Performing Artistes Newsletter: Conference Showcase Line Up, HARDWalk, Take Control, 80's revivals, and the C Word...01932 590 376

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While the weather is yet to show a change in the seasons, the event industry's traditional rite of spring - Confex - is almost on us. We will be attending as delegates so if you would like to meet up for a drink and a chat at the event, do let us know.

Conference Showcase - Line Up Confirmed

BBC Breakfast's Bill Turnbull The Conference Showcase line up has now been confirmed. Speeches will be from filmmaker and Peace One Day founder Jeremy Gilley and L. Vaughan Spencer, Neil Mullarkey's alter ego who sends up motivational speakers while deftly weaving in your conference messages and key learnings. Both Jeremy and L-Vo will be giving shortened versions of their usual presentations.

The Conference Panel will be discussing the business of event and conference hosting, in particular The Interview as Theatre. Panellists will include: Bill Turnbull (pictured), Selina Scott, Maggie Philbin, and Andrew Main Wilson (COO of the IoD).

The Life After the Election Panel will look at the challenges faced by the incoming government, whatever its hue, and what it will mean for business. Panellists: Naga Munchetty, Boris's Food Czar Rosie Boycott, former Sun Editor Kelvin MacKenzie and Evening Standard financial columnist Anthony Hilton.

Finally, comedian and comedy writer Dom Jolly (pictured) will end the day on a high.

The event is being held at the Grange City Hotel, London and will start with a buffet lunch from 12.30pm and the presentations 2-4.30pm. To register for this FREE event click here for the Showcase page or email showcase@performingartistes.co.uk

HARDWalk

Stephen Sackur in training for the London Marathon He's normally used to making other people sweat during his HardTalk interviews on News24 and BBC World, however the boot (or should that be running shoe) will be on the other foot for Stephen Sackur this April when he runs in the London Marathon for water charity Just a Drop.

Just a Drop is a charity dedicated to delivering fresh water to some of the world's poorest communities. They've already provided bore holes, wells and pumps to communities from India, to Ethiopia, to Bolivia and right now they're working on an emergency plan for Haiti. For more info and the chance to sponsor Stephen visit: http://www.justgiving.com/StephenSackur

We all wish him well and will let you know of his progress in the May newsletter.

Take Control

Penny Mallory's new book Take Control Former Rally driver and popular motivational speaker, Penny Mallory, debuted her Take Control presentation at last year's showcase. Based around 9 "special stages" it takes the audience through the various steps required to take control of their lives. Following its success, she has now turned it into a book and CD. Click here for more info and to get hold of a copy.

For those booking her over the coming months, her fee can include a personalised copy of the book for all delegates.

Article of the Month

There has been much talk of retro fashions over the last few years, with the 80s being the current era to be revisited. Of course for those of us who lived through that rather fabulous decade, it's perfectly understandable!

Nostalgia aside, we have noticed a knock on affect in the corporate market, with a lot of interest in presenters and hosts from the era. Michaela Strachan has been a long term favourite for various events, while Maggie Philbin (pictured) is a popular keynote speaker on science and engineering as well as hosting events, not least thanks to her days on Tomorrow's World. Maggie will be at the Conference Showcase sharing her experiences of the corporate event world.

However, if some of the 80's nostalgia, not least the forthcoming A Team movie leaves you cold, you may enjoy Peter Aspen's recent column in the Weekend Section of the FT which caught our eye: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/7377ed8c-11e4-11df-b6e3-00144feab49a.html

And finally...the C Word

This section is used to highlight speakers and presenters at the lower end of the budget scale. We would never use the C Word - cheap - to describe them, but they certainly represent excellent value for money. This month's entry is Rosie Boycott.

Rosie is an author, journalist and broadcaster writing for, and editing numerous publications from feminist magazine Spare Rib to The Independent broadsheet. More recently she has become a small holder in the West Country and was appointed as Boris's Food Czar, with a brief to improve the quality and availability of locally grown food in London - the plan is to turn 2,012 derelict pieces of London land into food gardens by 2012, when the Olympics come to town.

Rosie will be one of the panellists at the Conference Showcase.

Click here for more info on Rosie.

For further information or for a copy of our latest speaker brochure give us a call on 01932 590 376 or ask@performingartistes.co.uk.

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