On The Art of the Pre-Show and Post-Show

My friend, Terry Eden, wrote a post earlier this week about pre- and post- show experiences in the theatre and it's got me thinking... I go to the theatre at last twice a week so I see a lot of shows of all kinds (big, small, funny, serious, experimental, fringe and more) in a lot of venues so I have some thoughts on this.

One example that Terry shares is the immersive element of the current version of Cabaret and how that might heighten one's experience of the show. I may be in the minority here, but I don't like it and find it really jarring. It's a far cry from the seedy dive depicted in the story - or at least a far cry from how I imagine it to be. It adds huge cost to the show as they have two casts every night and it added nothing for me. I was stood in the bar area and just felt I, and others, were in the way. Worth noting that I find Frecknall's Cabaret a bit too shiny anyway - style over substance - in what is such a dark tale. Give me Rufus Norris's version any day. Maybe that's colouring my judgement.

I digress. I go to the theatre a lot, and some of the time, I go on my own. Having something to look at before I go in to take my seat is a welcome change from doom scrolling on my phone but there's rarely anything to look it, even less likelihood of a seat or somewhere to charge my phone. 

A bit of a display about the history of the theatre itself and previous productions is a nice touch (Drury Lane has this, and sometimes The National). I'm always fascinated by the posters from previous shows that you see at Soho Theatre and the Noel Coward Theatre and others - but why are they on the stairs where you can't linger and take in the information? Back to the Future and The Devil Wears Prada have a bit of set dressing in the foyer which is a nice touch and creates a photo opportunity which helps with spreading the word on social media. I like mooching in the National Theatre bookshop too. 

Back in the day, in my local rep theatre in Worcester, there was always a display of production photos and some info about the cast, as well as a rolling art exhibition from local artists and the bar was often open after the show, which meant you could get to meet the actors and it created a really convivial atmosphere.

Although I'm still of the view that I'm happy to have the magic happen in the auditorium, it would be nice to see more pre- and post-theatre activity - especially when the show finishes at 9 pm. I don't really understand why the bar in the theatre isn't open at this time. After all, they're missing out on a couple of hours of selling time in the bar and merchandise sales. Maybe they tried it, and people didn't want to hang around, so it wasn't commercially viable? Perhaps others can fill me in here.

Another missed opportunity is relevant sponsorship and partnerships - The Devil Wears Prada is crying out for a partnership with Selfridges, Harvey Nicks, Harrods, Vogue or the V&A Museum. Also, their merchandise really misses the mark. It's the same old same old hoodies, t-shirts and mugs. Why aren't they leaning into the fashion element? Admittedly, they're selling Elton John sunglasses but they're expensive and out of reach for most customers, many of whom are younger fans. Also, the programme is printed on magazine paper but isn't designed as a magazine. Another missed opportunity for interesting content, selling merchandise off the page, sponsored features and advertising. Yes, it would have taken more budget, but the effort should be worth the reward. 

And as for the bars... often eye-watering prices, sub-par service, and really unhealthy snacks. In colder months, why isn't every bar selling hot drinks? I don't drink alcohol much at all and would rather have a decent coffee before or even after a show. Am I the outlier here?

I love the theatre, and these are small gripes versus the enjoyment I get week-in week-out in venues across London. However, production values are production values. I'd like to see these extended to other areas of the experience more often. On that, Terry and I agree.

My Month in Theatre: November 2024

A round-up of shows and performances seen in November 2024. I've been challenged by a friend to keep a better record of what shows I've seen. At the moment, most of them are just listed in my calendar app which is not great for managing an archive. So whilst I work out the best way to do this, I'm just going to blog about them.

Friday 1st November - A Little Piece of You at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. The less said about this, the better. It was dreadful. Despite a stellar cast - Mica Paris, David Bedella, Dujonna Gift - nothing could save the dire material. I don't know if the book was rushed or just not well thought through, but it did not work. Some of Kjersti Long's songs were OK, but Kjersti's vocals could not match her co-stars and she ended up screeching the songs to get the volume needed. The concept of the play was poor. The female characters, because they were depressed, seemed to spend a lot of time in bed. This does not make for an interesting scenario to watch. David Bedella was not given a single note to sing. This was a vanity project and a half. Did impresario Dad have delusions of grandeur, I wonder? It was so bad, I had to take a week off going to the theatre to get over it! Note to Kjersti - don't stop making music and don't stop trying. But maybe walk before you run and get better advisors around you who are not afraid to critique your work so you can improve. 

Tuesday 12 November - La Clique at The Spiegeltent in Leicester Square. Lots of fun in a lovely venue in the heart of theatreland. It's a mix of magic, comedy, dance, trapeze and stunts. Recommended. Here's a review for a better flavour of what to expect. Booking now until 5 January 2025

Friday 15 November - The Elixir of Life by Donizetti at The London Coliseum. This ENO production was sumptuous and fun. They made full use of the stage with a gorgeous set and costumes. We had a full chorus too and glorious soloists. I liked that they had transposed the setting to the 20th Century as it made it more relatable and gave them scope to create some new effects which I hadn't seen before from the ENO. Here's a review from The Guardian for a more in-depth look at the piece. Booking until 5 December.

Saturday 16 November - Her Story: Mozart at Theatre Royal Drury Lane. This was a semi-staged concert version of a new musical about Nannerl Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus's older sister. I didn't even know he had a sister, or that she was also musical. It was fun to see a new story showcased in this way. It's still a work in progress but I hope it gets the resources and time to develop further. I really enjoyed it. I got all the feels with several of the songs. My body knows if the music is working way before my brain does!

