We feel proud and lucky to live in a city full of purpose-driven, progressive and ethical businesses. A city where people dare to do things differently, building on a long history of independent thought and action. A city which hosts events like the annual Meaning conference.
Meaning is an annual gathering for people who believe in better business. It’s an opportunity to connect with a community of forward-thinking individuals that reject the status quo, swapping stories and solutions on how to make positive change.
The event centres around a one-day conference with an international guest list of thinkers and do-ers from business, activism, academia and the arts. Meaning Fringe happens either side of this day: a collection of smaller, independent events that allow groups to gather beyond the auditorium.
This year Fugu is hosting a purpose-driven bike tour, to welcome Meaning participants to Brighton, taking them on a classic tour of the city (with a meaningful twist!).
Using local bike share scheme BTN BikeShare, our tour will visit some hand-picked, purpose-driven Brighton organisations. We’ll meet the owners to hear their vision, their journey so far, and why they do what they do – stopping off at some iconic landmarks along the way.
The schedule includes:
Eco Gym Brighton, part of the UK’s first sustainable gym group. Positive environmental impact is at the heart of this business. Eco Gym’s innovative exercise machines harness the energy created as members work out, converting it into electricity that goes back into the grid.
HISBE, which stands for ‘How It Should Be’. This rebellious, independent supermarket makes good, sustainable food affordable and accessible, championing local suppliers and plastic-free shopping.
Africa House, a welcoming new café run by luxury African safari business Journeys by Design. Advocates of low volume, positive-impact travel, their conservation charity Wild Philanthropy seeks to link travel, community, conservation and commerce, to drive funding into at-risk ecosystems and vulnerable communities across Africa.
After all that cycling (minimal hills, we promise!), the tour ends at Silo where we will enjoy a well-deserved multi-course dinner, made with sustainable and seasonal ingredients… menu to be revealed very soon. We’ll hear from Doug McMaster, Silo’s founder and one of the UK’s leading food innovators. He’ll explain how Silo has achieved zero-waste status, raising the bar for restaurants in the UK.
Jo Godden, founder of RubyMoon, will also say a few words. Her company provides high-quality activewear and swimwear made from cutting-edge, sustainable material, with 100% of the net profits generated lent out as small loans to empower female entrepreneurs around the world.
The rest of the evening will be spent sharing thoughts and ideas sparked from the day over locally sourced drinks and delicious food.
We can’t wait. And we’d love for you to join us. There’s a few spaces left – you can buy a ticket here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/explore-meaning-from-the-saddle-bike-tour-and-sustainable-dinner-tickets-50914256913
Happy Meaning 2018!