What does the future hold for Bristol following the Covid-19 pandemic? How will the city centre change and what will happen to all the empty buildings including Debenhams?
These are just some of the questions that will be raised at a free online event on Wednesday (June 16) exploring how the city will bounce back from the coronavirus crisis.
Rebooting Bristol is being run by BristolLive, together with its sister site BusinessLive, as part of the 2021 Bristol Business Awards.
At this free event, which is taking place between 12.30pm and 2pm, you will be able to submit your questions on the future of the city to a panel of experts.
The panellists will be discussing topics including how the pandemic has changed the way people shop, travel and spend money in the city - and how different sectors, such as retail and hospitality could change.
Experts taking part include:
Dr Kyle Alves, senior lecturer in information systems and operations management, Bristol Business School, UWE
Matt Griffith, director of policy at Business West
Sado Jirde, director of the Black South West Network (BSWN)
Mark Payne, general manager of The Bristol Hotel, Doyle Collection
Keith Rundle, director of Bristol's Business Improvement Districts (BIDs)
The online session, which is being hosted by South West business editor Hannah Baker, will also explore topics including the reopening of business, how Bristol can lead the green agenda post-Covid and why diversity is critical to the region's recovery.
Last year, a report by the BSWN found coronavirus and social-distancing rules had exacerbated pre-existing socio-economic inequality in the region, with companies run by leaders from ethnic minority groups being hit “particularly hard”.
According to the research, entrepreneurs and self-employed people from diverse backgrounds were also overrepresented in sectors hardest hit by the pandemic.
“As we emerge from the crisis, we must ensure that our economic response reaches everyone equally and equitably,” said panellist Ms Jirde
The event is being run as part of the Bristol Business Awards - an annual celebration of the resilience and achievements of the city’s business community.
In 2021, the awards will be taking place on Wednesday, December 15. It will be a chance to finally get together - in a safe and secure way - and toast the successes of the most innovative companies in the region.
To register for your free tickets for the Reboot Bristol webinar on June 16, please click here or email Simone.Joynes@reachplc.com .
To enter the Bristol Business Awards 2021, or to nominate a company, visit https://reachplcevents.com/events/west/bristollive-business-awards.
