Canterbury Business Show - Speaker List
Workshops, seminars & keynote speakers at Canterbury Business Show 18th June 2026
Coming soon...
How Great Teams Perform Under Pressure
- 12:45 to 1:30pm
Many businesses are operating in environments of constant pressure, uncertainty and change, yet sustainable high performance is not built through stress, burnout or endless firefighting. The strongest teams are those that can adapt, communicate and stay connected when challenges arise. In this insightful and practical session, Adam Daniel explores what allows teams to perform consistently under pressure, drawing on lessons from elite sport, leadership coaching and organisational development. Attendees will discover practical strategies to build trust, maintain energy, improve communication and create environments where people and performance can thrive together over the long term.
Having built and sold two businesses himself, Adam understands first-hand the pressures that come with leading people, growing teams and sustaining performance over time. Over the last two decades he has worked with global brands, senior leadership teams, entrepreneurs and athletes, helping people strengthen relationships, lead with greater self-awareness and create environments where people can do their best work. Alongside his coaching and facilitation work, Adam is also a guest lecturer on the Emerging Leaders Programme at King’s Business School. His sessions blend evidence-based thinking with real-world experience, creating conversations that are practical, engaging and immediately applicable.
From Scattergun to Strategic: How Focused Businesses Grow Faster
- 11:40am to 12:10pm
Often in business, we keep doing what we’ve always done and, as the saying goes, “If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always got.”
Many businesses end up with strategies made up of bits that have worked over the years, mixed with new ideas, all delivered in a scattergun approach, rather than through a hyper-focused strategy aligned to current goals and objectives.
Join Lydia Mckeown in this interactive session where you’ll work together to fine-tune your strategic marketing approach specifically for new business. You’ll leave with your own “New Business Growth Blueprint” and practical ideas to help you focus, grow, and scale more effectively.
About Lydia Mckeown
Lydia Mckeown is a Strategic Chartered Marketer, speaker, and Founder & Managing Director of We Do Marketing, helping ambitious businesses create focused, results-driven marketing strategies that support sustainable growth.
One of only a small number of marketers in the UK to hold Chartered Marketer status, Lydia is also the Marketing & Communications Ambassador for the Institute of Directors (IoD) Kent Region and a Level 6 tutor for a Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) accredited training provider.
Lydia regularly speaks on strategic marketing, LinkedIn, AI, and business growth, with her insights also featured by BBC Radio 4. Known for her practical, no-fluff approach, she helps businesses cut through the noise, sharpen their positioning, and build marketing strategies that actually drive results.
From Idea to Start-Up, Survival and Growth: What We Know and How It Can Be Applied in Practice
- 10.30am to 11.15am
Description of the Talk:
This session explores the entrepreneurial journey, from the genesis of an idea to starting a business, and from the struggle to survive to achieving sustainable growth in competitive and uncertain environments. Drawing on research from business and economics, the session examines the theories, data, and decision-making frameworks that shape the trajectory of businesses and their broader impact on society. Participants will see how academic findings can inform practical strategies, guide both macro- and micro-level policies, and support effective decision-making, helping entrepreneurs and policymakers translate knowledge into meaningful outcomes.
About George:
George Saridakis is Professor of Small Firms and Entrepreneurship at the University of Kent, and former Head of the Marketing, Entrepreneurship and International Business Department, Kent Business School. He holds an MSc in Economics from the University of Surrey and a PhD in Economics from the University of Essex. In addition, he pursues Philosophy as a personal interest, having completed a PGCert and an MA in the field. He is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences (FAcSS) and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA). He also holds honorary and visiting positions, including Honorary Professor at the University of the West Indies and Visiting Professor at Aston University. Professor Saridakis has published over 100 academic articles and is the author and editor of several books, book chapters, and funded reports, as well as non-technical articles in various newspapers and blogs. His research has received international media coverage. He serves on the Trustee Board of the Institute for Small Business and Entrepreneurship and acts as a track chair, and he leads the Late Career Consortium at the Academy of Management. He has received numerous research awards at conferences, and his work has been supported by leading research bodies.