Bristol Initiative Meeting - February 2023

On February 15th, the Bristol Initiative Members' Meeting was held at the Bristol Beacon, with West of England Metro Mayor Dan Norris as the keynote speaker. We had a great turn-out, with over 100 members of the Bristol Initiative from various businesses and organisations coming to the Beacon.

First up to speak was Jaya Chakrabarti MBE, the President of the Bristol Chambers of Commerce & Initiative. Jaya began the evening by welcoming members and highlighting the exciting projects happening in the region. She specifically mentioned the celebration of Business West's 200th anniversary and Bristol's 650th anniversary, both of which will be important milestones for the community. Jaya also made an appeal to those assembled to donate towards the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, which you can do here: https://www.dec.org.uk/appeal/turkey-syria-earthquake-appeal

Louise Mitchell CBE, CEO of the Bristol Beacon, then provided an update on the progress of the venue's renovation project. Louise showed attendees the plans for the reopening of the Bristol Beacon and gave a sneak peek of what people can expect to see when the venue opens again in November. She highlighted the improvements to the space, including a larger main hall with improved acoustics, new bars and restaurants, and a dedicated space for education and community outreach. Louise emphasized the Bristol Beacon's commitment to being a cultural hub for the region and expressed her excitement about the venue's reopening.

After Louise our very own Victoria Matthews, Membership Director for Business West, took the stage and introduced some of the latest activity that the Bristol Initiative has led, including responding to the Bristol Local Plan Consultation and highlighting that the consultation on proposals within the Temple Quarter Draft Development Framework is now open until 8th March. Victoria also announced that our Quarterly Economic Survey is now live until 6th March, encouraging members to feedback on challenges and opportunities for their business, to help inform our advocacy work across the region. Finally, Victoria also announced upcoming projects and events, such as the International Women's Day event in March and the Behind the Scenes Tour with the RWA.

Our penultimate speaker was Business West Policy Director, Matt Griffith, who spoke about some new (unfortunately top secret) regeneration projects that are aimed at transforming the region. Although we can’t share specific details on these projects at this time, we’re really excited to announce them and get working on the future of our region and we are looking forward to working with our members. 

Then came our keynote speaker, West of England Combined Authority Metro Mayor Dan Norris. During his speech, Dan highlighted the importance of collaboration in driving progress and growth in the region. He discussed various initiatives and projects that his office is working on, including plans for new infrastructure, investments in the local economy, and efforts to tackle climate change. Dan explained his desire to work closer with the business community and support our region’s prosperous economy, whilst acknowledging that we all must work together to continue to champion and put our region on the map.

Following Dan’s speech, there was a Q&A session where attendees had the opportunity to ask the Mayor questions about his plans and vision for the region. The questions ranged from topics such as transportation and affordable housing, to job creation and environmental sustainability. 

The event concluded with our networking session, catered by local business Kate’s Kitchen, where attendees had the opportunity to connect and exchange ideas. We look forward to welcoming our members to our next meeting on 15th June 2023.