I suppose the most important thing is that people feel there was something there for them and that it was relevant. You know, there's nothing worse than saying, well, there's nothing new there. We spoke about that last year. I came with I'll be able to know what, No one could resolve it. So I suppose that that would be my key, if people could leave feeling that they had learnt something, benefited from it
and, like I say, and had fun. Hello and welcome to the Retail Podcast. Hopefully you'll be watching this on the weekend before the Retail Technology Show and we're joined by Matt Bradley, founder and director of the Retail Technology Show. So this has been your baby for how many years? I. Launched a retail show in this space in 2011 that was under the guise of the name RBTE, which is the Retail Business Technology Expo got how he ran that initially in Ells court.
So that customer how long ago this was before Ells court was was sadly knocked down and replaced with houses. So we launched this out. I then sold that business to another exhibition company where we rebranded the show and called it the retail Expo. And we added some design elements and some digital signage elements into that before COVID happened. And I know we had to make some sort of pre pretty difficult decisions around what events as that most multi large business would run.
And sadly retail wasn't one of ones on their agenda. So they they they just put a red line through US really, and we had to make a decision of what we're going to do next.
And you know, I then to the phone call from Peter Jones, who was not the dragon, someone completely different, but he ran a company called 19 and said, look, we think this is a really good idea and we'd love you to come and try and bring this back and launch this with us. So we obviously had to come up with a new name as as as RX still owned the IP on that retail Expo. Yeah. And the retail technology show was born. I think 2022 was the first one could be 23.
So yes. And it was, and, you know, and it's just come from shrink to shrink really. It was a, it was the big reunion. And you know, to be perfectly honest, it would have been really difficult to not be successful in that first year because we'd all been locked out for God knows how long. Obviously retail was going through fundamental changes at that time as well. And people just want to be back
in front of each other. So yeah, we've always had a good feeling about year one, but the the challenge always comes in in, in being better than you were the previous year. So we are now I think into our fourth year and that that graph is still going upwards. So I'm still very pleased. Well, I mean, most incredible element is the location of this show. You've gone for Excel, right? Yeah. So we've, yeah. And that's, that's obviously been a very difficult decision.
We've been, as I say, initially we were in else court. We moved to Olympia in 20, 14 I think, and we've been an Olympia ever since. So so leaving Olympia was never gonna be a an easy decision. It's something that I've wrestled with for quite a few years now as the show has grown and grown and grown. And it really has just got to the point where we just, we, we can't fit in there anymore.
Yeah. And we needed some, you know, we needed Excel to do a lot of work in order for us to feel comfortable about putting a show in there. And they need to improve a lot of the transport links that led people to there. And now since the Elizabeth line's gone in and it's sort of 10 minutes from Tottenham Court Road, I felt a lot more confident that that it was the right place. They just sort of the the the the planets aligned and there we are. How does? How does that look from from
numbers? Because is it like in in my mind, like when I visualise it, it's almost doubled, right or not is Yeah, it turns to the Excel space that you have compared to what you have because I I think I was just saying you off camera. I went to that first show and what really blew my mind was I was sat in one of the talks Gang, this is a free show, right? And and I'm getting some fantastic content that's not, you know, just exhibitor LED content.
It was like, I think it was Sainsbury's and somebody else chatting at that time and the room was packed, but it was free. I'm just curious, like what what how are the numbers? What are the numbers? So I mean it's quite daunting actually. I made, I made a big mistake of doing a venue visit a few weeks ago and looked at the entire country.
We've actually, since the show, since we finished the show last, we've actually taken additional space throughout the year at Excel. We've had to keep negotiating and say, look, we need some more, we need some more. So. And I haven't really seen what that venue looks like empty until a couple of weeks ago because there's always sort of shows and happenings and going on in Excel. And they said, no, we've got a break. Actually, you can come down and see exactly the space you've got.
And yeah, it's, it's, and the difference between Olympia and Exile is Olympia we had two different halls, so you could never really see from one end all the way down to the other. Yeah. Like if you go to to NRF at the Jabbis and you go to upstairs, you can stand at one end and almost look entirely down. And you can do that now at Exile. And it was, it's a long way
down. It's and, and yeah, and you're right, it is, it is a different model to, to what what you'll find in, in Europe where we, we actually don't allow vendors on stage unless they're accompanied by a retailer.
