Published: August 12, 2024 | Updated: 12th August 2024
A global climate change consultant and social entrepreneur has been announced as the headliner of this year’s Dorset Business Festival Conference.
Benita Matofska is set to appear at the event – with the theme of ‘business as a force for good’ – on October 9 in Bournemouth.
She will be joined as keynote speaker by political analyst and president of The Jobs Foundation, Lord Matthew Elliott.
Broadcaster Declan Curry will host the conference, which also includes panel debates, question and answer sessions, networking and presentations.
It is one of the highlights of the Dorset Chamber-organised Business Festival – the largest event of its kind in the region – over two weeks from September 30 to October 10.
Ian Girling, Dorset Chamber chief executive, said: “We are thrilled to secure Benita as a keynote speaker.
“She is a world-leading orator, change maker and climate change consultant who has worked with some of the world’s most forward-thinking businesses.
“She joins Lord Elliott and Declan Curry as the headlines names at the top of an exceptional line-up of speakers and panellists at what will be a thought-provoking and valuable conference for businesses.”
Declan Curry
Benita, the author of groundbreaking book ‘Generation Share’, helps businesses navigate economic, social and environmental changes.
She is described as a ‘sustainability innovator, conscious leadership and future business consultant’ who is ‘driven by a passion to ‘create global change and transform business into a force for good’.
Matthew Elliott has worked on UK public policy for nearly 25 years, including overseeing two national referendum campaigns, founding four high profile pressure groups and convening policy commissions.
The Jobs Foundation is a registered charity that champions the role of business as a force for good. It is building a broad coalition of business leaders across the country to tackle poverty and advance social mobility.
Panels at the conference include:
This year’s Dorset Business Festival returns after 2023’s highly successful event.
It includes a Festival Expo on October 2, the conference on October 9 and the Dorset Business Awards on October 1 – all at the Hilton Hotel in Bournemouth.
There will also be a festival breakfast on September 30 at Rick Stein’s restaurant at Sandbanks.
Dorset Chamber is organising the extravaganza during its 75th anniversary year.
Grant Esterhuizen (left) of Lester Aldridge and Ian Girling.
The festival is supported by Premier Festival Partner Lester Aldridge and Festival Partners Blue Sky Financial Planning, Bournemouth and Poole College, Dorset Council, ElectriX and YMCA Bournemouth.
Dorset Chamber, with nearly 700 members representing 37,000 employees, has a vision of ‘enabling better lives through business’.
Its Business Festival is open to all businesses, including non-members.
Visit https://dorsetchamber.co.uk/business-as-a-force-for-good-conference/ for more information about the conference and to book tickets.
