TV star and entrepreneur announced as first headline speaker for Sunderland Business Week
Spencer is founder and CEO of CleanCo, the world's leading independent non-alcoholic spirits brand
Entrepreneur and TV personality Spencer Matthews has been announced as the first headline speaker for Sunderland Business Week.
The annual event, which will run from October 12-16, showcases the city’s development as a thriving entrepreneurial hub and a “dynamic place to do business”.
Spencer is an entrepreneur, endurance athlete and health advocate, who rose to fame for his role on hit TV show Made in Chelsea, and has since appeared on numerous TV shows and podcasts.
He is the founder and CEO of CleanCo, the world's leading independent non-alcoholic spirits brand, which he launched in 2019. Inspired by his own journey into sobriety, the company offers alcohol-free alternatives to gin, rum, tequila, whiskey and vodka.
Spencer has also achieved remarkable feats as an endurance athlete, holding three Guinness World Records, including completing Ironman-distance triathlons across all seven continents in just 21 days.
He also featured in the hit Disney+ documentary Finding Michael which followed Spencer's journey to Everest's treacherous "Death Zone" to recover the body of his older brother, Michael Matthews, the youngest Briton to summit the mountain at age 22, before tragically disappearing on the mountain in 1999.
Spencer will be bringing his insights on resilience, purpose-driven leadership and personal transformation to SunFest, a day-long event at The Fire Station and Culture House on Thursday, October 15.
The day is part of Sunderland Business Week - running for a sixth successive year - and aims to inspire enterprises from across the region, with a host of engaging speeches and sessions from high-profile business leaders and personalities who have pushed boundaries in their field.
Rob Lawson OBE, chair of Sunderland Business Partnership, said: “We’re delighted that Spencer will be taking part in this year’s event.
“Last year we introduced something new with SunFest and the feedback from the events was so good that we are bringing it back again. It will be a fantastic day of talks, workshops and networking in an impressive setting. I’m sure demand will be high, so I’d recommend people take advantage of the early bird offer.”
Cllr James Jackson, Portfolio Holder for Business, Regeneration and Housing at Sunderland City Council, added: “Sunderland Business Week is an excellent opportunity for us all to showcase what a great place the city is to do business. We’re pleased that it’s back again and look forward to another fantastic week of events and activity with something of interest for businesses of all sizes.”
Sunderland Business Week is sponsored by Sunderland City Council, North East BIC, NatWest, Robson Laidler, Ward Hadaway, Sunderland College, Gentoo, Creo Comms, Sunderland AFC, and Sunderland’s Business Improvement Districts.
Early bird tickets for SunFest, which provides access to the full day of activity and includes a lunch voucher, are now on sale at a discounted price of £90.
More headline speakers are set to be announced in the coming weeks.
You can find out more, and buy tickets on the Sunderland Business Week website.
Previous headline speakers have included Gary Neville, Sara Davies, and Heather Mills.