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On the guest list today is Dave Gamble, programming manager at London’s Royal Albert Hall.

After starting out at the Roundhouse venue in Camden, he spent 5 years as a promotions manager at the legendary Fabric nightclub before moving to the Royal Albert Hall in 2015.

Recorded on the day of the venue’s 147th birthday, in this conversation Dave explains what makes the Royal Albert Hall such a unique performance space, the day to day of being a promoter in a venue holding over 1000 events each year, and what he looks out for when booking emerging talent.

Episode overview:

03:00 Recent highlights at the venue

08:30 Dave’s journey from TV and radio workshops to a career in talent programming

19:30 The day to day role of a promoter

35:15: History of the Royal Albert Hall

48:50: Dave’s reading list

On the guest list today is Johan Ekelund, CEO at Keyflow, a Stockholm based startup helping event producers and venues connect with their guests in more meaningful ways.

Johan’s background spans advertising and technology, working as a marketer both agency and client side and also as a product manager for leading video on demand platform.

During this conversation Johan shared his thoughts on how brands will be investing into live entertainment in the future, the opportunity for dynamic pricing in event ticketing, and what makes the Nordic region such a hub for innovation.

Episode overview:

07:00: Developing the Jagermeiester brand in Sweden and creating a Netflix competitor in the Middle East

12:00: Keyflow’s evolution from a guest list app to a way for venues to form closer connections with their audiences

20:00: How venues and promoters in the table service industry identify and build their audiences

23:00: The shift in brand spend around live entertainment

28:00: Dynamic pricing for entertainment

36:00: Does consolidation create opportunity or stifle innovation?

40:00: What makes Sweden and the Nordics so innovative?

49:00: Decision making, and being ‘all in’ or ‘all out’

Following stints at leading members club Soho House and Neuehouse, for last 2 years Michelle has been the creative director of the New York Times’ highly respected Times Talk series, featuring a veritable who’s who from across the world of arts and culture.

Michelle’s a highly respected curator and programmer, but has a background you may not expect - with a master’s degree in molecular genetics she’s also been a magazine editor and a TV presenter.

Recorded just as she’s about to set off on the next chapter of her career, we talk about our need to belong, the role of the creative director, why hybrid talent is thriving again, and the ups and downs of have a dissenting view.

And that metallic sound you can hear in the first few minutes? It was Michelle’s necklace... it took us a while to realise.

One other thing; there are a few naughty words in today’s episode so listener discretion is advised.

Episode highlights:

03:00 Psychographics vs Demographics

07:00 Michelle’s story - from molecular genetics to talent curation

15:00 Members' clubs and our desire to belong

23:30 The resurgence of polymath talent

31:00 Why brands needs for external curators

36:00 What brands get wrong when programming events

Sustainability is a topic that’s got a lot of attention over the past few years.

We know it’s important to create sustainable experiences but what’s the next step we can take? How could we make the built environment better for our health? And how does wellness really inform the quality of experiences we have?

New York based research firm Delos have been exploring this theme for nearly a decade, working across sectors including air travel, sports and hospitality to help companies create multi-use spaces that have a genuinely positive effect on our wellbeing.

On the guest list today is Ross Guttler VP of business development at Delos.

Over the course of this wide-ranging conversation we got into the future of retail and mixed use space, why IT departments will be running buildings, the science behind productivity, and explorations into the London rave scene at the turn of the millennium.

Episode highlights:

04:15: Ross’s journey from ski slopes to real estate

12:30: What goes into making a building better for our health

20:15: The distinction between wellness and sustainability

25:15: The future of the retail experience and the impact autonomous vehicles

32:00: New uses of real estate and hot topics in the industry

Over his career Vincent has produced and directed high profile shows across the globe. He's been the artistic director of one of Ameria's premier state theatres, worked as a special consultant to Cirque du Soleil, and served on the board at a number of cultural trusts and institutions.

In his role at Base, he's responsible for bringing all the company's key projects to life - from theatrical plays and musicals, to concerts, magic shows and cutting edge hologram technology experiences.

It's clear from the start how much knowledge and passion Vincent possesses for both his craft and the industry more broadly. This episode is a must for producers, directors, creators and impresarios across creative mediums.

Episode highlights:

02:00 Vincent's career story

07:30 Running a unique theatre space

16:30 Working with creative constraints

22:00 Embracing failure

24:50 Future trends in live entertainment

30:30 Take productions around the globe

40:00 Holograms and VR

54:00 Base's main projects for 2018

61:00 The role of arts and cultural trusts

Today's guest is Andre Lorenceau, co-founder and CEO of LiveLike VR, a New York-based startup focused on delivering live sports broadcasting in virtual reality.

Today's guest is Debs Armstrong, founder of Strong and Co, a bespoke experiential agency working with Google, Twitter and the BBC.

Adam was just about to fly to Las Vegas and was on the move when we recorded this episode, so the audio quality is a little lower than usual. However, the insights are well worth it. Over the course of our 50 minute conversation Adam explains where lawyers, managers and agents can work together more productively; how an international boxing matchup gets made; where the money flows in the modern sports industry; what brands are looking for when partnering with talent; and who he's tipping for the top in 2018.