TBE Big Breakfast @ Lydiard Park in Swindon (New for 2026)

Make your networking count and join us for the first ever TBE Big Breakfast at Lydiard Park, Swindon on Thursday 23rd April 2026.

Following the same successful format as our Cumberwell Park breakfasts in Bradford on Avon, this event is designed to help you make meaningful connections and grow your business.

To kick off the new fiscal year, our focus is growth and Swindon. We will look at the town’s reputation versus its reality and why it remains an underestimated powerhouse with the potential to support business success across the region and the wider UK economy.

We chose Lydiard Park for this breakfast to highlight a side of Swindon that is often overlooked. The town is sometimes seen as an urban centre, yet it has beautiful green spaces and cultural places to enjoy, and Lydiard Park is a perfect example.

At TBE we focus on helping local businesses grow through real connections and shared insight. This breakfast brings that to life with people who are shaping Swindon today.

We will also be marking the launch of the TBE Awards 2026 competition, delivered in partnership with headline sponsor Thrings. Entries open on 13th April. The awards celebrate innovation and entrepreneurship across our local business community, shining a light on the area’s most progressive and dynamic organisations and individuals.

We are excited to welcome as guest speakers:

Arthur Dallimer

Arthur is a Swindon-based entrepreneur, landlord and property developer who has delivered more than £20m of projects across Swindon and Wiltshire since 2014. He works closely with private investors on disciplined, well-structured schemes and is part of the new wave of founders shaping the region’s future. Arthur is also developing Burderop House into a destination for cultural events, including a new concert series aimed at bringing fresh audiences into the town.

Kate Westbrook

Kate is Partner and Head of Commercial at Thrings. She has spent more than twenty years advising businesses across the South West and is known for her practical, commercially focused approach. Kate lives and works in Swindon and is passionate about the town and its future. She is also a non-executive board member at Business West and a long-standing judge of the TBE Awards and its predecessor, The Techies, championing innovative organisations across the region.

James Phipps
James is one of Wiltshire’s best known entrepreneurs and a long standing champion of Swindon’s business community. As Director of Excalibur, James helped shape the business into an award winning IT and communications provider, recognised as a Times Top 100 Employer and achieving Investors in People accreditation. He has raised hundreds of thousands for South West charities and is now Executive Chairman of WestSpring IT. James is also an investor and Director at Gel Studios, which recently acquired well-known Swindon agency Infinity Nation, and he is an investor in Smartech Energy in Chippenham. His commitment to the region’s growth runs deep, both in business and community work.

Discussion Chair

The conversation with our speakers will be chaired by Anita Jaynes, Founder of The Business Exchange.

We will explore

Reputation versus Reality
Swindon as an underestimated powerhouse.

Looking East
New economic ties, new identity, new opportunities.

Culture and Place Making
Town centre renewal, the City of Culture bid, Burderop House and shifting perceptions.

What to expect

• Coffee and relaxed networking to start your day
• A sit-down breakfast with curated tables
• A focused discussion with our guest speakers
• The launch of the TBE Awards 2026 competition

Our breakfasts attract around 80 attendees from across Swindon and Wiltshire and Bath and Somerset. We challenge you to find a bigger or better local networking breakfast.

TBE VIP members receive 25% off the ticket price. Click here to see the full list of VIP benefits.