The Oracle: Issue #4
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THE ORACLE<br />
THE OFFICIAL GAMECHANGERS MAGAZINE<br />
ISSUE <strong>#4</strong><br />
APR 24<br />
SIGN UP TO<br />
GAMECHANGERS
THE ORACLE - APR ISSUE - #04<br />
THE POWER<br />
OF PLAY<br />
Welcome to the latest edition of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Oracle</strong>,<br />
your e-zine for the competitive socialising,<br />
immersive gaming and interactive leisure<br />
sector.<br />
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It’s nearly here! Competitive<br />
Socialising – <strong>The</strong> Power of Play is<br />
only days away. On May 9, Inntegra<br />
and Home Leisure Direct will open<br />
the doors at <strong>The</strong> Lighthouse,<br />
Camberwell and welcome around<br />
1,000 people from across the<br />
industry.<br />
<strong>The</strong> event will be packed with<br />
insights, networking opportunities<br />
and the chance to sample some<br />
of the best food, drink and<br />
entertainment this wonderful area<br />
of hospitality has to offer.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re’s still time to register<br />
you and your teams to attend<br />
by visiting here.<br />
This year will see the winners<br />
of the first ever Competitive<br />
Socialising Awards revealed. You<br />
can check out the finalists on<br />
page 12.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re’s loads more content for you<br />
to get your teeth into this issue,<br />
including our exclusive interview<br />
with Roxy Leisure Managing<br />
Director Ben Warren. We also<br />
stepped up to the oche for a day<br />
in trade with the team from comp<br />
soc pioneers Flight Club.<br />
<strong>The</strong>se are businesses at the top<br />
of their game in what remains an<br />
exciting yet challenging sector.<br />
Just before we went to press<br />
on this issue, London gaming<br />
operator Platform announced it<br />
was closing its doors, serving as<br />
reminder as to just how tough<br />
trading conditions are.<br />
Gamechangers exists to celebrate<br />
and support the sector in a variety<br />
of ways and we look forward to<br />
catching up with you about that<br />
and so much more in London in<br />
May.<br />
For more information please visit our website or call 0344 892 0399<br />
OR EMAIL flatstonepizza@brake.co.uk<br />
Sharon Dickinson, Commercial<br />
Director & Content Editor<br />
3
THE ORACLE - APR ISSUE - #04<br />
Editor-in-Chief<br />
Matt Eley<br />
matt@gamechangers.org.uk<br />
Commercial Director & Content Editor<br />
Sharon Dickinson<br />
sharon@gamechangers.org.uk<br />
Graphics & Design<br />
Cieran de Valmency<br />
cieran@gamechangers.org.uk<br />
This Month’s Contributors<br />
Luke Elford, Partner, John Gaunt & Partners<br />
Katie Jenkins, Marketing & Partnerships Director, KAM<br />
Molly Davis, Head of Communications, BII<br />
Advertising Opportunities<br />
oracle@gamechangers.org.uk<br />
CEO & Founder, Gamechangers<br />
Jade Craig<br />
jade@gamechangers.org.uk<br />
Hospitality Consultant, Gamechangers<br />
Kelly Mortimer<br />
kelly@gamechangers.org.uk<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Oracle</strong><br />
Gamechangers Organisation Ltd<br />
Coach House, Ryeford<br />
Stonehouse, Gloucestershire<br />
GL10 3HG<br />
CHAIRMAN’S<br />
FOREWORD<br />
With great pleasure I introduce the fourth<br />
issue of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Oracle</strong>, which finds the<br />
Gamechangers team looking forward to<br />
Competitive Socialising – <strong>The</strong> Power of Play.<br />
We will be back at the Camberwell<br />
<strong>The</strong>atre on May 9 for our biggest<br />
event yet. Powered by Inntegra<br />
and with headline sponsor Home<br />
Leisure Direct, the expo this<br />
year is supported by 45 partner<br />
organisations and over 40<br />
exhibitors.<br />
Repeat visitors to will know<br />
they will be treated to impactful<br />
presentations reflecting on what<br />
has been an extremely active year<br />
for the comp soc industry.<br />
A brand new addition to the 2024<br />
is the Competitive Socialising<br />
Awards. <strong>The</strong> judging panel, made<br />
up of non-operator members<br />
of the Gamechangers Advisory<br />
Board, have spent many an hour<br />
in deliberation due to the very high<br />
calibre of nominations received.<br />
Make sure you secure your ticket<br />
for the event to see our well-<br />
deserved winners crowned.<br />
We, at All Star Lanes, were delighted<br />
to host the Gamechangers BDM &<br />
Sales meet-up back in February.<br />
<strong>The</strong> next event, the BDM & Sales<br />
Tournament, will be taking place<br />
at Flight Club Bloomsbury in June.<br />
This is just one of the many diverse<br />
events hosted by Gamechangers<br />
that add real value and learning<br />
opportunities to our operator<br />
members.<br />
Our recent partnering with TNT<br />
Sports also saw the Gamechangers<br />
team on a study tour to Manchester<br />
(page 38). Details of the TNT<br />
Sports offer and the benefits to<br />
members are all on our website in<br />
the member portal.<br />
If you are yet to become a<br />
Gamechangers member and want<br />
to know more visit the homepage<br />
to find out about what we have to<br />
offer.<br />
That’s all from me for now, I hope<br />
you find this issue of interest<br />
and I look forward to welcoming<br />
you all to this year’s Competitive<br />
Socialising – <strong>The</strong> Power of Play<br />
2024.<br />
With very best wishes,<br />
Graham Cook,<br />
Chairman of Gamechangers<br />
THE ORACLE<br />
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5
THE ORACLE - APR ISSUE - #04<br />
08<br />
EVENT<br />
Competitive Socialising:<br />
<strong>The</strong> Power of Play<br />
Experience the Power<br />
of Play at this year’s<br />
big event<br />
19<br />
OPERATOR INSIGHT<br />
We Roll with Roxy<br />
Games galore with the<br />
multiple operator<br />
29<br />
LICENSING ADVICE<br />
Potential Pitfalls<br />
Luke Elford looks at common licensing<br />
issues and how to tackle them<br />
36<br />
THE PUB<br />
PERSPECTIVE<br />
Providing a Career<br />
Platform<br />
<strong>The</strong> BII launches Workforce for all<br />
CONTENTS<br />
Editor’s pick!<br />
38<br />
VENUE TOUR<br />
Made in Manchester<br />
We join TNT Sports, KAM and more on a trip<br />
around the city’s top spots<br />
26<br />
12<br />
EVENT<br />
Competitive Socialising Awards<br />
Meet the finalists in our inaugural awards<br />
MEET THE BOARD<br />
Joby Mortimer<br />
<strong>The</strong> Brakes boss gives<br />
us food for thought<br />
32<br />
RESEARCH<br />
<strong>The</strong> Benefits of<br />
Benefits<br />
KAM looks at giving new<br />
recruits a fuller picture of<br />
life in the job<br />
40<br />
EVENT<br />
Comp Soc Networking<br />
We bring BDMs together at our<br />
Gamechangers meet-up<br />
16<br />
23<br />
MEET THE SUPPLIER<br />
Polaris<br />
Elements<br />
<strong>The</strong> hospitality tech experts are here<br />
to help<br />
ORACLE ABOUT TOWN<br />
Flight Club at the<br />
Double<br />
We hit the bullseye with the<br />
comp soc pioneers<br />
42<br />
WHAT’S NEW<br />
Changing the Game<br />
We cast an eye on new openings<br />
and ideas in the world of<br />
competitive socialising<br />
6<br />
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THE ORACLE - APR ISSUE - #04<br />
Leading figures from the industry will<br />
get their game faces on at Competitive<br />
Socialising – <strong>The</strong> Power of Play in London<br />
on 9th May<br />
Around 1,000 guests from across<br />
the industry will attend the event<br />
at <strong>The</strong> Lighthouse in London’s<br />
Camberwell. <strong>The</strong> event, run by<br />
Inntegra and Home Leisure Direct,<br />
is now in its fourth year and is<br />