Sunday 17 November - Club Life at the Omnibus Theatre in Clapham. Oh my, this was wonderful. It's the story of Fred Deakin (club DJ and one half of Lemon Jelly now a designer and academic) as told through the music he listened to and the clubs and parties he created between around 1980 and 2000. It's an immersive experience in that Fred somehow manages to recreate the atmosphere and vibe of each club through music, visuals and some story telling. The audience is encouraged from the get go to get up and dance during each club sequence. The 2.5 hours flew by and I found myself dancing throughout and came out absolutely buzzing. In experiencing Fred Deakin's story, I was also reliving some of my own story (we're a similar age) and was remembering my nights out at various parties, clubs and festivals. Here's a friend's review.

Monday 18 November - The Glorious French Revolution (or why it sometimes takes a guillotine to get anything done). A very clever, energetic and original piece of work to give us the potted history of The French Revolutions (spoiler alert, there was more than one). If you've ever watched or listened to Les Miserables, this play will give you the backstory in a very entertaining and thought-provoking way. I loved it and would recommend it. Yes, it's absurdist and maybe a tad experimental, but I think it works. You can read my review here. Playing until 14 December. Tickets available here at just £22.

Tuesday 19 November - Club Life at the Omnibus Theatre in Clapham. It was so good, I went twice and it was just as good the second time! 

Thursday 21 November - A Christmas Carol-ish at @SohoPlace Theatre. I was lucky enough to be invited to press night. This is Nick Mohammed's brainchild and is a transfer from 2023's version that ran at the Soho Theatre. Unfortunately, due to technical difficulties, we only got to see the first half (which was excellent, I might add). Unfortunately, I haven't been able to go again yet to see the full thing. The reviews from those who have seen it have been positive, such as this one. Booking until New Year's Eve. Tickets available here.

Friday 22 November - Wicked Part 1 - the movie at Vue Leicester Square. OK, so it's a movie not a live show, but I did go with a bunch of musical theatre enthusiasts who I've been hanging out with intermittently in a fabulous, but now defunct, musical theatre choir and piano bar karaoke night in Covent Garden. I'm not the biggest Wicked fan. I have seen the musical live, albeit 15 years ago. And yes it was fabulous. And this is a massive budget film so it's bound to be great, right? Well it is good, but I'm not sure it's mahoosive budget good. It's a fun movie and well worth seeing, even if you're not into musical theatre. Ariana Grande is excellent in it. I didn't know she could be so funny. Cynthia Erivo can really sing, but I didn't get that from the movie. The cinema was a bit chilly that night so it's possible I was distracted by not being wholly comfortable. I expected to get 'all the feels' but I didn't.  Maybe I need to see it again! Regardless, the songs 'Loathing' and 'Popular' have been constant earworms since so something's working with the film or its marketing! Here's a review of the film that I think is fair.

Sunday 24th November - Dirty Rotten Scoundrels at The London Palladium. OMG. This was absolutely fantastic! This semi-staged concert version, based on the movie of the same name, starred Ramin Karimloo (move over Jonathan Bailey, Ramin just took your place as No 1 in my hit parade!), Hadley Fraser, Janie Dee, Carly Mercedes Dyer, Rufus Hound and Lauren Drew. It was so funny and so brilliantly sung and acted. I couldn't have wished for anything better. I was even sat in the Grand Circle (which I don't often do because I like to see the detail), but even from there, the atmosphere was electric. I would love to see a fully-staged version of this. A weekend of this was not enough!

Monday 25th November - The Happiest Man on Earth at Southwark Playhouse. I've been lucky enough to see a couple of other plays recently that cover holocaust experiences, namely Rose (starring Maureen Lipman) at The Ambassador's Theatre and The White Factory at Marylebone Theatre. Both were incredibly moving. This one-man play in the studio theatre is right up there with its West End cousins. 

It's a quite fantastical tale of one Jewish man's experience before, during and after World War II. It's based on the autobiography of Eddie Jaku. It starts with Eddie finding out he's no longer welcome at school, soon followed by the deadly and infamous Kristallnacht and then a spell in Buchenwald, escape and spells in Auschwitz. Add in the physical abuse received from the Nazis, losing friends and family in the most appalling ways and a near-death experience due to cholera and typhoid; it's a miracle that Eddie survived at all, let alone live to 100 and share his story. Kenneth Tigar stars in what's described as a Tour de Force performance. And it really is. Kenneth is no spring chicken at 82 but is a seasoned and very talented actor. I found his performance tender yet gripping and funny yet moving. Booking now until 14 December. Highly recommended.

Tuesday 26th November - Flo & Joan, The One Man Musical at Soho Theatre. This is one of the funniest things I've seen all year! It's a repeat of their Edinburgh Fringe success transferred to The Soho Theatre for just a week. I got lucky with a last minute ticket. Flo & Joan are extremely talented writers, musicians and comedians. Although on stage, they are not the stars of the show. The star of this one-man musical about the main man of musicals is Andrew Lloyd Webber as played by George Fouracres. He plays him as pompous, posh and pugnacious and is an absolute delight. The musical numbers draw on familiar themes from ALW's most famous musicals. The low budget aspect of the piece just adds to the hilarity. We also hear about ALW's, um, various wives and how and when they got together, his relationship with Tim Rice as well as some of the rumours and stories about him. It's terrific fun, musically very clever and very tongue in cheek. I loved it! It was even better sharing the evening with fellow musical theatre enthusiasts to be able to laugh at some of the more obscure references together. There's a much better review than mine here. The show is returning to London at Underbelly Boulevard Soho 16 Jan to 2 March with tickets from £20 available here. 

