YIBC Round-up: Brilliant Blessed lights up YIBC

ACTOR, adventurer and would-be astronaut Brian Blessed brought this year’s Yorkshire International Business Convention to life with with a speech in which he hailed the region as “the backbone” of the country.

In one of the most popular speeches in YIBC’s history, Yorkshire-born Mr Blessed regaled delegates with humorous anecdotes from his life and acting career and called for the region’s famous “Yorkshire spirit” to be called upon by the business community to help survive the recession.

Delegate numbers were well down on previous years at the YIBC, held at the Great Yorkshire Showground and headlined the ‘Can Do 2 Convention’, but organiser Mike Firth said the event had been a success. 

The audience was treat to an expletive laden speech in which the 73-year-old classical actor Blessed recounted his explorations to climb Mount Everest in the footsteps of his childhood hero Edmund Hillary.

And the message to delegates which Mr Blessed, the son of a miner from Mexborough, passed on from his conquests was simple: “You’ve got to hold on to your dreams. My advice is ‘don’t let the bastards grind you down’.”

He asked: “What are Yorkshire people? They are serious people. They have gravitas and humour but they are serious.

“They hold the country together and are the backbone of the country.”

Mr Blessed, who treat the audience to some of his famous catchphrases – including “Gordon’s alive!” from the film Flash Gordon – said not to underestimate teamwork as a key to success.

“It’s about teamwork,” said Mr Blessed. “Because isn’t that how we’re going to get out of this recession? By teamwork, vision, care, seriousness, Yorkshire spirit and humour.” 

He talked the audience through his career which began as a teenage undertakers assistant and led to a successful acting career and latterly as an adventurer.

He finished his 40 minutes on stage with a moving opera performance as he told about the time he appeared on Stars in Their Eyes on TV as Pavarroti, as well as praising the country’s national parks, of which he is an ambassador, and telling the audience how he had been admitted on to a space exploration programme. 

Headline speaker Sir David Frost told delegates about his experiences interviewing global leaders including US President Richard Nixon.

Sir David said he regretted not having had the opportunity to have interviewed Denis Thatcher, the late husband of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

He said “the dream” as an interviewer was for the interviewee to reveal something unknown about themselves and that the art of conducting a successful interview was to listen. 

Earlier in the day, outgoing Yorkshire Forward chairman Terry Hodgkinson told delegates that it had been “a great honour and a privilege to have been part of making a difference to the region” during his time at the regional development agency.

Mr Hodgkinson, who publicly praised YIBC chief executive Mike Firth’s efforts in organising the annual event, said Yorkshire Forward had helped “tens of thousands of businesses through the recession”.

He asked: “What’s next for the region? This has been a hot topic for debate over the last few weeks both here and in London.

“Yorkshire Forward is changing; it is going to change and continue to change and we’re ready for the change.

“But whatever changes happen must be for the good of the region.”

Mr Hodgkinson called on Yorkshire’s business community to help “close the gap between the North and the South” by “telling people (the government) what works and what doesn’t”.

“The choice is ours to make,” he added. “If we don’t act now we’ll get behind in my view and if we get behind we’ll stay behind for good.”

Business guru Rene Carayol, explained how businesses should focus on leadership rather than simply management strategies to survive during the recession.

Mr Carayol said businesses should “manage a little less and lead a little more”, while explaining that “heritage will not be your destiny”.

Using the BP’s ongoing oil spill crisis as an example he also said that “culture is more powerful than strategy” and highlighted companies including Leeds-based Asda as organisations where staff enjoyed their work and were motivated because of the way the business was run.

Chef Gordon Ramsay’s business partner and father-in-law, Chris Hutcheson, explained how good customer service was vital to any business and gave examples from his restaurant empire.

Other speakers included lingerie entrepreneur Michelle Mone, who explained how she built up the Ultimo business, and former BA pilot Peter Burkill, who successfully crash landed a Boeing 777, saving 152 lives.