Michael Kill’s Post

What a week ahead! We’re starting the week with a real sense of excitement, having wrapped up last week on a high. Securing the future of Heaven was a huge win for everyone involved, and now we’ll be turning our full attention to Moth Club! With more developers on the horizon, there will be new challenges, but we’re more than ready to face them. 💪 We’ll be kicking off the week early with the team, focusing on comms and refining our content strategy for the months ahead. Next, we’ll head over to the Undercroft with Aldo & the team, where we’ll have some vital discussions that will shape our path forward. Following that, we’ll be presenting our recent survey results to Brixton BID businesses—it’s going to be great to see their reactions and insights! Throughout the week, we’ll be diving into a packed schedule with meetings from Jump Global to Oska De Rocha, Polimapper, and plenty more. One of the highlights will be a session with our fantastic publicist, Nikki McNeill, who continues to be an invaluable part of the team. The Monthly Trade Communication meeting will bring together over 28 organisations for a detailed conversation on the implications of the recent budget. It’s going to be a key moment for collaboration and sharing perspectives within our industry. We’ll also be sitting down with Daisy Woolnough, a talented student journalist, for an interview about the future of the night-time economy. It’s always exciting to see young talent interested in our sector! Tomorrow we are out and about with a series of key events, including IOL West Midlands, Nottingham Pubwatch, and the Heart of London Chairman’s Reception. We’re looking forward to a week of growth, collaboration, and positive change. Onwards and upwards, team! #NightTimeEconomy #IndustryGrowth #Teamwork #Publications #Networking #NTIA #Collaboration

What a week ahead! We’re starting the week with a real sense of excitement, having wrapped up last week on a high. Securing the future of Heaven was a huge win for everyone involved, and now we’ll be turning our full attention to Moth Club! With more developers on the horizon, there will be new challenges, but we’re more than ready to face them. 💪 We’ll be kicking off the week early with the team, focusing on comms and refining our content strategy for the months ahead. Next, we’ll head over to the Undercroft with Aldo & the team, where we’ll have some vital discussions that will shape our path forward. Following that, we’ll be presenting our recent survey results to Brixton BID businesses—it’s going to be great to see their reactions and insights! Throughout the week, we’ll be diving into a packed schedule with meetings from Jump Global to Oska De Rocha, Polimapper, and plenty more. One of the highlights will be a session with our fantastic publicist, Nikki McNeill, who continues to be an invaluable part of the team. The Monthly Trade Communication meeting will bring together over 28 organisations for a detailed conversation on the implications of the recent budget. It’s going to be a key moment for collaboration and sharing perspectives within our industry. We’ll also be sitting down with Daisy Woolnough, a talented student journalist, for an interview about the future of the night-time economy. It’s always exciting to see young talent interested in our sector! Tomorrow we are out and about with a series of key events, including IOL West Midlands, Nottingham Pubwatch, and the Heart of London Chairman’s Reception. We’re looking forward to a week of growth, collaboration, and positive change. Onwards and upwards, team! #NightTimeEconomy #IndustryGrowth #Teamwork #Publications #Networking #NTIA #Collaboration

👏 What a way to spend a Tuesday night —inside UK's House of Commons, Committee Room 12, listening to a powerful debate! 👏 The Debating Group ran a topic close to my passion: "The pitching process is no longer fit for purpose." With excellent speakers Paul Hammersley Toby Horry Tina Fegent (FCIPS) and hosts Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury (MP) & Jim Rothwell - and a front-row seat, I was fully in the conversation. As someone deeply invested in integrating mental health considerations into the pitching process, I’ve spoken with agencies, pitch agencies, and brands. The consensus? Change is needed, and it’s happening—albeit slowly. A key discussion point was the #PositivePitchPledge. While valuable in theory, many felt it needs stronger reinforcement in practice. And I agree. Some key takeaways: ✅ Pitches provide a structured and fair way for new agencies to be considered. ❌ But they also drain creativity and investment when demanding "free time and marketing intelligence." The overall sentiment? The pitch process must evolve—not disappear. Just as technology, tracking, and delivery have advanced, so must our approach to pitching—including the role of mental wellbeing. I was pleased to see agencies and associations in the room. While fewer brands attended, their presence was valued. Thank you Alliance of Independent Agencies Clive Mishon for sponsoring this event. My thoughts moving forward: 1️⃣ Who will drive this change? Like smoking bans and seatbelt laws, this requires collective action. 2️⃣ I want to be part of that change. This conversation needs momentum. Let’s watch this space—and make a difference. Would love to hear your thoughts, and if you're working on this, let’s connect!   Lovely to meet some familiar and new faces: Spencer Gallagher Charles Rogers Lucy Swanston Andy Bargery Will Nicholson FRSA Jacqueline Franco Charles Rogers Meriel Beale Louise Whatham (she/her) PRCA PRCA MENA PRCA APAC IAA UK IPA (Institute of Practitioners in Advertising) Independent Print Industries Association (IPIA) Lyndsay Haywood

