Dear All,

May is already upon us and is another busy month with some big events. I am particularly excited about the Bristol Weekend Away from Friday 16th to Sunday 18th. This is a fantastic chance to explore Bristol, network, and enjoy some quality time together. If you haven't already, please book your place now. If you know any local founders or business owners who might be interested in joining us, please do put them in touch. I am sure they will enjoy the Friday events in Bristol (Business School visit & Avery's) and the Saturday dinner – please do circulate the attached flyer to your contacts.

If you have joined in the last few years (or if you just want to meet new people or find out more), please come along for breakfast and bottomless coffee on the morning of 21^st May. You will get very well fed and watered, and can find out everything you wanted to know and more about the Company, its strategy, and voluntary opportunities.

On 22nd May, the EDI team is organising The Confidence Code Conference with the Livery Committee. The theme is "Leadership for a Changing City". It's a half-day event with an interesting range of topics at a very accessible price of £22.50.

The following week we have the EASI25 Final, always an interesting evening hearing about cutting edge social innovation.

Looking ahead, our preparations for the Summer Banquet are in full flow. It is the highlight of our promotion to Worshipful Company Number 112. It will be the biggest and most important event in our history and is a fabulous opportunity to introduce #112 to even more founders and business owners. It is on Monday 14th July at Mansion House. Here we will receive our Letters Patent, confirming our status as a full Livery Company. The Court of Aldermen will be present, resplendent in their fine red robes as well as a number of other City dignitaries. There will be a champagne reception, a Clothing and an Admission Ceremony as well as all the excitement that comes with a Mansion House Banquet. Book your tickets now!

This is a unique and high-profile event. I am very keen to get as many successful founders and business owners as possible to come so that they can experience Livery at its best. I am hoping that it will appeal to Private Banks, Venture Capitalists and others who want to impress their entrepreneurial clients with something that is directly relevant to them. There will also be some sponsorship opportunities, too. Please let me or the Clerk know if you have any ideas or contacts – we’ve prepared a handy menu of sponsorship options: from champagne to cheese and everything in between!

Looking back at April, we started with our Quarterly Zoom meeting. This gave everyone an opportunity to ask questions, find out what's going on and how they can help. It was particularly good to see some of our overseas members who can't join our normal events such as the monthly drinks. Court made good progress particularly with establishing a strategy process to guide us over the next ten years and beyond.

This was followed by the signing of the Armed Forces Covenant – particularly suitable in light of the huge support shown to services and veterans’ charities that day at the Big Curry Lunch. I was able to put my signature to the document, in witness to how we as a Company treat regular, reservist, and veteran personnel and their families. With so many ex-forces Freemen and Liverymen, and a number of very active senior reservists, this was an especially important step for us.

A super (and rather boisterous) evening was then enjoyed in the form of the Appreciation Supper, where new (and not-so-new) Freemen got a chance to practise some of the  customs and behaviours of the Livery world. The Master Educator was most impressed, as was our new Freeman, Luke Richards.

I am eager to hear of your thoughts about publicising the Summer Banquet amongst other successful founders – please do get in touch with me direct, I’m really keen to make a success of this.

My ambition this year is to increase engagement and to grow our membership - my Wardens and I very much look forward to seeing you and your entrepreneurial friends at one of our events; whether that be the Bristol Weekend Away, our Summer Banquet or Second Wednesday drinks or something in between.

All can be booked via the events page of the website.

Yours,

James Talbot
Master