'Embracing the unknown' at Brighton business conference

The theme for this year’s Brighton Summit, organised by Brighton Chamber, is ‘Embracing the Unknown’.

Sarah Springford, director of Brighton Chamber, said: “We’ve lined up an A-list of speakers designed to help businesses continue to do well in this crazy world in which we currently find ourselves.”

The first keynote speaker, Daisy Cresswell, is co-founder of the award-winning social media company Liberty842. In her talk, From' WTF to What if …', Daisy will cut through the hyperbole and show the true value of social media to connect, disrupt and engage in a meaningful way.

Guy Standing is the second speaker, with a talk entitled 'When work doesn’t pay: Ideas for a better economic system'.

Guy is an economist and a professorial research associate at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) at the University of London, and co-founder of the Basic Income Earth Network.

He will talk about why the current economic system is 'broken' and why he thinks the idea of a basic income is an exciting alternative. His recent books include The Precariat: The New Dangerous Class (2011).

Ciro Romano is the high growth keynote speaker. After growing up in Glasgow, he trained and worked as a lawyer before starting Neapolitan Music whose recorded music includes the award-winning soundtrack to Slumdog Millionaire.

In 2013 Ciro had a ‘big idea’ and created the Love Supreme Jazz Festival. Held in Glynde, this year it was a sell-out with 30,000 festival goers. He will talk about embracing his unknowns from the early years to breakthrough and new challenges.

Attendees can choose one of five expert workshops:

- Review your business strategy using Lego

- Explore how mindsets shape your experience / why you experience different challenges in the way that you do

- Our biggest challenge – finding out what our customers actually need

- How to turn your audience into your strongest content creators

- How to lead change in your organisation and your life

There will also be an 'Unknown Hour' where delegates can have fun and challenge themselves by doing something unusual and completely unknown.

The afternoon session includes four business stories and interviews with: Andy and Pranee Laurillard, founders of 21 Giggling Squid restaurants on why leaping into the unknown is better than not leaping at all; Mike Dicks, variously a digital media export, TV producer and lobbyist, and who hijacked the 1960s TV show Trumpton and turned it into a parody of UK politics; founder and team member of Mooncup, Eileen Greene, on the company's successful journey through changing the business into an employee-owned one; and Paul Hutchings about how and why he went from running his marketing research business in Brighton to setting up a refugee charity in Greece.

The food and drink at the Summit is supplied by local businesses including Spade and Spoon, Raise Bakery, Sugardough, Higgidy, Fin and Farm and Bison Beer.

Brighton Summit takes place at The Clarendon Centre, New England Street, Brighton, on Friday, October 13 from 8.30am to 6pm.

To find out more, visit: www.brightonsummit.com