Once upon a time, a couple of businessmen got together to bemoan the quality of some networking and business lunch clubs.

 

We talked about what we would look for in a club, who we would like to attend, and what we would like to get out of the “perfect” club. Two weeks later, we decided to set one up ourselves.

 

Welcome to the Brighton & Hove Business Lunch Club. It is managed by Tim Cobb of Cobb PR and Nik Askaroff, a senior businessman of many years standing.

 

 

 

 

We are looking for companies with a turnover of at least £2 million per annum, or who employ 10 people or more. They must be based in Sussex.

 

Members of the professional services sector are encouraged, but we are limiting numbers to ensure enough places for mainstream business people.

 

 

 

Membership is for the individual, not the company. Substitutions are allowed, but not encouraged.

 

We will be inviting along local MPs, heads of local government, and a representative of Sussex Police. We believe that, as a senior business figure, you should have access to these people.

 

When diaries permit, we will also bring along a few Sussex sportsmen and women.

 

 

 

Attendance is by invitation only. It is not possible to just turn up. Invitees can attend up to two meetings as a guest.

 

Tim and Nik will host the meetings, find suitable topics for discussion and invite quality speakers to address the meetings.

 

We will also seek to ensure a great mix of small and medium sized companies, where we can discuss issues relevant to our companies and share knowledge with each other.

 

We want members to gel and feel very secure. Requests to bring guests along must be made through Cobb PR. We will vet the proposed guests in terms of meeting our key criteria, namely size/turnover.

 

Membership will be limited to 70. If we reach this figure, and believe we can cope with larger numbers without diluting the impact of the event, we will continue to grow.

 

If the club proves successful, we will look to set up meetings in other Sussex towns.

 

 

Running your own company can be a lonely job. Each day we struggle and juggle with numerous challenges, from staff issues to stroppy clients, and everything in between.

 

Sometimes, it’s nice to know that you’re not alone. Our club wants business people who are prepared to share their knowledge with their fellow members, to offer advice and guidance where appropriate, and who can attend on a fairly regular basis.

 

And while gaining new business from the club is great, this should not be your main reason for joining us. We do not encourage overt selling, since this can be done at other networking clubs.

 

We believe the club will give a voice to the powerhouse of the Sussex economy – that’s you!

 

We will always meet in quality restaurants and guarantee good food and a good wine list.