firmly established as a key date<br />
in the competitive socialising and<br />
wider hospitality industry diary.<br />
Keynote speakers include BII chief<br />
executive Steve Alton, Roxy Leisure<br />
managing director Ben Warren,<br />
Lucky Voice boss Charlie Elek and<br />
Red Engine marketing director<br />
Juliette Keyte. Further industry<br />
insights will be provided by KAM at<br />
the event hosted by Graham Cook,<br />
Gamechangers chairman and chief<br />
executive of All Star Lanes.<br />
Gamechangers and Inntegra<br />
founder Jade Craig said: “We<br />
launched Competitive Socialising<br />
– <strong>The</strong> Power of Play back in 2020<br />
as I was inspired by how this sector<br />
evolved to suit customer demands<br />
and operated with passion and<br />
vision.<br />
“We look forward to a day packed<br />
with insights as we learn and<br />
celebrate this industry. <strong>The</strong> aim of<br />
our event is to create a community<br />
for networking and best practice.”<br />
For the full line-up of speakers plus<br />
ticketing information please click<br />
here.<br />
<strong>The</strong> event will continue into the<br />
night with suppliers providing<br />
food, drink and the latest gaming<br />
technology along with live music,<br />
DJs and drag acts.<br />
Stars of the sector will also<br />
be celebrated in the first ever<br />
Competitive Socialising Awards<br />
(see pages 12-15), highlighting<br />
the continued innovation, hard<br />
work and quality customer service<br />
provided by the sector.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Oracle</strong> will be reporting back in<br />
the next issue on a day that is set to<br />
be packed with insight, inspiration<br />
and business building ideas.<br />
INNTEGRA<br />
CLICK HERE TO<br />
GET YOUR<br />
TICKETS<br />
TODAY!<br />
8<br />
SAME EPIC VENUE + ALL NEW AV SYSTEM<br />
9TH MAY 2024<br />
LIGHTHOUSE THEATRE, LONDON<br />
9
THE ORACLE - APR ISSUE - #04<br />
Multi-Site Operator<br />
of the Year<br />
Menu of the<br />
Year<br />
Best Marketing<br />
Campaign<br />
Sixes<br />
Meet the contenders in our inaugural industry awards<br />
TOCA Social<br />
TOCA linked up with England<br />
skipper Harry Kane to launch<br />
the Record-Breaker Burger<br />
to celebrate his goalscoring<br />
record and to raise money for<br />
charity<br />
Oche<br />
A menu that is woven into the<br />
darts experience and pairs<br />
food with play by offering<br />
options that can easily be<br />
enjoyed between games<br />
without interrupting the flow<br />
<strong>The</strong> cricket specialists<br />
continue to get more people to<br />
pick up a bat and have a swing<br />
with sites opening across the<br />
UK and beyond.<br />
Everyone be upstanding and raise a<br />
glass to the first ever finalists in the<br />
Competitive Socialising Awards.<br />
Advisory Board have the tough task<br />
of picking the winners in 10 hard<br />
fought categories.<br />
Some of the biggest names in<br />
competitive socialising, immersive<br />
gaming and interactive leisure are<br />
in contention to pick up a prize<br />
at the ceremony at Competitive<br />
Socialising in London on May 9.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Gamechangers Organisation<br />
Whoever comes out on top will be<br />
truly deserving champions of the<br />
trade, as the shortlist alone helps<br />
to reveal some of the exciting and<br />
innovative work in evidence in our<br />
sector.<br />
Here are the runners and riders…<br />
CLICK HERE TO<br />
GET YOUR TICKETS TODAY!<br />
Roxy<br />
<strong>The</strong> opening of the Roxy<br />
Ball Room in York was<br />
backed with a wide-ranging<br />
campaign including a media<br />
collaboration, out of home, PR<br />
and an exciting opening night.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Bowls Club London<br />
<strong>The</strong> team works with premium<br />
street food vendors to ensure<br />
this is a lawn green bowls<br />
experience like no other.<br />
Roxy<br />
Roxy continues to bring the<br />
playground to the bar at its<br />
expanding portfolio of venues.<br />
10<br />
SAME EPIC VENUE + ALL NEW AV SYSTEM<br />
9TH MAY 2024<br />
LIGHTHOUSE THEATRE, LONDON<br />
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THE ORACLE - APR ISSUE - #04<br />
Newcomer of the Year<br />
Company of the Year<br />
Jungle Rumble /One<br />
Under<br />
<strong>The</strong> flourishing crazy golf<br />
operators have added three<br />
new venues to the UK with<br />
more to come in 2024.<br />
Arrowsmiths<br />
<strong>The</strong> O’Neill’s atmosphere<br />
combined with darts at the<br />
digital oche – now six sites<br />
across the UK.<br />
Boulebar<br />
A brand new bar spreading the<br />
word of petanque, with more<br />
sites on the way.<br />
Big Fang Collective<br />
<strong>The</strong>y are proudly ‘disruptive,<br />
diverse and different’ and<br />
‘push the boundaries’ at their<br />
six crazy golf sites.<br />
Clays<br />
<strong>The</strong>y’ve made a traditional<br />
sport accessible for all and<br />
put excellence at the centre of<br />
everything they do.<br />
Outdoor Venue of the Year<br />
Independent Venue of the Year<br />
<strong>The</strong> Bowls Club London<br />
Traditional lawn bowls pops-up<br />
in the heart of London with a<br />
contemporary twist featuring<br />
live music, food and drink.<br />
Boulebar<br />
An evening in Marseille is<br />
brought to London’s South<br />
Bank where guests can play<br />
petanque and enjoy Pastis and<br />
street food.<br />
SFG Club / Roof East<br />
Enjoy stunning views across<br />
the capital as you play a range<br />
of games or enjoy a cinematic<br />
experience.<br />
Fairgame<br />
All the fun of the fair, like never<br />
before at the Canary Wharf<br />
based concept.<br />
Carousel<br />
Delivering in Lincoln since<br />
2021, Carousel gives guests<br />
multiple ways of having a night<br />
to remember.<br />
Floodgate<br />
Brimingham’s self-titled plucky<br />
underdogs offer a range of<br />
games including baseball<br />
cages and UV curling.<br />
12<br />
SAME EPIC VENUE + ALL NEW AV SYSTEM<br />
9TH MAY 2024<br />
LIGHTHOUSE THEATRE, LONDON<br />
13
THE ORACLE - APR ISSUE - #04<br />
Greatest Guest Experience<br />
Activity of the Year<br />
F1 Arcade<br />
<strong>The</strong> arcade racing specialists<br />
“meticulously map and<br />
analyse the customer journey,<br />
embracing feedback as a tool<br />
for growth and refinement.”<br />
TOCA Social<br />
A social and dining experience<br />
built on immersive footballbased<br />
games that were<br />
created with the aim of getting<br />
everyone to play the most<br />
popular sport in the world.<br />
Whistle Punks<br />
<strong>The</strong> axe-throwing masters<br />
take pride in hiring the best<br />
instructors who are the key to<br />
their business and customer<br />
experience.<br />
Roxy<br />
Crazy Pool is Roxy’s exclusive<br />
game that combines mini-golf<br />
and pool and is now available<br />
at eight of Roxy’s 18 venues.<br />
Pop Playrooms<br />
Pop Golf encourages guests<br />
to have a ball by playing in a<br />
music video and finding the<br />
perfect photo on every hole.<br />
TOCA Social<br />
TOCA’s football based games<br />
give players the chance to<br />
show their skills in a unique<br />
environment.<br />
Venue of the Year<br />
Flight Club<br />
Social darts brings groups<br />
together for unbeatable<br />
moments of “unexpected,<br />
ridiculous, joy”.<br />
Hijingo<br />
Innovative shows with cuttingedge<br />
tech such give customers<br />
the chance to win cash prizes.<br />
Fairgame<br />
<strong>The</strong> world’s first immersive<br />
fairground combines nostalgic<br />
games with top tech to create<br />
epic moments and memories.<br />
Golf Fang Cardiff<br />
Big, bold, beautiful and with a<br />
30ft slide to enjoy during your<br />
