Insights Pubs Need to Know from the BII People Conference 2025

What Operators Can Learn About People, Culture & Growing Stronger Teams

A couple of weeks ago, we attended the BII People Conference 2025, an event packed with real-world perspectives from operators and industry researchers.

We’ve pulled together some of the key insights that matter most for pub operators, along with the latest data from KAM Insights on what drives a successful, people-powered pub. From real operator experiences to research-backed behaviours that influence staff and customer loyalty, here’s a focused roundup of what you need to know:

Pub People, Pub Power: The Importance of Growing Talent from Within

Hearing from both independent and managed business operators, one message came through loud and clear: your people are your biggest asset, and the best talent often already works in your venues.

Key operator insights included:

• Grow from within – Internal progression not only strengthens culture but builds loyalty and reduces hiring pressures.
• Protect work–life balance – Long hours shouldn’t be a requirement for career progression. Leaders spoke openly about creating environments where teams can thrive without burning out.
• Create places people want to work – Making venues enjoyable for teams and guests is essential for stability and retention.

This panel reinforced something hospitality already knows, but can sometimes struggle to operationalise: a happy team is the foundation of a successful pub.

KAM Insights: Why Employee Happiness Directly Impacts Guest Experience

BII trustee Katy Moses (KAM Insights) shared new data showing just how much employee engagement influences customer behaviour and therefore revenue.

According to their research:

Your team IS your marketing

One of the biggest opportunities highlighted was employee-generated content. Authentic photos and videos created by teams are becoming one of the most trusted forms of brand storytelling, especially across social media.

Other notable findings:

• Every operator surveyed uses WhatsApp internally in some way.
• 1 in 2 pub groups now have a dedicated LinkedIn company page, using it as a platform to celebrate teams, culture and people-led stories.

What builds emotional connection?

KAM also revealed what customers say helps them feel emotionally connected to a hospitality brand:

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Perhaps the most striking point: employees would rather feel cared for than be paid more.

For operators dealing with tight budgets, this insight is reassuring - culture, care and communication matter just as much as pay rises, especially when money is under pressure.

How 24social Is Supporting Operators Through These Challenges

The themes from BII, people, wellbeing, efficiency and culture, directly align with where we’re taking our products. Operators are navigating rising costs, busy teams and tight margins, so our goal is simple: to empower operators with simple, flexible website tools so they can focus on growth and delivering exceptional customer experiences.

Here’s how we’re tailoring our services with these needs in mind:

👥 Helping teams grow from within

Both My Place and Enterprise allow operators to invite additional team members to manage and update digital content. This supports internal development, gives staff ownership, and spreads workload more sustainably.

⏱️ Supporting better work–life balance

My Place is designed to be as easy to use as Instagram or Facebook. Operators don’t need complex CMS (Content Management System) training or long content-management tasks, freeing them to spend more time with their teams and guests.

💸 Reducing digital costs when budgets are tight

Marketing budgets are often the first to be squeezed. By offering an affordable, hospitality-specific digital solution, 24social helps operators cut unnecessary digital spend without compromising their online presence.

For independent operators, My Place provides a simple, easy to use website platform for just £30/month. For larger managed or franchised groups, Enterprise offers centralised, multi-venue content management starting at £75/month per venue.

Learn more:

My Place

Enterprise

💬 Supporting Operators Through Our WhatsApp Community

Alongside our products, we’re focused on making sure operators feel supported every day - not just when something goes wrong. That’s why we created our 24social WhatsApp community, giving users direct access to our team for quick product support, guidance and questions.

We also have a public WhatsApp group where we share marketing tips, seasonal content ideas, social media inspiration, and the latest insights from our blog. It’s a simple, real-time way for operators to stay inspired, stay connected, and stay ahead without adding more work to their busy day.

Final Thoughts

BII People Conference 2025 made one thing unmistakably clear: the future of hospitality belongs to operators who invest in their people.

Whether through better culture, clearer communication, or easier digital tools, creating an environment where teams feel cared for and valued is the most powerful strategy for driving guest loyalty and long-term business success.

If you’d like support simplifying your digital workload, or helping your teams take more ownership of your online presence, we’re always here to help - feel free to email us team@24social.io!