DAY ONE — The TFDI Founding Night
About this Event
BE THERE FROM DAY ONE.
Friday 9 October. The Barnstaple Hotel. One night to celebrate where it all begins.
DAY ONE isn't a conference, awards dinner or another awkward networking event.
It's a founding celebration — and we're making a proper night of it.
📸 ARRIVE ON THE RED CARPET
Start the evening with the full DAY ONE treatment. Hit the red carpet, stop at the photo wall and get papped before heading inside.
🥂 WELCOME DRINK
Your first drink is on us. Grab a glass, meet the room and settle in for the evening.
🦊 MEET THE FIRST 20
Meet the first 20 entrepreneurs receiving fully funded TFDI Growth Places and discover what The Foxx Den Initiative is building — and why DAY ONE is only the beginning.
🍴 FULL FINGER BUFFET
Then we eat. Enjoy a full finger buffet from The Barnstaple Hotel, included with your ticket.
🎸 LIVE MUSIC
Once the formalities are finished, the evening opens up with live music, drinks, conversation and plenty of time to actually enjoy yourself.
🔨 THE DAY ONE SILENT AUCTION
And keep an eye on your bids.
We're assembling an incredible collection of prizes, experiences, products and services for the DAY ONE Silent Auction, with proceeds supporting the TFDI 500 programme.
Auction lots will be revealed in the run-up to the night.
🥂 THEN STAY, TALK & CELEBRATE
No rushing everyone out after the presentation.
Grab another drink. Meet someone new. Talk business. Don't talk business. Dance if the mood takes you.
This is a celebration.
EVERY BUSINESS HAS A DAY ONE. THIS IS OURS.
Whether you're building something yourself, run an established business, want to support the next generation of founders or simply fancy being part of a genuinely different night in North Devon:
Come and be there from DAY ONE.
Friday 9 October 2026
The Barnstaple Hotel • Barnstaple, North Devon
Agenda
🕑: 06:00 PM - 06:45 PM
18:00 — RED CARPET ARRIVAL
Info: DAY ONE starts the moment you arrive.
Hit the red carpet, stop at the DAY ONE backdrop and get papped before heading inside. Grab your welcome drink and be serenaded by the critically acclaimed Sorrelli Strings, then find the bar and start meeting the room as we get ready for the night ahead.
Come with friends, colleagues or completely on your own — DAY ONE is being designed to make meeting people easy.
This is a celebration. Dress like it, arrive like it and enjoy it.
🕑: 06:45 PM - 06:55 PM
18:45 — WELCOME TO DAY ONE
Info: Time to officially begin.
We'll keep the speeches short and the energy high with a quick welcome to DAY ONE, why we've brought everyone together and what you can expect from the evening.
No hour-long corporate presentations. No death by PowerPoint.
Just the beginning of something we're incredibly excited to build.
🕑: 06:55 PM - 07:15 PM
THE FIRST 20
Info: Meet the people at the heart of DAY ONE.
Before asking anybody else to back TFDI, we're putting our own commitment on the table: 20 fully funded Growth Places worth £547 each — £10,940 of support provided directly by TFDI.
Tonight we'll introduce and celebrate The First 20, their businesses, their ideas and the journeys they're beginning.
They aren't guests at DAY ONE. They're one of the reasons we're all here.
🕑: 07:15 PM - 07:35 PM
EVERY BUSINESS HAS A DAY ONE
Info: Every business starts somewhere — and very few journeys happen in a straight line.
TFDI founder Martyn Cox shares some of the wins, failures, lessons and occasional spectacular fails from more than 20 years of entrepreneurship, and the experiences that ultimately led to The Foxx Den Initiative.
This isn't a motivational keynote.
It's the story behind why TFDI exists.
🕑: 07:35 PM - 07:45 PM
TFDI 500: WHAT COMES NEXT
Info: The First 20 are where we begin. TFDI 500 is where we're going next.
Discover our ambition to fund 500 further Growth Places and match qualifying funded places through TFDI — creating the potential for 1,000 supported business opportunities.
We'll explain how the model works, what a Growth Place actually provides and how individuals, businesses and organisations can help create someone else's Day One.
No hard sell. Just an open invitation to be part of what comes next.
🕑: 07:45 PM - 07:50 PM
THE DAY ONE SILENT AUCTION
Info: By the time you arrive at DAY ONE, the bidding will already be underway.
We'll spotlight some of the best lots from the DAY ONE Silent Auction, check where the bidding stands and explain how you can join in from your phone.
Products, experiences, services and a few surprises will be up for grabs, with proceeds supporting the TFDI 500 programme.
Bidding continues throughout the evening before closing at 10:15pm sharp.
See something you want? Keep an eye on it. Someone else probably wants it too.
🕑: 07:50 PM - 08:30 PM
BUFFET TIME
Info: Formalities done. Time to eat.
A full finger buffet from The Barnstaple Hotel is included with your ticket.
Grab some food, head to the bar, catch up with the people you've already met and introduce yourself to somebody you haven't.
The Silent Auction remains live throughout, so this is also a very good time to check whether some bastard has outbid you.
Eat. Drink. Talk. Bid.
🕑: 08:30 PM - 09:45 PM
LIVE MUSIC & CELEBRATION
Info: The presentations are finished. Now we celebrate.
Live music takes over as DAY ONE moves into the social part of the evening.
Hit the bar, dance, keep talking, meet some of The First 20, make new connections or simply enjoy the night.
The Silent Auction continues in the background as we build towards the final bidding countdown.
No more presentations. No more speeches. Just a bloody good night.
🕑: 10:15 PM - 10:15 PM
BIDDING CLOSED
Info: That's it.
The DAY ONE Silent Auction is officially closed.
We'll confirm the winning bids and calculate what we've achieved together before revealing the results during the DAY ONE Finale.
If you've won something, congratulations.
If you've been outbid by £2 after watching something for three weeks...
we're very sorry for your loss.
🕑: 10:20 PM - 10:40 PM
THE DAY ONE FINALE
Info: This is what the night has been building towards.
We'll reveal the Silent Auction result, celebrate the winning bidders and thank the businesses and supporters who contributed lots.
But the most important number won't simply be the amount raised.
We'll translate it into what it actually means: Growth Places funded and new business opportunities created through TFDI 500.
Then there's only one thing left to do.
Celebrate what we created together on DAY ONE.
🕑: 10:40 PM - 12:00 AM
THE NIGHT CONTINUES
Info: Music back up. Bar open. Formalities officially over.
Stay for another drink, hit the dance floor, grab some photos, continue the conversations you started earlier or finally introduce yourself to the person you've been meaning to speak to all evening.
DAY ONE isn't ending with another speech.
We're ending it the way we started it — together, celebrating something new.
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
GBP 25.00 to GBP 49.00