Thursday 28 November - The Simple Life & Death at The Pleasance Theatre. My first visit to The Pleasance Theatre, but definitely not my last. This was a fun parody of Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie's The Simple Life. ShayShay plays Paris and Fizz Sinclair plays everyone else. Things quickly turn for the worse when the pair reunite for the 20th Anniversary Special Edition of the show. They have invited guests ready to interview but just as they're about to go live, there's a murder. Can Paris solve the mystery? Are the celebrity guests to blame? It's very silly, very funny and very camp. Sinclair's impressions are spot on and they both have the noughties vibe down to a T. Recommended for a light-hearted, fun night out in a super venue with a great bar and a great atmosphere. Booking now until 7 December.

Saturday 30 November - Alice in Wonderland at Brixton House Theatre. This one was nearer home and another really lovely venue. This is a retelling of Alice in Wonderland, set in modern day Brixton where Alice and her Mum are having a row during a tube journey. The tube train becomes the rabbit hole and we follow Alice on her journey through Wonderland - in this case, a never-ending tube ride - and we meet some of the other travellers on the same train. The play loosely follows the book and we see versions of the White Rabbit, Mad Hatter (Chatter), Cheshire Cat (a virtual entity), Mock Turtle (now a tortoise) and the Dormouse (a rat in our tale) and of course, the wicked Queen. It's quite a complicated story but the children in the audience the night I went all seemed to be really into it and engaged with what was going on. If you're looking for something a bit different, this might just fit the bill. The small cast worked really well together to carry off the range of characters they played as well as the increasingly frenetic tube ride that they're on. The sound effects were of particular note and they were very effective. There were enough puns and London references to keep the grown ups happy too and the rap style music was a fresh addition to the proceedings. This is definitely a play rather than a panto, although there is a little bit of audience participation in the second half. Recommended. Booking now until 4 January 2025.

The Glorious French Revolution (or: Why Sometimes it Takes a Guillotine to Get Anything Done) - a review

If history lessons had been more like this when I was growing up, I might just have paid a bit more attention to history that was older than The Great War. And I’m ashamed to say that even though I know Les Mis pretty well, can happily sing One More Day at the top of my lungs at my favourite piano bar in Soho, and was taught French from the age of 6 by my French next door neighbour, Mimi, and even my first boyfriend was a young Parisian (and oh so French), I know almost nothing about that period of history. I guess famine, death, a spendthrift king and queen, and a reign of terror don’t make for the best conversation.

If you’re expecting a BBC or ITV style period drama, this isn’t it. If you like your histories more Horrible than History Channel, but definitely for grown-ups, this one is for you. It is an experimental piece with more than a nod to absurdist theatre, but the cast of 5 know what they’re doing, and you’re in safe hands. Their high energy and absolute commitment to all the roles they play (and there are a lot and they interchange with each other seamlessly) coupled with innovative use of the small stage, interesting, if (deliberately) makeshift, props, great sound effects and lighting make for a  90-minute rollercoaster journey of the who, what, how and why of the French Revolutions (spoiler, there wasn’t just one). 

This production, brought to the stage by YESYESNONO was bonkers, fast-paced and fun, yet hard-hitting and thought-provoking. If you’re looking for something a bit different in an intimate setting, then you will enjoy this show. It’s not perfect; the last section didn’t quite land for me as well as it might (I had to read up on that bit of it), but, overall, the piece is brilliantly inventive, and it’ll give you something to tell your friends about afterwards and certainly something to ponder on your way home. Was it theatre, performance art or something else entirely? And why don't we know more about this history from our nearest neighbours. And if you've ever seen Les Mis on the stage or screen, then you really need to fill in the gaps in your knowledge with this play.

Tickets are a bargain £22. (See, theatre doesn't need to cost you an arm and a leg, even in Central London). Playing until 14 December at the New Diorama (near Warren St tube). There’s also a charming cafe bar there. Tickets are available now from the New Diorama website.

[Tickets gifted to me with no expectation of a review.]

National Theatre to trial 6.30pm start times

I think this is a great idea. The National Theatre is trialling an earlier start time for selected performances - initially on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I'm all for it as it means you either get home earlier or can catch the train home if you live further afield, or there's time to go for dinner afterwards. It also allows the cast, stage management and front-of-house teams to get home a bit earlier. Seems like a win-win to me.

I love everything the National Theatre does - I don't think there's a play I've seen there that I didn't like, and some have been downright fantastic and have well-deserved their transfers to the West End and national tours. Admittedly, I'm biased. I was at youth theatre with Rufus Norris back in the 1980s and I feel immense joy knowing what he has achieved in his time at the National Theatre - he completes his tenure in 2025. I'm particularly looking forward to seeing a new play, Nye, early next year starring Michael Sheen which is about Nye Bevin and the birth of what is now the NHS.

A top tip for getting cheaper tickets to plays at the National - every Friday at 1pm, they release a limited number of tickets for shows the following week for just £10. It's called Friday Rush. More info here and set yourself a reminder in your calendar.

More about the trial of early show times over at WhatsOnStage.

I'll be at this year's Business of Software Conference on 21-22 May. Will you?

This will be my third visit to this annual conference organised by Mark Littlewood. And it's always been a cracker - chock full of great content, good food, interesting conversations and actionable insights. This year we're at the Barbican and I'm really looking forward to hanging out with everyone again. It makes a change to be at someone else's event and not organising it!

