The Basingstoke and Deane Business festival—hosted by Evolve, in collaboration with Business South, and funded by the Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council—opened on June 16 with an intimate evening at The Ark Centre.
Guests were enthralled and entertained by National Geographic explorer Alastair Humphreys’ account of his epic cycle around the world, as well as his philosophy behind of the microadventure and how anyone can bring a little bit of adventure to their every day life.
In one of his more thought-provoking passages, Alastair said: “I found myself here, in the middle of the Nubian Desert, thinking, ‘This is ridiculous—I’ve got from my front door to Africa on my bike.’ And now, long after I got back from my trip, when ‘normal life’ is grinding me down a bit, I just look out my front door and the street I live on and think, ‘This is the road to Africa, or China, or wherever you want to go.’ If you set out from your front door on your bike, you can get anywhere on the planet!”
The festival continues until June 22 with Development Workshops on Strategies for Growth and Leadership & Influence, ‘The New Hybrid Way of Working’, a ‘Breathwork Practice’ webinar with Tracey Howes, ‘The Future of Basingstoke and Deane’, and an Economic Update with Andrew Holder from the Bank of England. More events will follow in the autumn.
Funding for the festival forms part of the council’s quest to bring businesses together and support them following the effects of the pandemic.
All events are free.
Details and sign-up can be found here.
- Listen to our podcast with Alastair here.