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.

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 Camberwell
• Becoming a licensee at 18
• Running 25 sites at 23
• Learning both the supplier and operator sides
• Starting Inntegra, and counting the light bulbs
• Why trust comes before any introduction
• Spotting competitive socialising before the industry did
• Building CompSoc and Gamechangers
• Mentoring, trade bodies, and protecting your own headspace

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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

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.

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