📖 For ppi Media's 40th anniversary, we've embarked on an exciting journey through the history of the publishing world. We've uncovered creative milestones that have shaped the industry – and you might be surprised by what we've discovered. Every Thursday, you can expect another fascinating and informative post. ☕ Coffee Houses: The Social Networks of the 18th Century In the 18th century, coffee houses were more than just places to enjoy a cup of coffee—they were the epicenters of intellectual and social life in Europe. In England, they earned the nickname “penny universities,” as the price of a cup of coffee granted access to knowledge and lively discussions. Notable figures like Samuel Pepys and Isaac Newton were regular visitors.   In Paris, coffee houses like the famous Café Procope (established in 1686) became hotbeds of revolutionary ideas. Enlightenment thinkers such as Voltaire and Rousseau gathered here to debate freedom, science, and society.   These spaces were the forerunners of modern discussion forums: 📜 Early forms of newspapers and pamphlets were shared and discussed. 🤝 They facilitated exchanges between different social classes. 🗣️ They helped shape a critical public sphere.   Interestingly, there were counter-movements: Frederick the Great, for example, attempted to restrict coffee consumption in Prussia due to concerns about political discourse brewing over cups of coffee.   💬 How do you create spaces for creative exchange and open discussions today? What modern formats remind you of the coffee house culture of the 18th century?   #coffeeculture #publicdiscourse #exchangeofideas #ppiMedia40 #mediahistory

What will be your takeaways?

And we are off! 🚄 🇳🇱 🇬🇧 🗣 👑 Over the next week I’m doubling down on my passion and commitment to the family business community both globally and nationally. My exciting family business tour starts at the FBN-The Family Business Network Next Gen Summit in the Netherlands from Thursday - Saturday. Not only as event MC with the amazing Monique Prins, where we will both have the absolute honour of introducing Queen Maxine 👑, but also hosting panel and workshop sessions on diversity in family business. With Diversity now front and centre as a core value pillar of FBN - we are going to explore different personal journeys of diversity, the success, the challenges and thoughts for the future. As a Next Gen community we are also going to explore what diversity means to the global next generation of family business owners and leaders. These two sessions are going to be life changing stuff as we engage the NxGen’s on what it means to your true self both at work and as a family business member. If after all this I haven’t lost my voice (that’ll be the day I can hear some of you thinking with your fingers crossed).... ...Back in soggy London next week I am speaking at the Family Business UK Annual Conference as part of a guest panel on ... yes you guessed it ... Diversity and company culture. With an election only weeks away the pressure is on all business and the FBUK annual conference is the meeting of the UKs best and brightest from the FB world - carving out, celebrating and giving families a voice in the corridors of power. Because, let us not forget in the UK Family Businesses account for 90% of all private firms in the UK, 4.8m businesses! Employing nearly 14m people and generating over £200bn for the public purse 26% of total receipts. Punchy! I personally cannot wait, I get to meet some amazing people, talk about something I am hugely passionate about at a national and global level and even if one family, if one business, takes something from this then the trickle down effect of that in their business will change lives - better company cultures, better ownership and better businesses will evolve. #familybusiness #summit #conference #bennie #diversity

