NDML meets Alex Minett from Professional Security at NRB 2024
Alex Minett, Sales and Marketing Director of Professional Security, was exhibiting at the NRB (Northern Restaurant and Bar) event for 2024. He happily spoke to NDML as we questioned him on how security fits into the wider night time economy, and how the challenges of the sector are also indirectly affecting those businesses that support venues.
We discussed the recent news, or lack of news, on VAT reduction, as well as the “natural selection” involved in the security and hospitality business scene.
Alex Minett discusses the success of the NRB events:
“This is our third year attending the event. It’s a great event.”
“We come hoping to get our brand out to more hospitality operators across the north of England and beyond. Ultimately we are here to try and get a bit of extra new business as well.”
Alex discuss how Professional Security plays a role in the wider nightlife economy:
“We are the number one provider of security to the hospitality sector in the UK. We work with all manner of different hospitality businesses, hotels and nightclubs; QSR (quick-service restaurants) as well is a growing area for us. No doubt its tough. There are a lot of headwinds out there. The national minimum wage move is something that we need to navigate, as does hospitality businesses. It’s tough but I think its natural selection.”
“You Have To Evolve To Survive”
We asked Alex about the importance of security contractors for the nightlife industry:
“Ultimately, our role is to protect the licences of the all the partners that we work with. In many cases, without security personnel, hospitality businesses can’t operate; so I think we play a pretty key role in terms of maintaining the eco-systems across the whole of the UK.”
We asked Alex, if he was made prime minister, what would he change to help the nightlife economy:
“It’s a drum that’s being banged a lot, but it’s cutting VAT. I think that would have a huge ripple effect across the sector. It would help the businesses themselves, but it would going out for a drink or a bite to eat all that more affordable for people when things are pretty tight at the moment.”
