As we approach the end of the year and festive season, are you feeling the pressure… or are you and your team tipping over into stress?

Did you know that a little pressure can be a good thing? It keeps us focused, engaged, and motivated. But too much? That’s when pressure turns into stress—leading to burnout, reduced performance, and team disengagement.

Join this workshop to discover practical tools to strengthen your resilience and support your teams.

You’ll delve into:
🌿 What is Wellness
🌪 Distinguishing Pressure from Stress
🚦 Establishing Healthy Boundaries and Habits
🌟 Overcoming Overwhelm
🌱 Cultivating Resilience
🧘 How to support your team

Book a place
This workshop can also be tailored to run for teams and organisations in-person or virtually.

About Polly
Polly Robinson is a leadership coach supporting senior leaders to build their leadership confidence, build happy high-performing teams and achieve personal and business success.

As 2024 comes to a close, it’s time to hit pause, reflect on what we’ve achieved, and set bold goals for an even brighter 2025.

Quick tip to get started now: Before the year ends, take 15 minutes to ask yourself:

If you’d like to press pause and make time to reflect, join this Linkedin Live webinar: Reflective Goal Setting for a Successful 2025

In just 1 hour, you’ll learn:

Join on Monday 9th December 1-2pm on Linkedin Live

Your people are your business – if they’re happy, they’ll make your clients happy.

Join this free online workshop to discover how to lead a happy, engaged and motivated team. and create a culture where employees feel valued and engaged.

Whether you’re a new manager or an experienced leader, this course will equip you with practical tools to boost engagement, increase productivity, and build stronger relationships.

You’ll gain:
– Practical techniques for creating a positive culture and boost engagement and retention
– How to foster open communication and trust within your team
– Tips for giving feedback and managing performance
– Strategies to manage conflict and resolve challenges effectively

Join on Thursday 5th December at AMBITIOUS in Bristol for an opportunity to hear from editors and reporters in the region. Ask questions and network with fellow PR and communications professionals from across Bristol and beyond.

Everyone welcome, open to all members and non-members alike. Tickets include tea/coffee. CIPR members who attend this event will earn 5 CPD points.

To help us shape the panel discussion, please send questions in advance to: [email protected]

Panelists
Dawn Limbu, Multimedia Journalist, BBC News
Seun Matiluko, Deputy Editor, Bristol 24/7
and more Speakers TBA

Agenda
08:30-09:00 – registration & breakfast
09:00-09:45 – panel discussion
09:45-10:00 – Q&A
10:00-10:30 – networking

As artificial intelligence (AI) rapidly reshapes industries and entire economies, the world of communications is no exception. But is AI the latest hyped trend, or does it offer real value for communicators? Studio Giggle invites you to explore these critical questions from a creative storytelling perspective.

In this session, CEO Rob King will dive into the current and future impact of AI on communications, showing how it’s already transforming the way brands tell stories.

From chatbots and automated content to deepfakes and data-driven creativity, we’ll explore how communicators can harness the power of AI to elevate their strategies—and whether it’s truly brilliant, or slightly bullsh*t.

This event will help attendees better understand AI in their role as communicators, providing real-world examples and thought-provoking insights on where AI could take storytelling and brand communications in the future.

> Register here!

This session will be particularly useful for people with roles in communications, marketing, creative, design, animation etc.

 

About Rob King

Rob has over 25 years of experience growing and leading creative businesses across numerous agencies and production companies. He has a background in the music industry at Abbey Road Studios and has helped several agencies launch in new international markets.

> See Studio Giggle’s BCI profile 

> Connect with Rob on LinkedIn

 

These Wake Up Call sessions are exclusively for BCI members – register your free place below!

If you’re not yet a member of Bristol Creative Industries and would like to take advantage of this member-only event, you can sign up here. You can also read about the membership perks here.

More about our ‘Wake Up Call’ webinar series

These sessions take place every other Friday morning from 8.30-9am, for the BCI community to share their pearls of wisdom with one another. The half hour webinars will involve a 15 minute presentation followed by a 10 minute facilitated Q&A, with introductions from the BCI team.

Our community is full of such amazing talent so we’re giving members the stage to talk about things that excite them so they can inspire their peers. The sessions will be a mix of expert tips and tricks and case studies – the perfect opportunity to learn something new before the week is out.

Our usual online format is an interactive ‘meeting’ but for this series we’re running webinars so that it’s easy to listen in while prepping for the day ahead or while having your breakfast! Cameras and mics will be off but you can ask your questions through the chat box or submit them beforehand.

Please get in touch with Dan if you’re interested in speaking at a future session.

Looking to build your public speaking skills in a fun, pressure-free environment?

Join the City Girl Network for Bristol Girls Talks, where you’ll get the chance to practice speaking in a relaxed, supportive space at The Square Club

Host: Abbie

Whether you’re a seasoned speaker or just getting started, this event is all about boosting confidence and improving your presentation abilities—without the fear of being judged or critiqued.

What to Expect:
💜 Friendly, all-female environment
💜 Fun speaking and debate exercises
💜 Opportunities to practice and learn at your own pace
💜 Peer feedback on areas to improve

Come along, meet new people, and grow your confidence in a safe and encouraging setting! Let’s work together to build the skills to succeed—whether it’s for work, school, or personal development.

No prior experience needed, just an open mind and willingness to learn!

Bristol Girl is part of the City Girl Network, a social network helping women all over the world call their cities ‘home’.
If you have friends in Cardiff, Manchester, Bath, Liverpool, Birmingham, Newcastle, Brighton, Edinburgh, London, Chester, York, Perth, Milton Keynes, Leeds, Worthing, or Glasgow – tell them about us!

