About this event
This month, we have an optional members-only workshop before the main event. Scroll down for full details and tickets.
Members Workshop: From Idea to Red Dot – Getting, Delivering and Maximising a TEDx Talk
Members Only | 3:00pm – 4:30pm
Before the main event, PSA members are invited to a practical 90-minute workshop led by Dave James and Mark Saxby.
Ever thought about doing a TEDx talk? Wondered how to get one, what to do with it, or whether your idea is strong enough? Dave and Mark bring real hands-on experience of the TEDx world, and this isn’t a theory session. Expect honest insight, practical conversation, and plenty of opportunity to work on your own TEDx ambitions in the room.
To get the most from the session, you’re encouraged to watch one of Dave’s TEDx talks before you arrive – infusing this one on What Mindfulness & Meditation Can Do For Men.
What the session will explore:
- Getting clear on your idea and what makes it TEDx-worthy
- Understanding what organisers are really looking for
- What it actually takes to deliver on that stage
- Making the most of TEDx beyond the stage
Spaces are limited. Book the workshop add-on when you register for the main event.
The Main Event: Step Up, Stand Out
June is a big one. We host the Regional Heats for the Professional Speaker of the Year, with a place at the Speaking Business Summit in Oxford up for grabs, and the wonderful Jane Gunn bringing a keynote that will challenge how you think, how you show up, and how you lead from the stage.
Professional Speaker of the Year – Regional Heats
Across the PSA, this competition represents the standard of professional speaking. Whether you ever plan to compete or not, this is one of the best ways to sharpen your own speaking, simply by being in the room.
This month, our region takes its turn, and you’ll see speakers:
- Delivering polished, real-world content
- Performing under pressure
- Showcasing what it takes to be bookable at the highest level
And at the end of the night, one speaker will go on to represent the East Midlands at the national finals.
Keynote: ‘Only Dead Fish Go With The Flow’ by Jane Gunn
If you’ve ever felt like you’re following the “right” path, doing what’s expected, saying what you think you should say on stage… this session will challenge that.
In Only Dead Fish Go With The Flow, Jane brings a powerful message about thinking differently, standing out, and having the courage to go against the current.
As speakers, it’s easy to:
- Follow trends instead of leading
- Dilute our message to fit in
- Play safe rather than say what truly matters
This keynote is about breaking that pattern and will explore how to:
- Own your voice and perspective
- Challenge conventional thinking in your content
- Create talks that don’t just land, but stand out
- Build the confidence to go your own way, even when it feels uncomfortable
It’s bold, thought-provoking, and exactly the kind of perspective that helps speakers move from good to unforgettable.
Stronger Together
As a region, we continue to build on our #StrongerTogether focus. A room where people step up, take risks, and grow, supported by a community that wants to see them succeed.
This month, come for the competition, stay for the community.
Whether you’re building your speaking business or refining your craft, this is a night that will stretch you, challenge you, and move you forward.
Book your place now!
Keynote speakers
Dave James is a speaker and speaker coach, helping business owners to speak like humans – not robots – and be authentically awesome in front of any audience. He is also an entertaining event host and emcee, podcast host, and the immediate Past President for PSA Birmingham region.
The East Midlands Professional Speaker of the Year, Mark Saxby, is far more than ‘another social media expert’. A former award-winning BBC and ITV journalist, he went on to establish one of the UK’s first specialist social media agencies in 2011. Since then, Mark and his clients have generated more than £20.6 million in sales through social media.
Mark believes true success doesn’t come from simply knowing how the platforms work – it comes from knowing how to win over the people who use them.
He is also the founder of the Positive Social charity, which helps young people take back control of their lives from social media.
Jane Gunn, is an expert in the field of conflict resolution, a trained mediator and facilitator, known to her clients as “The Barefoot Mediator”. Listed as a Global Leader in Who’s Who Mediation and featured in Legal 500 Hall of Fame, she is the author of 3 popular books “How To Beat Bedlam In The Boardroom And Boredom In The Bedroom”, “The Authority Guide To Conflict Resolution” and “The Mole and The Mountain”, she has spoken at the United Nations, The White House and the European Commission.
As the world in which we live becomes increasingly focused on the global unrest created by the rise of a pandemic virus, racial inequality, terrorism, climate change, financial instability and more, people everywhere are dealing with both the external and internal sense of conflict, constant fear and uncertainty this is creating, Jane is asking:
• What can we, as individuals, do to understand and transform this conflict?
• Are we being woken up to a deeper meaning and message?
• How do we find harmony and balance in a crazy world?
Event agenda
The venue
Holiday Inn – Nottingham Castle Marina
Holiday Inn Nottingham Castle MarinaCastle Bridge Road
Nottingham
NG7 1GX Book Your Place Now!
Get in touch with the organiser
