The Smoozy Way: Curating Unforgettable UK Experiences

Whether you're looking for fresh destination inspiration or insights from industry leaders who are passionate about delivering unforgettable experiences, this conversation is full of valuable takeaways.

🎙️ Tune in to hear:
• The story behind the creation of Smoozy
• How their approach to destination management sets them apart
• Why Scotland continues to captivate meeting and incentive groups
• Unique opportunities planners can unlock throughout the UK

Listen now and discover how thoughtful local expertise can transform an event into something truly memorable.

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:05

Welcome back to the Eventful Journey. I'm your host, Nikki McLean of the McLean Collective, and today we're traveling across the pond to meet two fabulous people who are shaking up the DMC scene in the UK, Scotland, and Wales. Please welcome Yves Lamarchand and Severin Jouet, who are the brains and the banter behind Smoothie DMC. So I know, Severin, that we have been so excited to add you to the portfolio. So tell me a little bit about your company and how you got started.

SPEAKER_00 0:36

Hi Nikki, thanks for having us. It's great to be with you today. Actually, the adventure started a few years ago, like nearly 25 years ago. And it started with a love story. So I fell in love with an English guy in Paris. And when he had to come back to London, he brought me back with him. And that's where I started the business. So not a big uh business plan, but just uh a nice love story. That's where we started.

SPEAKER_02 1:10

And how did you two meet? Because I've known Eve for many years when he was in another capacity at another company. And how did you two join up in forces together?

SPEAKER_01 1:20

We were competitors to start with. So I had a company that they may ring the bell with some people called Experience Scotland for uh quite a number of years. You get to the stage that you do not mention the number of years when it's over 20, right? So it's not it's not really nice. Um, and then yeah, we we used to travel uh to the same shows. I used to see Seb over there, we used to uh have a laugh together, a coffee, and uh and all of a sudden um I kind of departed from the setup I had in Scotland after being brought over and realized that um Severin used to have uh a Scottish office, and the guys who were working with her decided to do their own thing, as it happens quite a lot, it's it's totally normal. So I uh took a little bit of courage and founder, and I said, listen, why don't I continue the good job you started here in Scotland? Um, and I continue after being around as a DMC for now 33 years, 34 years, um, and we continue working together. You do London, and of course, you'll you you of course still oversee the rest of the UK. Uh, and I concentrate on the part that I've loved since um 1987 when I came here, which is Scotland. And for me, um, it also happens to be a love story because I was on my way to Australia um and uh met my wife here and never left Scotland. So it's a product I know extremely well.

SPEAKER_02 3:08

Wow, those are both fascinating stories that circle around love, but also encompass um competition and travel and all of the things that make this industry so exciting. So a few people have asked me, you know, what is with the name Smoothie? Where does that come from? And what tell us a little bit more about why you chose that for your company name?

SPEAKER_00 3:31

Oh, yeah, it's a good question. So at the beginning, the main market was the French market, and I'm sure you can hear we've got a very strong accent as French people. So when we did the brainstorming with a few colleagues and close friends, um, we asked ourselves what would be the word uh we would like our clients to use um to describe us. And the main word was smooth, the with th. And really the French people cannot say that word. So we switched it with so the th became the Zed and smooth became smoothie. I love that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 4:15

No, that's a great um, that's a great word to describe it because I think that's the one thing that the planners and the buyers are expecting is that when they're going to add you as an extension to their team, they want everything to run smoothly and to not have any hiccups. So that's a fantastic way to describe your service offering. When people are bringing groups to the UK, do they all secretly want to do like the royal things like go to Buckingham Palace or Windsor Castle? Or tell me a little bit about some of the common requests that you get and how you might tweak those a bit to make it a more, I guess, full experience for people when they're coming to London.

SPEAKER_00 4:57

Yeah, I think our clients really like the the royal uh family gossips, you know. That's that's true. And I can I had a few clients who asked for the cup of tea with the queen. I'm not sure if you've had that, uh, Eve, but yes, they were actually we didn't make that happen, but in a way we did, because you know, the queen used to have this look-alike, and she was so so funny because she really thought she actually thought she was the queen. So she made uh the I mean she made a perfect role being the queen. So we had we had a few events where the look-alite were welcoming the group, and you know, so did the royal touch touch. But I think if we uh if we think about all of our clients, they all prefer thinking of the new openings, the new trends, uh, you know, more than the royal uh family and the classic things. I think I'm not sure if it's the same for you in Scotland, Eve for Scotland.

