| Main Performers | George Cox,
Christopher Beale,
Sir Richard Branson (Virgin),
Sir Terence Conran,
Brendan Barber,
Sir George Mathewson,
Baroness Margaret Thatcher [video and brief appearance on stage]
Sir Steve Redgrave,
Dr Edwin 'Buzz' Aldrin,
David Varney,
Digby Jones,
Andrew Marr,
David Frost,
Andrew Main Wilson - speakers |
| Set List | A Hundred Years of Human Endeavour:
Speech (George Cox),
Progress through human endeavour:
Interview (Sir Richard Branson, Andrew Main Wilson),
Interview (Sir Terence Conran, Andrew Main Wilson),
Speech (Sir George Mathewson),
Video Interview (Baroness Thatcher, Andrew Main Wilson),
Speech (Sir Steve Redgrave)
LUNCH
Speech (Dr Buzz Aldrin),
The Business Future:
Presentation of IoD Forecaster of the Year (Christopher Beale),
Differing Perspectives on British Business (Alastair Stewart - Chair, George Cox; Digby Jones; David Frost; Brendon Barber)
Speech (David Varney),
Speech (Andrew Marr) |
| Performance Notes | Exhibitors at the event included acas, Age Positive, Beneficial, Beso, IOD, Enterprise Insight, Hamilton Direct Bank, ICSA, IOD Membership,KPMG, MRI Worldwide, norcrosse bell, Norwich Union, Nuexcom, dti, IoDhub, Toshiba, WJB Chiltern.
Lady Thatcher's interview can be found at www.margaretthatcher.org. Her ending remark was "The Institute of Directors must continue to argue the case for enterprise, and with passion. That has been the vital role of the Institute of Directors in the past, and it will remain so while there are political forces in Britain whose traditions are plainly anti-business. I hope your members will keep up the fight and that your conference is a great success."
"Buzz Aldrin, the guest of honour at the Institute of Directors' annual convention, looked dapper in his moon-and-stars tie.
Three thousand sets of hairs rose on three thousand necks as we witnessed the thunderous, familiar yet inspiring footage of a Cape Canaveral blast-off. We were in the presence of history; Aldrin didn't disappoint. Within 20 seconds he received a warm round of applause as he skilfully blended moon-walking, the centenaries of the IoD and heavier-than-air flight with a recollection of the Battle of Britain. True, he did wax lyrical: 'The magnificent desolation of the moon bathed in the soft glow of Earth hanging like a space flower.' But as he has actually been there, he can get away with it.
Aldrin's main theme was guaranteed to interest any business audience: the need to take risks. And he didn't flinch from confronting difficult areas. He talked about February's Columbia tragedy: 'But space travel is always dangerous.' And in life, he averred: 'No meaningful success comes without the opportunity to fail. The only obstacles are complacency and lack of clear commitment.' It was a convincing presentation."
(Khalid Aziz, Management Today, 1 July 2003) |
| Related Archival Material | Programme (RAHE/1/2003/25),
Autograph Book (RAHE/8/1/3),
Digital Photographs |