Katarina Railko is a distinguished expert in the hospitality and entertainment sectors, known for her ability to navigate the complex needs of high-stakes corporate events and large-scale conferences. With a background deeply rooted in the travel and tourism industry, she has become a leading voice in the burgeoning field of experiential leisure. In this conversation, we explore the intersection of competitive gameplay and premium catering, specifically looking at the new partnership between The Traitors: Live Experience and Boulevard Events in London. This collaboration highlights how modern hospitality is shifting away from traditional formats to create social environments where the post-game debrief is as vital as the entertainment itself.
How do you design a menu that effectively transitions guests from a high-stakes game of deception to a social networking environment?
Designing a menu for an environment like The Traitors: Live Experience requires a deep understanding of the emotional arc of the players. After the intense psychological pressure of the Round Table, where strategy and betrayal are part of the game, guests need a social glue to help them transition back to reality. We use themed cold-served sharing boards, such as plant-based options or classic charcuterie, specifically designed to encourage people to gather and talk. Biting into a crispy cauliflower bhaji or sharing house-baked focaccia allows the adrenaline to settle while keeping the conversation focused on the game’s twists. It’s about turning that competitive energy into a shared culinary experience that mirrors the social nature of the show while allowing everyone to finally compare notes.
What role does theatrical hospitality play in catering for heavyweight corporate clients like Google, Meta, or Netflix?
For organizations like Google, Netflix, and TikTok, the expectations for experiential entertainment are incredibly high, as they are looking for something that goes beyond traditional hospitality formats. These corporate groups often bring up to 112 guests who have seen it all, so the hospitality must match the BAFTA and Emmy award-winning quality of the production itself. We provide semi-private mezzanine spaces and breakout areas where the catering—including fennel sausage rolls and burnt aubergine pickle—feels sophisticated yet perfectly accessible. The goal is to provide a premium drinks reception that serves as a backdrop for networking, ensuring the event feels like a cohesive brand experience. By offering branded merchandise packages alongside high-end food, we help these businesses create a memorable shared journey that resonates long after the game ends.
How do specific menu items like tandoori salmon or vegan nduja arancini enhance the immersion of the castle-themed venue?
The menu is purposefully theatrical, featuring bold flavors that stand up to the dramatic, castle-inspired interiors of the venue. We have integrated dishes like tare-glazed chicken thigh skewers with yakiniku sauce and vegan nduja arancini with saffron aioli to provide a sensory experience that feels as curated as the gameplay. The tandoori salmon skewers with tandoori yoghurt offer a vibrant, colorful contrast to the darker, more mysterious atmosphere where players complete their missions. By using seasonal savory bites and Padron peppers, we ensure that every mouthful is an extension of the adventure, maintaining the theatrical feel of the destination. This variety of food is a brilliant way to bring a team back together once they’ve just spent the last hour trying to banish one another.
As you look toward the 2026 season, how are you preparing the hospitality offer to handle the growing demand for large-scale immersive events?
Following an incredible sell-out year, we are already seeing massive demand for larger group bookings and festive events, which means our operational delivery must be flawless. The partnership with Boulevard Events allows us to remain agile, introducing seasonal twists to our menu that keep the offer fresh for returning clients like Deloitte or Charlotte Tilbury. We are specifically focusing on the post-game debrief as a critical part of the hospitality package because we’ve learned it’s often just as memorable as the game itself. By expanding our conference facilities and semi-private spaces, we are preparing to host even more complex corporate hires that require a mix of gameplay and professional networking. We want to ensure that every group, whether it’s a private hire or a major brand, feels the same level of excitement and quality we delivered during our initial launch.
What is your forecast for the future of experiential hospitality in major urban centers like London?
I predict we will see a significant shift toward integrated live-event catering where the food is no longer a separate entity from the entertainment. As we see with the rise of competitive leisure destinations like the Roxy Ball Room, guests want an all-in-one atmosphere where strategy, social gaming, and premium dining collide. We will likely see more hospitality-led event spaces catering to the post-game moment, using food to deepen the immersion rather than just filling a gap in the schedule. Major operators will continue to move away from traditional hotel ballrooms toward these theatrical environments that offer genuine storytelling opportunities. Ultimately, the success of these venues will depend on their ability to deliver a familiar, delicious food offering that matches the high quality of the interactive experiences they host.
