The Ospreys’ five-strong British & Irish Lions contingent will be the guests of honour at a special dinner in London next month that will mark the launch of a brand new venture by the region
The dinner, hosted in conjunction with the Institute of Directors on Pall Mall, on the eve of their Annual Convention at the Royal Albert Hall the following day, is the first event for the London-Ospreys Business Network, a new business networking group for both London and Wales-based business people who are interested in connecting and sharing their association or affiliation to the Ospreys region with likeminded individuals.
The aim of the network is to provide a platform for like-minded individuals who have Ospreys connections to meet, socialise and share business opportunities, packaged around the setting of top-flight European rugby.
For London-based business communities, the network will provide a tangible link back to Wales and the Ospreys region while the attraction for Wales-based businesspeople is that it provides an opportunity for introductions and engagement within the London business community, using the shared interest and involvement with the Ospreys as a vehicle to connect.
The Celtic Dinner on Tuesday 17th September at the prestigious IoD offices in Pall Mall is the inaugural event, and is sponsored by the region’s existing commercial partners, OSTC Foreign Exchange and FIOL Prosecco, along with Vestra Wealth. The evening will be compered by Sky Sports presenter James Gemmell and will feature a Q & A with the players and a wonderful Welsh themed meal cooked by the IoD's award winning chefs.
Ospreys Chief Executive, Andrew Hore, commented:
“The IoD’s annual Celtic Dinner the night before their Annual Convention is an extremely prestigious event and we are delighted to be able to co-host this year’s event to launch the new London-Ospreys Business Network.
“The IoD is one of the most influential business organisations in the UK, supporting, representing and setting standards for the business community. As such, we are extremely honoured to be partnering with them on this event.
“We pride ourselves on being an innovative and progressive organisation, always looking to find new ways of doing business. We have a global outlook and share a number of national and international commercial partners already.
“The London-Ospreys Business Network fits in perfectly with this outlook and will play a core role in the future sustainability of the business, allowing exiles, Ospreylians and those who have a connection with the region to come together and do business.”
Robert Lloyd Griffiths, Director – Wales, Institute of Directors, said:
"We are delighted to be able to co-host our annual Celtic Dinner in conjunction with Ospreys Rugby. Anyone with an interest in rugby would have thoroughly enjoyed the Lions success in Australia earlier this summer and to have the Ospreys' Lions as our guests of honour will certainly add something special to our dinner.
"Ospreys Rugby are a forward thinking business looking to work proactively with the London business community and this event is the perfect way to launch the London-Ospreys Business Network, allowing both parties to come together under the Institute of Directors banner for what should be an entertaining and successful evening."
Places at the Celtic Dinner are strictly limited and are priced at £79.95 + VAT pp (£795 + VAT for a table of 10). To book please contact Mrs Deborah Trotman, IoD Wales, on 029 2038 9990 or via email at iod.wales@iod.com