Airship's Flight Report – September 2026

September was one to remember. We hosted the Mega Marketing Masterclass, our flagship event of the year, took Ask Airship's understanding of what you sell even further, headed out to Propel and Hospitality Tech Expo, and began a new chapter in how the business is led. Here's how it all unfolded.

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The Mega Marketing Masterclass

On Wednesday 9th September, we brought hospitality marketers, our Professionals and our partners together at Hijingo in London for the Mega Marketing Masterclass, and it lived up to every bit of the anticipation.

At its heart, the day was about sharing knowledge. Our team, partners and Professionals each took to the stage to help customers get more from their marketing and the tools behind it, with the busiest season of the year firmly in view. From customer data and gifting to gamification and guest experience, each speaker brought thinking the room could put to work straight away.

We were lucky to have an outstanding line-up. Our Professionals, Andre Johnstone, Jack Edge and Alan Armstrong, brought an incredible depth of knowledge and experience, and it showed in every talk. Joining them on stage, Steven Pike of HGEM and Steve Parkinson of Fydelia led two standout sessions, each packed with sharp insight and fresh perspective. Thank you to all our speakers for giving their time and expertise so generously.

Some of the best moments came away from the stage, as customers swapped tips and compared notes with one another. That's exactly the kind of community we hoped to bring together.

And in true hospitality fashion, proceedings closed with a fiercely competitive round of bingo and a scramble for a full house.

To everyone who came along, thank you for making it such a memorable occasion. All the talks were filmed and will be landing on our YouTube channel soon, so you'll be able to catch up on anything you missed or rewatch a favourite.

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68 Million and Counting

September was a big month for hospitality marketers, and the numbers show it. Airship customers sent more than 68 million emails, an average of 1,600 every minute, and guests opened them over 28 million times. Operators hit the ground running, with more than 6 million emails going out on 1st September alone, while the largest single send reached almost 200,000 inboxes. Over 81,000 SMS messages kept the conversation going beyond the inbox, and more than 2 million new contacts joined, taking the number of live contacts on Airship past 119 million. That's a lot of guests hearing from the venues they love.

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Always Evolving

We never stand still, and September proved it. Here are the three biggest updates to land in Airship this month.

Product Catalogue: know what your guests love

Airship now has a Product Catalogue, live in every account and already filled with the items your guests have bought. Give each product a name your team recognises, tag it the way your business thinks about it, and Ask Airship can answer questions about what's selling and who's buying it. Which diners ordered both a starter and a dessert? How many vegetarian dishes went out last month? Just ask.

The result is a far richer understanding of your guests. What people order says a lot about what they love, so you can quickly find the diners behind a popular dish, build audiences around their tastes and send marketing that feels chosen for them.

To see how it works and how to get started, read the full blog: New Feature: Every dish, every drink, every favourite, understood

Zonal Loyalty: rewards that bring guests back

For Zonal Loyalty customers, Airship can now note when a guest's points turn into balance, so you can follow up with a well-timed nudge such as "You've earned £5, come and spend it with us". It's a simple way to turn earned rewards into return visits.

Everyday upgrades

Alongside these, bringing contacts into Airship is now smoother, with more control over how consent is handled, so your guest permissions stay exactly as they should be. Link tracking across your email and SMS campaigns is stronger too, giving you a clearer picture of what each send delivers, and a round of smaller improvements across the dashboard makes everyday work that little bit easier.

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Three new reads

This month's blogs explored what your guest data can do once it's all working together.

We started with a customer story that's well worth your time. Loungers operates Lounge Café Bars, Cosy Club and Brightside across more than 300 sites, speaking to audiences of 7 million, 2 million and 50,000. Kyran Wood, their Digital and CRM Lead, explains how Segments, Journeys and Ask Airship help the team keep communication personal at that scale. Even across millions of guests, the team still connects with each customer on a personal level, and the piece shows exactly how: How Airship helps Loungers keep millions of customers feeling like regulars

Then we looked at how much you can know about a guest from the very first time they walk in. Following a fictional diner called Hannah over four visits, the piece shows how WiFi logins, bookings, vouchers and till spend come together into a picture that starts rich and keeps growing. With Airship, turning a first-timer into someone you truly know is in your hands: From first visit to regular: How Airship builds a complete picture of every guest

Finally, we turned to understanding your guests, and the questions that get you there. No exports, no spreadsheets, no specialist required. We chose seven prompts for Ask Airship, from finding lapsed guests who are ready to return to identifying the dishes your loyal core keeps ordering, and explained what each answer could mean for your next campaign: Understanding your guests shouldn't take a data team. Just a question.

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Out in the industry

It was a busy month for networking too, with the team out at two of hospitality's favourite events.

On 3rd September, we headed to the Propel Summer Conference at the Oxford Belfry, armed with Top Table Trumps, our own twist on the classic card game. Visitors pitted fictional hospitality brands against each other, while Amy Mellors, Holly Ritchie, Cameron Ellis, Ross Barringer and Dan Brookman chatted with operators, partners, friends and more from across the industry throughout the conference.

We rounded off the month at Hospitality Tech Expo at ExCeL London on 29th and 30th September, where Ross Barringer and Abigail Hammond flew the flag for us across both days. Thank you to everyone who said hello!

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New venues on Airship

Three fantastic additions went live on Airship this month, and we're looking forward to helping each of them thrive.

• Riley's Sports Bar

• Metropolitan Bushey

• Gigi Manchester

Welcome to Airship. It's a real pleasure to have you with us, and we're looking forward to soaring with you.

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Our new Professional

Nutbot has joined our Professionals community. The London studio designs and builds websites and brands for hospitality businesses, with Dishoom, Honest Burgers and Giggling Squid among its clients.

If you think you'd suit the Professionals community, we'd like to hear from you: About the Professionals community

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A new chapter

September also marked a significant moment in our story. On 23rd September, we came together as one team for our final company day under Dan Brookman. It was full of collaboration and plenty of laughter, finished off with a drink or two... or 93 baby Guinnesses, a company favourite and a great way to give a send off. Dan, our heartfelt thanks for all you've built here at Airship in the last 25 years. Thank you.

It was also a chance for everyone to spend time with Olivia FitzGerald, who becomes CEO of Airship and Toggle on 1st November. With decades in hospitality behind her, Olivia understands the pressures operators face and the opportunities in front of them. She's the ideal person to lead us forward, and we couldn't be happier to have her. Olivia, a warm welcome aboard. We can't wait for what comes next.

That's September in the logbook: a standout day at Hijingo, new tools in the platform and fresh leadership on the horizon. Thanks for flying with us, and we'll see you next month.

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