SPEAKER_01 6:03

Uh it is true that um the influence of the royal family is is is ginormous. Um and we have had to create some some royal events. Um, I'm I'm I'm lucky enough being a part-time diplomat to have been invited, I think now 10 times to um the uh the afternoon tea that the Queen uh then brought into Hollywood Palace in Edinburgh, uh, and then it's now King Charles, so I'm going to this one again. So 5,000 people are invited, which is uh 1% of the whole population. Uh and yeah, you you do sometimes get lucky to speak to someone who is really close to uh the top, but to speak to the the king or queen, it's it's really difficult. You need to have um a lot of uh uh favors uh to to be asked for. And uh we I was maybe four or five times about three meters away from the queen, but as you know, one cannot start addressing the queen, one has to wait until one is spoken to. So uh you just stand there, smile, and she continues. So there we go. But uh the the the royal family has uh brought us a lot of uh interest when it comes to the northern part of Scotland where uh uh Balmoral Castle is located, where uh king and queen spend their summer holidays, and it's uh it's a beautiful area after spending some time in Edinburgh. Um being up there is a complete and utter change. It's a pure nature, it's beautiful, uh smaller roads, hardly any hotels, but a lot of people hire castles for their state and and have a great time.

SPEAKER_02 8:01

Yeah, that sounds fantastic. And I think that you're so right that people have this idea of what they think they want to do, or they've seen something online, or they're like, oh, we want to have this royal tie-in. But as you said, not everyone is able to make that happen. And that's why working with partners like yourselves can can sprinkle in those elements and that royal touch, but also, you know, make it something that's unexpected and not traditional, um, I guess in that way. Um, going back to something that you said, Sev, is that new openings. So I know that London has been honestly booming from the hotel and venue scene. There's a ton of new things. I was just there in November, so gosh, almost six months ago, and I went to the new Raffles um old world office. And that holds a special place in my family's heart because my husband's Nan, our grandmother, used to work in the war office in the basement there. And she was a, I'm not gonna say it right, but like a typist, or she would type notes for the service members. And she actually typed a note that the world, the war had ended, not the world, heaven forbid, the war had ended and was bringing it upstairs to people. And so when I went there, his uncle had a picture of her from around that time period. And we showed the um the historian at the hotel, and it was really special because we got to take pictures there and had a tea, and it was really nice, but it's a fantastic venue for parties, galas, all the things. And I'm sure you've been there, but there's probably many more hotels also that are new and and and coming into the pipeline for guests to go to. Tell us a little bit more about that.

SPEAKER_00 9:40

Yeah, wow, what a great story about this hotel. Yeah, this place is uh phenomenal. I mean, the stairs and the uh the ceilings and the story, and the when the concierge opens the door and he takes you is uh yeah, it's it's a full experience, only hearing the story. So I can imagine uh your emotion um seeing this picture and stuff. Um, yeah, we've got a lot of uh new openings, like for example, we've got a new hotel in Fitzrovia, and it's a tiny boutique hotel. You cannot know about it except if you know the the guy in there who opened the I think it was a couple of months ago, so see, very new, and you've got this roof terrace and this excellent restaurant, and yeah. Um, we've got a few Michelin star restaurants who just opened two. I mean, you know, London obviously you've got the Buckingham Palace and the Royal Family and all these classics, but um in a way it's uh full of um new stuff. Uh and we I think half of our time here in London, it's keeping up with all these uh new things.

SPEAKER_02 10:56

Yeah, I can't imagine how you must have a massive list um of all the things that are opening. And I know Scotland is more old world, I guess, but like are there any new and exciting hotels or venues that people haven't explored yet, Eve?

SPEAKER_01 11:11

Um Scotland is adding something like 5,000 bedrooms just for Edinburgh in the next year. It's it's ridiculous. So um I think Scotland in the past 10 years went from working with cheap airlines to getting like the the top guys coming in. The the biggest increase is definitely the US market. Um you see that every airline is now flying directly to Scotland uh and it gives you the chance to uh um to talk about Scotland absolutely everywhere, whereas as you know with COVID, every wind stop, everything stopped. The links, the beautiful links we had with the US stopped, but now um not only US but Canada uh offer an awful lot of flights over. But the the the level of new hotels, it's it's ridiculous, it's four and five stars. Um there are a few three stars, but most of them are four and five with the most amazing uh buildings because a lot of them are uh historical buildings that give you the um the the feel that someone from where you you guys are from would would love to stay in. I mean it's uh there's a few just new additions that are just absolutely incredible. The most beautiful suites uh on Princess Street, which is a major avenue in uh in Edinburgh, uh held by a tiny little hotel which has got 39 bedrooms, but you have it's like the castle is trying to come into your suite, it's so big and beautiful. So, yeah, these are the kind of things that you know we love to share with with clients when we tell them, Well, have you heard of this? Uh when as SEF said if there are private hotels, uh the marketing is not the same as you know the big the big ones, i.e. Marriott and Hilton and all that. So uh this is where we like to shine by telling people what to do and where to go. But especially hotel-wise, even if they book it direct, we like to tell them where they should go because they may not be totally aware of the newest uh properties in town.

