Why Brighton Chamber is bringing an Eastenders writer to a business conference

Since 2008 Pete Lawson has been part of the core writing team of Eastenders, penning over 250 explosive episodes. This October, he'll be swapping Albert Square for Brighton Summit, Brighton Chamber's flagship business conference. But why would a business  conference invite a soap writer?  

If there's one thing that soaps can do, it's grab your attention when telling a story. From car crashes to suspicious deaths, character resurrections to baby swaps – the unbelievable becomes believable (well, almost). That storytelling ability is something we all need in our businesses. It's what helps people remember who you are and what you do.  

Great stories don't start with a finished script; they start with an idea. We might veto ideas because they feel too risky, too different or not fully formed. To turn them into a story, they need to be challenged and explored.  

Letting go and learning the tricks of the soap writing trade is about trusting your creative instincts and not blocking your ideas before they're even formed. And often in these writing spaces, no one person creates the whole story. It's a team effort.  

So, we're bringing a soap writer to a business conference because the skills that make great television can also make a great business. There's plenty that can be learnt by looking outside your sector, your normal routine or ways of learning and thinking differently.  

Now in its 13th year, Brighton Summit: Think Differently is Brighton Chamber’s flagship event, taking place on 15 October at Brighton Dome. Pete Lawson is running an interactive afternoon hour session at Brighton Summit. Pete joins a lineup of speakers all thinking and doing things a little differently – from keynotes making waves in the hospitality sector, to interesting entrepreneurs and interactive workshops with local experts.  

Find out more here: https://www.brightonsummit.com/