JLA’s Speakers Breakfasts give event organisers and producers a free opportunity to see speakers in action before making a booking. Each year we host a Spring and Autumn season to showcase motivators, trends experts and business leaders – as well as the latest ‘movers and shakers’ and exciting new names to join the circuit.
SHOWING ALL 2011
Christmas Speakers Breakfast
Amidst all the talk of economic doom and gloom, we are delighted to invite you to a Christmas Speakers Breakfast with three of the most entertaining characters on the circuit - Gyles Brandreth, Jay Rayner and Gerald Scarfe.
Gyles has played Baron Hardup in Cinderella, represented the good people of Chester and counter-signed the biggest cheque in British history, with Her Majesty The Queen. Arguably the biggest name-dropper in the land, he is also a consummate after dinner speaker and awards host.
Alongside his role as Masterchef judge and One Show regular, Jay is a wonderfully straight talking restaurant critic who enjoys being mistaken for Marco Pierre White. He has a trolley full of stories of dining hell, including examples of comically poor customer service - and he may also offer some invaluable tips for Christmas dinner.
Gerald is the celebrated Sunday Times cartoonist. His often outrageous portraits have made being 'savaged by Scarfe' a rite of passage for the big beasts of Westminster. Illustrating his speech with film clips and fantastic artwork, he asks "What exactly is the correct form of address to someone you've just depicted as a warthog?"
Click below to watch highlights:
LOCATION 28 Portland Place W1
DATE DECEMBER 13 2011
Darling-Lambert
The morning after George Osborne's Autumn Statement, we heard from two speakers perfectly placed to assess the current position and the likely impact on both business and the public sector...
As Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling had previously warned an interviewer that "the economic times we're facing are arguably the worst for 60 years." He was subsequently widely praised for measures which helped prevent recession spiralling into depression. Alistair's book, Back From The Brink, has just been published - with the first print run selling out in days.
Until last January Sir Richard Lambert served as Director General of the CBI. He was previously Editor-in-Chief of the Financial Times, and the first non-economist appointed a full-time external member of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee. He was also the first person the new Chancellor telephoned when the election result become known.
LOCATION RIBA, 66 Portland Place, London W1
DATE NOVEMBER 30 2011
Into The Future
Three extraordinary speakers peered into the future in three very different ways...
Andrew Neil considered the repercussions of the turbulence in Europe and America, the policy alternatives and their likely impact on business. The captivating Swedish futurist and TED favourite Magnus Lindkvist questioned many of our old assumptions about how our domestic and working lives will change; and Baroness Susan Greenfield explored some of the risks associated with technology and the enormous gains on the horizon in her own field of neuroscience and pharmacology.
Click below to watch highlights:
LOCATION 28 Portland Place W1
DATE NOVEMBER 15 2011
Olympic Speakers Breakfast - Part 1
This breakfast was the first of two special Olympic-based events, designed to showcase motivational speakers for conference audiences in the run-up to London 2012. What can we learn from the Olympians?
Kelly Holmes is only the second woman in history to claim the 800m and 1500m titles at the same Games. The BBC Sports Personality of the Year and Ambassador for London 2012 persevered for over a decade and overcame injury and illness before achieving her ultimate goal. Kelly outlined the passion, compassion and courage needed to succeed.
At the age of 21 Karen Darke fell from a cliff and became paralysed from the neck down. Determined not to let her condition get the better of her, she set off for the Himalayas and Alaska; next year she represents Team GB in para-cycling. Karen demonstrated how we can achieve all manner of things we considered impossible.
Greg Whyte represented Great Britain in the Modern Pentathlon (comprising swimming, shooting, fencing, running and equestrian disciplines) at two Olympics and ten World Championships. He is now a highly prized coach, and the man behind David Walliams' long-distance swimming and Eddie Izzard's 43 marathons in 51 days.
Steve Backley was the first British athlete to 'medal' at three consecutive Olympic Games. The four-time European Javelin Champion and winner of three Commonwealth Golds has a background in sports psychology and discussed the three main attributes which are required for success: self-belief, application and motivation.
LOCATION 28 Portland Place W1
DATE OCTOBER 20 2011
"How To Engage With Customers"
At a time when technology is changing the way we behave, with brands facing ever stiffer competition, Newsnight's Gavin Esler introduced three highly accomplished speakers to share their insight into 'How To Engage With Customers.'
With more than 20 awards to his name, Scott Seaborn is Head of Mobile Technologies at Ogilvy Group UK. Mobile already accounts for 20% of internet use, and Scott explores how each business sector can harness the potential. Complete with music sequencer, his presentation revealed a future of voice search, image recognition and 'augmented reality.'
Rita Clifton is President of the Market Research Society and chair of the consultancy that assembles the Best Global Brands list. She defines a brand as an organising idea to set a company apart from the competition. 'If you don't have trust, you can't have a brand.' Rita spoke about reputation, internal brand management and digital branding - a world where mistakes are never laid to rest.
As Global Brand Director at Green & Black's, Mark Palmer repositioned the organic chocolate bars as a more mainstream product and saw turnover rise ten fold - even before the sale to Cadbury. He advocates investing in brand rather than machinery, and being very clear about who you're targeting.
LOCATION 28 Portland Place W1
DATE OCTOBER 6 2011
"WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE WORLD?"
