Brighton Chamber

Would you like to shape the future of our city? 💡 Brighton & Hove City Council have opened applications for the new Economic Growth Board - bringing businesses together to support the economic development of Brighton & Hove. The Board will play a key role in the delivery and implementation of the Economic Plan, and there are eight spaces for local business leaders to join. Our CEO, Sarah Springford, will be part of the Board to bring the perspectives of our business community and help shape the future of our city's economy. Find out more and apply before 18 April 👇

How can you stand out from the crowd when writing a pitch, bid or grant application? We recently brought together a group of experts from across the bidding, tendering and pitching landscape to share their insights, experience and top tips for successful applications. It was a jam-packed event with plenty of actionable takeaways including: 🔎 Where to look for what's available 📝 How to prepare for successful bids and tenders 🤝 Tips for smaller businesses ❌ Common pitfalls to avoid when tendering 🎯 What makes a successful grant application 🤖 How to use AI effectively and ethically ⚡ Main barriers for winning bids (and how to overcome them) In case you missed it, or went along and want a reminder on what was covered, we've written up all the key takeaways on the Chamber blog. So, grab a cuppa and settle in with your notepad 👉 https://lnkd.in/eSCsu86e A big thank you to our chair, Chris Farthing from Advice Cloud; and to our panel Richard Freeman (always possible), Emily Wright (Let's Do Business Group), Julian Wood (University of Brighton) and Jo Sutherland (Magenta Associates | An employee-owned business). Thanks also to our event partner Help to Grow: Management Course and to Jane Keating for fabulous photos! 📸

It's been another action-packed week, with new members a-plenty, event launches and visits to venues in Greater Brighton ✨ A big Chamber welcome to EN Architects & Developments, GEPaul Ltd, Heidi Joyce Gardens and Landscapes, Morgan Carn Architects, Octo Financial Planning, Self-Made Portraits and Wild Stag Studio 👋 Find some updates from the teams at Lollipop Print, Plus Accounting, Chartered Accountants and BHT Sussex - and a nose at some of the places the team have been visiting this week, too. See you next week!

‘When you design for accessibility, you design for everyone.’ Silvie Koanda, is on a mission to dismantle stigmas around deafness through her charity, Sound Waves Foundation. At this morning’s Chamber Breakfast, she shared her personal journey raising both hearing and deaf children and how, at first, she – like many – focused on what her deaf children wouldn’t be able to do. But that’s exactly the perception she’s working to change. When co-founding Sound Waves Foundation, Silvie asked herself: If I was deaf, would I be where I am now? And the answer? No – not due to a lack of ability, but a lack of accessibility. With 59,000 deaf children in the UK, 82% of whom don’t use BSL, she’s pushing for a world where multiple forms of communication are mainstream, not an afterthought. And while Gordon, her daughter’s hearing dog couldn’t make it, we did hear about his many talents – like his work as a safety watch, emotional support pup and an aggressively effective alarm clock (duvet theft included). A huge thanks to Silvie for an energising and inspiring talk that had us both laughing and tearing up, to Gary Bishop MBA for hosting, to the team at Bill's Restaurants for a brilliant breakfast and, to the Brighton & Hove Living Wage Campaign for sponsoring. Next month, come along on April 24, where Lucy Davies, CEO of Brighton Dome and Festival will share tales from her career in the arts and what’s in store for one of Brighton’s most iconic venues. Get your ticket here 👉https://lnkd.in/dGHFSsHd See you there! 👋

What if? What if you launched that start-up at 55? What if you said 'hello' to that person across the room? What if you applied for that job? What if you rebranded your business? What if? Two words. Endless possibilities. And this year's Brighton Summit theme. We'll be returning to Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival on 6 November for the best day out of the office all year, exploring our theme through a full day of incredible keynote speakers; with opportunities to hone your skills in a workshop and indulge in a little escapism in our HOUR sessions. Plus, food and drink to fuel your conversations throughout the day. If the theme makes you as giddy with imagination as it does us, then book your ticket for Brighton Summit: What if? here 👉 https://lnkd.in/ejq3iQKU What if you don't attend Brighton Summit this year? You'll never know what might have happened in you had... Captivating copy by SHERLOCK STUDIO and delightful design by Lee Suttey ✨

