About this event
This September, PSA Thames Valley turns its attention to connection – the thread running through every successful speaking business, and the focus of PSA’s 2026 national theme.
Richard Pascoe opens the evening with Advice Taken, Advice Ignored. Twenty-five years training presentation skills for clients like Carlsberg and Mattel earned him the nickname “the Guru Grandfather” – now, a decade into running his own business, he’s sharing which advice actually moved the needle, and which was best filed under “thanks, but no.”
Patrick Mercie closes with The 4 Inner Compasses of Success! His premise: most people in the room already have what they need to go further – they’re just not using all of it. Expect a practical look at aligning strengths, values and beliefs to move forward with more clarity and a lot less friction.
We’ll also have our member Showcases.
Whether you’re weighing up advice or working out what’s already working for you, this is an evening for speakers who want to grow with intention, not guesswork.
September leads into our national Speaker Business Summit in October – so let’s connect and move the needle with intention!
Keynote speakers
Richard is one of the UK’s top experts in advanced presentation skills, especially in commercial business situations.
Richard spent 18 years at Procter & Gamble, in a range of UK-based and global roles in sales, insights, and learning & development. In addition, he soon became their go-to global expert on advanced presentation skills training – becoming known as the “guru grandfather of presentation skills”.
Since 2016 Richard has shifted this ‘side hustle’ into being is sole focus. Today he runs Making Presentations. He works with large multinationals like Procter & Gamble and Carslberg, UK companies like Channel 4 and TTP, and heroic charities like the Trussell Trust and Yorkshire Cancer Research. He designs and delivers training courses, leads executive coaching and delivers keynote talks all an array of topics within making presentations – “The science and art of saying things brilliantly”.
Richard is the co-author, with Kirstie Hawkes, of “The Versatile Presenter: Master 12 styles to get the response you need” – a book that tells you how to break-out of your one fixed style of presenting and to embody any of twelve different styles. It transforms you into a truly versatile business presenter.
Patrick Mercie’s Professional Mission as an Expert Life And Career Design Coach is to get thousands of people each year to take structured steps towards ‘Having A Life While Making A Living’
He does that with in-person coaching, in 3-day boot camp programs, by working with companies on recruitment strategies, and via public speaking, radio work, workshops, and seminars.
He works from YOUR Strengths, Values, Passions, Beliefs, Impact, and Lifestyle.
Event agenda
The venue
Holiday Inn Reading South (J11, M4)
Holiday Inn Reading South (J11, M4)Basingstoke Road
Reading, RG2 0SL
Holiday Inn Reading South
Get in touch with the organiser