round – what’s not to like!<br />
TOCA Social<br />
Giving customers the chance<br />
to enjoy the world’s biggest<br />
sport in a thrilling new way<br />
with guest experience at the<br />
heart of the offer.<br />
Monopoly Lifesized<br />
Play the game like you never<br />
have before and immerse<br />
yourself in a fantasy Monopoly<br />
world.<br />
CLICK HERE TO<br />
GET YOUR TICKETS TODAY!<br />
14<br />
SAME EPIC VENUE + ALL NEW AV SYSTEM<br />
9TH MAY 2024<br />
LIGHTHOUSE THEATRE, LONDON<br />
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THE ORACLE - APR ISSUE - #04<br />
Polaris Elements boss Neil Westwater explains how<br />
the hospitality software experts can help competitive<br />
socialising venues level up<br />
How long have you been<br />
involved in the hospitality<br />
sector?<br />
“I started my career in hospitality<br />
at the age of 23. I was working for<br />
S&N, when an opportunity to work<br />
for this family business arose. At<br />
the time we were a payroll business<br />
across multiple sectors including<br />
medicine and real estate. We were<br />
working alongside a software<br />
company which we subsequently<br />
bought in 2010.<br />
“Today our business is 100%<br />
hospitality, including competitive<br />
socialising venues – an area in<br />
growth.<br />
“<strong>The</strong> Polaris family has an<br />
experienced team within hospitality<br />
with an extensive operator<br />
background, so we understand the<br />
challenges. My in-laws have been<br />
in hospitality all their lives and bring<br />
an invaluable wealth of insight into<br />
the company.<br />
“Whilst longevity doesn’t guarantee<br />
success it certainly indicates<br />
stability success.”<br />
How has Polaris expanded<br />
its offer?<br />
“Over the past 14 years the<br />
business has grown its offer –<br />
we are not just about EPOS. We<br />
offer a one-stop-shop, a forwardthinking<br />
attitude and can include<br />
payroll, workforce management,<br />
business management, loyalty<br />
cards and gift cards. We have real<br />
MEET POLARIS<br />
ELEMENTS<br />
time reporting using 35 metrics for<br />
sales forecasting and an ordering<br />
service.”<br />
How do you work with your<br />
customers within competitive<br />
socialising venues?<br />
“<strong>The</strong>se are unique venues that<br />
require significant investment<br />
which maximises their returns<br />
and enables longevity. Consumers<br />
are demanding operators<br />
continue their investment and<br />
the longstanding operators have<br />
to step up their offer through<br />
technology.<br />
“Polaris has also invested and<br />
committed to continuously<br />
ensuring that our technology is up<br />
to date, convenient and efficient.<br />
We strive to evolve with operators<br />
to keep up with high street<br />
demands.<br />
“Our industry is fast-paced and<br />
innovative and we as tech partners<br />
need to be too. Our goal is to<br />
allow the operators to streamline<br />
by having all the information they<br />
need in one place.”<br />
How do you work with<br />
operators from a nonhospitality<br />
background?<br />
“We have noticed, particularly with<br />
competitive socialising businesses,<br />
there are a lot of operators who<br />
have come in from different<br />
backgrounds. Tech backgrounds<br />
bring must-have knowledge into<br />
these businesses but operational<br />
savvy is where Polaris thrives.<br />
“You know what<br />
Neil, when I see<br />
your costs on my<br />
P&L, I’m just really<br />
pleased they are<br />
there, as I know<br />
that the returns<br />
that we get in the<br />
business are so<br />
significant that it<br />
gives me peace of<br />
mind.”<br />
We provide a side-by-side business<br />
model by offering strategy and<br />
future proofing products to make<br />
this element of the business<br />
efficient and convenient. A client<br />
has a direct point of contact who is<br />
on hand to guide and advise.”<br />
What can Polaris offer for<br />
Gamechangers members?<br />
Polaris can introduce its customer<br />
base to the extensive support<br />
infrastructure that is available<br />
through this trade organisation.<br />
Now more than ever, operators are<br />
looking for services that enable<br />
them to evolve based on consumer<br />
demand, manage changes in<br />
legislation, and create opportunity<br />
to effectively scale their business. If<br />
we can help facilitate that then we<br />
have done our job.<br />
What can we expect in the<br />
future from Polaris?<br />
“Well, the Polaris Personality<br />
guarantees our commitment to<br />
work with every customer with a<br />
tailored programme unique to their<br />
needs.<br />
“We continue to evolve our<br />
technology, remain relevant, always<br />
be consistent, build relationships<br />
and be a valuable resource<br />
ensuring the best P&L a business<br />
could expect.<br />
“One of the nicest things I have<br />
heard was when a customer said<br />
– ‘You know what Neil, when I see<br />
your costs on my P&L, I’m just<br />
really pleased they are there, as I<br />
know that the returns that we get in<br />
the business are so significant that<br />
it gives me peace of mind.”<br />
Neil Westwater, UK & Europe<br />
CEO at Polaris Elements<br />
For more information visit<br />
www.polaris-elements.co.uk<br />
MEET THE SUPPLIER<br />
16<br />
17
THE ORACLE - APR ISSUE - #04<br />
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TODAY<br />
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What one of our operator members has reportedly saved in legal fees by<br />
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OPERATOR INSIGHT<br />
ROXY ROLLS ON<br />
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Operator members have saved 50% off developing websites for their venues<br />
using Gamechangers supplier rates with Nat20 Design.<br />
£20,000 saved on a venue relaunch<br />
One operator saved circa £20,000 in contracting services for branding,<br />
dancers, entertainment and FREE drinks all night at a recent venue relaunch.<br />
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<strong>The</strong> <strong>Oracle</strong> talks gaming, growth and comp soc competition with<br />
Roxy Managing Director Ben Warren<br />
How long have you worked<br />
in hospitality?<br />
“Since I was 20, so that would make<br />
it 25 years! I have successfully<br />
worked my way up through the<br />
industry, working with some<br />
amazing people and exploring the<br />
best of hospitality. This includes<br />
bartending in Marbella, working<br />
at late-night bars, clubs and fivestar<br />
dining in the UK. I settled into<br />
competitive socialising around<br />
2008 – back when they were called<br />
pool halls – and then to being<br />
part of the Roxy journey from the<br />
beginning in 2013.”<br />
What is the concept at<br />
Roxy?<br />
“We describe Roxy as bringing<br />
the playground to the bar, with a<br />
huge variety of games all under<br />
one roof and massive rock and<br />
indie tunes. Today’s venues pack in<br />
more games than ever, with a huge<br />
drinks selection and a food menu<br />
which goes hand in hand.<br />
Roxy’s fun vibe is reflected in<br />
the decor, with neon lights, bold<br />
patterns and graffiti-style art<br />
providing lots of insta-worthy photo<br />
opportunities.”<br />
How has trading been this<br />
year compared to last?<br />
“Similar to industry reports, 2024<br />
has been tougher than 2023 so far.<br />
We are lucky to be surrounded by a<br />
great team that enables us to stay<br />
focused on our journey. This has<br />
seen us grow and evolve hugely<br />
in the past 12 months, opening<br />
new sites in Birmingham, Cardiff,<br />
Cheltenham, Leicester, a third site<br />
in Liverpool, and most recently<br />
York. For Roxy this has been a<br />
