Local freelance journalist Dan Martin hosts the latest Enterprise Nation meet-up for small business owners in Bristol and surrounding areas.
Come along to learn new skills, discover opportunities, discuss challenges, be inspired and make a group of local business friends.
Attend the free meet-up with a business challenge or need in mind and the friendly group of fellow founders will help you solve it.
This in-person event takes place at Art Club, a small business department store, cafe and event space. Free drinks will be provided!
Developing your existing clients is a key factor in maintaining a healthy pipeline and growing your business. But if often gets over-looked in favour of chasing new clients. In our last session we set the scene – in this second session we’ll get into the detail. This session with Jill Marshall will cover:
• How to create a client development plan
• Approaches to stay front of mind
• Making it happen
This sessions is designed to provide guidance for anyone, at any level, who is involved in developing long-term client relationships – this is not just for Client Service teams! Strategists and creatives can play an important role too, so please join us.
About Jill
Jill Marshall has almost 40 years’ experience working in marketing and brand design. Jill spent 35 years working in London-based agencies, including 10 years at Design Bridge and 11 years as Managing Director of Bloom. She relocated to the South West 6 years ago and now focuses her time helping agencies and individuals in the creative sector. Her key areas of expertise are client development, talent management, mentoring and process optimisation.
> See Jill’s BCI member profile
> Connect with Jill 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.
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 Sian if you’re interested in speaking at a future session.
Stephen Page, Chair of Faber & Faber, will draw on more than 20 years leading, chairing and being a board member of creative and cultural organisations to examine key aspects of leadership at all levels in the creative sector.
Focusing on three areas, he will consider:
Attendees can expect to hear stories from the frontline of the creative sector through the last three decades, and to come away with practical ways to think about challenges associated with leading within businesses in the fast-moving creative and cultural sector. They should leave clearer about applying some of Stephen’s experience to their own businesses, and to their day-to-day challenges.
Stephen will also allow good time for questions, and will be open to talking about any other aspects that delegates wish to discuss.
Who is it for?
About Stephen
Stephen grew up near Birmingham, and has worked in Publishing for thirty years, the last twenty as CEO, now Chair, of Faber & Faber, among the world’s leading independent literary publishers, during which time he became President of the Publishers Association in 2007/8. He was a Non-Executive Director of Bloomsbury Publishing between 2013-17, a member of the Clore Leadership Board between 2017 and 2021, and in 2020 he became Chair of Creative Access, a social enterprise working to make the creative industry’s workforce representative of UK society. He represents the Creative and Cultural sectors to the UK Government, mainly through sitting on the Creative Industries Council where he chairs the Workforce Working Group. In 2021 Stephen set up his own Executive Coaching practice, and now works across many sectors as a coach and mentor. He is a Visiting Lecturer at City, University of London, and is also an amateur drummer in a variety of bands. He received an OBE for services to publishing in 2021. (Photography credit: Images © Anna McCarthy Photography www.annamccarthy.com)
Tickets
> BCI member tickets are £15+VAT.
> Non-member tickets are £30+VAT.
When purchasing 4 tickets or more, use the code SAVE15 to receive a 15% discount on your booking
This keynote will be hosted on Zoom and the link will be provided the day before the event.
This event is for anyone actively involved in talent development and apprenticeships in the creative industries.
It will be a combination of talk and discussion slots, facilitated by Paul Appleby – Director of VID and advisor to Bristol Creative Industries, Creative UK and the Social Mobility Commission.
You’ll hear from the likes of Creative Alliance and Western Training Providers Network with more contributors to be added in the next month.
The aims are simple – to answer your questions, hear what success looks like, and develop apprenticeship as the natural next step from your outreach and community engagement activities.
These sessions have been running over the past year and delivered by Rebecca Steer, an award winning business lawyer, long-time advisor to tech and creative digital businesses and friend of BCI. Rebecca has a supportive and pragmatic style and these private sessions will enable you to ask any business or legal queries, which might relate to contracts, liability, data privacy, employment, IPR or anything in between.
These sessions are available to all BCI members FREE OF CHARGE, and are delivered in collaboration with Charles Russell Speechlys.
Other available dates:
If you’re not yet a member of Bristol Creative Industries and would like to take advantage of this member-only opportunity, you can sign up here. You can also read about the membership perks here.
James and Noel from Creative Alliance will share their learning in what makes a successful apprenticeship that leads to young people starting their career, securing full time work and then progressing within the sector AND has helped creative organisations find the right talent to grow their business. This will include their plans to introduce L6 and L7 degree equivalent apprenticeships in 2025.
They will cover:
• What an apprenticeship is – and isn’t! Including what to expect of an apprenticeship training provider.
• Tips for successful recruitment & onboarding;
• Tips for how to work with the training provider to:
– create a bespoke training plan
– develop someone to learn the knowledge, skills and behaviours you need them to have to work to your standards and within your culture
– ensure they succeed and enter the workforce with you or others.
This session will be particularly useful for Any Founder/MD, Business Leader/Owner, Talent Development Manager, Head of Culture/HR looking to grow their business through recruiting and investing in new talent or developing the knowledge and skills of existing members of the team.
About Creative Alliance
Creative Alliance have the largest portfolio of creative apprenticeships of any provider in the country. Based in Birmingham, they are increasingly working across the country with clients such as Amazon, Ambassador Theatre Group, Global, ITV, McCann, National Theatre & Sony as well as hundreds of micro and SME businesses.
Join James Ellis (Business Development Manager) and Noel Dunne (Director) for this valuable session.
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.
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 one-way 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 Sian if you’re interested in speaking at a future session.
