Inspiring Professionals; Empowering Councils and Communities

Save the date – The 2024 conference will take place at Leonardo Hotel and Conference Venue Hinckley Island, Leicestershire on 8 and 9 October 2024.

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Speaker line-up...

Rob Nothman, Sports Presenter & Broadcaster

Rob Nothman has been a BBC Radio sports broadcaster and award-winning producer for over 35 years.

What’s it like to interview Tiger Woods, David Beckham, Sir Ian Botham or Lester Piggott? As a broadcaster at BBC Radio Sport, Rob has spoken to them all on his way to covering every major sporting event from Olympic Games to World Cups, Wimbledon to the Grand National. He’s made regular appearances on Radio 4’s Today programme, and can often be heard interviewing Premier League managers on BBC Radio 5-Live.

Winner of 4 Sony Radio Awards, Rob is a witty, stylish and experienced after-dinner speaker. He mixes an unrivalled archive of broadcasting gaffes and bloopers, with anecdotes and topical humour.

His one major sporting claim to fame is that he once made three birdies in a row on the back nine at Augusta – but don’t ask him about that if you want to leave before midnight.

@RobNothman

John McCarthy, motivational speaker

John’s McCarthy is a journalist, author and motivational speaker who was Britons longest-held hostage in Lebanon, where he spent five years in captivity before his release.

While working in Beirut for a television news agency in 1986, John realised that is had become too dangerous to stay in the country and was on the verge of leaving when he was
kidnapped at gunpoint by Islamic fundamentalists on route to the airport.

John was to spend the next five years, often blindfolded, petrified and is a small cell in Lebanon where he endured great hardship, solitary confinement and often torture.

Amazingly and fortunately, John found solitude in a fellow hostage, Iris lecturer Brian Keenan. Despite their awful situation, the two of them became lifesavers to each other, keeping each other sane and even managing to laugh from time to time. John and Brian sometimes dared to stand up to their captors, and they were, at times, yet able to joke with them.

John was eventually released by the Islamic militant group on 8th August 1991, after five years in captivity. He is an author of 5 books, and in 1995 sailed round the coat of Britain with Sandi Toksvig making a documentary of the journey too.

Erica Farmer, founder, speaker & consultant

Erica Farmer is a successful female founder, speaker and consultant, with over 20 years’ experience delivering high impact learning and development solutions in some of the UKs largest brands, such as LV=, British Gas, Specsavers and Virgin. She sits on various boards advising on the future of skills and learning, focussing specifically on the opportunities which learning technology can bring. Erica Farmer also brings the more humanistic elements to learning and business, such as understanding mindset, building psychological safety, investing in mental toughness, and delivering a sustainable agenda.

Erica was diagnosed with behavioural challenges as a child, which she sees as a positive, as it has moulded her passion to achieve happiness, her goals, and she loves to collaborate with others to do the same.
She is passionate about mentoring women in business, specifically driving innovation and thought leadership to those moving from a corporate career into company ownership and success.

National Conference 2024 is generously sponsored by Blachere Illumination.

For expert advice visit www.blachere-illumination.co.uk

Blachere Illumination are the sponsor of National Conference 2021