And normally it'd be the vendor interviewing the retailer rather than a vendor because, you know, you don't want to put any sort of false presenters around it. You know, we are encouraging retailers to attend this show because they're going to learn from peers and learn from, you know, people within their sector and in their industry. And you don't want to hoodwink them into the show and then be sort of into a into a theatre.
And then this PowerPoint starts and a sales pitch begins because you, you lose your audience very quickly.
And, you know, I have found that this sector has been very loyal to me in the I've come back in various guises and we've launched shows again after after pandemic and, and you want to return that loyalty by ensuring that, you know, the the promises that we've made, we stick to. So, yeah, it's a slightly different business model in the that we you know, we have AII think personally and of course I'm biassed. I think he's up there with any paid for conference programme.
I think we can put ourselves next to any paid for conference programme out there and and sit quite comfortably at that table. Yeah, I can't say that I've been every year, but for the the first year that I went and the content was really for for a free and I have to keep stressing a free event. Good news is from talking to retailers who have been on the show that the industry wants a good show to go to. And one of the interesting things for me is your rebound
about making this an event. So there's two things that will in in terms of going forward. I'm curious about your philosophy about more entertainment. So I can see like the carnival theme has come in this year for the first time, which is welcomed a grab jury, British Day and a lot worse thing I could think of going into a miserable grey conference. But you've really gone for this vibrant, colourful, I think. Tell tell me what the thinking
behind that was. Well, and you know, it's great that that's been picked up and noticed because that definitely is the intention. I think I totally agree with you. And I've spent, you know, yes, you know, about 15 years running retail shows, but I've also spent around 25 years in the exhibition industry and it, it can be draining. I've done several shows that I've attended in all sorts of areas of the world that can be absolutely mind numbingly boring.
And you know, the thought of rows and rows of cheap yellow red carpet or blue carpet and multiple, multiple amounts of, of shell schemes and just sore feet at the end of the day in this soulless whole of a venue, you know, nothing come. I can't think of anything worse. And we, you know, I'm really lucky that we work in an industry that engages with fun, that engages with excitement, engages with experiences.
So it was always my ambition to make sure that this show became more the destination and that it isn't a, you know, you're not dragging your team there. People want to go there and that, that that's what you want. It's it's, it's a really, really vibrant, fun sector. And I think as a show, and if we sit as part of that community, we need to represent that. So the ideas of always, you know, we try to come up something different every year. I think that, you know, year one
was very easy. It was the big reunion. Year 2 we went sort of this golden ticket, Willy Wonka style theme. It was all around magic and the magic of the retail tech show. And there was magicians and there was cards and there was all sorts going around. And obviously this year new venue, you know, and I'm not, I'm not daft. I hear people saying, oh, Excel is a bit soulless and you know what, most exhibition venues are just these, these sort of massive buildings.
So, you know, I, I want people to leave saying I got value and that was a fun day and that that's that for me is, is, is, is job done. So we have. We can't obviously talk about the show without talking about what did you do to get these people to come to the show. I mean, that's a pretty hot A list. And this. Handball and we just announced and we've just announced Joe Wicks as well, who obviously the body coach, social media entrepreneur, so he's going to be there as well. So what?
What's he doing? Sorry, because obviously you've got these are speakers. I saw the joke. What's Joe going to be like? I don't. Think he's going to do any exercise He's not getting there. People have to do we need to bring their trainers or anything like that. Well, we just remind you. COVID, but I mean, obviously I'm, I'm not in the UK, sorry. I, I don't want to be disrespectful to if he's moved on, but that was for me. Like where I learn about the
guy? There is, I mean, yeah, I mean, a lot of people get PTSD when they when they think about what I think all he's done is he he sort of found his niche in a very difficult time and obviously when got huge amounts of success from him. So he, I think he's got a lot to say around social media, building out content and the importance around that. So that's I think he's doing a keynote. For you, yeah. Yeah. So I mean, that's that's the thing. We've we've got so many, there
are many good speakers. It's really hard to say what's the key. Look, I'll scroll through them. Yeah, they, I know. I think that on on this. No, they've only put sorry, it's not the agenda. I know. I was looking at the agenda. Well, I'd say. I can pick up my favourites that I'm looking forward to. Yeah, I think. I mean, Archie, I'm a massive M&S fan, I'm a huge M&S fan. I think the resurgence in the world, in the industry has been really, really exciting to watch.
