Tidr, a new tool for sales enablement in hospitality. From her early days doing cold outreach at Trail to launching her own platform, Catherine shares what she’s learned about earning trust, finding product-market fit, and growing with grit.🔥 Highlights:How rejection shaped her sales mindsetBuilding relationships over transactionsWhy most outreach fails (and how to fix it)Stereo’s vision: empowering teams from the insideWhat ops people actually want from tech💡 “You get one shot to show up as someone useful, not annoying.”If you’re in SaaS, hospitality sales, or ops, this episode is a must.#CaptiveConversations #HospitalitySales #Stereo #Startups #HospitalityTech

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

From pulling pints in Welsh pubs to building one of hospitality’s most connected marketing communities — Glenda Barber shares her journey from Brains Brewery to Bloom Marketing and the creation of Team Marketing IRL.In this Captive Conversations episode, Glenda and host Adam Forman explore how hospitality marketers can build authentic communities, foster collaboration, and create meaningful customer connections.💬 Topics:Hospitality marketing trends for 2025How to build a marketing community that lastsThe power of empathy in brandingWhat Team Marketing IRL means for the industry#HospitalityPodcast #BloomMarketing #CaptiveConversations #HospitalityMarketing #MarketingCommunity

Two engineers. One mission: make dining safe for everyone.In this episode, Adam chats with Eve and Alana, founders of Served, the tech company redefining allergen transparency across hospitality. From their early research at university to partnerships with Dishoom, Techstars, and Hawksmoor, they’re showing how empathy can drive innovation.🎧 Topics:Highlights:💡 Turning lived experience into scalable hospitality tech🍽️ Working with over 100 restaurants to perfect the product📊 Why 40% of orders include allergens — and what that means for brands⚙️ Behind the scenes at Techstars and their US journey❤️ Making dining out safe, inclusive, and joyful again📈 Fun fact: 40% of restaurant orders now include allergy notes — and Served is helping teams handle that confidently.If you work in hospitality or just love eating out safely, this one’s for you.#ServedApp #CaptiveConversations #HospitalityInnovation #FoodAllergies #TechForGood

In this episode of Captive Conversations, Adam Foreman sits down with Matt Serwin, Director of Partnerships at Klaviyo, to discuss how hospitality operators can use data to truly understand their guests.💡 Highlights:• How Toast and OpenTable data power personalisation• Why first-party data is the foundation of real loyalty• What AI means for guest experience• How to shift from vanity metrics to actionable insight🎙️ “Data should make marketing smarter, not harder.”Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get yours.#CaptiveConversations #HospitalityTech #Klaviyo #CRM #DataInsights

.In this episode of Captive Conversations, I sit down with Charlton Santana, founder of HeyGuest, to explore how messaging, automation, and AI are quietly rewriting the rules of hospitality.From working front-of-house to building a platform used by hotels and short-term rentals, Charlton shares how he turned guest frustrations into a product that serves teams and guests equally.We talk about:💬 Why messaging is becoming the new front desk🤖 How AI removes repetition — not humanity🧠 The danger of “data wallpaper” and forgotten feedback✨ Why your loyal guests should be your focus group🌍 Benchmarking innovation outside the hospitality bubbleQuote to remember:If you’re in hotels or hospitality tech and want to evolve how you communicate, this one is full of real, actionable insight.🎙️ Follow Captive Conversations for more honest talks with the people building the future of hospitality.“Guests don’t want another app — they just want an answer, fast.”

Better Conversations, Not More Apps.In this episode of Captive Conversations, Adam Forman chats with Guy Weiss about the chaos of communication — and how ZenZap is bringing calm, clarity, and connection back to workplace messaging.From noisy notifications to meaningful moments, we unpack:• The real reason internal comms fail• How AI can help teams breathe, not burn out• Why simplicity always wins in complex industries• How to build tech that listens instead of shouting💡 Quote from Guy:“Technology should feel like teamwork, not traffic.”🎧 Listen now on Spotify — and if you’ve ever felt buried in messages, this one’s for you.#CaptiveConversations #ZenZap #Messaging #TeamCulture #HospitalityTech

🎙️ Episode 68 of Captive Conversations welcomes Olivia FitzGerald, Managing Director of 125 Data & Insights.Olivia shares her journey from:✅ Early days in hospitality at Quaglino’s✅ Scaling online reservations at Livebookings & Bookatable✅ Leading sales & marketing at Zonal✅ Running B2B at Majestic Wine✅ Transforming Feed It Back into 125 Data & InsightsKey themes we cover:• Why operators must be brave enough to really listen to customers• The danger of vanity metrics vs. actionable insight• How AI and advisory boards are shaping the future of guest experience• Why acquisition is expensive — and retention is where the value lies📢 Quote:“Feedback is the start. Insights are where the growth happens.”🎧 Listen on Spotify, watch on YouTube, and follow Captive Conversations for more industry stories.

In this episode of Captive Conversations, I sit down with Victoria Searl, founder of DataHawks, to unpack her career from running pubs at 18, to senior sales & marketing leadership, to building a platform designed to turn hospitality data into action.We cover:✅ Early lessons from running pubs and learning ops the hard way✅ Sales and marketing at major brands under private equity pressure✅ Why operators collect endless data but struggle to act on it✅ Building DataHawks to help operators focus on what really matters✅ How to balance people, process, and tech in hospitality💡 Standout quote: “Hospitality is easy when everything’s going well. Real hospitality is tested when something goes wrong.”If you’re in sales, ops, or tech, this one’s packed with nuggets of genius.

Welcome back to Captive Conversations. In this episode, I’m joined by Reiss and Louise from Set Menu—a platform that’s quietly becoming a must-have in the hospitality tech stack.💥 We talk:How menus get out of sync across delivery & booking platformsWhy most operators still rely on spreadsheets and manual fixesBuilding Set Menu with real operators, not just devsThe future of brand control, from third-party listings to guest experience💡 One standout quote:“Our biggest competitor isn’t another tech tool—it’s the spreadsheet.”📱 Learn more about Set Menu: https://setmenu.com/#CaptiveConversations #SetMenu #HospitalityTech #RestaurantOps #MenuManagement #DigitalMenus #HospitalityInnovation