Held at the unique venue of Vicars’ Hall, and within the historic surroundings of Windsor Castle, our bi-annual Windsor Debates creates the space for our invited guests to consider, reflect and grapple with a range of themes and significant topics of the day.
Where ‘Chatham House rules’ apply Windsor Debates importantly provides time for business leaders to discuss, argue cogently and listen carefully; opportunity for our guests to disagree civilly, find common ground, test each others intellectual position, perhaps even reach consensus. Through participation we hope, in a small way, to nurture wisdom and provide personal business development.
On Friday 26th September 2025, our next Windsor Debates will bring together our senior members to discuss and reflect on the topic of: “Devolution, Evolution, Revolution”. Our developing programme may explore the following themes as they impact on the Thames Valley business community:
- Devolution: What could a Thames Valley Strategic Authority mean for business, and what does successful devolution look like for the region? What are the learning points from other UK regions?
- Evolution: Has democracy survived the 2024 global election marathon? How will our evolving relations with the European Union affect Thames Valley businesses?
- Revolution: How should business respond (e.g., supply chains, sourcing, investment flows) to the ‘revolution’ in global affairs brought about by the new administration in the USA which is re-shaping economic, political and security relations? How has China’s rise as a global power shifted the geopolitical landscape and what next for the world’s sole manufacturing superpower?
Please contact David Saab to register your interest.
Previous Windsor Debates
Hosted in partnership with the University of Reading, our most recent Windsor Debates took place on Friday 21st March 2025 covering the topic of ‘Health and Life Sciences – The Foundations for UK Growth’. Over four sessions, we discussed the following themes: Delivering improved patient care; Digital transformation: powering the future of healthcare and the NHS; Precision medicine and personalised care and the appliance of research and innovation.
In partnership with
Windsor Debates ‘Business and Politics’ took place on the 27th of September. Our topic was inspired by the fact that 2024 is not just an election year – It’s perhaps the election year.
Across the world, at least 64 countries (plus the European Union) will have held, or are holding, national elections. This represents almost half of the people in the world going to the polls, the results of which will have profound consequences for global politics and on businesses for years, if not decades, to come.
We convened as 448 million Europeans will have already voted, and as the United Kingdom’s new Labour Government was well into its first 100 days and settling-in, taking shape and starting to deliver its agenda for change and delivering economic prosperity. Most significantly, the ‘shape’ of the political make-up of the Thames Valley has changed considerably, with the map changing significantly away from blue towards yellow and red.
We considered business and politics from the following four perspectives: ‘The future of UK relations with Europe and China’; ‘The United States of America’; ‘The business of skills, productivity and growth’ and ‘Politics from a business perspective’.
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Our first Windsor Debates of the year was held on Friday 15th March where we took the opportunity to explore the topic of: ‘Artificial Intelligence as a force for good’. We look forward to returning to the Castle on Friday 27th September. As one of the Chamber’s flagship events, Windsor Debates formulates clear and decisive messages, that help shape and frame TVCC’s strategic policy direction and wider programme of activity. New insights emerging from these events are fed into our Business Manifesto, which outlines the opportunities and challenges that the Chamber wants to champion in the year ahead. If you are a Business Alliance member, please register your interest in attending by contacting your Account Manager. |
During the September 2023 Debates, we took the opportunity to explore ‘The future competitiveness of the Thames Valley’ through a variety of themes including: skills and the future workforce, regional leadership and international trade.
During the evening, we were delighted to welcome Nigel Milton, Chief of Staff & Carbon, Heathrow Airport, as the keynote speaker. A huge thank you to our event partner, University of Reading, our cast of engaging speakers and guests for making the day so memorable.
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During the March 2023 Debate, we took the opportunity to celebrate Leadership. Over the day we covered a wide range of themes, taking into account what our leaders are being challenged on, how their skills are being applied and what is being considered in boardrooms across the Thames Valley. Topics included: What it means to be a leader today, Rethinking teams, Making a greater impact (ESG) and Leadership in science and healthcare. During the evening, we were delighted to welcome John Campbell, QPM, LLB, MBA, Chief Constable of the Thames Valley Police as keynote speaker. |
Film, High-End Television and Audio Visual: Thames Valley – the UK’s Creative Heart
During the March 2022 debate, we were delighted to welcome some of the region’s great thought leaders, industry practitioners, talent developers and skills trainers, producers and investors to take an informed look and perspective on the practical issues and challenges we are facing to deliver sustained success. During the debate, we took the opportunity to celebrate the region’s incredible global strength across the sector and consider the opportunities for and ambitions of the region to remain the beating heart of a truly great industry. Read more HERE.
With the best creative talent from fashion to film, the UK is home to some of the world’s leading creative talent, exporting £37.9 billion in 2019. With global demand increasing, our creative industries are one of the UK’s export success stories.
The industry is evidentially crucial to the ability of UK plc to drive investment and trade -see the UK Government’s “Made in Britain, Sold to the World” campaign. The topics discussed during the debate will contribute heavily to our ability to deliver success and for our region, sustain the Thames Valley as one of the world’s premier locations for attracting inward investment, and making films and media content.