EntreConf GO is a new series of conferences for young entrepreneurs in Bristol and Bath in November 2024.

Entrepreneurialism as a career choice. 

Rationale: Provide inspiration, support and introductions for young entrepreneurs 

Format: Afternoon and early evening conference. Talks from relatable younger entrepreneurs as inspiration. Panel discussions. Insights from advisors. Plus social time. 

Audience: 16-25 year old’s from any educational background: you go FREE to EntreConf GO.  

Plus advisors, mentors and commercial companies either at the delegate rate or please talk with us about presenting options 

Context: entrepreneurialism is booming at a younger age, from side hustles to emergent business ideas to fully-fledged companies. This age group has been most affected by the pandemic (educationally, socially and careers). It’s important to provide support and encouragement for the next generation. 

And of course young people have many brilliant, new, fresh ideas – several of which will become successful businesses. It will be great for the EntreConf community to play its part in helping them…

Wider context: EntreConf GO will help generate new business in the cities and provide a powerful channel for companies keen to support and be associated with the stars of tomorrow 

Venues: Highly accessible, central city locations. Not academically-related to encourage the widest possible participation 

EntreConf GO is a new series of conferences for young entrepreneurs in Bristol and Bath in November 2024.

Entrepreneurialism as a career choice. 

Rationale: Provide inspiration, support and introductions for young entrepreneurs 

Format: Afternoon and early evening conference. Talks from relatable younger entrepreneurs as inspiration. Panel discussions. Insights from advisors. Plus social time. 

Audience: 16-25 year old’s from any educational background: you go FREE to EntreConf GO.  

Plus advisors, mentors and commercial companies either at the delegate rate or please talk with us about presenting options 

Context: entrepreneurialism is booming at a younger age, from side hustles to emergent business ideas to fully-fledged companies. This age group has been most affected by the pandemic (educationally, socially and careers). It’s important to provide support and encouragement for the next generation. 

And of course young people have many brilliant, new, fresh ideas – several of which will become successful businesses. It will be great for the EntreConf community to play its part in helping them…

Wider context: EntreConf GO will help generate new business in the cities and provide a powerful channel for companies keen to support and be associated with the stars of tomorrow 

Venues: Highly accessible, central city locations. Not academically-related to encourage the widest possible participation 

From April 2025, employers’ national insurance contributions are on the rise. Now is the time to explore your benefits package as a means of attracting, retaining and engaging the best talent with pay growth remaining limited. 

Why are some organisations more able to recruit and retain their people than others? And why do some people perform better, with stronger employee engagement and a willingness to go the extra mile? 

The clue could be in the latest research which found that nearly half (47%) of employees prioritise a strong benefits package over salary, viewing it as essential. With tight wage growth in many organisations, employers that strengthen benefits packages and improve communication around them can attract and retain talent effectively.  

In this webinar, Andrew Woolnough will cover the ‘secret sauce’ in creating an engaging and dynamic employee benefits strategy. Join him to find out why employee benefits are so important in building stronger employee engagement with better retention and productivity.

During the session, Andrew will also launch a free and exclusive perk for Bristol Creative Industries members who meet the qualifying criteria. 

> Register here!

This session will be particularly useful for small and medium sized company owners and founders – individuals who own or have founded and scaled up small businesses, and are responsible for overseeing all aspects of the business including HR and employee benefits. It will also benefit those who may not have a deep background in employee benefits but are looking to support the growth and sustainability of their business via the employee value proposition (EVP).

  

About Andrew Woolnough

Andrew is an employee benefits, wellbeing and engagement specialist and is passionate about building highly motivated and productive teams in both start-ups and larger organisations. 

He has previously worked for Aon, Willis Towers Watson and Equiniti, running global benefits, payroll and fintech organisations and is currently undertaking freelance assignments under his own brand, Un:fade.

> See Andrew’s BCI profile 

> Connect with Andrew on LinkedIn

 

These Wake Up Call sessions are exclusively for BCI members – register your free place below!

If you’re not yet a member of Bristol Creative Industries and would like to take advantage of this member-only event, you can sign up here. You can also read about the membership perks here.

More about our ‘Wake Up Call’ webinar series

These sessions take place every other Friday morning from 8.30-9am, for the BCI community to share their pearls of wisdom with one another. The half hour webinars will involve a 15 minute presentation followed by a 10 minute facilitated Q&A, with introductions from the BCI team.

Our community is full of such amazing talent so we’re giving members the stage to talk about things that excite them so they can inspire their peers. The sessions will be a mix of expert tips and tricks and case studies – the perfect opportunity to learn something new before the week is out.

Our usual online format is an interactive ‘meeting’ but for this series we’re running webinars so that it’s easy to listen in while prepping for the day ahead or while having your breakfast! Cameras and mics will be off but you can ask your questions through the chat box or submit them beforehand.

Please get in touch with Dan if you’re interested in speaking at a future session.

Join for a morning of valuable insights and discussions on the future of work within our region.

Date: Friday 29th November 2024
Time: 08:30am – 11:00am (Networking until 12:00pm)
Location: Doubletree by Hilton Bristol South – Cadbury House

Featuring MP Dan Aldridge and a panel of local employers, the event will be tackling topics such as:

– Bridging skills gaps
– Supporting SMEs
– Attracting and retaining talent

This is an opportunity to learn, connect, and contribute to the future of our region.