Monday 6 July 2015

Kick-starting the summer at 10 Downing Street

Last week I had a wonderful opportunity to attend the summer garden party hosted by Prime Minister, David Cameron, with my good friend Angela Barker-Dench, Principal of UTC Swindon.

It was fantastic to spend time with Angela on the day of the event, we had the perfect opportunity to talk about the fantastic work she has done at UTC Swindon so far. From hosting the Conservative Party manifesto at the college, to preparing some of Swindon’s brightest for work and university, she is going along way to putting Swindon back on the map.

The venue was a perfect place to celebrate Angela’s achievements, as the garden was beautifully decorated, alongside a selection of gorgeous drinks.

The evening also saw a fantastic speech from Chancellor George Osborne, as well as and lovely words from David Cameron. It was great to see Mr Cameron conducted himself with the same grace and confidence that he saw through the General Election campaign. 

Angela also had the fabulous opportunity to speak one-on-one with George Osborne. They spoke about how UTC Swindon has been performing in its debut academic year and their vision of how the university technical college movement is going to impact the educational system in the UK.


At the party it gave me a fantastic chance to catch up with some key contacts. At high-profile events it is an always great to opportunity to meet with and discuss a variety of topics with likeminded people. 

Thursday 2 July 2015

Cycling to success in Gstaad

We recently invited a group of journalists and business people to see for themselves our 5 star cycling experience in Gstaad on the picturesque west side of Switzerland.

The trip launched our corporate sportive in Gstaad in June 2016, which will comprise cycling and high level networking. The 2016 trip is in aid of the Laureus Sports for Good Foundation, and aims to raise over £1 million for the charity.

With us was Laureus Sport for Good Foundation ambassador and England cricket legend, Michael Vaughan. At the end of the trip, he said: “This was my first time cycling in Switzerland and it was great to be involved in such an exciting event, surrounded by amazing scenery. I'm delighted to support this event, which has the aim in 2016 of raising £1 million for the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, a charity I'm hugely passionate about which uses the power of sport as a tool for social change.”

We spent a whole day exploring Gstaad on two wheels. We made two route choices available, both with scenic feed stations, gourmet lunch, Ride Captains and full mechanical support.

One of our guests, creative partner at Mad Hen, Sid Madge, had this to say after the trip: “A huge thank you for the most amazing trip. I can only send you praise for what was a fantastic three days. It was immense and to share the time with such wonderful people was a joy. Thank you for all your hard work and I look forward to many more events and memories.”

Now as the dust has settled on Gstaad, we’re looking forward to our next event in Davos, offering an exclusive three-day festival of cycling and fine dining in the Swiss Alps from Thursday 10 to Sunday 13 September 2015. On this trip, we’re excited to welcome owner and manager of Wiggle-Honda, Rochelle Gilmour and former Australian racing professional, Cadel Evans, for what promises to be another special weekend.

For more information about Davos, please visit: www.etapesuisse.com/etape-suisse-davos-2015