Time Out podcast: your city or mine?

Mike will soon depart Time Out to take up the role of inaugural 24 Hour Economy Commissioner for the State of NSW. In an exit interview with a difference, his current boss and Time Out Global CEO, Julio Bruno, talks to him about some of the challenges inherent with his new job, and the opportunities for Sydney and NSW as a result. They reflect on changes to the media landscape in Australia since Mike launched Time Out in Sydney in 2007, as well as Facebook's recent decision to block publishers from its platform.

Neighbourlytics is a Melbourne-based data business that is fast developing a global reputation amongst city makers. Lucinda Hartley and her team use on-demand data from multiple digital sources to synthesise in real time how people are using neighbourhoods and their city. In this episode, Mike asks Lucinda what the data is telling us now when it comes to how cities are changing. From walkable neighbourhoods to access to nature to less red tape, these changes are happening now and likely to be permanent.

Does Covid mean that no one ever works in an office again, or will things go back more or less to the way they were? If you're in the business of getting people to go out, the answer to this question is fundamental to your business model. In this episode, Mike asks David Harding for his perspective on the question. Harding is NSW and ACT business leader for Arup, a global design, engineering and architecture firm that specialises in the built environment.

Tim Philips-Johansson is global bartending and liquor-industry royalty, having won the Diageo World Class Cocktail crown back in 2012 and opened renowned Sydney venues Bulletin Place and Dead Ringer. On the road to bar industry recovery, Tim talks to Mike about the importance of revenue diversification, developing and retaining millennial and Gen Z talent, and reconsidering consumer choice. Also under discussion is Tim's innovative new liquor brand Rhubi, which celebrates the joy of rhubarb in the style of a French mistelle.

While technology has become an indispensable part of the going-out experience these days, the sector will forever be one that is based primarily on human interaction. In this episode of the Time Out for Business podcast Mike speaks to Luke Butler of Hastings People, a leading hospitality and leisure segment recruitment business, to get the lowdown on the state of the employment market currently, the medium-term impact of Covid on talent supply, and the opportunity for positive culture to be leveraged by the sector as a recruitment tool.

The latest book by Australian novelist and comedy writer Dom Knight is the 2020 Dictionary: The Definitive Guide to the Year the World Turned to Shit – a tongue-in-cheek summary of the lingo that we’ve picked up as a community during the pandemic. In the final episode of the Time Out for Business podcast for 2020, Mike uses Dom’s satirical dictionary as a filter across the many guests and discussions he has had throughout the year, reflecting (with a good dose of humour) on some of the common themes that have emerged.

Deputy Lord Mayor of Sydney, Jess Scully, is the author of Glimpses of Utopia: Real Ideas for a Fairer World, a book in which she profiles people everywhere who are rising up to confront our global challenges. With the pandemic seemingly under control within our borders and the natural optimism the festive season brings, Mike speaks to Jess to find out where Time Out might focus some of its attention in 2021 to create positive social change.

At the recent Mumbrella Publish Awards, Time Out and Pedestrian between them took home five awards as well as two High Commendations. In this special round table episode, Tim Burrowes, founder and editor at large of Mumbrella, joins Mike and Vanessa Lawrence, publisher from Pedestrian Group, for a frank discussion about audience behaviours and trends and the implications and opportunities for advertisers. The episode is recommended for business leaders and marketing professionals that are working hard to keep up with Covid-catalysed shifts in audience behaviour.

Pre-Covid, the NSW Treasury began work on a 24 Hour Economy Strategy. The lockout was its genesis, but its evolution has been shaped by the pandemic. The minister responsible for development of the strategy is the Honourable Stuart Ayres, Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney. The Minister explains to Mike how the strategy sits very much as a core pillar of Sydney's, and therefore Australia's, overall economic recovery – a plan for our times.

In late October, Time Out Global published its list of the 40 coolest suburbs in the world. Australia landed two in the top ten, with Melbourne's Yarraville in fifth place and Sydney's Marrickville in tenth. What makes these locales so special, and what has been the impact of Covid? In this episode, Mike chats with Councillor Sarah Carter, who was the Mayor of Maribyrnong in 2020, the council district home to Yarraville, then catches up with Darcy Byrne, Mayor of the Inner West Council, home to Marrickville. He also invites Time Out Australia editorial director Cass Knowlton to explain what the coolest suburb exercise tells us about our audience.

Michael Kill is the CEO of the Night Time Industries Association in the UK, which is years ahead of Australia when it comes to unlocking night-time economies. With NSW having recently published its 24 Hour Economy Strategy, and Victoria just coming out of lockdown and eager to make up for lost time, Kill offers some perspectives on implementing a strategy, Covid-catalysed innovations in Europe, and the stark implications of the UK's second hard lockdown.

We well know that the travel sector was the first to be hit by the pandemic and likely to be the last sector to emerge from it. But arriving on those first flights from New Zealand has also been a glimmer of hope. One of Australia’s top travel experts, James Wilkinson, talks about airline recovery, the immediate future for hotels, and the ways New South Wales might be able to help our regional neighbours get back on their feet. Leading hotel lawyer Robbie Williams (no relation) also joins the chat to chime in about the medium to long-term implications for the hotel development sector.

