Entrepreneurs' Forum's 'together We Can Take On The World' Conference To Feature High-profile Speakers

More than 300 entrepreneurs and business leaders from across the North East are set to gather at the region's largest entrepreneurial event in May, when the Entrepreneurs' Forum hosts its spring conference, 'Together We Can Take on the World'.

The event, which will be hosted by BBC presenter and personality, Alfie Joey, on Thursday 9th May 2019, will see several high-profile speakers visit the North East to share their experiences and inspiring stories with the region’s business community.

Benjamin Mee, the man who restored the fortunes of Dartmoor Zoo and who was later depicted by Matt Damon in a Hollywood blockbuster, leads the cohort of speakers and personalities addressing the conference over the course of the day, from 8am5pm at the Hilton Newcastle Gateshead.

Benjamin, together with his family, bought and rescued the dilapidated Dartmoor Zoo in 2006, which was opened a year later in July 2007. The revival was documented in Benjamin’s book, ‘We Bought A Zoo’, and later released as a Hollywood movie in 2011, starring both Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson. He will talk about the story of how he saved the animals and prepared the site for re-opening, and how it has developed into a leading visitor attraction.

Celebrity businesswoman and personality Heather Mills, who has invested millions in the North East through her vegan food company VBites with the creation of three factories, will also detail her inspirational journey from homelessness to becoming a model, which came to a halt in 1993 when Heather was involved in a collision with a police motorbike that saw her lose her leg below the knee, and latterly how she has grown VBites into an international company.

Jim Cregan, the man behind household iced coffee brand, Jimmy’s Iced Coffee, joins the line-up to share how a trip to Australia sparked the creation of the UK-wide business, which is stocked in major supermarkets, fuel stations and gym chains.

John Hays, the man who started Hays Travel with no travel experience, and has since led the business to surpass £1 billion in sales, will also feature at the event. Hays operates 147 retail branches, alongside several call centres and a homeworking division, employing more than 1,300 people, and John will draw on his experiences and how he has overseen the phenomenal growth of the company.

Jon Smith, founder of sports management company First Artist – which supported the formation of the Premier League – completes the round-up of inspirational speakers at Together We Can Take on the World. He will talk about the firm’s involvement in brokering several high-profile commercial deals across the sporting world, and the management of global superstars from across the world’s leading leagues.

Together We Can Take on the World is sponsored by the North East Local Enterprise Partnership (NELEP), with Durham City Incubator, Park Commercial, Sullivan Brown Resourcing Partners and Visualsoft as associate sponsors.

Gillian Marshall, chief executive of the Entrepreneurs’ Forum, said: “Our spring conference brings a truly exciting event that will be filled with inspirational stories shared by dynamic and diverse personalities and business leaders. It is an ideal opportunity for the region’s entrepreneurial community to draw on and learn from the experiences of our high-profile speakers.

“Together We Can Take on the World has grown to become the highlight of the Forum’s event calendar, as we continue to support the region’s businesses and entrepreneurs through our annual programme of inspirational events.”