Competitive Socialising Sector – review
Competitive socialising continues to expand and evolve with more and more formats entering the market. Operators are offering a wide range of activities such as mini-golf, darts, axe-throwing, cricket, and ping-pong.
Our expert panel, featuring leading agents, investors and operators, will detail the trends in the market, present some of the featured brands, and take part in a moderated discussion chaired by one of the sector’s leading landlord investors, Andrew Ferguson, Fund Manager at Legal & General Investment Management.
- Can the sector continue its strong growth? Is it a replacement for much of the late night sector?
- Will such venues reach smaller towns and cities that do not have universities or office workers?
- How large can such venues go?
- Are single activity specialists or multi-activity operators the future?
Available as an in-person seminar or on-demand video after the event.
This event will be held in the Hallam Conference Centre and drinks will be served in the networking area after, courtesy of our generous sponsors Maples Teesdale.
Registration & coffee: 4.45pm onwards
Main panel presentations & debate : 5pm – 6.30pm
Networking: 6.30pm – 7.30pm
Panellists:
Operator – Lisa Buckley, CEO – Leisure TV Rights
As an experienced Managing Director, Lisa has led two of the largest UK restaurant brands, driving hospitality excellence & visionary initiatives.
As CEO of Leisure TV Rights, an Imbiba-backed venture in partnership with ITV, Lisa is leading the launch of new socialising concepts opening in 2024.
Leisure TV Rights (LTR) bring the best of high viewing, high engagement TV shows, straight to the public with active participation, gaming and the best of leisure and hospitality. From the top UK shows you can get straight to the new Ninja Warrior venues, in our first season of new venues. With a great selection of TV-led gaming venues in the pipeline, LTR promises great family entertainment that’s both inspiring and aspirational. LTR and partners have created different types of experiential hospitality, with supervised activity and fitness venues across the UK, all geared to wide age and ability ranges.
Lisa’s passion is to empower high-performing teams by driving the strategic vision with confidence and energy from the ground up.
Operator – Tim Wilks, Director – Lane 7
Lane7, Tim’s bowling brand that currently trades across 11 sites, is often viewed as a pioneer in the sector. It arrived on the scene in 2013, debuting in Newcastle.
The plan for Lane7 is to be operating 17 venues by the end of 2023, with openings in Dublin, Birmingham and London already in the pipeline. There will also be “several more” Level X sites to launch. He is evidently driving growth within the experiential economy – a growth that, in his own words, can lead to the saturation of this type of hospitality. If this happens and consumer appetite wanes, could his expansion ultimately lead to eventual failure?
“Choice is good for the consumer,” he says in a recent interview. “There is width in the market, but there will be a reckoning, just like every market. Ultimately, the same rules apply – quality operators and products will survive. These are market rules that have been around for a long time. We’re still trying to have huge creative integrity and that is how we will hopefully succeed in the long term.”
Agent – Carlene Hughes, Head of UK Leisure, Retail Division – Savills
Carlene is a director in the leisure agency team, specialising in leasing, development consultancy and asset management of leisure assets for major UK institutional landlords as well as nationwide expansion remits for retained tenant rep clients.
Craig Mayes, CEO of Rileys Sports Bars will also sit on our operators panel.
This seminar will be recorded and provides 1.5 hours of professional CPD.
*Please note – our panellists confirm their availability in advance. If any of our panellists cancel due to unforeseen circumstances, we will use our best efforts to replace them, but cannot guarantee that all advertised panellists will always be in attendance.