Page 35 - #202 October 2025

Leisure Insight

The Forever Temporary Learn more

In our October edition’s Leisure Insight, Karrie
Goldberg, Co-Founder of Outernet Venues
LTD and Founder & CEO of The Kagency takes
some time out of her regular schedule to
discuss how scarcity is redefining the
leisure sector. HERE at Outernet, London, UK

OR AS LONG AS CONSUMERS have gade artists like Banksy weaponised imper- building can be relocated to a new site and the
shopped, scarcity has been the ultimate manence. His 2015 Dismaland lasted less theatres can be adapted to fit the new location.”
F hook. A Rolex limited edition, a Hermès than four weeks, pulled 150,000 visitors on Yet another example of not everything has to be
bag, a Louis Vuitton limited run - “temporary” £3 tickets and generated more than £20M for permanent to succeed.
has always been dressed up as “exclusivity” the local economy. You will see a nod to a lot of this in the The most diverse
dating back to the 60s (I still have my McQueen Scarcity has leapt from the auction houses venues built at Outernet, part of our goal was
Puma boots). These brands, who used to be fine and boutiques into theatre, Troubadour The- to create the world’s best blank canvas to let retail spaces offer
art adjacent, took a page from their colleagues atres born that same year, a pop-up theatre artists and brands tell their own story. The
who started the limited edition prints in the late group launching in Kings Cross. At a time idea being, you will never see the same thing
19th century. Those collector editions were not when that area was desperate for regeneration, twice within the four walls. and largest range of
a marketing ploy to start, rather a necessity due the group was clocking over 6,000 visitors a day ƽ For consumers - urgency and limited
to the plates bring worn out over time, but led to their shows and helped drive other leisure availability transform casual interest into retail brands in the world
to a rampant demand from the buyers to own a activities in the surrounding buildings. must-attend behaviour
“numbered” edition. When discussing the project with the Thea- ƽ For leisure brands - temporary formats
So when did the real estate industry start to tre’s Chairman, Rodney Birrell, he pointed out: reduce capital risk, enabling bold exper-
pay attention to temporary? And how has this “The ethos of the Troubadour team is to create imentation and rapid iteration
impacted the leisure industry? theatres (and film and television studios) on ƽ For landlords - short-term leasing unlocks
To understand how the culture of temporary land which at some point in the future will be higher returns and dynamic activation of NEW NEW NEW
began in the real estate sector you have to look developed or re-developed. Troubadour creates dormant spaces
back a few years. entertainment centres at a fraction of the cost
of a permanent installation and at a fraction Imagine a network of adaptive theatres, cul-
2008: The First Crack in the Foundation of the construction time. Everything from the tural hubs and creative spaces across major
Before the folks at Lehman Brothers rocked walls, the heating and air-conditioning units, cities, each designed for short-term activation. Efficient Focus on Asian & 30th Anniversary
our world with a global financial crisis, there the washrooms, the configuration of stage and Leisure brands could plug in, test bold new 2-days format American retailers
was no place for what people now refer to as seats can all be moved. A producer wants a offerings and scale successful concepts globally. celebration and
“pop-ups”. The model was simple: lock in normal proscenium stage - no problem. A the- Temporary has always been a trick of desire, Layout with looking to expand new Awards
secure tenants with long-term leases and trade atre in the round? Not an issue! These, by the but in leisure, it has become something more, to Europe for the
on that to finance future growth. Overnight, way, are not theatres in tents but are semi-per- it has created value by threatening to disappear. sea view first time Ceremony
that equation broke, leaving major commer- manent buildings which can be moved to Short-term collaboration is no longer a band-
cial developers scratching their heads. other sites within several months as opposed aid for vacancy; it’s the actual business model.
It was during that time that I was offered to the years it would take to build a permanent It creates urgency for consumers, flexibility for
my first commercial property: The ask was structure. In fact, when the time comes for the brands and outsized returns for landlords who
simple - “come up with a plan - revenue, mar- theatre to be moved, over 95 per cent of the are willing to adapt.
keting, anything but letting it sit empty”. It 4-5 November 2025
was a major “sliding glass doors” moment Palais des Festivals, Cannes
for my business. From Cartier to Chanel,
Madonna to Basquiat, we proved short-term 6 November: NextGen Retail Day
wasn’t a stop-gap, it became the new busi-
ness model and cultural engine. On average,
short-term use generates three to five times
that of a standard annual lease.

From Auction Houses to Amusement Parks
With sectors in luxury, art and retail being mapic.com
underpinned by temporary moments, the lei-
sure industry had no choice but to step into
the arena, but they were late to the game. Valhalla at Outernet, London, UK
Fast forward a few more years and rene-

34 RETAIL & LEISURE INTERNATIONAL OCTOBER 2025