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Multi-millionaire Diet Chef to star at Darlington forum

Two hundred entrepreneurs will be descending on the Tees Valley on Thursday for one of the biggest business events the area has hosted.

The Entrepreneurs’ Forum is taking its Fortune Favours the Brave conference to the south of the region for the first time.

Business owners from across the region will come together at Rockliffe Hall Hotel, near Darlington, to hear a line-up of inspirational speakers share their stories.

They will include Kevin Dorren (pictured), a trained chef and founder of Diet Chef, the UK’s leading delivered diet company with 50,000 customers across the UK and Ireland and turnover of £15m.

The conference is taking place during Global Entrepreneurship Week and is being supported by Tees Valley Unlimited, the Local Enterprise Partner for Tees Valley.

Forum chief executive Nicola Short said: “We are really excited at the prospect of bringing this major business event to the Tees Valley and promise a special day packed with powerful ideas, knowledge and fresh thinking in the company of fellow entrepreneurs.

“We have an outstanding line-up, but that’s not all delegates will gain from attending. Our conference is also about being inspired by the people in the room, about learning, soaking up the wisdom of others and making new and potentially invaluable connections.”

Other speakers include:

• Professor Chris van der Kuyl, chairman of Tayforth Consulting and the Scottish Entrepreneurial Exchange. Described by Sir Tom Hunter as “one of the most talented CEOs of his generation”, Chris grew his first business, VIS Entertainment plc, out of a bedroom to become a global player in the creation of leading-edge entertainment property for computer, television and video games platforms worldwide;
• Sara Davies, a leading figure in the crafting retail industry who founded County Durham-based Crafter’s Companion while still at university and has grown it into a global business;
• Liam Halligan, a leading economist, journalist and broadcaster who has written for national press and TV documentaries and presented Wake up to Money on BBC Five Live.

A final hit of motivation will come from Steve Black, sports coach and mental visualisation guru, who, together with his protégé England World Cup star Jonny Wilkinson, formed one of sport’s seminal partnerships.

The conference runs from 8am-5pm on Thursday. For more information, visit www.entrepreneursforum.net or call 0191 500 7780.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Martin Walker .