Aphrodite Circle

A round table for twelve

A private dinner circle in Paphos, Cyprus, for people who own and run companies.

A few times a year, twelve of us have dinner and talk through a short list of questions. What gets said stays at the table, and nobody sells anything.

Request an invitation How a dinner works
Twelveseats at every table
A few a yeardinners, by introduction
No feeno presentations
PrivateChatham House Rule

Who runs a business around here

I went through the company register for the district. These are the numbers. Guests are drawn from the people behind them: owners, founders and senior executives of companies that actually trade here. Ask for an introduction.

18 trades, all within a few kilometres
59 of the 114 registered since the start of 2020
66 of the 114 with no website of any kind

The eighteen trades

114 operating businesses in all, out of 267 registered entities.

  1. Construction and trades17
  2. Retail and e-commerce14
  3. Hospitality and food11
  4. Automotive and transport10
  5. Real estate and property management9
  6. Marketing, media and creative8
  7. Technology and software8
  8. Tourism, leisure and sport6
  9. Home services6
  10. Health, wellness and beauty5
  11. Professional services5
  12. Events and entertainment4
  13. Energy and environment3
  14. Finance and investment3
  15. Agriculture and fishing2
  16. Yachting and marine1
  17. Education and childcare1
  18. Manufacturing and industrial1
1

What it is

Twelve people at one table, a few times a year. Everyone gets the questions in advance and there are four rules. No presentations, no fee.

The rules and the questions are on the dinners page if you want to read them first.

2

Who it’s for

Owners, founders and senior executives of a company that trades in or around Aphrodite Hills or the wider Paphos district. That is the only requirement. Where you live, whether you own or rent, and how many months a year you are here make no difference.

3

How it works

I invite people personally, usually because someone introduced them. After each dinner I ask every guest for one more name. The group is bigger than twelve, so I pick each table from it, mixing trades, and most people sit out any given dinner.

If one useful introduction comes out of an evening, it was a good evening.
Benjamin Franklin, engraved portrait
Benjamin Franklin

The idea is Franklin’s

In 1727 Benjamin Franklin started a club in Philadelphia called the Junto. Twelve members, from twelve different trades, met to work through questions together. This coast has eighteen trades on the register, so there is plenty to draw on.

How a dinner runs

The four attributes

  • Twelve members
  • A few times a year
  • Good questions
  • What is said stays there

Also here: the full count behind these figures, and a short guide to running a company from here (tax, setting up and banking, hiring, residency).

Ask for a seat

Request an invitation

The form takes about five minutes. I read every one, though most don’t lead to an invitation straight away.