If you fancy a speaker slot, then there's still just about time to apply for one a spot in the lightning talks session. Read on for details on how to apply, more about the conference and a discounted ticket offer (I've been given a few discounted tickets).

So what's this all about then?

Why would you want to come? Because you want to spend time learning how great software  companies are built at a conference where the attendees are not the product.

What is it? A single-track conference to help you build great software and a profitable business. In depth talks, curated content. Zero sales/sponsor pitches or panels. If you're looking for coding sessions, this one isn't for you.

This year's theme: How to make product, culture, innovation, strategy, marketing and sales drive sustainable, profitable, growth.

Sessions and Case Studies
• Wade Foster, Zapier: A High Growth, Remote Working, Profitable Company
• Bruce McCarthy, BPMA: Why Product Culture Beats Execution Culture
• Tom Adeyoola, Metail: Why Your ‘Brilliant’ Technology Fails to have Impact
• Tendayi Viki, Benneli Jacobs: Clever Ideas are not Enough for Innovation
• Alison Coward, Bracket Designing High-Performing Teams
• Carl Ryden, PrecisionLender: Iron Man Suits vs Robots – Product Strategy and AI
• Tim Barker, DataSift: “The Best of Times, the Worst of Times.” Every CEO Ever
• Laura Roeder, MeetEdgar: Building Business Against Well-Funded Competition
• Jane Austin, Moo: 10 Ways to Make Design Irrelevant to Your Business
• Nilan Peiris, Transferwise: Building a High-growth Startup Sustainably
• Stephen Allott, NED: Rules and Tools for Scaling Software Sales
• Bill Janeway, Warburg Pincus: The Fall and Rise of Enterprise Software
• Plus, Lightning Talks, Lunchtime Table Talks and the legendary hallway track.

I'm particularly looking forward to hearing about product culture from Bruce, Laura's session on building a business against well-funded competitors and the fall and rise of enterprise software from Bill.

Schedule – You can view more details on timing, speakers and session content here.

Sunday 20th May, Pre-event drinks and laid-back mingling.

Monday 21st May
• 08.00: Registration, coffee, tea, networking
• 09.00-18.00: Conference Keynotes Commence
• 18:30: Drinks, Networking Join us and our speakers for an evening to meet new
contacts and make new friends.

Tuesday 22nd May
• 08.00: Registration, coffee, tea, networking
• 09.00: Conference Keynotes Commence
• 17.30: Conference close

Who Comes? A potent mix of Founders, CEOs, CMOs, CTOs, COOs, CPOs and emerging leaders in scale-up and grown-up software companies, a few people from innovative corporates who want to embrace change, some smart investors. The common thread - people interested in getting better at what they do and learning new ideas that will impact their businesses and careers.

Fancy speaking at the conference? Well, it's too late to join one of the main sessions, but applications are still being accepted for a spot during the lightning sessions. If you'd like to put yourself forward for one of those spots, you can find out how to do that here

FAQs and background to the conference here. Also, here's the full schedule and link to the speakers.
Hope to see some of you there.

And lucky for you, I have a few discounted tickets available with my special registration link where you get 20% off the April rate of £795 + Fees/VAT (The price goes up nearer the date). If you're prompted for a code, please use TechnoKitten. Not only that, there's a guarantee of quality. BoS offers you a full refund of the ticket price, if at the end of the conference you decide you did not get value out of it. You have nothing to lose!

Mobile World Congress 2018: What did we discover? Join me on 21 March 2018.

We've now had a little time to recover from Mobile World Congress and digest what we saw and what we talked about. It's a big show with 108,000 visitors from all over the world and it covers every single aspect of mobile technology. It's impossible to take it all in, even if you were there every day and walked up and down every hall twice. And if you weren't there, what did you miss?

I hope my panel session next Wednesday 21 March in London will help fill in the gaps and make some sense of it all. I'll be chairing the session and will be joined by Paul Stringer, who heads up the mobile team at Equal Experts, Priya Prakash who is founder of D4SC and is also one of the UK Government's DIT Technology Specialists and Rafe Blandford, who is DigitasLBi's mobile guru. I also happen to know that there will be some MWC18 attendees in the audience who also know their stuff and I'm hoping will also contribute to the discussion.

Tickets are free and tapas and drinks are courtesy of the lovely Equal Experts. RSVP is required. You can do that by registering for a ticket below or by clicking here to reach the Eventbrite page.

So whether you were at Mobile World Congress or not, I do hope you can join us on Wednesday.

Powered by Eventbrite

Doors open at 6pm for a 6.30pm start.

We'll be at Equal Experts' offices on Brock Street. Full details on eventbrite. Nearest tube is either Warren Street or Euston Square.

It was my 11th Twitter birthday yesterday

I've been a member since 15th December 2006. Eleven years. I was one of the early adopters in the UK. This is how it happened.

The calm before the storm
London Tech Christmas Party December 2006

I was part of the London Tech community's Christmas 'Mega Bash' of 2006 led by Ian Forrester of BBC Backstage. The idea was to get all the London tech community groups together and to have a big Christmas bash on Saturday 9 December 2006. Swedish Beers was one of the groups involved alongside London Girl Geekdinners, Geekdinners, London Perlmongers, London Webstandards Group, London Ruby user group, Open rights group, London 2.0, Mobile Monday, LondonSEO. Of those, Swedish Beers is definitely still going strong with no sign of letting up any time soon (I hope).

The sponsors on the night fared better. Trusted Places went to Yell. SkillsMatter, Chinwag, TechCrunch UK, and O'Reilly are all still around in one form or another. AdMob sold to Google for megabucks. And Connect Me Anywhere was the precursor to Iovox.

