The Business Day lines up Live Aid music legend as star speaker

The KCOM-sponsored networking event, which will be held at Bridlington Spa on Friday, 8 June, will welcome Sir Bob who is best known as the frontman for The Boomtown Rats and his charity work organising global events such as Live Aid.

The singer replaces the previously announced headline speaker, Joanna Lumley, who has been forced to withdraw due to changing filming schedules for her latest documentary project.

Councillor Stephen Parnaby, leader of East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said: “Sir Bob Geldof is a fantastic addition to our programme of speakers for The Business Day. The event is billed as a day of discovery and insight for business people – and who better than Sir Bob to deliver a unique world insight that, I have no doubt, people will be eager to hear.”

The Business Day is expected to welcome 650 business leaders from across the region for a day of networking and thought provoking presentations.

BBC Breakfast presenter Naga Munchetty will host the proceedings which will also feature speeches from social entrepreneur Josh Littlejohn and Yorkshire cricketing legend Geoffrey Boycott.

Andrew Aldis, general manager of Bridlington Spa, said, “As a venue manager and event producer, who was a teenager in the 1980s, it’s hard to describe the pride I feel in sharing space with Sir Bob Geldof for a few hours.

“The Band Aid single and Live Aid events were pivotal moments that focussed the attention of teenagers like me on the plight of those suffering through the Ethiopian famine and that focus led me to an interest in current and world affairs that persists to this day.”

Sir Bob rose to fame thanks to his music career, which began with The Boomtown Rats in 1975, and is known for hit singles such as Lookin’ After No. 1, Rat Trap and I Don’t Like Mondays.

It was during the Ethiopian famine in 1984 that he turned his attention to charity work, organising Band Aid and the fundraising event Live Aid. He received a knighthood in 1986 in recognition of his charity work.

Away from the music industry the singer has also established himself as a successful entrepreneur.

He co-owned Planet 24, the television production company that launched The Big Breakfast in 1992 and also founded online travel agent Deckchair.com and documentary film production company Ten Alps Communications.

Today, he continues his charity work; having recently completed Geldof in Africa for the BBC, during which he travelled through West, Central and East Africa. He has also written a number of articles for publications including Time magazine.

At Bridlington, he will be using his experiences to talk in “an informative, provocative and entertaining way about a variety of topics”  world politics, current affairs, music, humanitarian issues, philanthropy, poverty, human rights and Brexit.

To book your place at The Business Day visit www.bridspa.com/thebusinessday