Canterbury Business Show - Speaker List

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.

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.