Hospitality Lens - Events & Community

Posted on 19 Aug 2025

Tom explores how businesses can go beyond being “just part of a postcode” to becoming a true community asset, by building events that add value, foster belonging, and strengthen relationships across the trade.

                               
Once you’ve helped someone feel like they belong, the next step is to build momentum, deepening that connection to both place and community. What we’ve found, as many in our field have too, is that the most powerful way to do this is by ensuring the spaces we love actively add value to the lives of those who support them. Through events, partnerships, and collaboration, a business can grow beyond being just another name on a postcode and instead become a true asset to its community.

Finding the right program for your venue:

When we’re planning our events program and thinking about how it connects to the community around us, we always start by asking: what does our community need, and what will add value to their lives?

If your area already has a well-loved beer festival or live music event, launching your own version doesn’t just strain relationships with other local businesses, it can also put your community in the awkward position of having to choose who to support. Instead, if you truly believe in running a similar event, reach out to the organisers. Look for ways to add value to what’s already there: can you open early and serve breakfast before the event, host a warm-up the night before, or be the official afterparty?

Jealousy doesn’t look good on anyone, including businesses. Finding ways to support and strengthen what your community already loves will only build more respect and a greater sense of belonging. Collaboration and communication in the trade are rarely bad ideas, and especially now, they can be a real lifeline.

Beyond this, we lean into what we’re already known for. Our reputation for food and wine is well established, so our events naturally build on that foundation. Street food festivals, cheese & wine evenings, and similar gatherings work because they’re recognisable, but we make them different through collaboration. For example, our family-owned business hosts a family-owned food festival: ten independent vendors, each run by husband-and-wife teams or mother and daughter duos. That extra layer of heart and authenticity creates even more feel-good energy and community spirit.

Our wine festival is another great example. By running it in partnership with our wine supplier, we highlight our connections with other local businesses and double the strength of our marketing, because it’s in both our interests to see it succeed.

How community & collaboration stimulate business growth:

In a town proud of its history of co-operation, it’s easy to forget the roots of that movement, but it still resonates strongly today. During Covid and in the years since, communities have rallied to support independents, so much so that we’ve even seen big hospitality chains “de-branding” in response. If companies are willing to take on the cost of reworking their entire identity, it’s a clear sign: this is the direction the trade is heading.

For those of us who are truly independent, now is the time to celebrate our place in that market. By creating events that add value, bring people together, and offer something beyond the everyday, whether that’s a charity fundraiser, a cause driven event, or simply a fantastic day out, you create good feeling and connection. And that sense of connection doesn’t disappear when the event ends; it lingers in the way people relate to your space, your brand, and your business. That long-lasting bond will repay you many times over.

Article by Tom McNeeney

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