Government Business

This year’s LIW Sport Development Week education programme features keynote speeches by some of the biggest names in sport and leisure  - Tim Byles, chief executive officer of Partnership for Schools, David Davies, former executive director of the Football Association, health club guru David Lloyd and Sport England chief executive Jennie Price included.
    
Star-studded line-up
Added to the star-studded line-up of keynote speakers and presenters in the complementary Leisure Industry Week (LIW) and National Licensed Business Show (NLBS) education programmes, and it is clear that visitors to the NEC on 25-27 September will be able to tap into an unparalleled fount of knowledge and informed opinion to enable them to be more effective and efficient in their day-to-day roles - while being entertained in style!
    
In addition, keynote addresses in the Attractions Industry Forum by Tom Wright, chief executive of VisitBritain and Bourne Leisure’s operations director Richard Bates are complemented by NLBS keynotes by licensed on-trade big guns Diageo, Enterprise Inns, Greene King Pub Partners, Luminar Leisure, Marstons, Punch Taverns and West Enterprise Inns – plus a host of International presenters in the exciting FitPro Business Conference.
    
Burning issues
As a result, the comprehensive education programme offers leisure operators and licensed on-trade professionals an unprecedented source of up-to-date and entertaining views on all the burning issues.
    
Special education presentations are also being organised by the Association of Play Industries, the Play Providers Association, Skills Active and the UK Strength & Conditioning Association – and in NLBS by SIBA (Society of Independent Brewers) and WSET (the Wine and Spirit Education trust) - so the LIW/NLBS schedule really does offer something for everyone at Europe’s biggest showcase of ‘everything for everyone in the out-of-home leisure industry’ and licensed business.
    
The LIW education programme provides an unmissable series of opportunities for leisure professionals to keep up-to-date with industry ‘hot buttons’, and while Sport England’s Jennie Price will be presenting an overview of the organisation’s quest for ‘sport in the community’, Tim Byles will be outlining the opportunities for sport within the education sector as part of his remit as head of the body responsible for delivering the Government’s Building Schools for the Future programme. In addition, his team of dedicated advisors will also be on hand to offer advice.
    
David Davies, former executive director of the Football Association will be presenting an ‘Inside look at the football industry’, and David Lloyd will discuss ‘My guide to building successful sports and leisure businesses’.
    
Presentations
Headlined by Tom Wright who will outline VisitBritain’s strategies in promoting tourism – and outlining VisitBritain’s just-announced quality accreditation and customer service initiatives -  the Attractions Industry Forum also features Richard Bates of Bourne Leisure - operators of, for example, Butlins Holiday Parks – who will provide ‘An Operations Reality Checklist’ and discuss the impact of customer opinion on visitor attractions, while Damian Powell, head of group retail and buying at The Tussauds Group, will highlight his views on retail and merchandising.
    
Another session - a debate on ‘Franchising – friend or foe?’ - will include participants from Pleasure Beach, Blackpool and Butlins, and the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) will offer much food for thought in a session entitled ‘Brainstorming is Serious Business’.
    
Other Attractions Industry Forum sessions will look at key issues relating to zoos and animal attractions, and amusement ride safety - including the launch of the revised version of the HSE guidance HSG 175 Fairgrounds and Amusement Parks - Code of Safe Practice.
    
Meanwhile, the NLBS Keynote programme in conjunction with the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers starts with a ‘Best Practice’ theme embracing the keynote session ‘The future of drinks retailing’ by David Smith, sales director of Diageo.
    
Then there’s the unmissable debates on ‘The changing landscape of the licensed trade’ by Francis Patton, customer services director of Punch Taverns, and Stephen Thomas, chief executive of Luminar Leisure.  
    
These will be complemented, for example,  by sessions entitled ‘Running a successful pub’, ‘Drug awareness’, ‘Calling the right tunes’, ‘Avoiding accident claims’ and, from Peter Wells, director Charles Wells Pub Company, his view of ‘The changing landscape of the licensed trade’.
    
Unrivalled keynote presentations
The schedule on Wednesday 26 September also includes unrivalled keynote presentations by Paul Smith, executive director of the Bar Entertainment and Dance Association – ‘Issues facing late night licensees’, and Graham Page, liquor consultant, AC Nielsen – ‘Current trends in the licensed trade’.
    
The Annual FitPro Business Conference being showcased at LIW features an exciting programme covering topics including service and retention, sales and marketing, personal training and management and, new for this year, technology. In addition, there is a special series of seminars aimed at local authorities – for example, coaching with confidence, great customer service and radical thoughts on public sector management.
    
Headed up by a special FIA keynote by Dr Steve Bull - author of ‘The Game Plan’ – the line up of FitPro speakers includes;

• Michael Scott Scudder – the “renegade” and “industry trendist” who will be talking about the breakthroughs in club management technology software and how it can help business.

• Robert Cappuccio - a leading international presenter.
  

• Dennis Kieser - fitness industry pioneer.

• Nic Jarvis - NLP Master Practitioner.

For more information
The LIW/NLBS/FitPro Programmes are just some of the special education programmes and feature areas planned for this year’s shows. Visit www.liw.co.uk and www.licensedbusiness.com for full details.