great year of growth that we are<br />
proud of.<br />
Our recently refurbished original<br />
site in Leeds has seen like-for-like<br />
sales jump higher than anticipated<br />
and with other refurbs planned<br />
for this year we feel the venues<br />
are well-placed for the challenge<br />
ahead.<br />
We have also launched a<br />
new division – King Pins in<br />
Manchester, which focuses on<br />
the family market, opening more<br />
opportunities for the company.<br />
Overall, the team has quickly<br />
combated any tough trade<br />
with innovation and new ideas,<br />
constantly evolving our venues,<br />
marketing ideas, and ways of<br />
working.”<br />
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THE ORACLE - APR ISSUE - #04<br />
Can you tell us about any<br />
future plans?<br />
“Our Property Director Tom<br />
Hodgson is stacking up the pipeline<br />
as we speak, with a new Roxy<br />
Lanes due to open in Nottingham<br />
this summer which will be our<br />
second site in the city. This will<br />
be quickly followed by planned<br />
projects in London and elsewhere<br />
around the country. <strong>The</strong> target is to<br />
open six sites a year across Roxy<br />
Leisure and King Pins.<br />
Our games just get better each<br />
year, as third parties develop more<br />
accessible technology for darts<br />
and digital shuffleboard. It opens<br />
up the variety of games we can<br />
offer under one roof.<br />
With each venue we build we seem<br />
to get better, so the future is really<br />
exciting.”<br />
Why is becoming a<br />
Gamechangers member<br />
important to you?<br />
“Our Head of Marketing sent me<br />
this recently:<br />
‘At Roxy, competitive socialising<br />
isn’t just a pastime or another<br />
hospitality concept; it’s about<br />
embracing the spirit of play,<br />
fostering connections, and creating<br />
moments that resonate deeply with<br />
our guests. It’s about crafting an<br />
experience where every visit is an<br />
adventure—a chance to escape the<br />
ordinary and immerse oneself in the<br />
extraordinary.’<br />
So, when I spoke to the team at<br />
Gamechangers, I felt that this was<br />
a journey we are all now on and we<br />
are keen to support this at Roxy.<br />
Gaming will be a big part of the<br />
hospitality scene in the years to<br />
come.”<br />
How do you see the<br />
competitive socialising<br />
sector evolving?<br />
“Hospitality is such a creative<br />
industry and competitive<br />
socialising venues will bring out<br />
the best in those operators who<br />
are able to offer something unique.<br />
<strong>The</strong> sector is becoming a little<br />
crowded with some cannibalisation<br />
happening, as operators are simply<br />
copying what other people do<br />
without much innovation.<br />
<strong>The</strong> sector will continue to grow,<br />
however you have to be the best at<br />
what you do in that micro sector to<br />
really succeed.<br />
Ben Warren, Managing<br />
Director of Roxy Leisure<br />
An example would be for us in<br />
Leeds, we were the only operator<br />
offering games a few years ago,<br />
now there are 12 choices of<br />
competitive socialising venues for<br />
the Leeds population to choose<br />
from when heading out. <strong>The</strong>re<br />
are only so many customers to go<br />
around. We still perform really well,<br />
but we believe that’s due to being<br />
the best in our sector.”<br />
For more information visit<br />
roxyleisure.co.uk<br />
Want to be<br />
showcased next?<br />
Get in touch today:<br />
oracle@gamechangers.org.uk<br />
20<br />
21
THE ORACLE - APR ISSUE - #04<br />
BRING YOUR ENERGY<br />
SERVES UP TO DATE…<br />
GIVE YOUR CUSTOMERS<br />
WHAT THEY WANT<br />
1 IN 2<br />
ENERGY DRINKERS<br />
WOULD BUY A<br />
MONSTER ENERGY<br />
IF AVAILABLE IN<br />
YOUR VENUE * AN ANY TIME<br />
ALCOHOL<br />
ALTERNATIVE<br />
WITH FOOD,<br />
ALL DAY &<br />
ALL NIGHT<br />
THE ORACLE - APR ISSUE - #04<br />
CHECKING OUT<br />
WITH FLIGHT CLUB<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Oracle</strong> steps up to the oche for a memorable darts tour<br />
around London<br />
THE ORACLE ABOUT TOWN<br />
MULTI-SERVE<br />
COCKTAIL<br />
MIXER<br />
Energy Drinks Have<br />
Never Tasted So Good<br />
Portfolio also includes the OG<br />
Darts has been hitting the<br />
headlines lately, thanks largely<br />
to the emergence of teenage<br />
sensation Luke Littler.<br />
But a business around half his age<br />
has been making a splash in the<br />
world of hospitality since 2015.<br />
Flight Club launched its first social<br />
darts venue in Shoreditch less<br />
than 10 years ago. It brought the<br />
traditional pub game bang up to<br />
date for a tech-savvy generation<br />
and has helped pave the way<br />
for countless other competitive<br />
socialising concepts.<br />
<strong>The</strong> brand is growing strong with<br />
12 sites across the UK, franchises<br />
in the USA and Australia and more<br />
in the pipeline.<br />
With game-face on, <strong>The</strong> <strong>Oracle</strong><br />
met with the team from parent<br />
company Red Engine to see if we<br />
could hit the bullseye.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Oracle</strong> took game number one<br />
and celebrated all too vigorously<br />
on footage that was caught on the<br />
Flight Club cameras.<br />
Flight Club, Victoria<br />
When founders Steve Moore and<br />
Paul Barham were toying with<br />
ideas and playing darts in a shed,<br />
it’s hard to believe they could have<br />
imagined something on the scale<br />
of the Victoria site.<br />
You enter via a helter-skelter<br />
staircase before reaching an<br />
eye-opening space featuring all the<br />
fun of the fair.<br />
<strong>The</strong> impressive bar sits in the heart<br />
of the floor with 18 oches carefully<br />
positioned around the main room.<br />
With space for 650 people, it’s the<br />
biggest Flight Club around.<br />
Like all Flight Clubs, Victoria offers<br />
full drinks and food menus, plus the<br />
added bonus of the Magic Garden<br />
outside space.<br />
It means that customers go for<br />
more than just a quick game of<br />
darts before heading elsewhere.<br />
In fact, while half of Flight Club’s<br />
guests are there to play darts, 50<br />
per cent are happy to simply enjoy<br />
food, drink and the social side of<br />
things.<br />
To order your POS Kit or find out more, email connect@ccep.com, call 0808 1 000 000 or visit my.ccep.com. While stocks last. *Source Hospitality outlets 2CV - Energy Audience U&A, May 2022, GB<br />
22<br />
23
THE ORACLE - APR ISSUE - #04<br />
For more information visit<br />
flightclubdarts.com<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Oracle</strong> came to play, so we<br />
step up to game number one,<br />
Demolition. It’s a race down from<br />
180 to 0. Unlike traditional darts<br />
you don’t have to finish on a double,<br />
making it more accessible for all.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Oracle</strong> took game number one<br />
and celebrated all too vigorously<br />
on footage that was caught on<br />
the Flight Club cameras.<br />
Flight Club, Bloomsbury<br />
Where Flight Club differs<br />
from some other venues with<br />
darts-based games is that there<br />
is no screen projected onto the<br />
board. It’s the seemingly simple<br />
set-up of players throwing darts at<br />
traditional boards, just like people<br />
have been doing in pubs for years.<br />
Cameras capture the flight and<br />
record every arrow thrown.<br />
On <strong>The</strong> <strong>Oracle</strong>’s tour not a single<br />
throw failed to register. It means<br />
game play is reliable, fun and<br />
understandable.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Flight Club team are always<br />
developing new ideas, some based<br />
