ACUMEN BUSINESS

CONVENTION 2025

WELCOME TO THE
ACUMEN BUSINESS CONVENTION 2025

22 May 2025, 10.30-17.30

Grand Hotel, Brighton

The ACUMEN BUSINESS CONVENTION is back with a bang!!!
The 2024 convention was another sell-out event with nearly 300 business leaders in attendance.
So once again we are going bigger and better and are proud to present the 15th annual edition of the ACUMEN BUSINESS CONVENTION!!
World class speakers, lunch, drinks, live entertainment, a truly unique opportunity to make meaningful business connections with hundreds of executives and, of course, zebras…….
We have it all and, as always, will top it off with plenty of surprises and Acumen magic!

"the best business event out there! it’s in my diary before holiday"

Announced Speakers

Sharon Starr has been performing from a very young age in theatres and venues all over Brighton. Musical theatre is her passion, and she has played numerous roles, most recently Fairy Godmother in Brighton Family Panto’s production of Cinderella and Mother Superior in Sister Act. She has also sung in many different concerts and cabarets. When she isn’t singing, she produces all the entertainment for the Starr Trust and works as an events coordinator for E3 Events. She is very excited to be the entertainment ‘Starr’ for this year’s Acumen Business Convention.

Peter James is a UK No.1 bestselling author, best known for his Detective Superintendent Roy Grace series, now a hit ITV drama starring John Simm as the troubled Brighton copper.

Much loved by crime and thriller fans for his fast-paced page-turners full of unexpected plot twists, sinister characters, and accurate portrayal of modern day policing, he has won over 40 awards for his work including the WHSmith Best Crime Author of All Time Award and Crime Writers’ Association Diamond Dagger. In 2024, it was announced that he is the creator of Her Majesty Queen Camilla’s favourite fictional detective.

To date, Peter has written an impressive total of 20 Sunday Times No. 1s, sold over 23 million copies worldwide and been translated into 38 languages. Her Majesty Queen Camilla has announced that Detective Superintendent Roy Grace is her favourite fictional detective. His books are also often adapted for the stage, with his six stage shows grossing over £17 million at the box office – the most recent being Wish You Were Dead.

Ted Jackson was an addict, alcoholic, smoker; obese, idle and a truly loathsome individual.(think John Belushi in Animal House) A useless husband and a terrible father. With numerous car wrecks, nights in local constabularies, and or hospitals he was hardly living the dream. Twenty five sober years later life has changed. And boy has it changed..!

His notable achievements since his renaissance include singing to thousands as Principal Tenor with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, Cycling the entire Tour de France in 2006, completing Ironman UK in under 17 hours (but coming last!) and running the North Pole Marathon 3 times.

Peter James is a UK No.1 bestselling author, best known for his Detective Superintendent Roy Grace series, now a hit ITV drama starring John Simm as the troubled Brighton copper.

Carole is a Master Practitioner in Transformational Leadership, Neuro Agility, Insights, Mojo and Motivational Maps. She combines cutting-edge science and psychology with practical tools and relevant, vital ideas for action to supercharge leadership, create thriving cultures and leverage people development as a serious strategy for growth.

Organisations who have sought her expertise include Aldi, European Bank, Facebook, Fitch Group, Grosvenor, Lend Lease, Mercer, Starbucks, Tesco, Unilever, United Utilities amongst others.

Future-proof your Leadership – grow people to grow your business.

Are you a FULL POTENTIAL Leader? How serious are you about dramatically raising performance, growing your people to grow your business? If your people were to raise their game by 20% – what impact would that have on your bottom-line?
The world needs dramatically different leaders. Technical expertise is no longer enough. Know how to apply the 3 secrets to leadership success, learn the pitfalls to avoid and how to optimise everyone’s talents creating an awesome place to work.

Takeaways:

Know how you measure up as a full potential leader.
Clarity on what you can do differently to maximise your impact.
Apply the 3 secrets to leadership success and the one thing you can do to ignite more potential in others.

Managing change, overcoming adversity, self-leadership and positivity & resilience

Marc’s journey is a compelling narrative of thriving against all odds. As a 14-year-old boy, Marc was involved in a fire that left him with enduring physical and emotional scars. Instead of letting his injuries define his future, Marc made a decision very early on to manage his own recovery and leverage his experience to become a source of strength, both to himself and others. His narrative is a powerful testament to the transformative power of post-traumatic growth, to never let anything stand in your way, to look within for the resources you need to live your own life.

Marc is known as a powerful and engaging speaker, sharing his story and insights with audiences across the globe. He will use the platform to raise awareness about trauma recovery, promote mental health and wellbeing, and encourage you all to chase your dreams no matter what obstacles you may face.

Managing change, overcoming adversity, self-leadership and positivity & resilience

Penina is the author of the visionary book The Freedom Revolution, a multi award winning entrepreneur, an inspiring keynote speaker, a business lawyer and the founder of ACUMEN BUSINESS LAW and ACUMEN PEOPLE, a ‘Top 50 Innovative Law Firms in the UK and Europe’ (Financial Times).

She set up the firm on a shoestring budget, in a tough recession, with a newborn third child and a life threatening illness. What she did have, however, was an abundance of passion for making a difference in the legal industry. Her revolutionary vision, innovation and business model have been remarkably successful.

We’re thrilled to reveal our special guest for the Acumen Business Convention 2024: Kenney Jones, a renowned drummer & music icon.

Kenney has left an indelible mark on the music industry. As a founding member of The Small Faces, Faces, and later joining The Who, Kenney has been a driving force behind some of the greatest hits in rock history.

Drumming his way onto the Convention stage, Kenney will provide a one of a kind appearance – definitely not to be missed!

Speakers Arena

The story of a serial entrepreneur

Matt started Creative Pod in 2006 and has since developed his business portfolio up to The Creative Group

In his talk Matt will discuss the reality of becoming a CEO in only his mid-thirties, without a college or university degree. Matt will share how he has built up a company from the ground up based on his own merits, creative ideas, extensive network and first-hand experiences.

Succeeding in the Face of Business Uncertainty with Poker Strategies

Deborah Worley-Roberts, MBA/BSc(Hons) – Serial entrepreneur and a semi professional poker player will speak about business success, including

1. Decision making on incomplete information
2. Intuition vs Quantifying Analysis
3. Emotional control – keep that Poker Face
4. Calculated Risk Taking
5. Ethical differences in Bluffing and Lying
6. Is ego or pride stopping your success
7. Agility and changing tactics at the right times

#RepairNotReplace Movement, Challenging Our Throwaway Culture

As the founders of Upfix Appliance Repairs, Lorraine & Kausar are transforming the way we think about our appliances. Their innovative approach focuses on repairing rather than replacing, reducing waste and making a positive impact on the planet. Join Lorraine & Kausar as they take us on a journey exploring the environmental impact of appliances that don’t get repaired and the numerous benefits of choosing repair over replacement. Be part of the conversation that can reshape the approach to consumption and waste.

Always Trust Your Spider Sense

Your gut knows more than your head. It’s the best business tool you’ll ever have, so why do so many people not use it?

Rob Starr has ran SEICO Group for 33 years now and his spider sense has been more valuable to than any business plan or spreadsheet that he has had put in front of him.