Captive Conversations, The Hospitality Podcast

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 gue...

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 op...

In this episode of Captive Conversations , Adam speaks with Ed Christmas , Managing Director of Bums on Seats — one of the most influential voices in hospitality sales, bookings, and operational efficiency. Ed shares how fragmented systems, under-utilised CRMs, and broken booking processes quietly drain revenue — often up to 30% of business turnover due to inefficiencies alone.  Together they expl...

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 cust...

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...

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...

.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:...

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 alway...

Richard Liverman: Brand DNA & The Power of Ambassadors What do food, stories, and ambassadors all have in common? They’re at the heart of building brands that last. In this episode of Captive Conversations, I sit down with Richard Liverman to talk about: ✨ Why brand DNA is more powerful than just marketing ✨ The role of ambassadors in scaling businesses ✨ Why curiosity is key for growth ✨...

🎙️ 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 & Insights Key themes we...

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 pressur...

🎙️ Catherine Allen on Selling with Empathy & Building Stereo In 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 fi...

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 platforms Why most operators still rely on spreadsheets and manual fixes Building Set Menu with real operators, not just devs The future of brand contro...

In this episode of Captive Conversations, I sit down with Jack Edge , founder of Edgey, to explore his journey from hospitality operations into the world of branding and creative strategy. We dig into the real lessons from running venues, why operators need to think like lifestyle brands, and how storytelling is becoming the missing link in guest experience. In this episode, we cover: ✅ What Jack...

Hospitality lives and dies by its operations. Few people know that better than Gary Digby , who’s built a career leading multi-site venues and now runs his own consultancy. In this episode of Captive Conversations, we talk about: ✅ Why operations are the backbone of every hospitality business ✅ The common pitfalls operators face – and how consultancy can help ✅ Where AI and tech can genuinely a...

🎙️ EP61 – Lee Niles: 25 Years of Hospitality Tech & the Melford Technologies Story In this episode of Captive Conversations , I sit down with Lee Niles , a hospitality tech veteran who’s been driving digital transformation for over 25 years. We cover: ✅ The evolution from old-school PDQ machines to cloud-based systems ✅ How operators can simplify their tech stacks without losing performance...

🎙️ Why Pubs Still Matter — Building Community-First Hospitality at Scale In this episode of Captive Conversations , Adam sits down with Daniel Keen from Urban Village Pubs to talk about the enduring role of pubs, leadership through growth, and what happens when you build around people first. In this episode: 🍺 What makes the local pub such a powerful space — especially post-COVID 📊 Using data to...

🎙️ Menus That Speak for Your Brand — with Annica Wainwright of 2Forks In this episode of Captive Conversations , I’m joined by writer and strategist Annica Wainwright — co-founder of 2Forks — to explore the power of words in hospitality. We break down: 🧠 Why most hospitality brands sound the same — and how to stand out 📝 The difference between clear copy and clever copy (and why it matters) 📋 H...

In this episode of Captive Conversations , Adam sits down with Fi Sellick — UK Head of Strategy at Square — to talk about what hospitality really means in a world of tech, loyalty, and data. Expect laughs, lessons, and a love letter to cheese, coffee, and customer experience. 🎙 In this episode: 🧀 Cheese, chaos, and the charm of a proper deli 📲 How Square designs loyalty for real humans ☕ Coffee...

🎙️ Solo Episode 2: The CRM Graveyard In this solo episode, Adam Forman dives into the uncomfortable truth behind most customer databases — they're full of unused potential. You'll learn: What the “CRM graveyard” really is (and why it's so common) Why data collection isn’t enough without engagement How to audit your customer journey in 10 minutes Why segmentation matters more than ever What tools a...

Adam's First Solo Pod Welcome to Captive Conversations — the podcast where hospitality meets technology. In this first solo episode, Adam Forman (founder of Captive WiFi) talks through: His 20+ year journey in hospitality tech Why WiFi is the most under-used marketing tool Real-life automations that drive return visits What 95% opt-in rates actually mean New features like nationality detection...

In this episode of Captive Conversations , we go behind the scenes with the founder of two standout hospitality brands — one that built a cult following for handcrafted doughnuts, and another powering seamless online ordering and loyalty for restaurants across the UK. We dig into the real story behind the rise of these brands, the philosophy behind digital experiences that don’t feel digital, and...

The local visibility game in hospitality is broken,  but it doesn’t have to be. In this episode of Captive Conversations, we discuss local listings, menus, and guest experience with one of the sharpest marketing minds in the business. Kelsey from Marqii joins the show to share: ✅ Why most brands are still missing the basics when it comes to local SEO ✅ How digital presence connects directly to i...

In this episode of Captive Conversations , we sit down with Laura Mimoun — now Chief Marketing Officer at Fulham Shore , the group behind Franco Manca and The Real Greek — to unpack her remarkable journey from FMCG to foodpreneur to boardroom leader. Before leading the marketing strategy for some of the UK’s most loved restaurant brands, Laura launched Kaleido , a colourful and healthy salad roll...

In this episode of Captive Conversations , we sit down with Christophe and Angus from StoreKit to dive into the future of digital ordering, why some platforms slow you down, and how StoreKit helps operators stay lean, agile, and guest-focused. We cover: ✅ What operators actually need from their tech✅ Why speed and flexibility beat bloated platforms✅ The evolution of StoreKit’s checkout and at-t...