SPEAKER_02 13:25

Yeah, absolutely. And I think this is something I I wanted to ask both of you. So we'll let Sav answer first. But if you if you could wish that planners understood more about the work that a DMC does, how would you how would you explain it to them? Because I think that there's a little bit of a common misconception about what a DMC actually does.

SPEAKER_00 13:48

Yeah, exactly. I mean, as we said earlier, I think what uh the I mean the value for us is to bring the buyers, you know, all the new things. So all the new addresses, all the new hotels, and also being able to react very quickly if anything goes wrong. Because we all know that in our uh you know, in the organization, we sometimes have you know uh closing or really bad news. I mean, I remember one event in Scotland, actually, if you I'm sure you remember that we privatized the five-star hotel and the and an accident, a fire accident, uh like the hotel had to shut down uh two weeks prior the event. And so, you know, that's where uh DMC, for example, is you know, is very useful useful because we had to rebuild the program two weeks prior the group's arrival because the hotel just shut down, and that's something we only can do. And if the client is coming to the destination on his own, it's going to be complicated. So, so yeah, I I wish the the planners understood that all value is not obviously to book simply the well-known hotels, but really to discover uh the secret restaurants and and the new openings, and having if we have a tea time, it's to bring the tea expert with us, or you know, if we go to a musical, we organize a little meeting with the comedians, and you know, the little uh things that make the the trip like really value valuable, I would say. Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 15:45

I would say if it's okay, I would I would like to say to them that we are basically working for the same reason, which is to ensure the customer is happy. We're not their competition, we're not fighting over a penny, we are more partners than than competition. When you talk about uh a DMC and um a project manager, we work hand in hand, and our biggest smile is at the end of the project when the clients send you a thank you note. Uh, whatever happens in the middle, we are the masters of this destination. Uh, we couldn't do this in Costa Rica, but we do it in Scotland and in London because uh as I said, it's rude to talk about age, but between the two of us, we've got over 55 years of experience, and this does matter. Um and as uh Sev very clearly said, um, it matters even more in case of something that's unprecedented. And I I I've got a simple example when I worked for Hewlett Packard at the time, it was still Hewlett Packard HP, it's the first and last time they sponsored uh the open golf, and it was for the 2000 tournament when uh Tiger Woods won. And we had booked everything. There was a brand new building being built about 200 yards away from the old course hotel where we had all the entertainment and everything, and that building went bankrupt uh a week before the clients arrived, and all our events eventually, thanks to the right um connections, ended up in the old course hotel. So it was a plus for the customer. No one lost money, but if it if it had been just another client from another country, they would never have made it. It was just a favor, favors they were owing us. So most of the time, it's all about these kind of things, you know. Um, we are there for the good days, and we also there it's like a marriage, you know, for better and for worse. Uh, but at the end, we want to see the big smile, we want to see the client being happy, and this is what we achieve. Um, people say a chef is only as good as his last dinner. Um as a DMC, you're only as good as your last group. Yeah, you know, if because if in today's easy communication world, um, if anything goes wrong for any of us, London or Edinburgh, the whole of the internet is aware of it, and we can't hide. So it's even give you a more purer feel about who does well and who doesn't, because it's not documented with reviews and everything that everyone can read.

SPEAKER_02 18:37

Yeah, no, that's a fantastic point. And thank you for sharing those real life examples because I think we've all been through something like that where something has happened. I mean, I remember one time I was in Egypt and we had a client that insisted on going to a hotel and the hotel wasn't even fully built. And um, and that was an example of when the customer did not want to do a site visit. And had I done the site visit, I would have known that and we would have not booked that event. And I'll be honest, there wasn't a DMC involved with that event because it it felt like it was too small to use one. And I think we've all learned over time when the appropriate type of meeting or group is needs a DMC or not. But I would say odds are you need one because you're the ones that have those local connections and as you said, are able to pull those favors and make things happen. And at the end of the day, we're all here to elevate the event and make the customer happy and produce an event that we're all we're all proud of. So um I'm happy to hear that you are of that same mindset. Um, so we're gonna switch gears for a second and talk a little bit about um kind of trends that you are seeing um in your destination. So is there anything that you would say um people are asking for or a trend that you're seeing that you think that you know you need to include in your responses? You know, is it sustainability? Is it um is it about you know elevating experiences? Tell me a little bit about what you might be seeing.