on darts games that have been<br />
passed down the generations.<br />
At Flight Club, Bloomsbury, we<br />
played Shanghai, which is a<br />
variation on the classic darts game<br />
‘around the world’.<br />
We also played Donkey Derby,<br />
in which you aim to move your<br />
nag forward and your opponents<br />
backwards.<br />
While still playing to win, the<br />
sourdough pizzas, padron<br />
peppers and drinks served up in<br />
Bloomsbury may have taken the<br />
edge off any competitive hunger.<br />
Flight Club, Islington<br />
No two Flight Clubs are the same.<br />
While there are behemoth sites<br />
such as Victoria and Cardiff there<br />
are also smaller, neighbourhood<br />
venues.<br />
Islington falls into the latter<br />
category with a local pub feel about<br />
it. That said, it still features all the<br />
stylish design cues – fairground<br />
horses, grandfather clocks, cheeky<br />
wallpaper – evident throughout the<br />
estate.<br />
We got down to some serious<br />
gaming here, starting with Quack<br />
Shot – six rounds of trying to hit the<br />
bullseye and avoid the ‘ring of fire’.<br />
This was followed up with a<br />
game familiar to many pub darts<br />
players, Killer. This brings out<br />
the competitive edge as you try<br />
to become a ‘killer’ and take out<br />
opponents by targeting their<br />
number.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Oracle</strong> had the instinct and<br />
was far more lethal than any guest<br />
should be.<br />
Flight Club, Shoreditch<br />
We ended where it all started, at the<br />
original Flight Club site. <strong>The</strong> venue<br />
was buzzing with parties and an<br />
early after work crowd by the time<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Oracle</strong> arrived.<br />
It was only right that we got into the<br />
spirit in a literal sense by tucking<br />
into some Flight Club slushies.<br />
Gaming was concluded by playing<br />
Snakes & Ladders. It’s a tactical<br />
variation on the board game where<br />
the number of spaces you move<br />
is determined by what you hit on<br />
the darts board. It was a fun and<br />
strategic way to end an epic tour.<br />
Our day was over, but in a classy<br />
touch that customers all enjoy, the<br />
very next day we received an email<br />
showing highlights and photos<br />
from our time at the oche – making<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Oracle</strong> keen to do it all again.<br />
Want to be<br />
showcased next?<br />
Get in touch today:<br />
oracle@gamechangers.org.uk<br />
24<br />
25
THE ORACLE - APR ISSUE - #04<br />
“It’s ultimately<br />
about enabling<br />
members to<br />
flourish...”<br />
As a founding member of the<br />
Gamechangers board Joby<br />
Mortimer is on a mission help the<br />
competitive socialising sector<br />
thrive.<br />
He brings years of industry<br />
experience to the table, not least<br />
from his current role as Brakes’<br />
Corporate Hospitality Director.<br />
Joby says: “Getting involved with<br />
Gamechangers is a bit of a no<br />
brainer. It is needed. <strong>The</strong> trade<br />
bodies we have got all do a brilliant<br />
job but we need our own voice for<br />
competitive socialising and we<br />
need to make sure we are relevant<br />
and aligned with the broader<br />
campaigning.”<br />
He is keen for more operators to<br />
join Gamechangers and enjoy<br />
Joby Mortimer<br />
Corporate Hospitality Director, Brakes<br />
In his role at Brakes, Joby<br />
helps to fuel the nation’s pubs<br />
and clubs. As a Gamechangers<br />
board member he is now<br />
providing members and suppliers<br />
with food for thought.<br />
benefits that include huge savings<br />
on services and advice from<br />
experts in their fields.<br />
“<strong>The</strong> board has a great mix<br />
of people with operators and<br />
suppliers and non-execs. We have<br />
people who run businesses and<br />
have been through significant<br />
growth. <strong>The</strong>re’s a lot of expertise<br />
on that board that will really help<br />
operators maximise their learning<br />
potential.“<br />
“It’s not expensive<br />
to join. We already<br />
have members who<br />
have saved multiple<br />
years’ worth of<br />
membership<br />
through the support<br />
that’s out there.”<br />
He adds: “What we really want<br />
is to create a platform that helps<br />
operators share best practice with<br />
each other. If you are a really good<br />
operator and you want to take that<br />
leap and expand, you will be able<br />
to talk to other operators in that<br />
space who have been through that<br />
journey.”<br />
From his experience at Brakes he<br />
can help businesses understand<br />
the role food can play in<br />
competitive socialising venues.<br />
He continues: “It’s hugely important<br />
because if a group of people are<br />
going out the chances are they<br />
will have a plan to eat at some<br />
point. If a business does not have<br />
a food offering it will lose those<br />
customers.<br />
“It needs to be good quality food<br />
that they can enjoy while they are<br />
with you.<br />
“You don’t need a huge team of<br />
trained chefs. With concepts such<br />
as the Brakes Flatstone Pizza you<br />
can offer a great range of pizzas<br />
for meat eaters, vegan, vegetarian,<br />
gluten free – across the range. It’s<br />
low skill, high margin and I’ve yet<br />
to meet anyone who doesn’t like<br />
pizza.”<br />
Whether it is adding a food offer,<br />
staffing, law, growing a business<br />
or opening another site, the<br />
Gamechangers team is on hand to<br />
help members along the way.<br />
Joby adds: “It’s ultimately about<br />
enabling members to flourish,<br />
encouraging them to learn from<br />
each other and for us as a board<br />
giving Gamechangers the right<br />
guidance and support to shape<br />
their thinking and navigate through<br />
the incredibly choppy waters we<br />
face right now.”<br />
When <strong>The</strong> <strong>Oracle</strong> catches up with<br />
Joby, he is just days away from<br />
embarking on a Pedalling for Pubs<br />
adventure in Kenya.<br />
<strong>The</strong> initiative has helped people<br />
back into work and raised vast<br />
sums for two vital charities.<br />
As an industry stalwart with<br />
hospitality in his heart, it is no<br />
surprise that Joby is in the thick of<br />
the action with riders from across<br />
the sector.<br />
He says: “It’s a big challenge but<br />
we’re on a mission together to raise<br />
funds for two hospitality charities<br />
– Only a Pavement Away and <strong>The</strong><br />
Licensed Trade Charity.”<br />
Whether it is Pedalling for Pubs<br />
or helping competitive socialising<br />
businesses stay on track, Joby is<br />
up for the challenge.<br />
Get your kitchen up<br />
and running in no time<br />
Brakes is the UK’s leading pub food supplier, with over 15,000<br />
products available to choose from including ready to go menus.<br />
For more information visit www.brake.co.uk or connect through<br />
a Gamechangers Organisation membership today.<br />
MEET THE BOARD MEMBER<br />
26<br />
27
THE ORACLE - APR ISSUE - #04<br />
THE MAGIC OF CAPRI<br />
THE PREMISES<br />
LICENCE<br />
PITFALL PLAYBOOK<br />
Can’t wait to open that perfect new site?<br />
Keep a close eye on potential licensing dilemmas<br />
LICENSING ADVICE<br />
TRY IT MIXED!<br />
DI CAPRI<br />
TONIC<br />
INGREDIENTS<br />
50 ml Limoncello Di Capri<br />
150 ml Tonic water<br />
Sprig of mint<br />
Lemon zest<br />
PREPARATION<br />
Pour all the ingredients into a highball glass filled<br />
with ice. Stir and garnish with a sprig of mint and a<br />
lemon zest.<br />
DI CAPRI<br />
SPRITZ<br />
INGREDIENTS<br />
75 ml Prosecco<br />
50 ml Limoncello Di Capri<br />
25 ml Soda<br />
Sprig of mint<br />
Lemon twist<br />
