The Business Exchange Bath & Somerset Issue 15: Spring 2020 | Page 3

CONTENTS THE TEAM Editor & founder Anita Jaynes [email protected] 01225 300043 05 06 08 Cover story: What’s next for Bath’s Assembly Rooms? Its future as the city’s premier events venue is in doubt South West Charity Conference & Expo 2020 Success The day’s highlights and pictures The changing face of Bath’s Hilton Hotel £10 million makeover for Walcot Street hotel Editorial support Nick Batten [email protected] Ben Carey [email protected] Special Features Fiona Scott [email protected] Motoring Contributor Geoff Maxted www.drivewrite.co.uk Design Juicy Designs www.juicy-designs.co.uk Artwork Studio Creative Services www.studio-cs.co.uk Printed by Acorn Press www.acornpress.co.uk On the cover Inside Bath’s Assembly Rooms Advertising Sales Sian Swift Business Development Manager [email protected] T: 07710 566 145 REGULARS 04 Business News 10 Finance 17 In Profile 28 Technology KEY STATISTICS Readership: 15,000 Our audience: 18 Bath Business Influencers: The Top 10 Shaping its Future 22 A to Z Guide to Business in Bath 18 40 Positive Business 42 Connect Follow us on Social @TBEBATH The Business Exchange South West Facebook.com/tbebathandsomerset businessexchangesw ©The Business Exchange South West Limited 2020. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that adverts and articles appear correctly, The Business Exchange South West Limited cannot accept responsibility for any loss or damage caused directly or indirectly by the contents of this publication. The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of its publisher or editor. All rights reserved. This publication is copyrighted and no part of this publication may be used or reproduced without the written permission of The Business Exchange South West Limited. FEATURES Bath Business Influencers: The Top Ten Shaping its Future PEOPLE 16 Spotlight on Stone King’s Tim Rutherford Z 2 A 22 A to Z Guide to Business in Bath Our ‘little black book’ of local companies to help you do business EDITOR’S NOTE It’s an interesting start to the year with lots happening in the world of business in Bath. Turn to page 4 to find out more about the Bath Business Expo taking place on Wednesday 11th March at Bath Assembly Rooms. I’m excited to be interviewing Lovehoney CEO, Sarah Warby as part of the day. Sign-up to our Q&A session where we’ll be discussing online retail, achieving growth in new markets and more. This issue’s cover story is Bath’s Assembly Rooms. It’s a venue I love and was proud to host the Bath Business Exchange’s launch party in 2016. The National Trust has recently ended B&NES’ lease on the venue, putting its future as an events venue into question (read the full story on page 5). I really hope the right solution is found and that it continues to be very much part of our community in Bath. I’m delighted that at a difficult time for the venue, the team behind it have been awarded Best Venue of the Year at The South West Tourism Excellence Awards 2020, it’s a testament to their hard work. In this edition we look at the business influencers helping to shape the future of our city. Turn to page 18 to see who’s in our top 10. At The Business Exchange our goal is to help our local economy prosper, encouraging businesses in the area to work together for success. See our A to Z Guide to Business on pages 22-24. Happy reading! Anita Jaynes E: [email protected] T: 01225 300043 56% business owner/ director level 44% partner, manager or senior executive More news at: www.tbebathandsomerset.co.uk and www.tbeswindonandwilts.co.uk THE BUSINESS EXCHANGE 2020 3