David Revagliatte Editor, Thrive EDIT

Time flies. It doesn’t seem long ago that I sat down to write last September’s Thrive EDIT and yet at the same time, it’s hard to believe just how much has happened since.

When we started in September, the Treaty still felt like something potentially sitting over the horizon, with more questions than answers and no shortage of speculation or opinion. Fast forward eleven months and we’ve watched one of the most significant moments in Gibraltar’s recent history unfold in front of us, and that turned out to be only part of the story.

Week after week, we’ve covered everything from AI and workplace pensions to cyber security, Google Business Profiles, leadership, business confidence and the changing property market. We’ve celebrated local businesses, challenged decisions where we felt it was right to do so, and above all tried to answer the question I ask myself every time I sit down to write: what exactly is the need to know and why the hell does this matter to our members?

The story we’ll remember

The Treaty has, without doubt, dominated the year. Looking back through previous editions, it’s fascinating to see the journey we’ve all been on together, starting with explanations of proposals and political announcements before moving into practical guidance on customs, residency, Transaction Tax and what implementation might actually mean for businesses.

Then, last week, after years of discussion, debate and negotiation, the Treaty finally became reality. It was one of those rare moments that felt genuinely historic, and as we’ve already seen, it marks the beginning of the next chapter rather than the end of the last one.

Business carried on

While headlines understandably focused on politics, Gibraltar’s businesses quietly got on with the job. Employers prepared for workplace pensions, business owners started experimenting with AI, and companies adapted to new regulations, navigated rising costs and carried on investing, recruiting and serving their customers.

It’s easy to overlook that resilience, because frankly it’s what our business community has always done, but it’s worth recognising all the same.

Conversations became ideas

One of the things I’ve enjoyed most about writing Thrive EDIT is that it has never felt like a one-way conversation. Many of the articles you’ve read this year started with an email from a member, a chat over coffee or somebody stopping me after an event to ask, “can you explain this?” Those conversations often became explainers, which in turn sparked more questions, and together they’ve helped shape the newsletter into something practical, relevant and, I hope, genuinely useful.

The GFSB stayed busy too

Away from the inbox, it’s been another incredibly active year for the Federation. We’ve brought members together at AI Clinics, business breakfasts, networking evenings, Women in Enterprise events, leadership workshops, BizEd training, first aid courses, Thrive LIVE sessions, innovation awards and Treaty Town Halls, creating opportunities not just to learn but to meet one another and share experiences.

In total, the GFSB delivered 34 events, welcoming 1,329 attendees, with the vast majority included as part of membership. For me, that’s one of the Federation’s greatest strengths: we don’t simply represent businesses, we bring them together.

Thank you

Finally, a personal thank you. Every time someone replies to the newsletter, shares an article, suggests a topic or simply tells me they found an explainer helpful, it reminds me why I enjoy putting this together every week.

The aim has been to make sense of the news and the issues of the day, to help busy people understand what matters, why it matters and what they might want to do next, and I hope, in some small way, we’ve achieved that.

We’ll be taking a short summer break from Friday before returning with a new membership year, fresh ideas and, knowing Gibraltar, plenty more stories to unpack. Until then, thank you for reading, thank you for your support, and wherever you’re spending the rest of the summer, I hope you find a little time to switch off.

Have a wonderful summer.

David 🙂