Forget screens and LinkedIn. For one afternoon at the Bucks County Show, we’re going back to basics — tea, conversation and bringing people together.

What happens when you put farmers, rural businesses, entrepreneurs, exhibitors, sponsors and community leaders in the same tent?

You make tea.

And you start talking.

That’s the idea behind Tea in the Tent, a brand-new event taking place at the 157th Bucks County Show on Thursday 27th August.

It sounds simple. And that’s exactly the point.

We spend so much of our working lives connected through screens — emails, Zoom calls, LinkedIn and online meetings — that sometimes we forget the value of simply sitting down with someone and having a proper conversation.

Tea in the Tent is about bringing that back.

The event is a collaboration between Tina Duggan, founder of BoB Networking, and Alison Baylis, Secretary of the Bucks County Show, with the aim of bringing Buckinghamshire’s rural, agricultural and wider business communities together in one place.

From 3.15–5pm in the Members Marquee, people who might not normally cross paths will have the opportunity to meet, talk and see what happens.

Because when different communities come together, unexpected things can happen.

A conversation can lead to an introduction.

An introduction can lead to an idea.

And an idea can lead to something that makes a real difference to a local business or the wider community.

“We wanted to create somewhere people could come together without it feeling forced,” says Tina Duggan.

“Sometimes the best conversations happen when you’re not trying too hard. You sit down, have a cup of tea and start talking.”

The Bucks County Show has been bringing Buckinghamshire communities together for 157 years. Tea in the Tent is a new chapter in that tradition — creating a bridge between the county’s rural and agricultural heritage and the wider business community.

It’s not about collecting business cards.

It’s about real conversations, genuine connections and finding out what can happen when people meet someone they wouldn’t normally meet.

And perhaps there is something fitting about doing it over tea.

No screens.

No algorithms.

No carefully crafted online profiles.

Just people, a tent, a cup of tea and a conversation.

Tea in the Tent takes place on Thursday 27th August 2026, from 3.15–5pm in the Members Marquee at the Bucks County Show.

Come into the tent.

Have a cup of tea.

Meet someone new.

You never know where the conversation might lead.

https://bobnetworking.thrivecart.com/tea-in-the-tent/