So I'm really keen to hear what Archie's thoughts about that are. I think you know, Archie Norman, chairman of M and SI think will have a lot to say around that. The gym shark story is quite incredible. Steve Hewitt there, who was former CEO from the beginning. So, so he really saw it at the at the start of that and saw it rise from something like 4 million to 4 billion or something like that in six years. So just the insight he's going to be able to share with us is
really, really good and there. Are. Stuart Trevor, who was the founder of All Saints, you know, he's really on this big ability thing. He's got some, he's got some incredible stories and someone really, really worth listening to Google, Sophie Neary is going to be there. You know, we've spoken off camera about there's two sides of, of, of the retail industry right now, which is, yeah, challenges. And there are a lot of challenges out there.
The economy me is really, really difficult with the rise in National Insurance and things like that. So a lot of retailers that sort of feeling the pinch there and not showing what the next steps are. Richard Lim, CEO of Retail Economics, he's going to be there on stage. He's going to be able to talk through what the economy means and the impacts going to have to retail. So there's some really important
Nuggets from him. Obviously, then we talk about some of the really incredible opportunities that are out there as well. And we know that AI is obviously everywhere. So lots and lots of people are going to be talking about that with real time. This is what we've installed and this, this is a difference we've seen. So it's not going to be, though they'll obviously be some blue sky because that's what we love
about Rita, isn't it? We always think about what could be. There's also going to be a lot of practical. This is what we're doing, and this is a difference we've seen. You mentioned like your favourites in in terms of the speakers. I know this is your it's like, you know, multiple children, you can't choose which one is your favourite child.
But what for you out of the you know, the things that really over the sort of a couple of days of the of the show, what are the standout moments for you that you know, I don't know something that along over the last 12 months you came across the E4 This this is. Well, do you know what?
And I think there's something very special about the obviously one, but there's something very special about the big party at the end of day one because there is this real feel, this feeling of of united, of being part of this community. And yeah, there is. There is interrupt you, is everyone invited to that or is that for retailers during the? Everyone is invited to that. And that's. What at? The in the venue itself.
Yeah. So as part of our retail carnival Wonderland, from 4:30 till 6:00 on the first day is complete, there'll be entertainment, there'll be prizes, there'll be free drinks. And it's just a really great couple of hours where everyone just lets their hair down and you just see these conversations going on between competitive retailers, which I find really, really fascinating. So it's it's a yeah, that that's obviously a very special moment.
And just seeing the engagement from people, you know, that's why we do this. That's why we're putting this together as trying to get people to engage with each other. And so when you can see that happening, you know that you're doing something right. I got you. That's fantastic. If you put yourself in the mind of a retailer who's obviously got the sore feet, has been walking around the show they're on on the train, going back to wherever they. What do you want them to take
away from the show? What's the one thing you would? Yeah. What? What's that one thing you'd like them? To take about, I mean. And it's, I suppose just just learnings because obviously a lot of these researchers are on very different journeys and different stages of those journeys. So whereas some might be, you know, and they all come with their own issues as well.
So some might have issues around payments, some might have their issues around supply chain, some might have their issues around, you know, can they use AI or economy or some of the stuff we've spoken about, I suppose. But the most important thing is that people feel there was something there for them and that it was relevant. You know, there's nothing worse than saying, well, there's nothing new there.
We spoke about that last year. I came with a problem not could resolve it. So I suppose that that would be my key. If people could leave feeling that they had learnt something, benefited from it, you know, made a new connection that might help build their business going forward. All those little things would be and like I say, and had fun. Oh, fantastic. Well, listen, I want to be super respectful to your time, Matt. Thank you. I know this was this was all
incredibly last minute. The show's in two weeks time, but we're hoping to get it out next week. So with that, Matt, thank you so much for being on the show. It's a pleasure, Alex. Thank you very much.