In this highly competitive industry, our value lies in the ability to become true client partners, as well as supporting other experts within our own businesses to deliver high quality, impactful work together.
This one-day interactive workshop will help participants shift from a more reactive, day-to-day account management mindset and behaviours, into a more proactive approach that drives accountability and action consistently – fuelling growth for the business. The session will be a mix of presentation, discussion, and practical exercises to put what you’ve learnt into practice.
Senior Account Managers and above, looking to up their game and take a more strategic approach to client servicing, Directors and owners of small businesses looking to build their confidence and develop their existing clients further.
> BCI member tickets are £259 + VAT
> Non-member tickets are £399 + VAT
All tickets included refreshments and a buffet lunch.
With a career spanning 25 years in the creative and tech industries, Mette has held leadership positions across client services and new business for large global networks. She’s also founded a start-up, worked for an industry association, and has been running her own consultancy and training business for the past 8 years facilitating positive change for companies, teams and individuals.
Throughout her career, Mette has pitched for and led multi-year, multi-faceted relationships for the likes of British Airways, Mars, McLaren Automotive, Barratt Developments and BT with a P&L responsibility of £10m a year across multiple accounts. She prides herself on her ability to develop brilliant long-term client relationships, enabling businesses to do work that they’re proud of, and that also delivers exceptional results. See Mette’s website here.
“Mette has just delivered fantastic sessions for our Client Services team. Her energy and enthusiasm are boundless along with her very relatable industry stories. I would highly recommend Mette and her business. You will benefit hugely (and have so much fun along the way). Best training I have had for a long while“. – Tracey Holloway, ThirtyThree.
“I love a workshop. We were lucky enough to have a really useful, inspiring and fun day with Mette on The Art of Client Servicing. Makes me value all the fab work the A team do here even more. Mette is brilliant – do get her in to spark you up asap!!!!” – Nicky Roberts, Activation.
The Pitch is one of the UK’s biggest startup competitions, giving startups the support to grow and the platform to raise investment.
Attend the Bristol regional final and watch the city’s most exciting startups pitch their idea to a team of top investors. Startups have just 90 seconds to pitch, then our panel of investors will follow up with questions and feedback.
Whether you’re an investor or a founder, The Pitch will provide you with:
– Opportunities to learn from investors for a chance to discover exactly what they’re looking for in a winning pitch
– A chance to build countless connections with investors and other inspiring startups
– Developing your confidence with our support and guidance
– Networking with like-minded founders and investors
Tickets are just £10 and we’ll serve drinks and food both before and after the event.
Oakwood’s Finance Director, Natalie Brown offers insight on how a SME can run a successful finance operation, enabling you to thrive in a competitive environment. For a small agency this is crucial for maintaining financial health, enabling growth, and ensuring that all business activities are supported with the necessary resources.
This session will be particularly useful for small agency owners and founders – individuals who own or have founded small agencies and are responsible for overseeing all aspects of the business, including financial operations. As well as finance managers in smaller agencies, administrative professionals, freelancers looking to scale and non-financial executives. This guide would also benefit those who may not have a deep background in finance but are looking to optimise financial operations to support the growth and sustainability of their agency.
About Natalie
Bean counter at Oakwood for the last 12 years, Natalie has been working in finance since the tender age of 16, when she got her first job in a building company, as a Purchase Ledger Clerk. She has worked primarily in agencies, aside from one beautiful summer working in Cornwall for St Aubyn Estates, which was a brilliant job, notable for having massive bags of cash to count from the car park and the boat fees!
‘I have approached my work in a methodical way and have evolved my reporting and way of working to match the fast pace of agency life. I wouldn’t work anywhere else as it’s not a standard finance job… every client, every job throws up unique challenges which necessitate an agile finance structure without compromising our bottom line and cash flow.’
Oakwood are an independent B2B Brand and Communications agency based in the centre of Bristol and have managed two recessions and the ups and downs of financial uncertainty in the creative sector for nearly 30 years.
> See Oakwood’s BCI member profile
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.
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 Sian if you’re interested in speaking at a future session.
Join us for relaxed networking drinks at The Square Club, bringing together all genders in the diverse business community of Bristol. Hosted by the City Girl Network, Bristol Business Connections is a brand new event offering, connecting our 23,000 strong Bristol Girl Community and the wider Bristol Business Network.
Who Should I Attend our Bristol Networking Event?
– Business professionals across all sectors looking for a relaxed networking environment
– Entrepreneurs and innovators seeking to connect and share ideas
– Individuals from charities and organisations aiming to broaden their network
– Anyone interested in being part of Bristol’s dynamic business scene
Event Highlights
Welcoming Atmosphere: Whether you’re a networking novice or a seasoned professional, you’ll find a comfortable and friendly environment to forge new connections.
Diverse Community: This event is about bringing together Bristol’s vibrant business community, from startups and entrepreneurs to established companies and non-profits.
Iconic Venue: Experience networking in the Square Club’s unique setting, known for its stylish interiors and exceptional culinary offerings.
Relaxed Networking: Enjoy the ease of casual conversations over drinks, supported by our experienced networking team.
Experience Networking Differently
Bristol Business Connections is your opportunity to engage with the local business community in a setting that’s designed to be inclusive and relaxed. Come and discover the potential of networking when it’s done in a way that’s enjoyable and accessible to all. Be part of an evening that’s all about community, connection, and collaboration.
Event Details
Venue: The Square Club, a hub of creativity and professional camaraderie in the heart of Clifton.
Date and Time: Tuesday 17th September, 6pm – 9pm
Ticket Price: £8, which includes a drink token
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