TBE Show 2026
Event Details
Powering Progress: Strategies, Partnerships and Purpose for Long-Term Success
Turning Vision into Action
TBE Show 2026 will explore what it takes to build a business with staying power, one that’s agile, visible and ready for the future. From strategy and brand to partnerships and sales, we’re powering progress together.
Whether you’re looking to grow your network, sharpen your thinking, build your brand profile or boost sales, this event is designed for ambitious B2B professionals, entrepreneurs and professional services firms across Bath & Somerset and Swindon & Wiltshire.
TBE Show 2026 is proudly supported by Bath and North East Somerset Council, demonstrating a shared commitment to supporting business growth, innovation and collaboration across the region.
Why Attend?
- Network with 300+ attendees and 50+ exhibitors
- Learn from expert-led sessions and panel discussions
- Connect with regional leaders and innovators
-
Meet like-minded professionals in the Growth Zone, sponsored by SWIG Finance
- Discover practical tools to turn vision into action
- Build your brand visibility and explore new opportunities
8.30am-10am Networking Breakfast & Panel Discussion
Developed in partnership with Bath & North East Somerset Council, this panel brings together business leaders, entrepreneurs and regional growth experts to explore the practical steps organisations can take to achieve long-term success.
Start the day with a relaxed networking breakfast and a focused discussion exploring growth, resilience and the opportunities available to South West businesses.
Joining the panel will be:
- Debbie Boulton, Managing Director, Richardson Swift
- Matt Wilde, Managing Director, SWIG Finance
- Felix Emery, Emery Brothers
- Sue Marchant, Managing Director, Cool Ventures and Chair, B&NES Council Resilient Business Group
- Emma Webber, Founder, Natural Spa Factory
-
Dr Ben Masheder, Project Manager, Tech Adoption for Growth, Business West
-
Jon Everett, Managing Director, Horstman
- John (JP) Partridge, Director & Head of Production, Celestial
Together, they’ll share insights on funding, business support, innovation, partnerships and the practical steps organisations can take to achieve sustainable growth.
10am-1pm The Expo
The expo is a brilliant opportunity to put your business in front of decision-makers, build your network, generate new opportunities and raise your profile within the South West business community.
Officially opening at 10am, the expo will showcase over 50 businesses from across the region.
- A table – 6ft x 2ft and chairs
- A tablecloth
The Growth Zone, sponsored by SWIG Finance
New for 2026, the Growth Zone will provide a dedicated networking hub within the expo, bringing together ambitious businesses looking to connect, collaborate and grow.
The space will be designed to encourage meaningful conversations between business owners, advisers, funders and professionals from across the South West.
Whether you’re looking to expand your network, explore partnership opportunities, discuss growth plans or meet businesses operating in your sector, the Growth Zone will be the place to start the conversation.
Throughout the morning, the TBE team will be on hand to facilitate introductions and connect attendees from sectors including:
- Property, construction and the built environment
- Food, drink and hospitality
- Manufacturing and engineering
- Technology, digital and innovation
- Defence, military and maritime
- Professional services
If building valuable connections is one of your objectives for attending TBE Show 2026, be sure to spend some time in the Growth Zone.
11am Hear from Emma Jones CBE, UK Small Business Commissioner
We’re delighted to welcome Emma Jones, the UK’s Small Business Commissioner, as headline speaker. Emma leads the Office of the Small Business Commissioner (OSBC), the independent public body tackling overdue payments and poor payment practices across the private sector.
One of the UK’s leading champions of small business, Emma brings a wealth of entrepreneurial and policy experience to the stage. She launched and sold her first business at the age of 27, went on to found Enterprise Nation and co-found StartUp Britain, and has played a key role in shaping enterprise policy, including serving as SME Representative for Crown Commercial Service. Her services to enterprise have been recognised with an MBE (2012) and a CBE (2021).
At TBE Show, Emma will share how she’s working to support the UK’s 5.5 million small businesses and improve payment practices across the economy. Find out more about Emma’s session here.
12pm-12.45pm Rethink Collective
The Rethink Collective will explore Why Better Leaders Aren’t Enough.
We’ve all been taught that great businesses are built by great leaders, but what if that’s no longer true? As organisations grow, become more complex and face unprecedented technological change, the traditional model of leadership is beginning to break down. Founders become bottlenecks, leadership teams become dependent, decisions slow down and organisations struggle to adapt.
The answer isn’t simply developing better individual leaders. It’s rethinking leadership altogether.
In this thought-provoking session, Leadership Coaches and Founders of The Rethink Collective, Alice Bea Crozier and Nick Cramp, will challenge some of the most deeply held assumptions about leadership and introduce a new way of thinking: Collective Leadership.
Known for taking leaders out of the day-to-day and creating the space to think differently; whether through strategy sessions, workshops or retreats, Alice and Nick believe the best leadership conversations happen when we step outside our usual environment, challenge our assumptions and make sense of an increasingly complex world together. This session brings that same philosophy to the stage.
Drawing on their experience working with founder-led businesses, they’ll explore why leadership should no longer be viewed as the responsibility of a few individuals, but as a capability intentionally built throughout an organisation. They’ll share the mindset shifts required to move beyond founder dependency and create businesses that are more resilient, adaptable and future-fit.
Whether you’re a founder, CEO or leader navigating growth, you’ll leave with a fresh perspective on what leadership needs to become in the years ahead.
Perhaps it’s time to stop asking “How do we create better leaders?” and start asking “How do we create organisations where leadership naturally emerges?”
1pm-1.45pm Networking Lunch
There will be a lively networking lunch for all exhibitors and delegates before the afternoon sessions begin. The Rethink Collective will be facilitating the lunch to drive connection and conversation.
2pm-3pm Conference
A fast-paced hour of insight, inspiration and practical takeaways from leaders, innovators and experts. Expect fresh thinking, honest conversations and actionable ideas to help you build a business that’s agile, visible and ready for the future.
Vicky Rann, Senior Manager and Change Lead at Nine Feet Tall, will be exploring The Transformation Trap: Why Technology Doesn’t Transform Businesses, People Do. Businesses are investing heavily in AI, ERP, CRM and automation platforms expecting transformation to follow. Yet technology only enables change; it doesn’t create it. Real transformation happens when people, processes and culture evolve alongside technology.
Redkite Solicitors will be discussing Scaling for Sustainable Growth: Lessons from the Front Line. This interactive 20-minute seminar will explore what businesses need to successfully scale, grow through acquisition and build sustainable long-term growth. Led by Commercial Operations and Strategy Director Gemma Millard, and Paul James, Head of Commercial Services, the session will help attendees understand the foundations required before scaling, identify the key risks and success factors of acquisition-led growth and take away practical insights from a real business growth journey.
Joining the discussion will be Andy Marshall, Senior Commercial Finance Manager at Apetito, who will share a real-world case study on acquisition-led expansion, including the challenges faced, lessons learned and advice for other growing businesses.
Designed to be interactive and engaging, attendees will leave with one clear action to help assess and improve their own growth readiness.
3pm-4pm The Wind-Down Social
Finish the day with great conversations, new connections and a well-earned treat.
After a busy day of networking, learning and exploring opportunities, join us for a relaxed social hour with fellow delegates, exhibitors and speakers.
Enjoy sweet treats from Wild Flour, winner of Bath Dragons 2026, alongside laid-back drinks sponsored by Canned Wine Group and informal networking.
Hosted by Social Butterfly Digital, winners of the Best Creative Campaign at the TBE Awards 2025, expect a little fun, plenty of conversation and the perfect way to round off TBE Show 2026.
Book Now
Book on via the form below.