Twitter didn't quite make the grade as a full-on sponsor, but they were involved in some way. It's a long time ago. I can't remember the detail. There was some Twitter activity that night, but I hadn't been organised enough to sign up to the service. And in all honesty, I really couldn't see the point of micro-blogging. I'd been doing long-form blogging for 3 years at that point and I'd been an active member of Flickr since 2005 and even had a PRO account so I could store more photos. That was my social network of choice at the time. We used that and Moblog a bit like Instagram is used now except we took our photos on our mobile or cameras and uploaded via desktop or laptop computer.  My business networking was done on Soflow, Ecademy and LinkedIn. So I could see the point of social networking (although we didn't call it that then), but microblogging? Yeah, wasn't so sure on that one.


I took some nudging from Ian to get signed up to Twitter. I did it as a favour to him after the party to help him meet his obligations to Twitter. And in those early days, I really couldn't see the point so I wasn't particularly active. And my first tweets don't reveal very much of note either. Also at the time, Twitter wasn't market leader. We also had Jaiku and Pownce. Jaiku has more functionality. I seem to remember Pownce having some weird USP that I can't quite remember, but they were both also about micro-blogging.

Fast forward to February 2007, and it's 3GSM in Barcelona - what is now Mobile World Congress. Twitter is integrated with SMS and you could do things like create an interest group and everyone in the group would receive the messages via SMS. You could post and receive via SMS for free as well. In Barcelona, on roaming, and many of us on the same mission to find out where the action was at 3GSM, Twitter suddenly had a purpose. The most similar thing to that now would be a WhatsApp or WeChat Group. Now I got the point. We could share messages with each other easily and for free. We could find out about what was going on and get answers to questions. All useful stuff. And now, all superseded by other services.

It's fair to say that for a few years I was an enthusiastic Twitter user. I met many people via Twitter. Engaged in the offline Twitter meet-ups and I met new clients via Twitter as well. It was still small enough that you could keep track of the people you were following and in turn, you could be found and make an impression. Most people still couldn't see the point of it so it stayed in the category of quality not quantity in those days.

But as the masses joined in, the usefulness and relevance for me decreased. And for the last few years, I've hardly used it at all. Facebook and LinkedIn have taken over in usefulness and reach for me - particularly the former, even for business-related content.

But, I'm still there and I'm using it a bit more again since I picked up the blogging pace this November. It's harder work because of the volume of stuff to wade through. And I'm not sure how much reach I get from Twitter. My blog stats say Google and Facebook are my main drivers of traffic with Twitter barely showing a blip these days. But maybe that will change now that I'm a bit more engaged. These platforms have a way of ebbing and flowing over time. And maybe now that Twitter is not quite as micro-blogging as before, it will make a difference.

If you'd like to relive that London Tech Mega Christmas Bash 2006, you can do that here. And if you're feeling brave, you can check out the photos. We certainly look younger, but so many of the photos are deeply, deeply unflattering!

Day 16/25 Blogmas

Contrived Exclusivity over Substance

I'm not usually one for swanky bars or restaurants but yesterday, a friend and I fancied an afternoon treat, so we thought we'd give the Radio Rooftop bar a go. The bar is on the roof of the ME Hotel in London's Aldwych. That means it has amazing views of the river. It has always been billed as an exclusive place. We did consider booking a table and I enquired about it. The manager emailed back to say there was a minimum spend of £25 each + service to book a table but at that time, we could probably just walk up and find a spot to enjoy a drink and a chat. I should add that if you want to book a table for a larger group, the minimum spend is £75 per person.

I rocked up at the appointed time already knowing that my companion was running late. I figured that I could bag us both a table or spot at the bar before it got busy with the early evening, post-work crowd. I've never been before so I just wandered through the hotel behind a man who clearly looked like he knew where he was going. Since I was loaded with shopping bags, no-one stopped me. I expect they thought I was likely to be a guest in the hotel. I headed to the back of the hotel and got in the lift and went straight up to the bar. I didn't even know there was a separate entrance for the lift to the roof.

On asking for a table, I was told that there was nothing available - in fairness, the bar was busy but certainly not full - but I could sit at the bar. I sat down, pulled up another bar stool for my friend, tidied my shopping bags out of the way and waited. With my phone and the charming French bar man for company, I was quite enjoying being in a different environment and doing some people watching.

Next thing, I'm getting a flurry of WhatsApp messages from my friend saying they won't let her inside to take the lift. Apparently there's a queue and even though I've saved her a spot and we're both solo, there was no way whatsoever the bouncers were going to let her in. This is at 5pm on a Tuesday afternoon and the bar, although busy, was certainly not full. I spoke to the manager at the bar and he somewhat grumpily told me that was the policy and there was nothing he would do. My friend just had to wait her turn, frustrating though that is.

There were about 20 people in front of her. Fortunately, half of those people gave up waiting having been at the receiving end of the surly bouncers. That meant the wait wasn't too long and eventually we were reunited. My friend and I had a nice drink and chat together, and we had some lovely tapas. The crab cakes were particularly delicious and the bar staff we engaged with were utterly charming. We can't say the same of the door staff or the manager unfortunately but we had a nice enough time there.

I think I would describe this as contrived exclusivity.

Did the slightly painful wait make the experience in the bar even better for us? In this instance, I don't think so. I'm unlikely to be adding this bar to my favourite bars of London list.It seems that there are plenty of other customers who respond well to this deliberate positioning strategy. The mix of swanky surroundings, a good cocktail menu, and this contrived exclusivity seems to hit the spot. Maybe it makes people feel special for being the lucky ones who are in there. Perhaps by making it that bit harder to get into, it attracts only a certain type of clientele, and probably a rich clientele and so the visitors there find others just like them. Or maybe there's more to it than that?