Thanks to #THE, #NewcastleUniversity and, of course, the beautiful city of Newcastle for having us along to speak at #HashtagHigherEdUK event on Monday and Tuesday of this week. Here are some of my favourite bits and key takeaways: 1. Think longer term. Not always easy in higher ed when the current cycle is often all-consuming. And who even knows what policy is going to look like in the next months and years. But planning and investing for the future is essential for for resilience and sustainability, whether that's developing international markets for recruitment (which needs longer term thinking to build awareness and reputation), or thinking Gen A instead of Gen Z for your communication content and tone. 2. You can never go wrong when you tell a good story. And there can never be too many story-based reminders of that. Victoria Littler 's personal story -delivered in a B2B presentation - was properly moving. 3. It's really nice to hear from people you wouldn't normally hear from. Tuesday's opening session with two vice-chancellors - Chris Day from Newcastle University, and Andrea Nolan of #EdinburghNapierUniversity were candid and open in a session about what keeps vice chancellors up at night.

Expanding Your Network for Collective Impact Today, I had the privilege of attending the Focus St. Louis event, moderated by Dr. Benjamin Ola. Akande PhD , with an inspiring panel featuring Arnold Donald (Past President & CEO, Carnival Corporation), Kathy Mazzarella (Chairman, President & CEO, Graybar), and Dr. Mark S. Wrighton, Ph.D (Chancellor Emeritus, Washington University in St. Louis). Each speaker shared profound insights on building ecosystems, fostering relationships, and retaining talent within our region. Key Takeaways: Building an Ecosystem: Arnold Donald: Be authentic and listen. People will guide you on how to help them if you genuinely engage. Kathy Mazzarella: Focus on relationships and trust. Helping others achieve their dreams will naturally grow your ecosystem. Dr. Mark S. Wrighton: Networking with the community is rewarding both personally and professionally. Building Courage to Connect: Arnold: Attend events, even those outside your comfort zone. Seek advice from people who challenge you. Kathy: Step into your fear and recognize your value in every conversation. Focus on collective talents over labels. Mark: Say "yes" to opportunities and actively engage when asked to contribute. Retaining Talent: Mark: Proactively identify and nurture local talent. Arnold: Don’t worry too much if people leave; many return with valuable experiences that benefit the community. One of the most powerful reminders from today’s discussion was that none of the panelists were originally from St. Louis, but all chose to stay and make a meaningful impact. Their experiences demonstrate that by embracing authenticity, trust, and collaboration, we can create ecosystems that not only support individual growth but also strengthen our communities. Thank you to FOCUS St. Louis and the incredible panelists for such a thought-provoking session! #LifeatLochmueller #buildyourecosystem #growyournetwork #StLouis

Another week and for once we're in London for a full week (after being in Serbia for 4 days - which was an absolutely amazing time for the EXIT Festival! I wont bore with the details, but it was totally worth flying out for, even just for the 40° heat and the sunrises!) It's been a bit of a mega week to return back into work - meetings, office days, over 200 emails to clear - but the bonus was seeing the team and our partners and clients at the quarterly TMP Breakfast Insight Session this morning! Some really interesting takeaways from today covering pre and post election survey results; 🤳 Attention span is decreasing even more online meaning content needs to be impactful enough to be thumb-stopping within 2 SECONDS 💭 FTBs are feeling even less supported by the government for getting onto the property ladder, and are growing a "I'll just crack on with it myself" mentality not expecting help with their home-buying journey 🏘Mixed tenure blocks are NOT a barrier to purchasing < this one I found stood out the most, because it often feels like it can be the case where providers can make more of focus around the fact a development is mixed tenure and highlight where social and affordable housing is in proximity to the PS stock - if the future buyers aren't bothered about this, should we really be highlighting it as much as we currently do? It seemed to me as a potential theory that maybe buyers aren't bothered by it because all they see is people, neighbours, a community in their home living their best life, being un-phased - and that's a nice theory to have in my head! whether it's the truth is obviously another thing, but it's definitely one for us to consider as property marketers! A great morning again as always though, and a big thank you to The Media People for once again conducting and sharing the research with us all! Here's to a great sunshine-y day, evening and hopefully, weekend! ✌️