The line-up of speakers for the first free Morning Advertiser (MA) 150 club seminar for leading managed multiple pub operators has been unveiled.
The MA150 club holds three free seminars a year with member companies given briefings on key areas of the market. The first seminar, to be held at Claridge's on 25 March, provides a host of top industry speakers.
Below is the schedule of speakers. Member companies can book up to two free places by contacting sarah stevens at sarah.stevens@william-reed.co.uk.
9.30am: Registration.
10.00am: How the pub market is developing. Paul Hickman, analyst at KBC Peel Hunt, gives an overview.
10.30am: Effective marketing is a challenge. Ann Elliott, founder of the pub sector's leading outsourced marketing firm Elliott People, will give her views on "The difference between good marketing and bad marketing".
11.00-11.20am: Stuart Darling, Brulines group commercial director, explains how technology can be used to drive revenue, improve profits and contain costs.
11.20-11.35am: Coffee break.
11.35am: Paul Linthwaite, business unit director - licensed, at Britvic, provides tips on "Profiting from soft drinks in hard times".
12 noon: My Big Idea: MA150 members talk about their market niche.
• Mark Butler, boss of Mercury Inns, talks about distress management.
• Keith Bott, of the Society of Independent Brewers, on brewing for your own pubs.
• Chris Gerard, who worked at Mitchells & Butlers for 20 years before founding Innventure, talks about "Going from 365 pub restaurants to six".
1.45pm: Lunch and networking.
2.00pm: Phil Tate, insights manager of CGA, analyses growth areas of the trade.
2.30pm: Private equity on board: what's it like?
• Gavin George, chief executive of Brighton-based Innbrighton, talks about the company's investment from Graphite Capital.
• Malcolm Heap, founder of double MA150 award winner Realpubs, talks about the company's investment from Brockton Capital.
3.00pm: Les Murphy, trading director of Scottish & Newcastle, provides insights on the dynamics of the UK beer market, looking at the key areas of growth and decline.
3.30pm-4pm: The Living Room brand has a reputation for the best training in the sector. Mark Jones, the former chairman of brand owner Premium Bars & Restaurants, who began in the sector as a trainer, talks about why training is so important in a downturn and why training has been so vital to the success of Living Room.
Sponsors are Scottish & Newcastle, Britvic, Brulines, Breezefree, CGA, Wells & Young's, Itradenetwork, Zonal and the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers.