This June, EntreConf will be returning to the Watershed for two days of unique insights and inspiration.
EntreConf is back for two days across June 17-18 2026 at The Watershed with a whole host of fresh inspiration and for entrepreneurs, scale-ups and established businesses alike.
Entrepreneurship is a state of mind. This event is for those looking to push boundaries, and benefit from vital insights. Plus, broker new relationships and learn about some of the most valuable businesses in the region.
Get 20% off tickets with discount code BCI20
Keeping your business secure and compliant while staying competitive isn’t easy. Cyber threats are evolving rapidly, and new regulations are putting leaders under increasing pressure to keep up. It’s time to take a smarter approach to IT.
Join us in M Shed, Bristol for this exclusive in-person CPD-accredited event to see how Artificial Intelligence can strengthen your defences, simplify compliance, and help you stay ahead of the competition.
Hear from industry experts, explore real-world examples, and discover practical ways to move from firefighting to future-proofing your business.
Let’s talk travel in 2026 – trends, marketing and more. And let’s do it over a fabulous drink.
Join us for an evening at The Milk Thistle, where Lucy Von Weber, Head of Marketing at Visit Wales will give us a special look at how Visit Wales has embraced the story of the rise of Wrexham AFC over the last five years and what that has meant for raising awareness of what the country has to offer.
The 30-minute session will look at the effect of the Welcome to Wrexham documentary, as well as how businesses and the community in Wrexham have been brought on that journey and contributed to putting Wrexham firmly on the visitor map.
Lucy’s session will be followed by a brief Q&A, then on to fabulous cocktails and real conversations with great people.
WHEN: Thursday 21st May, 2026
TIME: 6:00-8:00 PM
WHERE: The Attic at The Milk Thistle, Bristol, BS1 1EB
We’re here to bring great people together. No panels. No fluff. Just bold ideas, good cocktails, and that classic Bristol buzz.
Space is limited, so make sure to secure your spot asap.
Outbound – The Travel Marketing Meet is being hosted by three leading Bristol agencies, which have come together to share the latest news in travel and tourism with the South West Business Community.
Yours Sincerely, the PR agency crafting powerful stories for clients across the UK.
Noble, your top performance marketing agency in Bristol.
Tiki, the Al advertising platform built for DMOs.
This in-person event at Bristol Business School (UWE Frenchay) is hosted by Bristol Creative Industries and the Applied Marketing Research Group (AMRG). The event is relevant for those interested in the practical application of humour in marketing, whether you are a creative consultant, in-house marketer, student, or just have an inquisitive mind!
Humour is at the heart of great marketing. But how should it be used? And what should be avoided? Paddy Gilmore, a comms consultant and columnist who specialises in humour, will talk about how to best use this fascinating, universal human trait.
Paddy will discuss how consumers respond to different types of humour and various examples of humour featured in marketing campaigns. Whether your work involves B2C, B2B, or a specific area of marketing, come and learn when and how to engage customers using humour, and obvious pitfalls to avoid.
Where: Bristol Business School, UWE Bristol, Coldharbour Lane, Frenchay, BS16 1QY
6-6.30pm – Refreshments & Networking
6.30-7.30pm – Talk followed by Q&A
7.30-8pm – Networking
> Early bird BCI member tickets are available until Friday 15th May at £20 +VAT
> BCI member tickets from 16th May are £30 +VAT.
> Non-member tickets are £50 +VAT.
Free parking is available at the venue but this must be reserved in advance. Please enter your car registration on the booking form.
Paddy Gilmore has spent 25 years working in marketing, first as a creative then as a strategist. Despite this, he still makes his mum proud for one or two reasons.
For example, he did an MA that looked at the theory of humour, he wrote jokes for the late Bruce Forsyth on Strictly Come Dancing, and he writes The Drum’s monthly ‘Funny Matters’ column on humour in marketing. He has even delivered keynotes internationally, and sat on panels, without letting these occasions go to his head.
When you’re running a busy agency, or if you’re a freelancer getting engaged on projects, you might not be thinking about intellectual property. Many people don’t, but harnessing your intellectual property (IP) from the get-go is important for monetising it – and to steer clear of legal risks such as intellectual property breach or contract breach.
This session will look at how different IP rights come into existence, who owns them automatically, what rights to use might exist and how best to govern matters with contractual frameworks. It will look closely at using contractors and employees, with real life case studies, highlighting how lost opportunities can easily arise. IP collaborations will be un-picked, identifying what went wrong at the start, and how that can be put right.
In the context of ownership, the implications of AI will be discussed so you know how to deploy it to your best advantage.
This session will equip you with an understanding of what IP you might develop, whether in a business context or as a freelancer. With real life case studies, it will help you navigate what you need to do from the get-go to maximise the value of your IP assets, and avoid pitfalls.
We’ll look at:
You’ll be able to spot your IP and that of others, work out how best to manage that situation so that you can better maximise and monetise the life blood of your business. As a freelancer, you’ll gain a better understanding of key IP rights and what you need to look out for when working with businesses.
This session will be useful for any creative business to ensure they are aware of the intellectual property and legal issues when using freelancers, suppliers or collaborating with others. It will equally be useful for individuals that are freelancers in the creative industries.
