Yorkshire International Business Convention announces latest addition to speaker line-up

The latest speaker for the Yorkshire International Business Convention (YIBC) has been announced. Brian Kalma, of Zappo.com, is the latest addition to the line-up for the popular convention.

Zappo.com, based in Nevada, US, shot from a start up business to an enormous $1.2bn turnover company in 10 years selling shoes and accessories online. The organisation believes its cutting edge use of social media and dedication to customer service lie at the heart of its success.
Brian Kalma, who has been chosen to represent Zappo.com at the Convention, joined the company in 2003 and is responsible for their User Experience and Web Strategy.

Following the success of last year’s ‘Can do!’ theme this year continues with the positive message, with YIBC returning as ‘Can do! 2’.

The event already has other big names confirmed, including Michelle Mone, co-owner of MJM International and creator of Ultimo, Brian Blessed, writer and actor and the UK’s own authentic business guru and leading business speaker, René Carayol.

Mike Firth, founder of YIBC, said: “We’re thrilled that Brian will be joining us. Zappo.com is a hugely successful business that has had an enormous amount of success in its first 10 years. It’s an incredible story. We will look forward to hearing all about the company’s remarkable journey.

“There are still some big names left to announce, including our headline speaker, so make sure you save the date.”

This year’s YIBC is on Friday 11th June 2010.

(ENDS)

Media Information: For more information please contact Simon Taylor on (01482) 869553.

Links
www.yibc.biz/
www.bizweek.biz

Notes to Editors

What is Zappos.com?

Zappos.com is the multi-award winning online shoe and accessories retailer, based in Nevada, that’s gone from start up to $1.2bn in 10 years.

Counterintuitive human resource strategies, leading edge social media saviness and hyper attention to customer service lie at the heart of its success. The Company is fanatical about great service – not just satisfying customers, but amazing them.

Zappos has mastered the art of telephone service – a black hole for most internet retailers. Its smart, entertaining call-centre employees are free to do whatever it takes to make you happy. There are no scripts, no time limits on calls, no robotic behaviour and legendary stories about Zappos and its customers abound.

About Brian Kalma

Brian Kalma joined Zappos.com in 2003 and is responsible for Zappos.com's User Experience and Web Strategy. Brian focuses on ensuring anything that has an approval stamp in it truly supports the Zappos.com value proposition and is always "Zappos-like."

During Brian’s first five years at Zappos he helped build Zappos’ Creative Services department. The Creative Services department incubated several groups including Product Photography/Image Processing, Design, Front-End Development and eventually User Experience. He recently pulled the UX team out of Creative Services and now focuses on UX/Web Strategy exclusively.

Business Week and YIBC in the Humber

Business Week in the Humber was an idea that followed on from a chance meeting by Paul Sewell (MD at Sewell Group – www.sewell-group.co.uk) and Mike Firth (www.yibc.biz) on a trade mission to China more than six years ago.

At that time, Mike was already running the hugely successful YIBC in Harrogate. The event has drawn some extremely high profile people to the region, including: George Bush Snr, Bill Clinton, Colin Powell, Bob Geldof, Rev Jesse Jackson, Desmond Tutu and many others. 1,500 people from all over Yorkshire flock to Harrogate year after year to see some of the world’s most inspiring speakers.

The YIBC strap line is inspiring people, inspiring people. Mike and YIBC certainly inspired Paul Sewell who, with partners in the public and private sectors, decided to bring their very own version of the event to Hull. In the early days, YIBC Hull and Humber was a live broadcast from Harrogate attracting over 600 business people – joining the two events via a satellite link.

However, Paul was keen to build on the good things that had made Harrogate so successful over the previous 10 years and worked hard to create a week-long celebration of business called: Business Week and the YIBC Humber. In its formative years, the week consisted of a few fringe events and incorporated the Chamber Expo, with YIBC finishing the week off. In 2009, there were more than 30 events, right across the Humber area (including Grimsby, Scunthorpe, Goole and Bridlington) with more than 10,000 attendees overall. Sir Robin Knox- Johnson, Alastair Campbell, Tony Benn, Professor Peter Spencer, Digby, Lord Jones of Birmingham, Martin Bayfield, Hamish Taylor, David Hall, Yogesh Chauhan and Tim Sanders are just a few of the people who participated in 2009. Business Week Humber is thought to be the only week-long event of its kind in Europe.

YIBC Hull and Humber has been a live event for the last three years, with speakers flown between the two venues and in 2009 it was held at the newly refurbished Bridlington Spa. 650 business people from across the sub-region packed the Spa for to see the likes of John Cleese, Dave Stewart (former Eurythmics guitarist), Matt (cartoonist from the Daily Telegraph), Tim Smit (Eden Project), Tracy Edwards (skippered the first all female crew to victory in a round the world yacht race) and Tim Sanders (a leadership ‘guru’) . Hailed a huge success at a purpose built venue, YIBC will take place at Bridlington Spa again in 2010. This year’s event will take place on Friday 11 June 2010.

The search for a headline speaker in 2010 is now on although four big names have now been announced.