A Day of AI, Applause and Actual Human Connection
Last Saturday, I found myself standing in front of a room full of people in Birmingham, talking about Artificial Intelligence - for the second time.
I was at the Club Hub Awards 2025 - and what an event it was.
For those who haven’t heard of it, the Club Hub Awards are like the Oscars of the children's activity world, but with a LOT more energy and fun. This year saw the introduction of the Top 100 Children’s Activity Provider list as well, and it was an absolute joy to see so many familiar faces and new ones being recognised for the incredible work they do.
Oh, and in case you didn’t know - the Club Hub Awards are the only national awards in the children’s activity sector judged purely on merit. No votes, no popularity contests – just real stories of excellence, innovation and impact.
Book That In had the honour of being the headline sponsor this year, and we proudly sponsored the Biggest Growth Award, which was deservedly snapped up by Reece Elbourn from Let’s Leap Sports Academy - it was an impressive feat given the competition he had for the award.
We were also incredibly proud to be named a finalist in the Supplier of the Year category. We didn’t win, but to make the final five (again!) was a proud moment for our team. Who knows... third time lucky next year?
How to Make AI Accessible
I ran a workshop on the day all about AI and automation. I was slightly nervous (standard), but I needn’t have been. People showed up. They engaged. They even laughed at (most) of my jokes. One lady said I’d 'blown her away' with all the ideas and suggestions I shared. I’ll take that!
I walked everyone through how to build your own custom AI assistant using ChatGPT’s Custom GPTs and we explored image and video generation too - a part of AI that’s evolving so fast I can barely keep up.
Then came the grand finale.
Using our shiny new CRM platform, Book That In AutoMate, I shared a live campaign that ran in real-time during the session.
Attendees scanned a QR code, filled out a short form and, like magic, received an automated email, a text message, and a WhatsApp message within minutes - each one demonstrating how powerful this technology is and how it can help you to grow your business. It was part tech demo, part marketing magic show. And yes, it worked (phew).
A Few Nuggets from the Day
Beyond my own session, I caught a couple of brilliant workshops:
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Tamara Holland blew me away with some secret marketing tools and hacks. I won’t give them all away, but let’s just say my browser now has more open tabs than a conspiracy theorist's laptop.
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Chris Ryu from Dorset Tech delivered an SEO workshop that made me realise I’d been doing it all wrong since 2007. Cheers, Chris.
And the keynote session by DanceSyndrome was nothing short of breathtaking. Incredibly inspiring and emotional, it obviously struck a chord with everyone in the room. There were tears, there was laughter, and there was a standing ovation to top it off. For me, it was one of the highlights of the day - they are a charity well worth checking out and supporting.
The rest of the workshops were recorded - and thank goodness, because everyone had the impossible task of picking only 3 out of an excellent 9 possible workshops. I'm looking forward to catching up on the others when the recordings are released (and I might check out mine again too, to see how it looked from the other side!)
You can buy the workshop replays and keynote here: https://clubhubuk.co.uk/club-hub-event-2025/
Real Friends, Real Moments
That’s the thing about this industry. It’s full of big hearts and brilliant minds.
I got to reconnect with loads of Toddle About and Book That In clients, many of whom have become genuine friends over the years. Many of them are people who have been with us since the early days. Who have stuck with us. Who have helped shape what our platforms are today.
I was also joined by Bill, the powerhouse behind our North Hampshire, Oxfordshire, and South Buckinghamshire Toddle About franchises. Bill’s a legend. Always up for a laugh, always bringing the good vibes.
Final Thoughts
The Club Hub Event left me inspired, energised, and a fair bit heavier thanks to the fantastic lunch. It reminded me how much can be achieved when people come together with purpose and passion.
If you missed my workshop and you're curious to learn how to create your own AI Assistant, you can download the tutorial on how to create a custom GPT here and see some of the automation magic that Book That In AutoMate can give you.
Till next time,
Tim
Tim Freed
CEO, Book That In