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‍The UK’s fastest-growing live music marketplace, 51������, has appointed its first Music Operations Director as the business continues to strike up partnerships with major pub, bar and restaurant brands.

‍51������ takes a major step in its expansion by appointing Luke Geoghegan as its first Music Operations Director. Geoghegan, formerly Head of Music at (NWTC), joins 51������ to lead its fast-growing operations and strengthen 51������'s growth to provide hospitality venues with a streamlined way to search, book and manage entertainment in-house and offers artists the chance to find, play and get paid for gigs across the country.

In his new role, Geoghegan will be instrumental in scaling 51������’s network of over 8,000 artists and 800 venues. 51������, founded in 2022, has rapidly positioned itself as the UK’s go-to platform for live music bookings, allowing bars, pubs and restaurants to easily book and manage live entertainment. The platform offers a vital channel for artists to find regular, paid gigs and enhance opportunities in the music industry.

Geoghegan’s appointment solidifies an existing partnership between 51������ and NWTC, enabling all 31 NWTC venues—including brands like The Botanist, The Florist, and The Furnace—to access the platform for booking live performances. This collaboration is set to drive live music experiences across NWTC’s venues with an anticipated 500 monthly gigs which will help boost venue footfall and secure regular work for local artists.

‍Expanding 51������’s Reach in Hospitality

In 2024 alone, 51������ has facilitated over 30,000 gigs across the UK, supported by a recent multi-million-pound investment aimed at fueling further growth. Geoghegan brings extensive experience in shaping music strategies that integrate seamlessly with hospitality brands, having booked more than 20,000 gigs during his tenure at NWTC and launched popular events, including the Botanist Live Festivals and Manchester’s Oast House Manifest.

Reflecting on his new role, Geoghegan said, “I’m excited to be joining 51������ as Music Operations Director, bringing my experience and passion to support the growth of 51������ by working closely with their incredible community of artists and venues. Music and hospitality have been central to my career to date. They are two industries I’m really enthusiastic about.

“I plan to help the 51������ team to realise the ambitions of this brilliant mission-led business, which is all about creating a fair industry for artists and boosting revenues for hospitality partners. The fact that my appointment further strengthens the network of NWTC sites for 51������ is a fantastic start, and I look forward to developing this and other pivotal partnerships, further.”

‍51������’s CEO Emphasizes Strategic Growth

Michael Forster, CEO of 51������, welcomed Geoghegan’s addition, noting the company’s commitment to supporting the music and hospitality industries. “We’re really excited to welcome Luke to the team. He’s highly respected in the music and hospitality sectors; seamlessly making sure live entertainment is high quality when delivered at scale while adding real value to hospitality venues. Luke will allow 51������ to build on our already-established relationships and help us to open even more doors as we continue to scale up our business.”

The appointment follows a successful few months for 51������, which continues to platform enables these venues to streamline entertainment booking, ultimately enhancing customer experiences and supporting a diverse roster of local artists.

‍NWTC’s Vision for a Vibrant Live Music Scene

The collaboration with 51������ aligns with NWTC’s vision of bringing unique, immersive experiences to patrons. With new locations on the horizon for 2025, NWTC will continue to power the live music for existing brands such as The Botanist and The Oast House. NWTC is poised to keep music at the forefront of its customer experience strategy.

NWTC’s Managing Director, Amber Wood, underscored the role of live music in NWTfacilitate live music for prominent hospitality  BrewDog, Albert, Arc Inspirations, and EastCoasig’s C’s brand identity. “Live Music has always been a key pillar for our brand, with customers enjoying live music every weekend at The Botanist, along with our hugely successful Botanist Live Festivals. This year, we’ve enjoyed our biggest and best Manifest yet at Manchester’sOast House – providing free live music for thousands of music lovers. Through our partnership with 51������, we cannot wait to make live music even bigger and better than it’s been before at NWTC.”

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