Captive Conversations, The Hospitality Podcast

Tom Stanley - The Business Side of Hospitality Nobody Talks About

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

Catherine Gwynne - Designing Restaurants That Guests Remember

In this episode of Captive Conversations, Adam Forman sits down with Catherine Gwynne, founder of 2G Design and Build, to explore the psychology behind hospitality design.Catherine shares her journey from travelling the world in the drinks industry to building a hospitality design company focused on how spaces truly work. The conversation dives into why the best venues start with people, not aesthetics, and how staff experience directly shapes the guest experience.They explore the importance of flow, acoustics, atmosphere and emotional connection in hospitality spaces, and why operators must design environments that create memories if they want guests to return.A fascinating conversation about the intersection of hospitality, culture and design.#hospitality #restaurantdesign #guestexperience #hospitalityindustry #restaurants

Yaro Tsyhanenko - The Invisible Gap Between Kitchen and Guest

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

Gabrielle Goode - Marketing That Creates Lasting Memories

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

Bonus - KAM Pub Spotlight - The Pub Customer Perpsective

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