After the year they've had, Sydney audiences are looking forward to their annual summer festival of theatre and arts – but what will it look like? And what changes might remain for Sydney Festival post-pandemic? Mike interviews artistic director Wesley Enoch, three months out from his fifth and final program. With international acts off the menu, Enoch talks about the gems he has uncovered locally, as well as Indigenous storytelling at a point in Australian history when interest in it has never been greater.

Giant Dwarf is a small theatre operation with a large impact, playing a vital role in creating pathways for creatives. Rent pressures forced them to relocate right before Covid hit, and now, under physical distancing, their continued operation faces major hurdles. Founder Julian Morrow and MD Bec Annetts join Mike on the podcast to discuss the challenges of the independent theatre scene, and what places like Giant Dwarf bring to the cultural life of a city. “There’s nothing like the vibe in a room when something amazing is happening,” says Morrow, “and I’ve seen that in lots of different shows at Giant Dwarf.”

While most famous for their burgers, Jake Smyth and Kenny Graham are at the forefront of Sydney’s counterculture – their venues provide a showcase for many of the city’s artists and musicians. Six months to the day since Covid ground zero, Mike checks in with Jake and Kenny to see how they and their enterprises are faring. Marys is a mid-scale hospitality business that champions live entertainment, so its health is a good barometer for the future cultural health of Sydney. If they can find a way through, then others can too.

The importance of access to public spaces has been thrown into sharp relief by Melbourne’s lengthy lockdown. Who knew that we’d come to value so highly the ability to simply sit in a park, let alone sit in a park with other people? Dr Caroline Butler-Bowdon is the executive director for public spaces in the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment. In this episode, she talks about the state government’s ambition to dramatically increase the proportion of homes in urban areas that are within ten minutes’ walk of quality, green, open and public space – essential for mental and bodily health now more than ever.

On Monday September 14, the NSW Government released its 24-Hour Economy Strategy – something industry leaders have been working towards since lockout was implemented back in 2014. To talk through the implications of this brand new chapter for NSW, Mike jumps into the guest seat in his capacity as chair of the Night Time Industries Association, to be interviewed by University of NSW Emeritus Professor Ross Harley. Joining Mike and Ross for the interview is the Committee for Sydney's Director of Advocacy, James Hulme.

Toby Schmitz is one of Australia's most accomplished thespians. He has starred in productions for Sydney Theatre Company, Belvoir and Griffin, played Hamlet, and acted on Broadway. But what happens to a stage star when the theatres go dark? In a follow-up to episode four's discussion of livestreamed theatre, Schmitz talks to Mike about performing a one-man show in an empty venue for nine cameras and a global live audience. "I don't know what a theatre company is without an actor, other than just a building that you pay Sydney rent on,” Schmitz notes. "But I do know what an actor is without a theatre – they are still an actor'.”

Salvatore Malatesta sits atop St Ali, a Melbourne coffee institution. Hit hard by the pandemic, Sal was able to pivot into sanitisers, face masks and a general store – with remarkable success. He talks to Mike about creativity and risk, and how he created new market opportunities by leveraging his team, his existing brand, and the distribution, sales and marketing functions of his business. He also talks about the value of 'friendship equity' acquired over years of business operation.

The challenge for industry during Covid is connecting with our audiences: understanding what they are doing, and how they are feeling. With Melbourne in lockdown and Sydney looking on uneasily, Mike interviews Time In Melbourne editor Rebecca Russo and Time Out Sydney editor Maxim Boon – on the tussle between staying in and going out; the differences in audience behaviour during Melbourne’s two lockdowns; and what future trends may be.

“I wanted it to be an international news story, and it was.” When Andy Henry, artistic director of small independent Sydney theatre company Red Line Productions, had to cancel his 2020 season, he had the groundbreaking idea of an international live-streamed play reading – and somehow got Alec Baldwin to star in it. In an inspirational interview, he tells Mike how smart entrepreneurship can help the arts reach an audience more hungry for connection than ever.

“I take a little bit of delight in the mess,” confesses Sydney city councillor Jess Miller. “Because I see it as an opportunity to make things better.” A former Deputy Lord Mayor of Sydney, Jess is famous for her creative approaches to sustainability, strategy and innovation. In a wide-ranging chat, she talks to Mike about the unique chance posed by the pandemic to improve our cities – from transport, supply chains and the use of public space to reimagining neighbourhoods and re-empowering citizens.

In March, Josh Pyke was poised to launch his first album in five years, Rome, with a sold-out live tour. Like every other performing arts professional in Australia, he swiftly had to find different ways to reach his audience. The popular singer-songwriter explains to Mike how he was able to re-engage his fanbase online, and what the next few months might bring for artists who make a living through live performance.

Are bottled cocktails a viable way for bars to make money in the age of Covid? And what is their future now that restrictions are lifting? To try to answer those questions Mike talks to Pasan Wijesena, owner-founder of Sydney bars Earl’s Juke Joint and Jacoby's, whose pivot to takeaway and delivered cocktails has helped keep his business ticking over during the lean months of lockdown.