PREPARATION<br />
Pour all the ingredients into a white wine goblet,<br />
add ice cubes and stir. Garnish with a sprig of mint<br />
and a lemon twist.<br />
Why do “experiences”<br />
require “experience” when<br />
it comes to obtaining a<br />
licence?<br />
One of the things that I love the<br />
most about the competitive<br />
socialising/experiential leisure/<br />
experience economy (call it what<br />
you will) is that the possibilities<br />
are endless and limited only by<br />
the imagination of those bringing<br />
concepts to the table.<br />
That said, there are significant<br />
pitfalls for the unwary; particularly<br />
with premises licensing.<br />
I’m going to go through some of<br />
the scenarios that I come across<br />
on a day-to-day basis with the hope<br />
of imparting some knowledge for<br />
those looking at new concepts, or<br />
even new sites for existing ones.<br />
“Luke, we’ve found this killer<br />
site. It’s dead central. It<br />
doesn’t have a licence, but<br />
Luke Elford, Partner at John<br />
Gaunt & Partners Licensing<br />
Solictors<br />
we reckon it should be easy<br />
enough to get a 2am licence.”<br />
Welcome to the wonderful world<br />
of Cumulative Impact Area (CIA)<br />
policies. Cumulative impact could<br />
be the subject of its own article, but<br />
in brief, cumulative impact is where<br />
29
THE ORACLE - APR ISSUE - #04<br />
a concentration of licensed venues<br />
is causing a negative impact<br />
on one or more of the licensing<br />
objectives (crime and disorder,<br />
public safety, public nuisance, and<br />
the protection of children from<br />
harm) and the negative impact<br />
can’t be attributed, for example, to<br />
a particular venue being run poorly.<br />
CIA policies range from a<br />
bargaining tool for responsible<br />
authorities (police, environmental<br />
health etc.) through to almost being<br />
a barrier on new licences being<br />
granted. I say almost because CIA<br />
policies can never amount to an<br />
outright bar on new licences being<br />
granted and would be unlawful if<br />
they did.<br />
Prospective operators are welladvised<br />
to have a look at the<br />
prevailing licensing policy before<br />
signing up to anything.<br />
“We’ve signed a lease<br />
on a great new venue.<br />
It’s licensed and ready to<br />
go. It used to be a [insert<br />
restaurant chain].”<br />
Just because a venue has a licence<br />
does not mean the licence is<br />
going to be right for an incoming<br />
operator. It is so important that<br />
you have someone look at what<br />
you’re taking before you take it<br />
and, if necessary, make any deal<br />
contingent on being able to obtain<br />
the right kind of licence for your<br />
venue.<br />
Many restaurants will have<br />
conditions on their licences that<br />
oblige customers to have food to<br />
be served with alcohol. This is also<br />
known as a “restaurant condition.”<br />
This kind of condition isn’t going to<br />
work for a competitive socialising<br />
venue where the focus tends to<br />
be the experience rather than<br />
the grub. Where competitive<br />
socialising venues do serve food,<br />
that food tends to be ancillary to<br />
the gaming and sale of alcohol.<br />
Even if a former restaurant doesn’t<br />
have a full restaurant condition,<br />
there are other conditions that can<br />
make life difficult. Some licences<br />
will explicitly state that food must<br />
be available when alcohol is<br />
being sold. Others might say that<br />
customers must be seated, and<br />
that service can only be via waiter<br />
or waitress.<br />
Changing conditions on a licence<br />
is not always an easy process. In<br />
some instances, the conditions<br />
will have been imposed by the<br />
council’s licensing sub-committee<br />
and officers can be reluctant to see<br />
them changed or moved.<br />
“Right, so I have taken over<br />
a venue from an outgoing<br />
operator. It has a licence but<br />
the place was a mess, so I’ve<br />
completely gutted and refitted<br />
it.”<br />
Every licence in England and Wales<br />
should have appended to it (or<br />
squirreled away on a council file<br />
somewhere) a plan that discloses<br />
the approved layout of the venue.<br />
Believe it or not, that layout is<br />
effectively a condition of the<br />
licence and if you want to make<br />
changes to it, a variation may be<br />
required. <strong>The</strong> type of variation<br />
depends on the changes you<br />
are making. In the scenario I<br />
have presented (a complete<br />
refurbishment) it is likely that the<br />
operator would need to apply for<br />
a variation or even a new licence<br />
altogether. If the layout changes<br />
are less severe, perhaps only taking<br />
place in back of house area or<br />
moving some seating around, that<br />
kind of thing, then a minor variation<br />
would need to be applied for.<br />
Either way, there’s going to be a<br />
delay whilst the new layout gets<br />
approved. In extreme cases that<br />
delay could run to three to six<br />
months.<br />
“We open in two weeks, and<br />
we have just discovered that<br />
the licence we thought we<br />
had lapsed several years<br />
ago. Save us.”<br />
I honestly wake up in cold sweats<br />
about this one. I have seen it more<br />
times than I wish to count, and it<br />
is so easily avoided by getting<br />
someone to have a look at the<br />
licensing situation before pressing<br />
go.<br />
What can be done depends on<br />
how the licence lapsed. Now it<br />
may be that the outgoing person<br />
hasn’t paid the annual fees and<br />
the council have suspended the<br />
licence. In those circumstances<br />
the licence can be revived, but it’ll<br />
involve payment of what’s owed.<br />
Fees will have accrued annually<br />
so if a venue has been closed for a<br />
long time then we could be talking<br />
about thousands of pounds.<br />
Even worse is when the company<br />
that held the licence has been<br />
dissolved and the licence has<br />
lapsed through the insolvency<br />
of that company. Unless prompt<br />
action was taken at the time of<br />
insolvency; that licence is goneski,<br />
and an application for a new<br />
premises licence will need to be<br />
made. <strong>The</strong>re are creative things<br />
that can be done with Temporary<br />
Event Notices, but the reality is that<br />
similar to the layout issue above,<br />
there’s going to be some delay.<br />
I don’t raise these scenarios to<br />
frighten anybody, and I certainly<br />
don’t want to dissuade people<br />
from trying new things or moving<br />
into new areas. My point is, do your<br />
homework and this is where an<br />
organisation like Gamechangers<br />
can really help you. Included<br />
within your membership package<br />
are various helplines including<br />
one, provided by yours truly, on<br />
licensing. Members can ring that<br />
number, we can have a chat and<br />
hopefully avoid the kind of issues<br />
I’ve highlighted above.<br />
Need help understanding how the latest legislation affects your business?<br />
Gamechangers members receive access to a free 24 hour legal & licensing helpline. Join today to save time, money and headaches!<br />
Join Today<br />
30<br />
31
THE ORACLE - APR ISSUE - #04<br />
THE BENEFITS OF<br />
SHOUTING ABOUT<br />
BENEFITS<br />
Recruiters are missing a trick by not giving candidates a full<br />
picture of the plusses<br />
<strong>The</strong>re are many ways I would<br />
describe people who choose<br />
to work within the hospitality<br />
industry… sociable, hard-working,<br />
and passionate are a few words<br />
that spring to mind. Words I<br />
definitely wouldn’t tend to use are<br />
shy and standoffish!<br />
And yet although this industry<br />
is generally very good at<br />
communicating and connecting<br />
