Captive Conversations, The Hospitality Podcast

CaptiveWiFI.com

🎙️ Captive Conversations – Your backstage pass to the world of hospitality and tech innovation! 🚀 Join host Adam Forman as he connects with industry leaders, uncovering the stories behind the brands, the tech transforming customer experiences, and the trends shaping the future. From unlocking revenue 💰 to enhancing guest journeys 🏨, each episode is packed with insights, laughter, and actionable advice. Whether you're a hospitality pro or just curious about the industry, this is the podcast you can't miss! 🌟 #HospitalityTech #CaptiveConversations

  1. Aug 9 ·  Bonus

    Bonus Clip: The Wild Story Behind Popeyes' UK Launch | William Connors

    Going back into the archive, this bonus clip comes from Episode 13 with William Connors. William shares the extraordinary story of helping launch Popeyes UK, including opening day queues of over 3,000 people, teams stepping into operational roles to keep the restaurant running and the technology challenges that came with scaling at incredible speed. A brilliant reminder that hospitality is often at its best when everyone rolls up their sleeves and solves problems together.

    Bonus Clip: The Wild Story Behind Popeyes' UK Launch | William Connors

  2. Jul 17

    Jade Craig - What Hospitality Can Learn From a Lifetime of Building Communities

    Running your own pub at 18 is one thing. Running 25 sites by 23 is something else entirely. In this episode of Captive Conversations, Adam sits down with Jade Craig, founder of Inntegra and Gamechangers, for a warm and wide-ranging conversation about thirty years in hospitality and what it really takes to build a community people want to stay in. Jade shares her journey from her mother's restaurant in Camberwell, to her name above the door of a Clapham pub at 18, to becoming an area manager across 25 sites, through the supplier side and the trade bodies, and on to launching Inntegra in 2015 and running 42 events a year. The conversation explores why she spotted competitive socialising in 2016 when the industry called it a flash in the pan, how CompSoc grew from 500 people in Holborn to 1,585 delegates, why trust sits behind every introduction she makes, and why Gamechangers was built around helplines, support and mentoring rather than discounts. Topics include: Growing up in the Secret Garden Cafe in CamberwellBecoming a licensee at 18Running 25 sites at 23Learning both the supplier and operator sidesStarting Inntegra, and counting the light bulbsWhy trust comes before any introductionSpotting competitive socialising before the industry didBuilding CompSoc and GamechangersMentoring, trade bodies, and protecting your own headspace Get your tickets now for Competitive Socialising: The Power of Play™ & Awards 2026, on Tuesday 15 September at the Lighthouse Theatre in London. Use the code captive25 for a 25% discount: https://www.inntegra.co.uk/events/compsoc26-the-power-of-play-awards

    Jade Craig - What Hospitality Can Learn From a Lifetime of Building Communities

  3. Jul 10

    Will Fearnley-Whittingstall - Why Hospitality Cannot Afford To Become Faceless

    In Episode 97 of Captive Conversations, Adam speaks with Will, Director of Fanatic, about hospitality marketing, digital guest journeys and the growing influence of AI. Will shares how his early career at McDonald’s and as a relief pub manager shaped his understanding of people, teams and service. The conversation then moves through publishing, agency life and financial services before exploring the work Fanatic does across branding, websites, CRM, performance and the wider digital ecosystem. They discuss why hospitality technology must bring out the best of human skill, why websites are part of the guest experience, the importance of owning your data and why marketers should “not just send more, send right.” They also explore changing booking behaviour, rising walk-ins, cost pressures and the challenges facing lean hospitality marketing teams. #CaptiveConversations #HospitalityMarketing #HospitalityTech #GuestExperience #ArtificialIntelligence

    Will Fearnley-Whittingstall - Why Hospitality Cannot Afford To Become Faceless

  4. Jul 3

    Aaron Resch - What Operators Actually Need From Technology

    Opening a restaurant is one thing. Opening a restaurant with no hospitality experience, carrying every pressure yourself and then using that failure to shape a career in hospitality technology is something else entirely. In this episode of Captive Conversations, Adam sits down with Aaron from ePosaibility and Hops for a deeply practical conversation about restaurant ownership, operational pressure, implementation, adoption and what hospitality businesses really need from technology. Aaron shares the story of launching a ramen restaurant after returning from Hong Kong, the lessons he learned from failure, his time at Boundary during COVID, and how that operator experience now shapes the way he thinks about Hops, ePossibility and supporting hospitality teams. The conversation explores transferable hospitality skills, P&L understanding, guest experience, technology adoption, implementation, inventory management, financial control, customer support and why operators need more than shiny software. A grounded and honest conversation about learning through pressure, building better systems and understanding the operation before trying to fix it. #Hospitality #HospitalityTech #RestaurantOperations #GuestExperience #RestaurantTechnology #CustomerData #RestaurantManagement #CaptiveWiFi #CaptiveConversations

