Press Release | 10 May 2021

Vodafone lines up inspirational entrepreneurs and business leaders to speak at inaugural #ThoseWhoDare digital conference for SMEs

Vodafone Business announces #ThoseWhoDare, a week-long online event for SMEs featuring exclusive discussions with over 30 of the most dynamic and game-changing entrepreneurs operating today.

  • Inspirational list of British speakers includes Matchroom Sports Chairman Eddie Hearn, Michelin lauded chef Tom Sellers and private investment firm boss Ric Lewis.

United Kingdom: Matchroom Sports Chairman and boxing promoter Eddie Hearn, leading British chef Tom Sellers, and beauty entrepreneur Sharmadean Reid are just a few of the visionary business leaders and entrepreneurs who are scheduled to speak at Vodafone’s inaugural #ThoseWhoDare event during May 2021.

Kicking off on 17 May, #ThoseWhoDare is a week-long digital event bringing together 30 visionary and game changing entrepreneurs, business leaders and partners from around Europe to share their daring stories on business management to inspire small and medium-sized business leaders.

Attendees will hear from over 30 leading entrepreneurs across the week including boxing promoter Eddie Hearn, restaurateur Tom Sellers, financier Ric Lewis, fashion CEO Adam Brown and sustainable food brand owner Jenny Costa.

The fast-paced event will take place for one hour each day (10am-11am) and will feature bite-sized keynotes covering themes including staying resilient; shifting social attitudes and customer behaviors; the importance of sustainability, data and digital; and cultivating an inclusive workplace.

Day one will see newly appointed Matchroom Sports Chairman Eddie Hearn discussing his career to date, and approach to business management, with Vodafone UK Business Director Anne Sheehan.

The event will also feature talks from senior leadership at other leading organisations including Spotify, Google and Porsche.

Anne Sheehan, Business Director, Vodafone UK, said: “SMEs are the lifeblood of our economy, and the business community needs to come together to support them. The past 12 months have been especially hard for SME leaders, many of whom have had to put their long-term goals on hold while they steady the ship and ride out the storm.

“This event brings together a huge range of inspirational individuals who have faced and overcome challenges to help inspire SMEs now and into the future.”

#ThoseWhoDare is a week-long digital event running from 17 – 21 May, 10am-11am BST daily.

Register your attendance.

-ENDS-

Notes to Editors

#ThoseWho Dare Daily Themes:

Monday 17 May: Business Resilience

Powerful stories of resilience, with real-life examples designed to help businesses thrive.

Running your own business means never losing your edge. But while resilience doesn’t always come easy, it’s vital to ensure that you’ll continue to thrive – no matter what life throws at you. Daring and ambitious leaders will share how they bounced back during the tough times to emerge stronger.

Tuesday 18 May: Changing social attitudes and customer behaviours

Learning to change the game to keep pace with ever-shifting customer demand.

As the world around us changes, so do consumers. Businesses are under continuous pressure to meet these new demands, but keeping up is a hard task to master. Leaders will discuss what consumer habits might look like in a post-pandemic world, and how they have changed the game to meet the challenge.

Wednesday 19 May: Sustainability

No longer a nice-to-have, but a must-have. How to make sustainability part of your business.

Many consumers say they would buy things differently to reduce their impact on the environment. So, for businesses to succeed today, they must keep this topic front-of-mind. Find out how experts embed sustainability into their day-to-day operations – in a way that’s both practical and affordable.

Thursday 20 May: Data and digital

Hear how digital skills have helped businesses reduce costs and boost efficiency.

Businesses of all sizes have one thing in common: they need to be digital to survive. The right data provides a better understanding of who your customers are and what they want, how to minimise your costs, and how to make your business run smoother.

Friday 21 May: Talent and retention

How keeping staff happy, fulfilled and motivated is crucial to success – whether you’re the boss of one, or of many.

Cultivating a workplace that is inclusive, educational and geared towards employees’ health and wellbeing can feel like a lot to handle, but it needs to be done. Hear how pioneers are nurturing talent, and how it builds winning businesses.

Follow @VodafoneUKNews on Twitter.

About Vodafone UK

Vodafone UK is a technology communications company that connects people, businesses and devices to help our customers benefit from digital innovation. Our services span mobile, fixed-line connections, home and office broadband, and the Internet of Things (IoT).

We have a strong track record as a tech pioneer, making the UK’s first mobile phone call, sending the first text message, and making the UK’s first live holographic call using 5G in 2018. We were the first to start carrying live 5G traffic from a site in Salford, Greater Manchester and now have 5G in locations across Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain as well as the UK. Meanwhile, our 4G network coverage currently reaches over 99% of the UK population.

Today, Vodafone serves more than 18 million mobile and fixed-line customers in the UK. Vodafone is the largest provider of full fibre in the UK – our superfast broadband services are now available to nearly 12 million homes across the UK.

Sustainability is also at the heart of what we do: as of 1 July 2021, 100% of the grid electricity we use in the UK is certified to be from renewable sources.

For more information about Vodafone UK, please visit: www.vodafone.co.uk.

Vodafone UK Media Relations

Telephone: +44 (0) 1635 693 693

Email: ukmediarelations@vodafone.com

Twitter: @VodafoneUKNews

Website: https://vodafone.co.uk/newscentre/

Vodafone Limited

Registered Office: Vodafone House, The Connection, Newbury, Berkshire RG14 2FN

Registered in England No: 1471587