I'm not saying the Radio Rooftop Bar has no substance. The food was tasty, the views are great and the waiting staff are very nice, but I can't help feeling that this contrived exclusivity makes the place feel a lot better than it actually is to a certain type of customer.

As so often happens with me, other things crop up in my timeline that are very pertinent to something I've just experienced. When I got home last night, I spotted this on Twitter.

How #glamour works and why you need to care about it. We review @Vpostrel’s #PowerofGlamour: https://t.co/kpRy1hU5Di #marketing #advertising

— The Agency Review (@TheAgencyReview) December 5, 2017

Glamour, as opposed to style, is important in marketing terms so maybe the Power of Glamour needs to be on my reading list. You can get it over on Amazon.




And then today, when I was wondering what I should write about today, I read this article from Vice about how someone made his shed the top rated restaurant on TripAdvisor. It's a fascinating read and tells us a lot about human behaviour. Exclusivity plus high ratings seems to have made 'The Shed' a big hit even though there was absolutely no substance to it at all.

So maybe there is something in this contrived exclusivity mullarkey. I'm racking my brain though as to how this could work in a digital or mobile environment. Something for me to ponder further.

Day 6/25 Blogmas

Ping pong robot, prizes, beer, mobile chat and more at Swedish Beers on Tuesday 21 November

Not long to go now until the next Swedish Beers bash in London. We'll be back at the Nordic Bar, our favourite London haunt, and as well as the usual chat, drinks and mingling, we will also have a Ping Pong Robot competition to raise funds for Bloodwise.

We're busy sorting out the prizes for that, but I can confirm that two of them are these latest release books.

The first is a copy of The Startup Way by Eric Ries of Lean Startup fame. I heard him speak at an event last week and wrote a few thoughts about that over on my personal blog. I managed to come away with an extra copy of the book which will be one of the prizes tomorrow night.

The other book that's up for grabs tomorrow is Rough Diamond: Turning Disruption into Advantage in Business and Life by Nicole Yershon.

We will also have some collection buckets, so please bring your small change - every coin counts.

If you prefer, you can donate on the justgiving page here  https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/4carlo

Or you can text in with your donation (UK only). Text BEAT01 £x to 70070 to donate to Bloodwise. The amount can be edited so that you choose how much you wish to donate, so if you're donating £5, then text BEAT01 £5 to 70070 or if you'd like to donate £2, then text BEAT01 £2 to 70070 - you get the idea!

The guest list for tomorrow night is shaping up nicely. If you haven't already registered, please do that here.

Entry is free and we'll have free drinks courtesy of Kindred Capital and Inspiring Interns for as long as the bar tab lasts. Everyone working in, around or interested in the mobile industry from a professional or academic point of view are most welcome. Do spread the word with your friends and colleagues.

Until tomorrow night then!

Ladies in Mobile Dinner in London next week - 28 Sept 2016

With 10 years of ladies in mobile meet-ups in Barcelona and one in Leeds last year, I thought it was time to host a dinner in London. I know some terrific ladies in the industry and I know that they know some terrific ladies in the sector too. So let's gather, exchange notes, have something nice to eat and drink and meet friends old and new.

I have not yet found a venue - it largely depends on how many of us there are. We may be a handful of people we could be 30, I don't know yet! However many we are, I will book a venue that can do us a fixed price menu for the evening at a reasonable price and afford us some privacy, but not necessarily a private room (unless we need it because of numbers). As a picky pescetarian myself, I will make sure that different dietary requirements can be catered for. Please let me know when you register of any specific needs. You can register on the form below or by clicking this link and registering on the Eventbrite page.

I currently do not have a sponsor but am very happy to welcome a sponsor or two that would help subsidise the price to make the event open to those less able to afford it and/or to provide some additional wine on the night. If you'd like to sponsor this event, please get in touch with me, Helen Keegan, by email.

Once I have an idea on numbers (currently about 20), I'll go ahead and book somewhere and advise on the price. You may be asked to pay in advance in order to secure our reservation. If that's the case, I will contact you with details of how to pay by by paypal, TransferWise or invoice/bank transfer.

Men are welcome to attend the evening but must be accompanied by a female colleague.

Know of a suitable place for us to go? Please let me know! I'm all ears.

Looking forward to seeing you all.

Best

Helen

This is a Heroes of the Mobile Fringe Event.

Photo credit Becky Gorman / aql. Taken at the Heroes of the Mobile Fringe Ladies Lunch in Leeds, November 2015

Powered by Eventbrite

Swedish Beers, London - Midsummer Edition - Wednesday 17 June 2015

Yes, it’s just a few days to go until our next party in London. It's coming up for midsummer so it's about time we had another Swedish Beers party. For those of you who were in Barcelona, it's time to relive some of the memories and for those of you who weren't, then it's time to create some memories of your own in London town.

Drinks are courtesy of Buzzcity (mobile advertising specialists and our lead sponsor for the evening), Inspiring Interns (recruitment agency focussed on graduate roles), Fantastic Services (London’s largest cleaning company who are about to launch their cleaning app) and US Tax and Financial Services (there’s nothing these guys don’t know about tax issues for US citizens in the UK or for UK citizens and businesses headed Stateside).

There'll be plenty drinks to go around of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic varieties. There is food available to buy on the night if you haven't had time to grab a bite to eat before you come.