Jessica is an intellectual property and technology specialist and Partner at Keystone Law. She deals with IP, technology and contracts for creative and tech businesses .
Jessica’s experience includes advising businesses on all types of IP and IT contracts such as rights agreements, licensing, R&D and collaborations as well as data protection issues.
Her expertise on IP matters includes brand management and trade mark registrations, copyright matters including clearance and advice on infringement, patents and know-how including R&D and collaboration agreements.
Jessica regularly delivers workshops and lectures to businesses and universities on IP and technology matters.
Accidental managers are usually first-time people managers who’ve been thrown in at the deep end – still doing their old job while figuring out how to manage people through trial and error.
If someone on your team has just stepped into management, they’re probably juggling people and projects, wearing two hats, and figuring it out as they go. That’s exactly why this Accidental Managers half-day workshop exists.
Join Fi Craig to feel confident leading people, define your own version of good management, and gain practical frameworks to guide you as you figure the rest out. Gain confidence and simple tools to start leading a team effectively straight away.
This session is suitable for first-line managers (typically with 1–3 direct reports) or those with little or no formal management training. You may be working in an SME (up to 200 people) with or without formal people processes, and you’re likely still contributing to your original role. It would also be ideal for early-career professionals stepping into management for the first time.
> BCI member tickets are £125 + VAT
> Non-member tickets are £185 + VAT
Your host for this session is Fi Craig, qualified and experienced team and individual coach, and founder of GoodThinking. With a 20 year career at the coal face of creative agency behind her, Fi understands the world of managing people while trying to do the day job. Fi has mentored new starters, trained managers new and experienced, and has run leadership workshops of many kinds across many industries. Her style is warm, informal but with lots of ideas and tips to share.
A half-day immersive event bringing together senior business, cultural and innovation leaders in Bristol.
Future Forward is designed for leaders who care deeply about people and planet, and who are navigating profound change. The event combines visionary talks with interactive experiences to explore what a thriving, low‑carbon and resilient future could look like – and the kind of leadership needed to deliver it.
A panel on using creative technology to prioritise inclusive design
Research suggests that accessibility issues cause up to a quarter of potential digital audiences to drop off, at a cost of approximately £17bn a year to the UK economy. Aer Studios will host a panel event to discuss why this continues to be the case, and how a creative technology approach grounded in inclusive design can pave the way forward.
Facilitated by our Chief Strategy Officer, Scott Ewings, our panel will include a groundbreaking healthtech startup who have built in a truly accessible experience from the off, an inclusive design specialist who has a growing reputation on the international circuit, and our own Chief Technology Officer, James Hobbs. The discussion will unpick the common themes that neglect users, strategies to course correct and best-in-class examples.
What attendees will get out of it:
Insights into how organisations are missing the mark with tickbox accessibility
A better understanding of commonly overlooked user groups
Real-life examples of inclusive design in action
Practical advice to consider in building more accessible digital experiences
Hosted at Gather Round’s accessible Trinity Church venue, attendees will have the chance to put their own questions to the expert panel in an open and welcoming setting.
Be there and tell the robot grandchildren all about it in 2067. “Anarchic & brilliant” “Like nothing I’ve been to before!” “Hell, yeah!”
YGWYG returns for its 19th outing. Still curious. Still irreverent. Still poking the shiny corners of creative tech to see what squeaks.
Speakers. Thrills. Tech. Comedy. Surprises. Irrverence. And always FREE. Grab your ticket today!
If design isn’t felt, it’s forgotten. How to make work that people care about
Creative output has never been higher. It’s faster, easier to make, and yet, most of it is quite frankly, forgettable.
In this webinar, Ben Steers from Fiasco will explore what’s missing, and make the case for moving beyond the attention economy to an emotional one – where feeling drives impact, connection, and growth. Because when everything can be generated, feeling is what designers need to craft.
From concepts to the smallest details, he’ll unpack how emotion becomes the differentiator, and why it always has been. At Fiasco, that means focusing on the small, often overlooked moments that shape how people feel and, ultimately, what they remember.
Bristol Creative Industries members can register here
This webinar is exclusively for BCI members. It’s one of many benefits you get by joining the community. Not a BCI member? Read more about the benefits and join here.
For designers, creative leads, and decision-makers looking to create work that matters. Whether you’re shaping ideas or setting direction, this talk is for those who want to move beyond output and deliver design that connects, differentiates and drives real impact.
Ben is co-founder and executive creative director at Fiasco, a Bristol-based brand and digital agency. Ben has spent over 15 years building the agency’s creative output and offering, working with recognised brands such as Just Eat, Pinewood, Vertical and National Trust.
> Connect with Ben on LinkedIn
> See Fiasco’s BCI profile here
The online sessions take place every other Friday morning from 8.30-9am, and allow BCI members to share their knowledge with fellow members.
The webinars are a 15/20 minute presentation followed by a 10/15 minute Q&A. The sessions are a mix of expert tips and case studies – the perfect opportunity to learn something new before the week is out.
The webinars are exclusively for BCI members. They are one of many benefits you get by joining the community. Not a BCI member? Read more about the benefits and join here.
Please get in touch with Dan if you’re a BCI member and you’re interested in presenting on a future webinar.
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