Clare Balding replaces Kelly Hoppen as Confex keynote
In a last minute change to the line-up, Clare Balding is to replace Kelly Hoppen MBE as a speaker at the Confex Keynote Theatre on Thursday 19 February 2015.
Clare is an experienced broadcaster and will be sharing her experiences of working on some of the UK’s major sporting events and speaking about Britain's talent for delivering world class events.
Clare has worked in radio for 15 years, and has been a leading sports presenter on television since becoming the face of the BBC’s racing output in 1998. She has worked on five Olympic Games, four Paralympics and three Winter Olympics, and won the BAFTA Special Award and RTS Presenter of the Year Award for her expert coverage of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Clare is an expert at live major event presentation, having worked on Sports Personality of the Year, the Lord Mayor’s Show and Trooping the Colour. She has also appeared on Ramblings on Radio 4 and Good Morning Sunday on Radio 2.
Event Director, Liz Agostini, commented: “Clare is one of the UK’s most loved sports personalities and will bring plenty of inspiration and anecdotes gained from working with some of our fantastic athletes on some of the UK’s greatest events and shows. Her unbridled passion for sport is a quality that we can all learn from.”
Clare Balding replaces Kelly Hoppen, MBE, who has had to withdraw as a keynote speaker.
Speakers Corner arranged the replacement, wasting no time in resolving a situation that any speaker agency dreads.
Meanwhile, Glasgow City Marketing Bureau and the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC) host their own stand for the first time at International Confex this week.
The partnership is a fitting union, following an historically prosperous joint approach to bidding and winning large scale conferences in the city.
To mark the success of the relationship between the two organisations, head of conventions at Glasgow City Marketing Bureau, Aileen Crawford and the SECC’s director of sales, Kathleen Warden, will also be on a panel that discusses: ‘Partnerships and collaborations: how to work with venues and destinations to optimise your next event’.
They will be joined by chief executive of World Obesity, Chris Trimmer, and will answer questions about the benefits of a joint working approach to win conference business successfully.
From 2015 to 2022, GCMB and the SECC have won 79 conferences worth more £202.5m to the local economy, equating to some 128,800 delegates expected to visit the city during this period.
Kathleen Warden said: “Our joint approach is a winning combination and one that we wanted to present at International Confex.
“One of the key messages we want to bring is the ease in which event organisers can work with both venue and city, and how this joint approach means less hassle, more confidence and a better experience for the client.
“We’re also delighted to be joined by one of our long standing clients, further underlining the partnership we like to have with our customers, it’s a nice way to exhibit.”
The panel session will take place on Wednesday February 18, at 11:30 in the Associations Theatre as part of the education stream for association buyers and delegates.
Those who wish to attend are advised to contact Aileen Crawford direct via email: aileen.crawford@glasgowcitymarketingbureau.com
To register for International Confex, which takes place at Olympia London, 18-19 February, visit: https://www.livebuzzreg.co.uk/2015/confex15/