    Aaron Resch - What Operators Actually Need From Technology

  5. Jun 19

    Max Shipman - The Hospitality Marketing Channel Nobody Measures

    Most hospitality operators think about packaging as something functional. Max Shipman thinks about it differently. In this episode of Captive Conversations, Adam sits down with Max Shipman from Brand Your to explore how packaging has evolved from a simple operational necessity into a powerful part of the guest experience. Max shares his journey through hospitality technology, delivery, Just Eat and McDonald’s before discussing how Brand Your is helping hospitality businesses rethink packaging, branding and customer engagement. The conversation explores customer ownership, loyalty, direct ordering, founder-led content and why hospitality brands should view bags, cups and boxes as more than just packaging. Adam and Max discuss how memorable unboxing experiences, thoughtful design and simple branding can turn everyday touchpoints into marketing opportunities that guests remember and share. Along the way, they explore the future of hospitality technology, AI, delivery, guest relationships and why the most successful brands focus on creating experiences rather than transactions. If you’re interested in guest experience, hospitality marketing, customer loyalty and building stronger customer relationships, learn more about Captive WiFi and how guest WiFi can become a powerful marketing, data and loyalty engine. #Hospitality #GuestExperience #RestaurantMarketing #HospitalityTech #CustomerLoyalty #Branding #PackagingDesign #CustomerData #BrandYour #CaptiveConversations

    Max Shipman - The Hospitality Marketing Channel Nobody Measures

  6. Jun 7 ·  Bonus

    Loyalty Starts Before the Order - by Georgina

    The 15-Second Moment Mention loyalty in hospitality and many operators immediately think discounts, points cards, and race-to-the-bottom promotions. But what if we’ve been thinking about loyalty all wrong? In this solo episode, Georgina explores why loyalty has a branding problem, why true loyalty has nothing to do with vouchers, and what actually makes guests want to come back.   The conversation centres around what Captive WiFi calls the “15-second moment” — the short window when a guest first connects to WiFi, before they’ve even looked at the menu. Georgina explains why this is one of the most overlooked opportunities in hospitality and how venues can begin building meaningful guest relationships from the very start of the visit. Along the way, she shares the story of Regency Club, explores the difference between loyalty and belonging, and explains why the venues guests return to most often are the ones where they feel seen, remembered and known. #Hospitality #GuestExperience #CustomerLoyalty #RestaurantMarketing #HospitalityTech #CaptiveWiFi #CaptiveConversations

    Loyalty Starts Before the Order - by Georgina

  7. May 29

    Charlie Wood-Jones - The Biggest Asset Most Restaurants Ignore

    Building a restaurant is one thing. Building a restaurant while learning hospitality, marketing, technology and guest engagement at the same time is something else entirely. In this episode of Captive Conversations, Adam sits down with Charlie Wood-Jones, owner of Cawsburger and Sales Consultant at Popmenu, for a conversation that bridges both sides of the hospitality world. Charlie shares the journey of launching Cawsburger during lockdown, growing a loyal customer base through social media, and eventually realising that likes, followers and algorithms are not the same as owning a relationship with your guests. The conversation explores how Popmenu helped shift that thinking, turning a website from a simple digital brochure into a powerful marketing and guest engagement tool. Charlie discusses building a database of thousands of guests, the role of email and SMS marketing, automated campaigns, guest data, direct ordering, Google visibility and why restaurants need to think beyond social media if they want sustainable growth. Along the way, Adam and Charlie dive into hospitality technology, operational challenges, AI search, customer loyalty, and the importance of creating memorable guest experiences that keep people coming back. If you're interested in how restaurants can better capture guest data, personalise communications and build stronger customer relationships, learn more about Captive WiFi and how guest WiFi can become a powerful marketing, data and loyalty engine. A practical and honest conversation about restaurant growth, guest data, hospitality marketing and what operators can learn when they see the industry from both sides. Captive WiFi #Hospitality #RestaurantMarketing #GuestExperience #HospitalityTech #CRM #RestaurantOwner #RestaurantGrowth #CustomerData #Popmenu #CaptiveConversations

    Charlie Wood-Jones - The Biggest Asset Most Restaurants Ignore

  8. May 22

    Pete Hurley - Is Fractional Talent Hospitality’s Future?

    In this episode of Captive Conversations, Adam sits down with Pete Hurley from Well Seasoned for a wide-ranging conversation about hospitality careers, operator pressure, fragmented tech and the rise of fractional talent. Pete shares how his journey moved from washing dishes in a country pub to building an early meal kit business, pivoting into outside catering, taking on a modern art gallery café, restaurant and events operation, and eventually building Well Seasoned. It is a story full of learning curves, customer demand, operational chaos and the kind of real-world adaptability hospitality is built on. The episode explores why platforms still need to talk to each other, why hospitality teaches skills you cannot learn in a classroom, why operators increasingly need “outside eyes”, and how Well Seasoned is helping businesses find practical specialists for specific problems. #hospitality #hospitalitytech #restaurantoperations #fractionaltalent #restaurantindustry #wellseasoned #captiveconversations

    Pete Hurley - Is Fractional Talent Hospitality’s Future?
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🎙️ Captive Conversations – Your backstage pass to the world of hospitality and tech innovation! 🚀 Join host Adam Forman as he connects with industry leaders, uncovering the stories behind the brands, the tech transforming customer experiences, and the trends shaping the future. From unlocking revenue 💰 to enhancing guest journeys 🏨, each episode is packed with insights, laughter, and actionable advice. Whether you're a hospitality pro or just curious about the industry, this is the podcast you can't miss! 🌟 #HospitalityTech #CaptiveConversations

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