Okay, so we are back with another live episode of the Boothley podcast. So today we're actually doing the Boothley Spotlight series. This is the series which focuses on the spotlight on people, product and services who can help you within your hospitality business and today we're going to be discussing some really exciting we're going to be discussing marks new book, which is the book direct blueprint and this book is coming out in

December. It's featuring people from all over hospitality services that can help you. These are the guys who are considered the Avengers to help your hospitality business really get some direct book and so depending on whether you're listening to this episode or whether you're watching on a live will depend whether or not it's already been released or if it's pre-released. So currently as we record this, it is pre-release. But all the information you need to go and get a copy is go to Boothley

boothley.co.uk forward slash blueprint. You'll be able to register for emails for when the book comes out if it is pre-release and then if not if it's post-release, you'll be able to purchase it through there, which is really cool. So if you're tuning in on the live or you're on YouTube, what I'd love to know is where in the world you're watching from. So add a comment below as to where you're actually listening in from. If you're on the podcast obviously you can't do that, but just in listening for the next 30 minutes in the enjoy.

Today the spotlight series we're joined by somebody really special who's really taken the hospitality industry by storm. You can often find him on chat panels and is really considered a thought leader in his area of expertise as well as a host of an amazing business as well.

So I'm really pleased to introduce to you Chris Maughan from iPract. He's the CEO and founder and today we're going to be talking about his chapter as he's one of the Avengers, one of the people you need to be in contact with and to hear about from the book direct blueprint. So Chris welcome along.

Hi Liam, thanks. Thanks for having me. Pleasure. No worries. So obviously I've not given you much of an introduction, but for the people who are watching and listening in if you wouldn't mind just introducing yourself and your business.

Yeah, well, I have, well, my name's Chris Maughan. I have been in short term rentals. Well, hospitality all my life. So I started in hotels went under health clubs and then in short term rentals.

So I've had 22 years in short term rentals here in the south of France. I started 22 years ago with a small studio and set up my accommodation events company.

Today we manage 250 properties, some of them are the most sought after properties on the French Riviera. We provide our accommodation services to big global brands like Google, Spotify, MTV, Disney to say a few.

And that's the business that I'm still running today. But in 2014 due to an industry problem of fraud and trust and confidence within the short term rental sector, I decided that I would found a platform that built trust and confidence for both consumer and provider.

And that's how I was founded back in well, founded in sick 2016, but we started the the R&D in 2014. So we had two years of ups and downs and field websites and different things, but eventually we launched in 2016 and now we're well over 15,000 members covering over 300,000 properties.

And yeah, we're just trying to bring that trust factor to the industry. So that's probably the that's probably the short version of what I'm all about.

I mean, it's so exciting. I mean, that is first of all, wow, number of properties. And as you say, host and some amazing brand businesses and some amazing, some of the rich and famous people from across the world.

But then also to start a business, which is then worldwide. And we're going to dive into, you know, I prac and exactly how can help the people listening to this.

But before we do, I'd love to ask, why did you get involved in the book? What was it that really, you know, into into joining?

Well, the biggest reason for me is that I see a lot of advice and tips and insights on social media for people to do direct bookings.

And I often look at it and think, okay, you know, I think there's too much noise around around direct bookings to be honest. And I think there's a lot of people teaching it who shouldn't be teaching it.

And I think there's a lot of bad advice. But there's a lot of good advice. So I just thought that what mark was doing and mark such an experience, like, you know, operator within the marketing and direct bookings.

So when he wanted to do this book, I thought, this is the perfect opportunity to bring something to market that really is the blueprint of direct bookings.

So it's not just one person talking about what they believe this is like marks gone out to the tip to the industry and like pretty much got the greatest minds and the greatest companies and out there who can contribute to putting together like what marks is a blueprint of direct bookings.

And when he mentioned that to me, I just thought, this is what the industry needs.

You know, because there's a lot of noise out there. It's very difficult to understand where do you start? Who do you speak to? Who do you listen to?

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