Rosie Akenhead - How Better Data Builds Better Guest Moments

In this episode of Captive Conversations, Adam sits down with Rosie Akenhead to explore one of the biggest challenges facing hospitality today: the covers problem. Rosie describes how changing guest behaviour, home comforts and broader societal pressures have reshaped the way people choose to dine out. She also reflects on the emotional weight this places on teams who are still expected to deliver energy and inspiration every day.

Rosie draws on her experience in both tenanted and managed pubs to explain the realities of supporting operators, balancing brand consistency and enabling local creativity. She shares practical insight into CRM transformation, booking journey improvements and the value of simple, thoughtful personalisation such as avoiding irrelevant content for the wrong audience.

Together they explore:

✔ Why covers feel unpredictable and what drives guest behaviour

✔ The difference between tenanted and managed pub challenges

✔ How disconnected marketing creates confusion for guests

✔ What Rosie learned from implementing full CRM and data journeys

✔ Why simple personalisation still matters more than complex automation

✔ The moment she realised it was time to build her own business

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Packed with honest insight for operators, marketers and CRM teams, this episode highlights the human and operational realities behind modern hospitality.

#HospitalityMarketing #CaptiveConversations #GuestExperience #HospitalityTech #CRM #HospitalityStrategy #RestaurantTech #OperatorLife