Listen to the latest trends

Operators can tap into demand for greater entertainment options

Sports fans in pub drinking beer
Pubs which install multiple screens across their venue can attract more sports customers.

YOUNG people are prioritising socialising in real life rather than via social media, according to recent research.

The latest Deltic Late Night Index, which is produced quarterly by the UK’s biggest nightclub operator The Deltic Group, surveyed more than 2300 people and found that almost 72% of 18 to 21 year olds “are more concerned with socialising in real life”, rating going out and spending time with people as “more important than connecting with people on social media”.

While this is great news for the trade, this age group is said to be increasingly seeking out ‘experiences’. So it is vital that pubs and bars have a suitable audio visual offer to take advantage of these changing consumer habits, reckons Alison Lambie, director of Sims Automatics.

Getting the background music right in any venue is vitally important to pubs and bars.

She explained that a pub’s entertainment offer must move with the times. For instance, she noted a growing trend of pubs installing ‘multi-screens’, which she said “give customers the best viewing experience of matches”.

“LED, although more expensive, is becoming an increasingly popular choice as the quality of the image is superior,” she added.

Setting the tone of your venue with the right music is another key consideration, according to Lambie, who said: “Getting the background music right in any venue is vitally important, and the NSM tablet offers a large touchscreen format from which you can choose from over 120,000 tracks.”

And on the entertainment front, Lambie advised operators to consider installing pool tables which accept contactless payments “to reflect the growing trend, particularly among young people, for not carrying cash”.