A year shaped by people, culture and conversations
As 2025 comes to a close, we are taking a moment to reflect on the people, ideas and conversations that shaped the year.
From our flagship Shine Summit, to insight-led webinars and standout customer stories, this year brought together voices from across hospitality to inform discussion, share perspective and influence how people and culture are approached across hospitality.
Whether you joined us in person, tuned in online or followed the conversations along the way, thank you. And if you are catching up now, here are some of the moments that made 2025 one to remember.
Over 200 hospitality leaders, culture champions and operators from across the UK joined us for our 4th annual Shine People & Culture Summit, an afternoon dedicated to the people at the heart of our industry. With five panels and sixteen speakers from brands including Lucky Voice, Bums on Seats, Wingstop, Popeyes and Loungers, the energy was electric from the moment the doors opened.
Key themes included:
- Launching new sites with clarity and heart
- Building neuroinclusive teams that thrive
- Elevating service through small, intentional touches
- Communicating with honesty, rhythm and purpose
"We don’t just open a store – we open a culture. That’s what people remember."
We unpacked a range of topics shaping hospitality, from culture and communication to onboarding, development and wider industry change. Below are the conversations and content that truly got people talking this year.
Communicating change with clarity and care
We examined how more open, honest communication can reduce uncertainty, build trust and help teams feel grounded during periods of transition.
The Employment Rights Bill and what it means for hospitality
We hosted a two part webinar series to help hospitality leaders navigate the biggest legislative shift in recent years. In the first session, Dorothea Jones (Inclusivation) and Ted Blackwell (Springboard) broke down the proposals with clarity, covering:
- Day one rights, flexible working and scheduling protections
- New responsibilities around harassment prevention
- Practical ways to adapt rotas, communication and expectations
- How manager confidence shapes culture during change
"Compliance keeps you out of court, culture keeps you in business."
In the second session, Gina Knight (Flat Iron) and Keeley Watts (The Alchemist) shared how they’re preparing their teams in practice, from strengthening communication rhythms to embedding new expectations into everyday operations.
Get the breakdown – Part 1 See how operators are preparing – Part 2
What does people-centred data really look like?
We explored how data, when used with care, can highlight what teams need, bring attention to moments that matter and help leaders act early before small issues grow.
At Shine 2025, Sodexo Live!’s Arica Allen and Tevin Jones reinforced this, showing how people data can humanise the workplace and justify change and investment when it’s used with clarity and intention.
How to build effective and scalable onboarding processes
We ran an onboarding webinar, where Claire Cregan from The QHotels Collection shared how simplifying content and combining modules reduced their onboarding time from 13.5 hours to just 5, while improving consistency and confidence for new starters.
The conversation focused on:
- Starting strong before day one to build confidence and connection early
- Tailoring onboarding for different teams and experience levels at scale
- Keeping content relevant across FOH, BOH and HQ roles
- Embedding values and culture from the very first interaction
We've been lucky to work with some brilliant operators this year. Teams who are rethinking development, strengthening culture and creating better experiences for their people. Here are just a couple of the customer stories that made us especially proud.
Puttshack: Building a modern, connected development journey
Puttshack swapped manual processes for one connected platform that matches the pace of their venues. Clear pathways, engaging content and simple tracking made development smoother, more motivating and part of everyday life.
Key results:
- A surge in self-directed learning
- More meaningful, consistent conversations
- Clearer progression pathways
- Smoother, more engaging learning journeys
- Modern, connected people processes
"Having everything in one place has genuinely been a game-changer for us! It’s modernised the way we support our teams, strengthened our ability to monitor growth, and made development feel more structured, professional and meaningful for every associate." Storm Webster, L&D Manager, Puttshack
Butlin’s: Delivering engaging, high-impact training at scale
By implementing Flow Learning, Butlin’s created a more personalised, engaging training experience that saves time, reduces turnover and builds team confidence from day one. Branded content, streamlined admin and powerful reporting helped them start great holidays with great onboarding.
Key results:
- 90%+ training completion in under two months
- £100k+ saved in labour and onboarding time
- Faster, more confident new starters
- Higher guest satisfaction and stronger NPS
“The feedback was instant. People felt supported – and they could actually see their own progress.” Glenn Terell, Head of Learning and Development, Butlin's
A final thank you
Thank you to everyone who shared time, ideas and honest conversations with us this year. From panels and webinars to customer collaborations and industry events, it’s been a privilege to learn alongside so many people who care deeply about the teams at the heart of it all.
We are heading into 2026 with momentum, curiosity and a shared focus on what really matters for people in hospitality.
Wishing you a well-earned break and a great start to the year ahead!
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