KPMG celebrated the firm’s move to new offices in Bristol with an opening party last night that saw comedian Rory Bremner, Colston Hall’s youth choir, local businesses and charities join together for the celebration.
Located at 66 Queen Square in the heart of the city, the grade II listed building combines the Georgian elegance of Queen Square and an adjoining new open plan office. The firm has taken occupation of four floors of the building, having previously been based on Temple Street.
Comedian, Rory Bremner,entertained 200 of the firm’s clients with his inimitable mix of impressions and satire and praised the new headquarters, saying: “what a wonderful building, in a beautiful square in the heart of Bristol.”
Andrew Hodgson, senior partner in Bristol, said:“We’re immensely proud of our new home, which brings together the old and new perfectly.
“KPMG is proud to have 200 years of history in Bristol, and this is reflected all around us in the beautiful design of the building. We wanted to be at the heart of everything taking place in this thriving city. That’s not just about being physically located at the centre, but it’s also about being fully engaged in the business, public sector, cultural, charity and social fabric of Bristol. The food and drink tonight was provided by local suppliers, we’ve had fantastic entertainment from Rory and Colston Hall’s youth choir, and some of the most exciting and innovative local early-stage businesses showcased their work to guests.”
Guests had the opportunity to get up close to a McLaren Formula 1 car that has taken temporary residence in the building’s restaurant.KPMG is the ‘Pioneer’ Innovation Partner of the McLaren Technology Group.
Staff at the office have close links with Bristol’s start-up incubators, including Entrepreneurial Spark, and SETsquared. Businesses who have been supported by KPMG showed off their products at the event, including Truestart Coffee, Doodle Maths,Ultrahaptics, andBrain Boost Box. Local charities that were represented on the night included BITC, The Prince’s Trust and Byte Night.
KPMG employs 450 people in Bristol.