Comedian, musician and cartoonist to star at YIBC

FAWLTY Towers star John Cleese, who has founded a successful business training company, is to be the headline speaker at this year’s Yorkshire International Business Convention.

The award-winning comedian, who wrote and starred in the hugely successful Monty Python comedy series, will lead a line-up of well-known personalities at the annual highlight of the Yorkshire business calendar.

As well as Mr Cleese, who has developed the Video Arts Training Film Company and is visiting professor of Business Psychology at Cornell University, the speaker line-up also includes Tim Smit who was responsible for turning a derelict Cornish clay pit into The Eden Project which has become one of the country’s leading tourist attractions; business guru and author Tim Sanders who formerly led the ‘Blue Sky Think Tank’ at Yahoo; and Tracy Edwards, who skippered the first all female crew to take part in the Round the World Yacht Race and then fought back from business bankruptcy.

Completing the line-up is Dave Stewart, of music group Eurythmics, who is now a business innovator and advisor to global business brands, as well as continuing his highly successful music business; and Matthew Pritchett – better known as ‘Matt’ – the award-winning cartoonist who combines humour, satire and social comment in the Daily and Sunday Telegraph.

How impressive is this year’s line-up at YIBC? Please give us your thoughts below.

YIBC chief executive Mike Firth, who has branded this year’s event as the ‘Can Do Convention’, said he was delighted with the line-up.

Mr Firth said: “The Convention has always been about getting inspirational people who are going to inspire as well as entertain and inform our delegates and if ever we needed to inspire our business leaders it’s now.

“So this year we are branding the whole event the Yorkshire International ‘Can Do Business Convention’ and we’re providing a group of speakers whose international business success is down to precisely that sort of creativity and positive thinking.

“We’ve always aimed for the very best and from that point of view this year will be no different, but this is the first time we’ve put together a group of speakers with a common aim and theme – to show how you ‘can do’ even in the most difficult times.

“On stage will probably be some of the most creative minds around today and if that doesn’t get the audience buzzing, then I don’t know what will.”

The event’s main sponsors, Yorkshire Forward and Business Link, have backed the event, which is being held at the Yorkshire Events Centre in Harrogate on June 5, to be a success in its fourteenth year.

Helen West, chief executive of Business Link, said it was important to show that Yorkshire was “open for business” and events like YIBC, which attracts more than 1,000 delegates, would showcase that.

Ms West said: “These are very challenging times, but Yorkshire has extraordinary businesses with imagination and creativity who are adapting their products and services and, even in these difficult times, can still find new and growing markets.

“Yorkshire is renowned for its tenacity and innovation and this spirit is still alive. We will showcase these businesses at the convention and encourage others to seize every opportunity.”

The speakers will also appear at YIBC’s sister conference in Bridlington on June 5, which forms the showpiece finale of Humber Business Week.

Past speakers at YIBC include Bill Clinton, Bob Geldof and George Bush Snr.

How impressive is this year’s line-up at YIBC? Please give us your thoughts below.