This season of Speakers Breakfasts culminated in a major debate on the impact of the current global geo-political shifts on British business – with four compelling heavyweight speakers…
Professor Jeremy Black has written over eighty books, many on eighteenth century politics and international relations. Alongside appointments in the UK, he is Senior Fellow at the Centre for the Study of America & the West at the Foreign Policy Research Institute in Philadelphia – making him exceptionally well placed to provide a historical backdrop to today’s power struggles.
Pippa Malmgren taught in Beijing, served on Bush’s National Economic Council and became deputy head of global strategy at UBS before launching her own asset management firm. She now advises fund managers on the impacts of national and world politics. Pippa offers a complete overview with a focus on the US, China and the Middle East – and introduces us to the ‘BRACSS.’
After spells as a Bank of England economist and head of George Osborne’s staff, Matthew Hancock has now entered Parliament himself and serves on the committee scrutinising public spending. He offers an insider’s view of Coalition policy, and an outlook on the next twelve months. How will the Government react to the pressures at home and abroad?
Martin Vander Weyer was originally an investment banker in London, Brussels and the Far East. Now Business Editor of The Spectator, he agrees that a shift of resources away from a bloated public sector will bear fruit. But he also believes there are many who should examine their consciences. Amidst all the changes, Martin wonders what’s become of our moral compass.
LOCATION 28 Portland Place W1
DATE JUNE 28 2011
TIM HARFORD BOOK LAUNCH – ADAPT
Tim Harford – FT columnist, Radio 4 presenter and author of the million-selling Undercover Economist is credited with making numbers cool. This breakfast saw the launch of his new book: Adapt – ‘Why Success Always Starts With Failure.’
With customary down-to-earth brilliance, Tim used the science of behavioural economics to explain how complex and far-reaching problems from counter-insurgency to financial turmoil might be solved. And with particular resonance for anyone focusing on innovation, he demonstrated why learning from your mistakes can often be the hardest advice to take.
LOCATION 28 Portland Place W1
DATE JUNE 14 2011
LEADING BY EXAMPLE
One of our speakers today brought The Apprentice to British screens, another frequently appears on its sister show – and the third has been responsible for some of the biggest TV formats in the globe. They are all hugely engaging communicators, with a great deal of hard experience that applies across all business sectors.
Ellis Watson has run Mirror Group Newspapers, served on the board of one of the world’s biggest public transport operators - and headed up Simon Cowell’s joint venture with Sony. He also sold Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? to over 100 territories. With characteristic wit and wisdom, Ellis shows how to inspire passion and how to move from mission statements to true company culture.
Lorraine Heggessey was the first female Controller of BBC1. With a £300m programme budget she launched Spooks and Strictly, and re-invented Dr Who – changing the entire feel of the network. Then as CEO of Talkback Thames she scored huge success with X-Factor, Britain’s Got Talent and The Apprentice. Lorraine talks about managing talent (in all its forms) and delivering change.
Armed with a practical idea, limited contacts but plenty of drive, Michelle Mone progressed from a lowly job at a brewery to creating and marketing the cleavage-enhancing Ultimo bra. Now controlling a big share of the market, enjoying a high media profile and powering ahead in her other business ventures, Michelle talks about pushing the boundaries and staying hungry.
LOCATION 28 Portland Place W1
DATE MAY 26 2011
MOTIVATION: LESSONS FROM SPORT & ADVENTURE
One of the driving passions of JLA is to introduce new speakers to the circuit – especially those who’ve ‘been there and done it.’ This breakfast delivered an opportunity to preview two newcomers with real experience to share…
In just one month with Kent, Ed Smith scored six centuries. He went on to captain the MCC and play for England, before retiring from cricket to write Times leaders and the weekly MindGames column in the Telegraph. As in his book What Sport Tells Us About Life, Ed revealed the psychology of sport and what it can teach us about strategy, performance and leadership.
A full-time hospital doctor, Ed Coats was selected from hundreds of applicants to accompany James Cracknell and Ben Fogle on their race to the South Pole. With no previous polar experience the trio skied 16 hours a day and achieved second place – thanks partly to Ed’s mediation skills. Ed looked at individual and collective responsibility, and how to form efficient and effective bonds.
LOCATION 28 Portland Place W1
DATE MAY 12 2011
DIGITAL: THE NEW RULES
The first event of 2011 was designed to catch up on the latest thinking in digital, and help position a strategy for what is fundamentally changing the way we live, work and play. There were three fabulous speakers…
Josh Spear is one of the youngest and most influential marketing strategists in the world. Based in New York, he and his team advise corporations on how to grapple with the behaviour and expectations of digital consumers - like helping Ford pre-sell 10,000 Fiestas through 100 online 'activists.' Josh looks at digital as a business accelerator, how to use it to build lasting relationships – and how it’s now being used to mobilise collective action and ‘make stuff happen.’
David Rowan edits the technology magazine WIRED UK - covering online brands, gadgets and the culture that surrounds them. He explores how the internet is disrupting virtually every sector and why ‘social commerce’ is killing traditional marketing. He also reveals the 10 trends that will change your market in the next decade – and what you should do now to protect yourself.
Alex Hunter helped Virgin America off the ground - by masterminding the grass roots campaign that persuaded Congress to reverse its original decision against certification. He then took over Virgin Group’s entire internet strategy. Now mentoring start-ups, Alex examines online brand loyalty and how to create relationships more quickly than your rivals.