with our customers and potential<br />
customers, KAM’s recent research,<br />
in partnership with Growth<br />
Partners, suggests we are less<br />
skilled at communicating with our<br />
own employees, and even worse<br />
with potential employees.<br />
<strong>The</strong> research shows us that<br />
hospitality businesses are not<br />
effectively communicating many<br />
things when they’re trying to recruit,<br />
including employee benefits:<br />
75% of employees couldn’t<br />
find information about<br />
employee benefits while<br />
researching their potential<br />
hospitality job<br />
20% said they only found<br />
out during their interview<br />
15% had to wait until after<br />
they’d started in the role<br />
to understand the employee<br />
benefits which would be<br />
offered to them<br />
Hospitality employees also told us<br />
that when in a role, their current<br />
employers need to do a better job<br />
of communicating the services<br />
available to them – 79% would use<br />
employee engagement services<br />
more if they were made aware of<br />
what was available.<br />
Claire Clarke, People Director<br />
at Flat Iron, commented on the<br />
research that suggested that ‘app<br />
fatigue’ may contribute to this lack<br />
of awareness:<br />
“We are expecting our employees<br />
to download apps on personal<br />
phones, unless they are head<br />
office. <strong>The</strong> perfect solution<br />
would be you join, here is your<br />
company app, it’s going to give you<br />
engagement, comms, rotas, pay,<br />
it’s a single sign on.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> problem isn’t that these<br />
benefits aren’t available – so<br />
many hospitality companies<br />
offer phenomenal employee<br />
engagement services but very few<br />
are using them to attract potential<br />
candidates.<br />
We know from research with<br />
Hospitality Jobs UK that half of<br />
job candidates won’t apply for a<br />
role if it doesn’t have an advertised<br />
salary – so anyone not making<br />
renumeration clear, is missing out<br />
on 50% of the already scarce pool<br />
of talent.<br />
<strong>The</strong> research shows us that the<br />
majority of employees (75%)<br />
believe that offering employee<br />
engagement services makes<br />
a business a more attractive<br />
place to work. <strong>The</strong>re is also an<br />
expectation for businesses to offer<br />
services which look after physical<br />
and mental well-being as well as<br />
financial well-being.<br />
So why oh why aren’t we shouting<br />
more about it?<br />
I liked what Anne-Marie Sarantis,<br />
Head of People at Gusto said on<br />
the topic:<br />
“Everything has changed since<br />
covid and there has been a shift<br />
towards better engagement<br />
and usage of benefits – it’s all<br />
important, but equally many<br />
employees don’t even use it when<br />
we give it to them. So, it’s important<br />
that we, as a business, signpost<br />
them sufficiently.”<br />
It’s also important hospitality<br />
businesses are aware that the<br />
types of benefits wanted by<br />
employees are changing – not just<br />
with the times, but also from one<br />
employee to the next – we need<br />
a less ‘cookie cutter’ approach,<br />
and more of an individual<br />
understanding of what matters to<br />
our team members.<br />
As an industry, we need to realise<br />
that we have to be competitive with<br />
other industries when it comes to<br />
salary and benefits and we need to<br />
be better at shouting about it.<br />
£££<br />
Katie Jenkins, Marketing &<br />
Partnerships Director of KAM<br />
£££<br />
LATEST RESEARCH<br />
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DIGITAL SOLUTIONS<br />
THE ORACLE - APR ISSUE - #04<br />
Advertorial<br />
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THE ORACLE - APR ISSUE - #04<br />
PROVIDING THE<br />
PLATFORM FOR<br />
A SUCCESSFUL<br />
HOSPITALITY<br />
CAREER<br />
<strong>The</strong> launch of Workforce will<br />
help people throughout their<br />
hospitality journey<br />
“Supporting,<br />
developing and<br />
nurturing talent<br />
in our sector is<br />
absolutely vital to<br />
the future of pubs<br />
and hospitality<br />
venues.“<br />
Here at the BII we offer support<br />
to licensees running their own<br />
pubs and help them diversify their<br />
businesses and thrive in the wider<br />
hospitality market.<br />
As a charity, one of our key aims<br />
is to champion the sector and the<br />
amazing career and professional<br />
development opportunities it<br />
offers. With that in mind, we have<br />
launched a brand new, free-touse<br />
membership platform called<br />
Workforce.<br />
Workforce is free for anyone<br />
working in any area of the pub<br />
sector and beyond. It gives career<br />
support and advice for team<br />
members from kitchens to bars<br />
and everywhere in-between.<br />
It also provides information on the<br />
career paths available, the training<br />
you can access to get you to where<br />
you want to be. On top of that, it<br />
brings inspiring stories from those<br />
at the beginning of their journey,<br />
right through to industry leaders<br />
who started as team members.<br />
sector, interview help and guidance,<br />
key information on wellbeing and<br />
looking after yourself in a fastpaced<br />
environment, as well as tips,<br />
tricks, blogs, podcasts and perks<br />
for members, with discounts in<br />
venues to be used in their down<br />
time.<br />
We talk a lot about transferrable<br />
skills in terms of working in our<br />
sector, but that means more than<br />
just taking them on to a different<br />
industry – it is about giving people<br />
the tools they need to move over<br />
and up in hospitality.<br />
With so many pubs now including<br />
elements of competitive socialising<br />
in their offer, we want to support<br />
everyone to give them access to<br />
the best role for them, no matter<br />
where that is.<br />
making the leap.<br />
Two opportunities came up, one<br />
working as a member of a support<br />
crew for a local radio station and<br />
the other selling gin for Silent Pool<br />
at markets. I loved them both, as<br />
they were people orientated with<br />
full on hospitality vibes. When the<br />
opportunity came up to work at the<br />
BII, I knew that this industry was for<br />
me but I wouldn’t have got the job<br />
without those experiences, among<br />
other things that I have tried in my<br />
career.<br />
What Workforce aims to do is to<br />
celebrate the brilliant people who<br />
make pubs and the wider sector<br />
what it is – no dismissing people<br />
skills as “soft” here – we value<br />
those hosts, those people who<br />
serve and do it brilliantly.<br />
THE PUB PERSPECTIVE<br />
Molly Davis, Head of<br />
Communications for BII<br />
Supporting, developing and<br />
nurturing talent in our sector is<br />
absolutely vital to the future of<br />
pubs and hospitality venues. More<br />
than that, hospitality is a bloody<br />
brilliant place to work for so many<br />
reasons. We have support from<br />
mentors who have been there<br />
and learned how to make it in the<br />
I have only been in the sector for<br />
six years or so, with the majority<br />
of my career up until then in<br />
marketing, sales and customer<br />
service for various companies. In<br />
the summer of 2017 I decided I<br />
wanted something different, so, I<br />
started looking for part-time, FUN<br />
things to try my hand at before<br />
Everything else is just learning as<br />
you go, and with the right support,<br />
the sky is the limit, so get your<br />
teams signed up today.<br />
For more information visit<br />
www.biiworkforce.org<br />
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THE ORACLE - APR ISSUE - #04<br />
ON A SOCIAL<br />
