The SGG x BrewDog: Social Fitness

Inside the Social Fitness Panel at BrewDog Waterloo

Last week at BrewDog Waterloo, leaders from sport, branding, culture and strategy came together to unpack a question many venues, brands and communities are grappling with: why is socialising changing, and what do people need from social spaces now?

The panel marked the launch of a new Social Fitness collaboration between BrewDog and The Social Gaming Group, bringing together four voices who see these shifts from very different angles: Vanessa Stewart (Netball England), Kian Bakhtiari (The People), Fran Docx (BrewDog Waterloo) and Meredith Smith (SAMY). Moderated by TSGG’s Marketing Director and Anthropologist practitioner,  Pardis Shafafi, the conversation explored how connection and community are being reshaped in a digital-first, post-pandemic world.

Central to the discussion was research shared by Meredith Smith, drawing on extensive futures work with global brands including Tinder, Diageo and Google. Her findings challenged the idea that people are simply socialising less. Instead, she highlighted how social behaviour is changing form, with people increasingly selective and measuring experiences against value, meaning and emotional return. Socialising is evolving, not declining, and understanding these shifts is key for venues, brands and communities looking to connect meaningfully with their audiences.

From a hospitality and brand perspective, Fran Docx reflected on how BrewDog has long been ahead of the curve when it comes to community-led social experiences. From structured in-venue activations to collectable and buildable moments, most iconically BrewDog’s collectable pins, the brand has consistently created reasons for people to return, connect and feel part of something bigger. These structured experiences help remove friction from socialising, giving guests a shared focus beyond just “going out.”

Kian Bakhtiari explored the growing role of social anxiety and lost social confidence as barriers to connection, particularly for Gen Z. Challenging the misconception that younger audiences are becoming more analogue, Kian emphasized that Gen Z are more online than ever. What has shifted is the need for greater curation and intentionality in social experiences. Thoughtful structure and purpose now help younger audiences feel comfortable and confident participating in person.

From sport and community, Vanessa Stewart highlighted the role of team sports in building social muscles, alongside the importance of lowering barriers to participation. She spoke about initiatives to make playing kits more inclusive, recognising that feeling uncomfortable or excluded can prevent people from engaging meaningfully, both in sport and in wider social settings. Team environments, she noted, provide built-in belonging, routine and shared goals, something that traditional nights out have often lacked.

After the panel, the conversation moved from theory to action. Guests put social fitness into practice, playing shuffleboard and darts throughout the venue, with friendly competition, shared teams and winners announced at the end of the night. The games brought the discussion to life, showing how structured, activity-led experiences make connection easier and more natural.

The evening marked the start of a wider Social Fitness campaign with BrewDog, building toward a large public Social Fitness event on March 1st. Designed as a games-oriented social fitness gym, the event will invite guests to experience these ideas first-hand through play, movement and shared competition. If the panel was the conversation, March 1st is the invitation: come back, bring your friends, and put social fitness into action