2011 Host and Speaker

Conor Woodman - 2011 Speaker

Conor Woodman is an economist, author and presenter with a fresh, relevant take on how changes in the wider world affect us all. His passion is to unravel economic issues in an accessible way - with a sense of fun and adventure. His first book Around The World in 80 Trades - The Adventure Capitalist and accompanying four-part television series for Channel 4 tell the story of how he left his job in the City, sold his London flat and embarked on a round-the-world trading adventure. Travelling through four continents over five months, he turned his hand to making a profit out of everything from camels in Sudan to inflatable surfboards in Mexico, to discover how real people make real money in real markets.

Conor's new book Unfair Trade deals with how ordinary people around the world survive at the bottom of the supply chain. By living alongside miners, farmers, factory workers and fishermen from Africa to Asia to Central America, Conor tells the stories of the real people on whom the global economy depends.

Conor is an adept public speaker at corporate events and after dinner speeches, and has spoken about his experiences at Hay-on-Wye and Edinburgh literary festivals. Conor has written for the Independent, Conde Nast Traveller and Wanderlust and is a contributor to the BBC's From Our Own Correspondent.

Louise Minchin 2011 Host

Louise Minchin is one of the BBC's top journalists and presenters. She currently presents Breakfast, the BBC One O’Clock News and Real Rescues on BBC One, and she is one of the BBC News Channel's main anchors.

Louise is also a regular guest presenter on The One Show, where she has interviewed amongst others Will Smith, Joan Collins and Meat Loaf and was levitated by Penn and Teller.

This year she will present her 4th series of Missing, on BBC One. As a result of appeals made on the programme over a dozen missing people have been reunited with their families.

In November 2009 Louise was one of 12 celebrities who took part in Around the World in 80 Days for BBC One to raise money for Children in Need. She travelled through Mongolia and South Korea and across the Pacific in a container ship with Breakfast's Bill Turnbull.

During her career as a news presenter Louise has covered the main news stories of the last decade, including the 7/7 London bombings, the UK's 2010 general election, and the BP oil spill. She presented the BBC's Ten O'clock news the day Saddam Hussein was hanged.

Louise trained as a journalist at the London College of Printing. She has a degree in Spanish from the University of St Andrews and spent a year living and working in Argentina as part of her degree.

Louise has played herself as a news presenter in Torchwood, Spooks, and Silent Witness. She has also appeared on Celebrity Mastermind, Ready Steady Cook, Celebrity Eggheads and Ask Rhod Gilbert.

Louise is a highly skilled conference facilitator and chair, and is a sought after host of award ceremonies and events.