Investors wanting a seat at the Sharestock September 5 speakers event have very little time left to act: only 12 of the 100 places remain for the day-long gathering on the banks of the River Dee between Chester and Wrexham, hosted by ShareProphets writer Tom Winnifrith.
In previous years, one of the two investors nicknamed ‘Britain’s Buffett’ has headlined. This year both will be on stage. Jim Mellon speaks just before lunch; Nigel Wray takes the slot immediately after.
Who Is on Stage and Why It Matters to Small-Cap Investors
The Sharestock September 5 speakers list this year includes Mark Slater, whom Winnifrith describes as the most gifted small-cap fund manager in Britain. That characterisation has some numbers behind it. The Slater Growth Fund fact sheet shows cumulative performance since inception of 242.8% as of 31 July 2024, against 73.6% for the IA UK All Companies benchmark over the same period.
Slater co-founded Slater Investments in 1994 with Ralph Baber and serves as its Chairman and Chief Investment Officer. Before that he worked as a financial journalist at Analyst plc and the Investor’s Chronicle, and in 1992 helped research and edit ‘The Zulu Principle’ for his father, Jim Slater. The fund’s market cap exposure as of 31 July 2024 was 42.5% micro cap and 36.7% small cap, so his sessions tend to be directly relevant to the kind of stocks ShareProphets readers follow.
The Sharestock September 5 Bitcoin and AI Sessions
There will also be a dedicated Bitcoin debate. Winnifrith takes the bear case; Andrew Webley of The Smarter Web Company argues the bull side. Webley founded The Smarter Web Company in 2009 and was previously Head of Online at Hargreaves Lansdown. He has been involved with digital assets since 2017.
The Smarter Web Company (LSE: SWC) moved from the Aquis Exchange to the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange (LSE) in 2025, positioning itself as Britain’s largest publicly listed Bitcoin holder. In February 2026 the company announced a further Bitcoin purchase as part of an ongoing treasury policy it calls ‘The 10 Year Plan,’ which treats Bitcoin as a store of value and a growth vehicle for the company’s reserves.
A separate session will ask Barry Downes and Brian Kinane to address three questions about artificial intelligence: whether it is a bubble, which listed companies face being wiped out, and how it will reshape working life.
Company Presentations and the Cathal Friel Connection
Peter Brailey will interview two company bosses: Cathal Friel of European Green Transition (AIM: EGT) and Chris Gilbert of Eco Buildings. Friel is Executive Chair and co-founder of European Green Transition plc, which acquires and operates revenue-generating services businesses in critical infrastructure across the UK and Ireland. He has listed five companies on the LSE and co-founded Amryt Pharma, which IPO’d in 2016 and was sold to Chiesi Farmaceutici for $1.48bn in April 2023.
Returning regulars will recognise the format: Lucian Miers and Evil Banksta also speak, and the day includes chef Vijay’s lunch, a cold salmon supper with home-made ice cream, Joshua’s croquet, and Jaya’s plum and ginger cake stand. The night before brings a pizza gathering for those arriving early.
The full schedule of timings is due to be confirmed shortly. Those already booked will receive an email from Ranji Winnifrith covering the day’s running order and accommodation logistics. With only 12 seats left from the original 100, the decision on whether to attend is now pressing rather than pending.
