Bristol businessman Johnny Palmer sells events company

Brislington businessman Johnny Palmer, from PYTCHair
-Credit: (Image: Andre Regini)


One of Bristol’s most prominent businessmen has announced he’s sold his events company Pytch to a firm in Leicester.

Johnny Palmer, who runs Pytch and a number of other firms from a ‘campus’ in Brislington, said the new owners Premier Events will not be using the Pytch Campus at Skyline Park, and will be taking on Pytch’s ‘brand, clients and key staff’, leaving uncertain futures for other staff at the South Bristol business.

Mr Palmer, who runs a series of other businesses and installed the fuselage of a Boeing 727 at the Bonville Road campus back in 2021, said he was ‘super excited’ to see the firm he set up continue under different management.

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“After 25 years of being in the live events industry I am delighted to announce that Pytch has been acquired by Premier Events,” he said. “Premier is a great company with a similar offering and culture to Pytch, but around three times the size. They are a great fit and Premier will be managing the Pytch brand, clients and key staff moving forward.

“I am super excited to see how the larger team grows their larger operation and I will remain available to support for the foreseeable future in any areas required,” he added.

Mr Palmer, who as the owner of Warleigh Weir near Bath, has been a vocal campaigner for wild swimming and cleaner rivers, said there were two opportunities from the sale of Pytch. The first was that the ‘Skyline Park campus’ would be available for lease from him at the start of next year, and the second was that he would be disposing of a ‘vast stock of surplus kit’.

“Premier are based in Leicester and do not need the PYTCH Campus,” he explained. “Thus 1 Skyline Park BS4 will be available for lease in early 2025 from my property company Autonomous Investments,” he added.

Johnny Palmer of Pytch Air in front of his Boeing 727 -Credit:PAUL NICHOLLS TRINITY MIRROR
Johnny Palmer of Pytch Air in front of his Boeing 727 -Credit:PAUL NICHOLLS TRINITY MIRROR

Over the past few years, Mr Palmer - who led an ultimately successful campaign to get wild swimming sessions permitted in the Floating Harbour after staging a series of direct action illegal protest swims in the Cumberland Basin - has several other businesses still on the go, and has hinted that he may bring a second plane to Brislington to go with the first, which is now one of Britain’s more unique Air B&B spaces to hire.

“After 25 years of an intense events career I am looking forward to enhancing my other businesses including Luna Domes, Autonomous Investments, SolCell Renewables, DB Cooper Whisky - plus doing more to help clean up our rivers

“There might also be another aircraft landing soon. Separately I am looking forward to more time with my family and doing essential mentoring and leadership within my community. There are also some very exciting projects on the horizon which I will be talking about over coming months,” he added.