SAFARI IN<br />
MANCHESTER<br />
We joined-up with TNT Sports and industry<br />
insiders for an action-packed visit to some<br />
north west gems<br />
Insights and entertainment were on<br />
the agenda for a TNT Sports trade<br />
day in Manchester.<br />
<strong>The</strong> sports broadcaster teamed-up<br />
with KAM, Gamechangers and<br />
a host of guests for the event<br />
that took in some of the liveliest<br />
competitive socialising venues in<br />
the city.<br />
Suppliers and operators from<br />
across the industry met at Sixes<br />
Social Cricket to hear KAM’s<br />
Head of Insights, Laurence Brown,<br />
provide data on the value of live<br />
sport to trade.<br />
He explained that live football in<br />
particular is a potential opportunity<br />
for venues to drive custom on<br />
weekdays and increase dwell time.<br />
KAM stats showed that live<br />
European football is a crowd puller<br />
for pubs – with 57% of those asked<br />
saying they would not be tempted<br />
to go to the pub of it wasn’t for the<br />
football.<br />
<strong>The</strong>y also revealed that the average<br />
length of stay in a competitive<br />
socialising venue is 86 minutes<br />
– short of the length of a football<br />
match.<br />
With the format of the UEFA<br />
Champions League changing<br />
next season to offer more games<br />
– including more involving British<br />
clubs and more between higher<br />
ranked sides – it may be that live<br />
sport is a viable option for venues<br />
to consider as an extra element of<br />
entertainment.<br />
Roxy Ball Room<br />
<strong>The</strong> impressive Deansgate site<br />
has a true Tardis impact with<br />
the entrance on the street giving<br />
little indication that two sprawling<br />
floors full of games and goodies<br />
await inside. We checked out<br />
ice-free curling, crazy golf,<br />
American pool, ping pong and<br />
much more.<br />
Pixel Bar<br />
Next up we headed to gamers paradise Pixel for<br />
cocktails and a look at the on-screen action. Here<br />
players can compete on classic consoles and arcade<br />
games as well as watching the best in Esports.<br />
Box<br />
<strong>The</strong> action was very<br />
much on the screens<br />
as we settled around<br />
the shuffleboard tables<br />
to watch the drama of<br />
two Champions League<br />
quarter finals in the<br />
packed out sports bar.<br />
LIVE SPORT<br />
“During the week is when you’ve<br />
got to be doing something a little<br />
different and give them that reason<br />
to visit.<br />
“<strong>The</strong> average customer visits a<br />
competitive socialising venue<br />
1.3 times a month, compared to<br />
around three for a pub, so how do<br />
we get that number up?”<br />
Sixes<br />
After the presentations, guests went for a<br />
bat in the nets at the social cricket concept.<br />
With attendees split into two teams aiming<br />
to smash the most runs, the competition<br />
stepped up before heading to the next<br />
venue.<br />
Matt Eley, Editor-in-Chief,<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Oracle</strong><br />
For more information visit<br />
www.tntsportsbusiness.co.uk<br />
Contact Dan Willsher<br />
07977040666 | dan.willsher@bt.com<br />
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THE ORACLE - APR ISSUE - #04<br />
You’re invited to Flight Club<br />
Bloomsbury’s...<br />
BDM & SALES TOURNAMENT<br />
Monday 11th June 6pm-9pm<br />
HOSTED BY FLIGHT CLUB & GAMECHANGERS<br />
TOURNAMENT<br />
COMPLIMENTARY DRINKS & NIBBLES<br />
TO RSVP, PLEASE EMAIL:<br />
BECKY.SHORT@RED-ENGINE.COM<br />
GAMECHANGERS<br />
BRINGS BUSINESS<br />
LEADERS TOGETHER<br />
BDMs strike up ideas in event at All Star Lanes<br />
Some of the best and brightest<br />
managers in the business shared<br />
ideas at a recent Gamechangers<br />
event.<br />
Business development managers<br />
(BDM) and sales teams attended<br />
the networker at All Star Lanes in<br />
Holborn.<br />
Rising stars from the likes of<br />
Fairgame, Red Engine, F1 Arcade,<br />
Lucky Voice, Platform, Swingers,<br />
<strong>The</strong> Bowls Club LDN and Sixes<br />
talked shop and shared best<br />
practice before hitting the bowling<br />
lanes and karaoke machines.<br />
Gamechangers Founder and Chief<br />
Executive Jade Craig hosted the<br />
event.<br />
She said: “Gamechangers exists<br />
to bring the world of competitive<br />
socialising together to share ideas<br />
and grow collectively. Events such<br />
as this get the innovative and<br />
positive people that are driving our<br />
sector forward, together in one<br />
room.<br />
“It was a great opportunity for<br />
people to relax and discuss their<br />
ideas and experiences in this fastpaced<br />
and ever-evolving business.<br />
We are already looking forward to<br />
the next one.”<br />
GAMECHANGERS EVENT<br />
Join us at Flight Club Bloomsbury for out next BDM meet-up and darts<br />
tournament on June 11. For more info email becky.short@red-engine.com<br />
41
THE ORACLE - APR ISSUE - #04<br />
NEW ON THE<br />
SCENE<br />
We cast an eye across some of the new openings and<br />
trends hitting the sector<br />
NEW<br />
Tenpin has opened venue number 54 venue in Chester. <strong>The</strong> site features 28 lanes of<br />
Tenpin bowling across two floors, escape rooms, karaoke, laser tag and more.<br />
BAM Karaoke Box is debuting in London with the biggest karaoke venue in Europe.<br />
<strong>The</strong> 10,000sq ft venue in Victoria features no less than 22 karaoke rooms and food<br />
created by renowned chef Sabrina Gidda.<br />
Bookings are officially open at TOCA Social’s second site at <strong>The</strong> Bullring in<br />
Birmingham. <strong>The</strong> venue will open in June and house 23 interactive football boxes<br />
and four bars across two floors.<br />
WHAT’S NEW<br />
Electric Shuffle is sliding into Manchester for its fourth opening. <strong>The</strong> venue will open<br />
on 21 June and will combine cocktails with sharing dishes and, of course, high tech<br />
shuffleboard.<br />
Red Engine, the parent company of Electric Shuffle and Flight Club, has announced<br />
it has secured a new £60m facility from Santander to continue its global expansion<br />
plans.<br />
Sixes Social Cricket can celebrate clearing the ropes twice with the opening of venue<br />
number 12 in London’s Bermondsey Street. It is the fourth Sixes in the capital. <strong>The</strong><br />
business has also launched Leagues, where teams compete every Tuesday to be<br />
crowned UK champions.<br />
Pop Playrooms has brought its unique sense of fun to Kingston Upon Thames with<br />
a new venue featuring immersive mini-golf, American pool and augmented reality<br />
darts. It’s all served with a side dish of banging tunes.<br />
Design company Katapult has teamed-up with Cloudco Entertainment to create<br />
a new Care Bears Experience. <strong>The</strong> Care Bears Family entertainment concept will<br />
be a ticketed play café experience where guests can explore themed zones before<br />
enjoying Care Bear treats.<br />
Ballerz, a new immersive and innovative football entertainment concept, will open its<br />
first site in Bluewater Shopping Centre, Dartford.<br />
This football wonderland is scheduled to open in May and is backed by big names<br />
from the footballing world including Rio Ferdinand and Roberto Carlos.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Hot Wheels City Experience is parking up for a month in Manchester this<br />
summer.<br />
<strong>The</strong> experience will roll into town at the BEC Arena from August 13 to showcase the<br />
iconic brand with an immersive museum, life-sized cars, a gamer zone and a Hot<br />
Wheels lab.<br />
Want to be featured in the next issue? Get in touch today oracle@gamechangers.org.uk<br />
42<br />
43
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