What do you get when you bring together a highly experienced Lichfield- and Derby-based events professional, years of industry know-how, a boat load of personality and a genuine desire to help people connect again?
You get JMG-Collective, and at the heart of it is founder Jessica Murphy-Garrat.
For Jess, events have never simply been about putting people in a room, handing them a drink and hoping the conversation will flow, they are about creating an atmosphere, encouraging interaction, and giving people the confidence to relax, laugh and feel part of something.
It was this instinct, combined with years of experience in the events industry, that led her to notice a change in the way people were socialising after the pandemic.
“I love events and get-togethers but after Covid, the ambience in pubs, clubs and other places just changed for the worse,” said Jess. “People didn’t want to let loose and open up, and we became stuffy again as a nation.”
Her observation reflects a wider issue. According to NHS Digital’s 2024 Health Survey for England, 22 per cent of adults said they felt lonely at least some of the time, while six per cent reported feeling lonely often or always. Younger adults were particularly affected, with 29 per cent of those aged 16 to 24 saying they felt lonely at least some of the time.
For hospitality venues, this shift has created both a challenge and an opportunity, as customers increasingly look for experiences that feel more meaningful than a standard night out, while pubs, bars and restaurants work harder than ever to encourage people back through their doors.
That was where the idea for JMG-Collective began to take shape and Jess started approaching venues with a simple but powerful concept: to inject extra spark into their events calendars and create evenings that helped people reconnect in a way that felt natural, fun and completely unforced.
Whether it is a quiz night with added interactive challenges, a social gathering designed to get strangers chatting around the table, or a bespoke event that brings personality back into a venue, JMG-Collective is built around breaking down barriers without ever making people feel uncomfortable.
“I wanted to create events that helped people feel comfortable again,” Jess explained. “Sometimes adults need a little nudge to chat, laugh and join in, but it should never feel awkward or forced, it should just feel like a really good night out.”
In just over a year, the response has been phenomenal, with feedback and bookings growing quickly as Jess expands operations beyond Lichfield and Derby into Manchester and the wider North West.
One of the venues already working with Jess and her team is The Potting Shed in Lichfield, where Jess has helped launch The Shed Showdown, an event designed to bring people together in a lively, relaxed and sociable setting of chit chat.
Richard from The Potting Shed said: “Jess has been fantastic to work with on The Shed Showdown event. We have been keen to diversify our events at The Potting Shed since we opened last year and this will hopefully be the start of a regular feature.
“It can often be so hard to make friends as an adult and The Shed Showdown is a perfect fit for our ethos, socialising without it feeling like some kind of awkward social experiment. So if you’re looking to have a great night and potentially make new friends, get booked in with us now.”
For Jess, that reaction sums up exactly why JMG-Collective exists, because at a time when many people are still rebuilding their confidence, routines and social lives, there is real value in creating events that make connection feel easy again.
As venues look for fresh ways to fill their spaces and customers look for nights out that offer more than just a seat at a table, JMG-Collective is helping bring the buzz back to hospitality. One event, one table and one conversation at a time.
