Join the web revolution

However busy and under pressure they are, all the best licensees take time to gaze into the future.

The looming smoking ban is something they've been gazing at for a while now: it's the most obvious example of something really big coming down the line to which licensees must adjust quickly.

But they'll also be looking for developments in their area that could have just as big an impact on their pub, such as factory closures, road

bypasses or new housing schemes.

And they'll be keeping an eye out too for social changes and trends that could make a difference to their customer base, such as the ageing population and the interest in healthier foods and drinks.

The most far-sighted will also be following closely the new technologies and life-altering changes they bring - and how they can be exploited by licensees. Internet links in the pub are increasingly popular, with many pubs offering Wi-Fi connections for laptop users and internet plus printing facilities for nomadic businessmen.

As we're all rapidly discovering, the internet is changing the world. Only the most Luddite licensee could imagine it will have no impact on his pub or how his customers use their leisure time.

As ever, there's an upside and downside in technological change. The net could help hosts communicate powerfully with customers. But it could also work against the pub. For example, BT is close to unveiling a TV-attached box that allows viewers to chat to friends while they're both watching the same shows in their respective homes, without having to pick up the phone. So mates could watch the big game from their own living rooms and banter as if they were together in the pub. The implications are frighteningly obvious.

Managed chains and big brands are alive to new technology and working hard to capture customers' mobile numbers in order to text them offers and invites. It won't be too long before customers can sweep-view pub interiors from home on their mobiles before deciding which one to visit. Lessees and tenants and freetraders need to think how they can get in on this revolution too. At the pace life is going, this is not a head-in-the-sand moment.