Peter Avis
Transform customer service and leadership excellence with Peter Avis, speaker and hospitality management expert. Peter works with organisations to elevate service standards and develop authentic leadership, delivering award-winning insights backed by 25 years of experience with Virgin Group and luxury hospitality brands.
London, United Kingdom
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For over 15 years, Peter was integral to the Virgin Group, working closely with Sir Richard Branson. He managed the London Roof Gardens and launched Virgin Limited Edition hotels, including Mont Rochelle Hotel and Restaurant in South Africa and Kasbah Tamadot in Morocco. He also supervised the wedding of Sir Richard’s daughter on Necker Island. Recently, Peter was appointed General Manager of Galvin at Windows at the London Hilton Park Lane.
Born in Liverpool and raised on a council estate, Peter left school at 16. During a visit to his sister in Miami, he took his first job as a dishwasher. His positive attitude quickly earned him a position on the restaurant floor, where he demonstrated natural people skills and business acumen.
Peter's subsequent roles at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas and the Royal Garden Hotel in London taught him the importance of training, communication, service, and consistency. He eventually became an assistant manager at a private restaurant in Knightsbridge, London.
In 2001, Peter joined the opening team of Babylon Restaurant, progressing from supervisor to manager within a few years. Under his leadership, the restaurant won the Best London Restaurant award at the Visit London Awards in 2008, and Peter was named UK Restaurant Manager of the Year in 2009.
In 2014, Peter received the Richard Branson Special Award for Services to the Community and the Carey Award for Manager of the Year. He was appointed Chairman of the UK Guild of Restaurant Services and became the youngest member inducted into the Restaurant Hall of Fame. In 2022, he was awarded Her Majesty's Platinum Jubilee Medal and inducted into the Seal of Excellence within the House of Lords for his services to hospitality. Peter was also named a top influencer in hospitality in 2022.
Peter has served on various industry advisory boards and featured in numerous press articles and industry magazines, including GS Magazine, Big Hospitality, Essentially Catering, and The Caterer.
Topics, Sessions And Talks
During a 25-year career, Peter has seen first-hand, from the bottom up, what is required to deliver and maintain the highest standards of customer service and care. Peter considers and discusses the skills and requirements to create and manage a memorable experience and how to deal with inevitable difficulties and pitfalls.
Any business needs to keep customers and clients happy. In the hospitality industry, this also means keeping your customers engaged. Peter identifies the key factors required to ensure you and your business deliver on its promise.
Engaged employees perform at a higher level and bring passion and interest to their jobs. Peter identifies the key drivers of experience, productivity, and engagement so that companies can act in real time to drive changes in the workplace.
From a dishwasher in a Miami restaurant to receiving the award of UK Restaurant Manager of Year, Peter has seen all the necessary tools, including commercial requirements, to succeed. He discusses what he has learned and how this can help shape your business both internally and externally.
Our experts are here to make your event run smoothly, whether it's moderating a discussion, sharing insights on a panel, or keeping things lively as a host. With plenty of experience and a knack for engaging audiences, they bring the right mix of professionalism and energy to any event. You can count on them to connect with your crowd and ensure everything goes off without a hitch.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about booking an expert speaker, facilitator, host or entertainment for your event.
- If you'd like to book one of our expert speakers, email us at hello@peptalk.com, send us a chat message or give us a call, and we’ll help you out.
- We’ll take your event details — topic, audience, budget, date, and location — and create a custom speaker proposal for you within 48 hours.
- If you already have someone in mind, that’s okay too; just let us know their name! Even if they aren't listed publicly on our website, we have a huge network and work with almost everyone.
- Once you've reviewed our speaker propsal and have selected and expert shortlist, we'll double check availability and fees with your chosen expert.
- You're welcome to have a chemistry call with the speaker before making the final decision, too.
- Next, we'll send out contracts to confirm the booking. One of our experienced event producers will liase with both you and the talent on the finer details, and arrange travel if necessary, taking the stress off your plate.
Not necessarily. While the speakers listed on our website may not have worked with PepTalk in the past, they are recognized professionals in the industry and known to engage in similar events and engagements. We work with a wide variety of speaker agents and talent agencies to ensure we have the best selection of speakers, hosts, comedians and entertainers available.
We do not accommodate requests for birthday messages or any other personal, non-commercial contact with the speakers, comedians or entertainers.
We work with speakers across a variety of fee ranges, giving you the flexibility to choose someone who fits your event's needs. Virtual keynote fees in the UK and Europe typically start at £2,000, while in-person top-tier speakers can reach £25,000. In the US, virtual in-person fees range from $5,000 to over $100,000, depending on the speaker and format, such as after-dinner talks, conference keynotes, Q&As, or podcasts. Comedians generally start at £1,500 or $2,000 for a 20-minute set.
Our goal is to help you find the speaker who best matches your event’s goals and budget. We take the time to understand your event, objectives, and audience to recommend the right fit. The most expensive option isn’t always the best one, and our priority is finding the ideal speaker or expert for your needs; not the highest-priced one.
Reach out for personalised recommendations and detailed information on specific speaker fees. We’re here to offer a tailored service and are always happy to discuss your unique requirements!
There’s no additional cost for our services beyond the speaker fee — simply contact us to find the right speaker for your next business or team event. We can also work with your corporate procurement team to negotiate favourable long-term rates, simply email hello@getapeptalk.com for more information.
Partnering with PepTalk means elevating your events with our curated roster of top motivational speakers, industry experts, delivering punchy keynotes that leave a lasting impact. From talent selection, to contracts and logistics, we handle it all. We have global expert network, with over 3000 speakers from over 33 countries on our line-up.
We also provide a full range of talent, from event hosts and moderators to interviewers and corporate entertainment, ensuring your event’s success from start to finish.
PepTalk workshops are interactive learning experiences for leaders at all levels, blending theory with practical insights from industry experts. These programs, led by experienced facilitators, are designed to drive real mindset changes and equip participants with actionable skills. Workshops can be customised to meet your organisation's specific needs. Explore our workshop examples and contact us today to learn how your team can benefit.
If you notice something that needs attention or have any queries regarding an expert speaker profile, feel free to email us at experts@getapeptalk.com, and we’ll be happy to assist.