All Competitive socialising articles
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InterviewsReinventing the occasion: Why alcohol alone is no longer enough for bar operators
The operators behind Inception Group, Little Door & Co and sports bar concept GOAT argue that winning the battle for consumers means delivering far more than what is in the glass
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NewsCompetitive socialising boosting Christmas demand at Market Halls as bookings surge
The food hall operator says corporate parties increasingly moving beyond the traditional festive meal in favour of experience-led celebrations that combine food, drink and entertainment
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NewsLane7 Group appoints Gavin Hughes as CEO
The competitive socialising business says the change, which will see founder Tim Wilks step back from day-to-day leadership, comes after a ‘transformative year’ marked by record revenue and EBITDA
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NewsSpinners gears up for national expansion with new senior hires
The Gresham House Ventures-backed business has appointed Francis Ireland as head of growth, George Whittaker as finance director and Georgina Roberts as head of marketing, in advance of its fifth site opening in Q1 2027
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NewsSport boosts Market Halls summer of growth
The food hall operator benefited from robust food and drink sales, increased corporate bookings, growth of its competitive socialising concept Games Hall, and a packed programme of seasonal sporting events
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NewsWe Do Play plots fresh investment and further expansion following Boom Battle Bar acquisition
The group, led by Boom Battle Bar founder Richard Beese, plans to introduce new tech, games and experiences across the competitive socialising brand’s estate while also growing its footprint
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NewsXP Factory offloads Boom Battle Bar
The group has entered into an agreement that will see F.O Twenty-Four Ltd acquire the competitive socialising brand for a total consideration of up to £11m
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NewsSwingers rebrands as ‘Home of Rivalry’ in push beyond crazy golf
The competitive socialising company said the rebrand gives it a platform to expand into a wider mix of games, events, food and drink experiences
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NewsF1 Arcade in ‘a fast-moving growth phase’ as revenue rises
The Formula 1-inspired competitive socialising concept saw revenue increase 48% in 2025, driven by new site openings in the US and a strong performance across its UK estate
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NewsPitch secures US franchise partner
The competitive socialising brand has signed a deal to launch 15 sites across the US over the next five years, with a debut site in California opening in early 2027
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NewsXP Factory faces ‘significantly weaker competitive socialising market’
Chairman James van den Bergh described the year as “one of resilience rather than progress”, with Escape Hunt in growth but Boom Battle Bar seeing declining sales
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InterviewsTOCA Social: ‘We’ve learnt to be more secure and proud of our football heritage’
As the competitive socialising concepts marks its fifth birthday, group president Alex Harman discusses the brand’s evolution and how it is tapping into football’s fast-growing popularity in the US
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Analysis & InsightFrom pints to play: The growth of experience-led bars
With consumers demanding more value from every occasion, experience-led pub and bar concepts are outgrowing the market. Operators from Flight Club, Little Door & Co, Vagabond and Inception Group are proving that memorable moments can be just as important as food and drink in driving footfall and growth.
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InterviewsMarket Halls: ‘We’ve moved away from the transactional relationship and into the emotional’
Following a ‘landmark’ year, the food hall operator is looking to take advantage of consolidation in the market to grow its estate while also evolving the concept and guest experience
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InterviewsPoolhouse can work in ‘many towns and cities' in UK
CEO and co-founder Andrew O’Brien tells MCA initial reaction to the tech-led pool group’s debut London site has been ‘amazing’ with strong repeat business and opportunities to evolve the concept
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NewsIn pictures: Five Iron Golf launches UK flagship
The US-founded experiential golf concept has opened its first UK outpost at Broadgate in the City of London amid plans to eventually open 10 locations across the UK
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NewsNightcap in talks about multimillion pound fundraising deal
It’s reported the late-night operator has approached investors about a seven-figure capital injection to finance the purchase of a sizeable ‘competitive socialising’ leisure concept
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NewsRed Engine revamps Electric Shuffle gameplay
CEO Steve Moore said the company would dedicate 2026 to enhancing the Electric Shuffle experience through new gameplay developments aimed at ‘redefining’ the customer journey
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NewsFive Iron Golf to invest £20m in UK expansion
The tech-driven, experiential golf concept is set to launch its first UK outpost in the City of London this week under a 10-site franchise agreement
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NewsJonathan Peters joins US padel business No Strings as fractional CFO
The former F1 Arcade CEO will support No Strings across finance, legal, commercial and fundraising with a view to stepping into the role full-time following its Series A funding round