Saving the Heart & Soul of The UK's Vibrant Nightlife Economy

Amy has a long and successful track record as a leader and collaborator in the cultural and creative industries. She is co-founder of the Olivier Award winning arts company and club night Duckie, and co-founded RVT Future, a voluntary LGBT+ community group campaigning to preserve the iconic Royal Vauxhall Tavern. She served as Mayoress of Camden in 2010-2011, and spent her year highlighting the history and culture of live music and nightlife in the borough. Amy is a familiar presence on TV, in print and on radio. She broadcasted for a decade on BBC Radio London, and now hosts Sunday afternoons on BBC6 Music. Her debut book, From Prejudice to Pride: A History of the LGBT+ Movement – the first LGBT+ history book for children – was published by Hachette in June 2017. In 2018, Amy was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from University of East London (UEL) and appointed Honorary Professor at University College London (UCL). Originally from New Jersey, Amy has been a proud Londoner for over 25 years. She has served as London’s first Night Czar since 2016.

Sam and James Hart and Crispin Somerville are the restaurateurs behind Harts Group. Sam originally founded what is now Harts Group, with his brother Eddie, in 2003. Together, they opened Fino, the first three Barrafinas (with Soho retaining a Michelin star since 2014) and took over the iconic Quo Vadis, with Jeremy Lee as partner. They were named Best Independent Restaurateurs in the 2016 Catey Awards and in the GQ Food and Drink Awards 2017. James Hart and Crispin Somerville joined in 2016, ahead of opening the widely acclaimed El Pastor. Sam and Crispin had first worked together in the 1990s, when they ran cult Mexico City nightclub El Colmillo, and it was this decade that inspired their desire to open an authentic Mexican restaurant in London. In 2018, Eddie left to open his own restaurant in Palma, Mallorca, and the trio opened four restaurants simultaneously at the new Coal Drops Yard district at King’s Cross: Barrafina Coal Drops Yard, Casa and Plaza Pastor, and new wine bar, The Drop. They successfully raised just shy of £2.5 million in a crowdfunding campaign last June, to finance the new Barrafina. The team opened Parrillan, a Balearic inspired terrace bar and grill, outside Barrafina Coal Drops Yard in May 2019. Prior to joining Harts Group in 2016, James had a successful career in derivatives broking.

Michelle joined Capco in 2014 and has undertaken a number of roles within the business, most recently Director of Covent Garden with responsibility for investment and asset management of the portfolio. Michelle is an experienced corporate broker having previously been at UBS Investment Bank, focusing on the UK listed real estate sector.

Paul O’Grady oversees the strategy and performance of Grosvenor’s Belgravia portfolio, worth approximately £2.5bn. His focus is on driving the future success of the area, working with partners and the local communities on curating an enduring and sustainable place for all those who visit, work and live in Belgravia. He has previously held roles in investment, asset and portfolio management for Grosvenor across Europe. Between 2010 and 2015, he managed three cross-border retail funds on behalf of various international investors, during which time he also set up Grosvenor’s Stockholm Office. Paul is a Member of the RICS and a Board Member of Victoria BID.

Damian is a restructuring specialist focusing on advising real estate businesses and their stakeholders on their available options to preserve and enhance value. This ranges from debt advisory assignments, accelerated acquisitions and disposals and strategic options analysis. His prior corporate finance experience coupled with his restructuring skills assists Damian in providing innovative solutions to complex assignments. Damian has strong relations with a range of equity and debt funds and he has a unique understanding of the alternative finance market. Consequently, he has recently completed a number of complex restructuring assignments in which these non-traditional funders have been utilised to ensure the successful completion of the restructuring