Calling all Chamber members! You've probably* got just 30 minutes to secure a Super Earlybird ticket for Brighton Summit 2025 ⏰ *That’s how quickly they sold out last year. So, check your inbox for the link, and book your super discounted ticket for the best day out of the office all year. We'll be announcing this year's theme later this week - but for a taste of what's on its way, here's a preview of Lee Suttey's brilliant branding for 2025...any guesses? 👇

🚨 Brighton Summit is back on Thursday 6 November 2025! 🚨 We’ll be releasing a limited number of member-only Super Earlybird tickets tomorrow at 11am, so keep your eyes peeled for the email. For the second year in a row, we’re thrilled to share that we’ll be taking over Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival’s stunning Corn Exchange in the very heart of the city. Our Summit theme is still under wraps for now. But what we can say is it will get you thinking like you’ve never thought before. It’ll prompt you to reflect on what's possible. It’ll encourage you to re-evaluate your comfort zone. And it may even inspire you to reframe your entire approach to business. Excited by what you hear but still not sure? Don’t risk it. Just join us. Super Earlybird tickets go on sale tomorrow at 11am. Make sure you're on our mailing list here 👉 https://lnkd.in/eTM7xuT5

Hello from your Chamber team, and your weekly roundup! We've been busy welcoming lots of new members to the Chamber this week, so a very big welcome to - Consultative Selling Services, illumify, Illumination, Kinhub, Lorraine Smith Financial Planning, The Amazing Basket Company, The Brain Spa and Yuup. Plus, scroll through for news and updates from Locate Productions | Certified B Corp™, Advice Cloud, EMW Law LLP | B Corp and Adventures in Products ✨ We'll see you next week 👋

How do you solve a problem like housing in Brighton? 💡 At Monday’s Construction Voice event, we heard from some of the team at Brighton & Hove City Council on the City Plan 2041 – an ambitious long-term vision that will shape development in the city for years to come. With the city’s constrained geography, the Council faces an uphill battle in meeting government targets while balancing sustainability, infrastructure and affordability. Joining us with Ed Allison-Wright were Max Woodford (Director of Place), Helen Gregory (Principal Planning Officer) and Steve Tremlett (Interim Planning Policy Manager) to discuss these challenges and the City Plan. From lessons learnt after the 2011 local plan, to the challenge of housing supply, what the public said during the first phase of consultation, and what’s next – Flo Powell from Midnight | Certified B Corp™ was on hand to write up all the key points from the discussion. In case you missed it or want a reminder of what was said, head over to our website for a read through Flo’s writeup 👉 https://lnkd.in/euMRb2Yj With a big thank you to our panel and Ed for joining us, as well as our sponsor HOP Consulting Limited. Construction Voice brings together the city’s leading figures from the construction and property sector. With thanks also to our event partners: MGAC, Haydon Consulting, Graves Jenkins, Hampson Architects, Lewis & Co Planning and BASE ONE. 

Each month we invite a brilliant speaker to join us at our Chamber Breakfasts (a staple of the Chamber event calendar) and share their journey. They offer us a healthy dose of inspiration, and often something to take away into our own businesses, jobs and lives. March's 'Nice to see you again' Breakfast is of course, no exception, as we'll be joined by Silvie Koanda, Co-founder of Sound Waves Foundation 🌊 Life is full-on for Silvie, who works as a picture editor at both The Economist and The Booker Prize, as well as juggling four kids (and a hearing dog for the deaf), plus her charity. On 28 March, she'll talk about how and why she founded a charity dedicated to empowering deaf children and young adults, as well as being there for her family, and her job. The eagle-eyed reader will notice that Silvie joined us as a speaker at Brighton Summit last year. She made such an impact, that we've invited her back for more. Our Chamber Breakfasts are a sell-out, so snap up one of the last few tickets here 👉 https://lnkd.in/eVrGPzjq