We're back at our favourite London joint, The Nordic Bar, where Swedish Beers began back in 2001 in the mists of mobile time. Doors will be open from 6.15pm and the bar has a late licence until midnight for those of you who want to stay up late on a school night.

If you haven't been before, expect a friendly crowd, lots of chat about mobile, life, the universe and why Swedish Beers is called Swedish Beers. There will also be beer pong (yes, there's a ping pong table) and, of course, refreshments (soft drinks are available and in plentiful supply) courtesy of our lovely sponsors. There will be people from all walks of mobile life there on the night - be that app developers, advertising, media, mobile marketing, handset manufacturers, payment providers, big data, brands, agencies, analysts, journalists, start-ups, veterans, noobs and much more. There have already been a lot of RSVPs on eventbrite already. Why not join them? Come alone or come with a friend but do come.

Date: Wednesday 17 June 2015

Time: 6.15pm until closing

Place: The Nordic Bar, Newman Street, London W1 (nearest tube Tottenham Court Road, Oxford Circus or Goodge Street)

You can RSVP below or over on Facebook. Either way, it’s free to attend.

Powered by Eventbrite

Spread the word and look forward to seeing you all soon.

Skål!

Helen

http://swedishbeers.org
@swedishbeers
http://facebook.com/swedishbeers
This is a Heroes of Mobile event.

Swedish Beers–The Jubilee Edition, London

Following a successful first event in San Francisco, we're ready to hit London Town once again and with it being a time of celebration what with the Jubilee and the Olympics ‘n all, Jenny and I thought it was about time we had another shindig.

It's the usual format - no presentations, no formalities, no sales pitches, no ties - just friendly people chatting about mobile over a beer or three. We're at our usual haunt of the Nordic Bar on Newman Street in London and the doors will be open from 6.30pm onwards.

Of course, we couldn’t run the party without a little help from our friends…

Our lead sponsor this time around is Millennial Media. And if you haven't met them already, they're specialists in premium mobile advertising and have a mobile advertising and data platform. They're a super-friendly bunch and are very knowledgeable too. And as lead sponsor (again! We’re very grateful), they'll have the most beer tokens ;) Look out for Gavin, Stephen and the rest of the team. http://millennialmedia.com/

They'll be ably supported by...

TVGuide.co.uk - they do what it says on the tin and offer a UK TV guide on your computer or mobile device. And it’s the one I use most of all as it’s user-friendly and comprehensive. Lila, Mo and the team will be on hand to tell you more about what's new with them and to talk TV apps with you. http://tvguide.co.uk/

Inspiring Interns - they're a recruitment company specialising in helping companies recruit interns and helping set-up and manage intern programmes. They also have years of experience in the world of mobile and are possibly the loveliest recruitment people out there. Yes, I'm biased, their founder, Ben, is a close friend of mine! Look out for Ben, Benedict, Sam, Charlie for beer tokens. http://inspiringinterns.com/

Swiftkey - Want to type faster on your Android device? Swiftkey is the answer. They won a GSMA award in February and a Webby Award this week so they must be on to something. Joe, Rhod and the team will be on hand to show you how it all works and how many keystrokes you can save yourself. http://swiftkey.net/

If you’re interested in joining these lovely companies as a fellow sponsor, please get in touch with Helen by email.

So to recap:

What - Swedish Beers Mobile Networking
When - 30 May 2012 from 6.30pm
Where - Nordic Bar, Newman Street, London. Nearest tubes are Tottenham Court Road or Goodge Street.

RSVP - (optional) over at Facebook and please bring a business card with you to get your first beer token.

So spread the word, pray for a dry evening so we can use the outside area and come on down for a fun evening with friends old and new. You don’t have to be a mobile expert to join us. All welcome with a passing interest in mobile technology.

Skål
Helen, Jenny and the Swedish Beers crew

**********Keep in touch***********

Email: Just add your email address to the Feedblitz box at the top left and you’ll get our blog posts (and therefore event notices) to your inbox.

Twitter: Follow us at http://www.twitter.com/swedishbeers

Facebook: Like us http://www.facebook.com/SwedishBeers or join the Swedish Beers FB group

Happy 10th Birthday to Us!

In case you didn’t know, I organise the Swedish Beers parties and there was a bash last week. And what a lovely time we all had celebrating Swedish Beers 10th anniversary – yes, that’s right, 10 whole years of mobile networking events in London, Barcelona and, until Jenny moved back to London, Sydney. We celebrated in style with a little help from our lovely friends and supporters at Somo and Inspiring Interns, who generously bought all the beers, my friends and cohorts, Jenny, Gabriel, James (who took all the photos) and Catherine, the Nordic Bar for looking after us, and of course to everyone who came.

As ever, there was an eclectic mix of people covering everything from Art to Science with some marketing, brands, media and entrepreneurship in between. For me, it was particularly fun to hear stories about Swedish Beers past where friendships, business partnerships, sales, and investments have been made. It warms the cockles of my heart to hear these and to know that networking at Swedish Beers works! And it wasn’t just the old-timers who turned up in force, there were lots of lovely new faces too to welcome to the Swedish Beers family proving that we’re in a vibrant, growing sector.

Well, not much more for me to say, except thank you to everyone and hope to see a lot of you in Barcelona on Wednesday 29 February for our annual Barcelona bash (get in touch if you’d like to be a co-sponsor – two spots left at the time of writing). In the meantime, enjoy the photos from the party last week.

Created with flickr slideshow.

