Bristol-headquartered national law firm Burges Salmon has signed up to become one of the premier partners to the TEDxBristol 2017 event, which takes place in November.
Now in its fifth year, TEDxBristol is one of the biggest events of its kind in the UK. An independent and voluntary not-for-profit organisation, it is dedicated to creating thought-provoking, original, world-class TEDx talks and events in Bristol. 
The ‘x’ in the name denotes an independently organised event that brings people together to share an experience similar to those staged through the acclaimed international TED organisation, which since its launch in 1984 as a conference where technology, entertainment and design converged has staged hundreds of events across the world.
As part of its sponsorship, Burges Salmon has helped the TEDxBristol team set us up as a limited company and provided a range of pro-bono legal advice in relation to sponsorship and partnership agreements. 
This year’s event, which takes place under the name TEDxBristol: Dare to Disrupt, at Colston Hall on November 2 and 3, is expected to attract more than 3,000 delegates with thousands more joining online.
It is being produced entirely by a team of dedicated volunteers from diverse walks of life, who live and work in Bristol and the South West.
Speakers include environmental campaigner Natalie Fee, pictured right, whose talk is titled “When nature calls: Why I stopped flushing the oceans down the pan”, and Kalpna Woolf, pictured below, founder of innovative Bristol food project 91 Ways, who will pose the question: “Can food reconnect us?”
TEDxBristol creative director Mel Rodrigues said: “Having Burges Salmon on board from the outset of this project has been so helpful.
“This has enabled TEDxBristol to grow and create a world-class event to share Bristol’s great ideas with the world, as well as develop education and outreach with young people in the city.
“The very premise of the TEDx brand is to disrupt, innovate and collaborate, so it’s great to see Burges Salmon getting involved in such a progressive and forward-thinking project. They’ve loved sharing their thinking, which is at the heart of the TEDx mission.” 
Burges Salmon senior partner Chris Seaton added: “Having been a part of the first-ever TEDxUniversityofBristol last year, we were keen to be involved with TEDxBristol 2017. Clients trust us to turn their ideas into reality – using the law as an enabler – which aligns well with the TEDx ideology.
“Bristol is one of Europe’s largest TEDx hosts and we’re really looking forward to further helping Mel and the team, and also being directly involved in the project as a premier partner.”
Other TEDxBristol partners include Floating Harbour Films, Newicon, Bath Spa University and Bristol & Bath Science Park.