SPEAKER_00 20:10

For us, we've got a lot. I mean, what's coming back very often for England, uh, England, London. I mean, it's it's very lucky because we've got the Eurostar. So when they're looking for a sustainable destination, it's you know, it's very, very easy because we've got the train from Paris uh to London, so that works very well for the French market, and then um so sustainability, I would say, and we've got a lot of uh hotels and restaurants and even the transportation and stuff where I mean they're really strong in in England on that side, and the trend that we are working now a lot is like the learning experiences, so they come to England and they mix the professional meetings, so they go and meet English companies and structures, and they mix with cultural um experiences. So that's that's really the trend we have in England at the minute. This mix of professional and cultural uh programs.

SPEAKER_02 21:23

Okay, and Eve, anything you would add to that for Scotland trends?

SPEAKER_01 21:27

Yeah, we we we started sustainability a long time ago. Um I think I was one one of the first EMCs way back to plant uh so many trees per confirmed booking. Um because I felt it was right because Scotland was a great big forest before um boats were built in Glasgow and they were built of wood, and of course the forest disappeared. Sustainability is one of them. Um being able to be authentic is something that's very, very important. To find the right people, let's have said to find the right people to discuss the right um projects or even uh subjects that are demanded by customers, but auth authenticity and and a true experience is a definitely um valid point on on everyone's mind. You can understand that in countries as small as Scotland, when you come up with three, four, five hundred people, the offers are limited when it comes to having a country home or or a castle, or you know, they they never had that many friends. So um this um there's only a few that can handle those kind of numbers, but um sustainability and and definitely authenticity is is very, very important.

SPEAKER_02 23:00

Yes, thank you for saying that because while I think we both you know understand that sustainability has been around for a long time, I think this this younger and well, I should say all generations when they're looking to go to a new destination, um, or even one that they've been to before, they want that authentic event. And I think that you both have said that, you know, multiple times throughout this, that you bring that authenticity to whatever it is that you're proposing and wanting to make sure that the customer is feeling like they're fully immersed in the destination, which is truly why you why you pick to go to different places every time, right? Yeah. All right. Well, I'm gonna kind of wrap it up with um I ask this usually on all of my podcasts, but it and it's kind of a funny question, but I don't know what either of you are gonna say. So I'm excited to hear your answers. But if you weren't doing what you're doing today, so you've been in this industry for a long time, but if you all of a sudden had the chance to not do that, whether it was immense wealth that came your way or you decided to retire or whatever it might be, what would you be doing and why? So, Seb, we'll start with you.

SPEAKER_00 24:11

Okay, I will go. Uh, I think I would be a yoga teacher for kids. Oh, okay. I like that. Yeah, I've got the certificate. So I'm a I'm a yogi teacher for kids, and it's really rare, you know. I've been looking into that when COVID was around and when you know everything was so um tricky for everybody in the industry, and so yeah, uh teaching yoga to kids. I think it's uh it's the future, to be honest. If I if I'm not busy anymore with the event, which is not the case today, but in case I could do that.

SPEAKER_02 24:53

Okay, that would be your backup plan. I love that. Okay, and Eve, what would you do?

SPEAKER_01 24:58

Um never thought about it before, but I think I'll be a zookeeper and I'll be looking after giraffes. Okay, because they're beautiful, they're above everything, they just look at the world in a different way, very soft, very different, beautiful eyes. So, yeah, zookeeper looking after giraffes would be for me.

SPEAKER_02 25:17

Okay, and where would you do this? Because do you have any giraffes in Scotland?

SPEAKER_01 25:21

No, yeah, we do, but there are giraffes in there. Um, but I I could do it anywhere. I would I would rather look after them in a in a natural reserve than in a zoo, to be honest with you. So South Africa comes to mind. I've been there a few times, done the safaris, and there's just uh there's nothing better than when you drive around, all of a sudden two heads pop about above the trees, and there are giraffes looking at what you're doing. So no, giraffes are are up there.

SPEAKER_02 25:49

Okay. Well, and as I'm thinking about this, I'm trying to figure out how you can both you could weave these passions into into groups that you're doing. So I could totally see you doing yoga for kids if it was a group, if it was an incentive that you brought families, right? You could you could sprinkle that in, and then maybe there's a safari at Safari in Scotland aspect that I'm not aware of. So definitely, yes.

SPEAKER_00 26:13

Yeah, let's speak again in a few years. Maybe we will have the new plan there.

SPEAKER_02 26:18

Even Severin, thank you so much for joining me today and for sharing your passion, expertise, and insider perspective on Scotland and the UK. It's easy to see why planners love working with Smoothie DMC. Your creativity, attention to detail, and the ability to deliver truly meaningful experiences shines through in everything you do. And to our listeners, thank you for joining us on another episode of the Eventful Journey. If today's conversation inspired you to explore Scotland, England, or Wales for a future meeting, incentive trip, or event, be sure to connect with us at McLeanCollective.com and learn more about Smoothie DMC.