Skål

Helen, Jenny, Gabriel, James and Catherine

TunA the Day's Big Benefit Night Out in August

Yup, it's true. The popular website, TunA the Day, the site dedicated to promoting unsigned and little-known artists is having an official launch party at 229TheVenue (at 229 Great Portland St, directly opposite Great Portland St tube station) on Sunday 24 August 2009 in London Town from 6.30pm.

So if you're not at a festival or out of town and find you fancy a Sunday night out (it's the Bank Holiday so no need to get up early the next day), hang out with some friendly folk, check out some new music and enjoy a beverage or two until the wee hours (the bar is licensed until 3am), then this is the night for you. And tickets are just £10 and all the profit is going to the Marine Conservation Society charity to help it save dwindling fishing stocks in and around the British Isles.

I must admit I don't know any of the artists on the night, but they all look pretty tempting to me judging by their myspace pages and the night will be ably compered by all-round nice guy comedian MacKenzie Taylor and the line-up includes:

Official Secrets Act – hotly tipped Indie popsters

http://www.myspace.com/officialsecretsact

Red Box Blue – top class pop/rock with a country twist

http://www.myspace.com/redboxblue

Lizzy Spit – acoustic folk from Steve Lemacq favourite

http://www.myspace.com/lizzyspit

Murmur – driving guitar alt rock from Essex based 4-piece

http://www.myspace.com/murmurtheband

Schwab – bonkers dance pop with serious grooves

http://www.myspace.com/schwabtheband

DJ set by Millimetre – dance late into the night with top electro fusionist

http://www.myspace.com/millimetre

So if you fancy doing your bit for marine conservation as well as having a really good night out while you're doing it, then come on down and hang with Big Ade and his TunA gang and we can be 100% Dolphin friendly together with the help of 2 bars, lots of bands, a great DJ and a 3am licence. Doors open at 6.30pm, music starts and 7pm and you can book tickets at http://www.wegottickets.com/event/32872

Last chance for a reduced rate ticket for Chinwag Live's PR Unspun event

Chinwag Live is running an event on Tuesday 24th April (that's next week) in Central London called PR Unspun. It will look at how the PR industry is adapting now that social media is heading for mainstream adoption. It's just £20 if you book before midnight tonight (19 April). Check it out at http://live.chinwag.com/prunspun. Judging by past events of theirs that I've been to, it's always a good panel and discussion followed by great networking. Well worth it.

And if you do go, be sure and say hello to the Chinwag team, for they are lovely.

Oh What a Night!

A huge thank you to everyone who came to Swedish Beers last week. It was, by all accounts, a rip-roaring success and we were incredibly busy with both old and new faces and everyone seemed to have a good time. Some of the feedback to me personally was lovely:

"Wicked event, you really move the (mobile industry) crowd!"

"Thoroughly enjoyed the evening and met some great people...This dude had a great time and is eagerly looking forward to the next one!"

"Well that worked then didn't it! Congrats on a really good night out!"

"Wow! When's the next one?"

"Thanks for a very good event last night at Nordic Bar"

"many thanks for a successful evening – it was a warm welcome from a good cross section of UK/London’s mobile community"

And a HUGE thank you to our very generous sponsors Tanla Mobile who were out in force making everyone feel thoroughly welcome.

Did we manage to stick to our tried and tested formula "drink beer, talk mobile, drink more beer, talk nonsense"? Well, you'd have to ask those who were there from as far afield as Australia, Italy, USA, Germany and Finland including [drum roll please]...

Sky, Skype, Phoniq, News Optimus, Financial Times, Warwick Worldwide, Yahoo!, Google, Vodafone, BeepMarketing, O2, Leiki, flytxt, ARN Consulting, Sony Pictures, Respond Mobile, Otodio, MBlox, Fathom Partners, W2Forum, OITG, Mobile 365, Arcarnus, Bango, Telemix, PNC Telecom, Phuser, Gisdata, Metastorm, ShopQwik, Renzoo, Xtract, Mbites, Mobile Entertainment Magazine, VSC Consulting, W2Forum, ENO, Mercury Mobility, Minick, MIG, Chinwag, Masabi, Mobizines, Future Platforms, Hotxt, Colibria, Ymogen, Admob, m:metrics, LinguaFranca, AdInfuse, Moblog UK, PeekabooTV, ICSTIS , Informa, Pitch, and a ton of other people too. If you were there, feel free to add a comment below. Indeed, perhaps you can fill in some gaps on the photos on flickr as to who's who? And if you have any photos yourself, please either let me have them or add them to the Swedish Beers group pool on flickr.

If you want to find out about the next one via email, then please add your email address to the Feedblitz box on the left-handside on the Swedish Beers blog or click the feedblitz link here.

See you at the next one!

skål

As if one event's not enough... Swedish Beers next event is Thursday 5th April

*please note date change to Wednesday 11th April*

We had such a blast in Barcelona (courtesy of MyStrands and Colibria) that we thought it was about time we got together againfor the fun that is Swedish Beers in London at our usual haunt, the Nordic Bar, London W1. A sponsor for the bar is yet to be confirmed (anyone want to volunteer?) but the usual rules apply.. i.e. no powerpoint, no speeches, just mingling and networking with friendly people like you who are also interested in things mobile. We attract all sorts from within and without the mobile industry, which makes it interesting. You can read about our past events over at the Swedish Beers blog.

So the date for the diary for Swedish Beers Mobile Networking is Thursday 5th April - that's the day most of us break up for Easter Wednesday 11th April (so it's *after* Easter) and the proceedings will kick off from 6pm.

Our event sponsor will be the wonderful Tanla Mobile so the first few beers will be on them.

skål

Steve, Seth and Helen