Radio 1’s Jamie Laing – co-founder of gourmet confectionary brand Candy Kittens – and LadBible and UniLad founder Alex Partridge have been announced as headline speakers for a North East business event.
The duo will be part of the line up for SunFest, the headline event taking place during this year’s Sunderland Business Week, running from 13 – 17 October.
Jamie is a British media personality, entrepreneur, and presenter, who rose to fame for his role on hit TV show, Made in Chelsea, and more recently his successful business ventures.
He is the founder of podcast production company Jampot Productions and Candy Kittens – the fastest growing confectionary company in Europe. Jamie is the host of a prime BBC Radio 1 Show, has appeared on Strictly Come Dancing, and recently ran an astonishing 150 miles between London and Salford in five days, in aid of Red Nose Day 2025.
Alex, one of the pioneers of social media content as we know it, founded LADBible and UNILAD aged 21. They would go on to be two of the most popular social news and entertainment internet companies in the world, with an astonishing following of 100 million people around the globe.
After being diagnosed with ADHD in later life, Alex launched the ADHD Chatter podcast, with each episode featuring diverse experiences and expert insights, aiming to combat stigma and provide support. In just a year, ADHD Chatter had grown to reach over 1 million listeners with 100,000 monthly downloads.
The pair will be taking to the stage at SunFest, a day-long event at Sheepfolds Stables on Thursday 16 October.
They will be joined by North East Mayor Kim McGuiness and a GB Team athlete who will be named shortly.
The day will also include live talks on everything from AI to emotional intelligence and workshops on business development to social media marketing, as well as live music and performances.
Early bird tickets for SunFest, which provide access to the full day of activity, are now on sale at a discounted price of £75.
The day is part of Sunderland Business Week – running for a fifth successive year having previously been called Sunderland Business Festival – 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.
The full week’s line-up will be announced over the coming weeks – details will be available at www.sbweek.co.uk
The event is being organised by Sunderland Business Partnership, a collective of organisations – large and small – all with an interest in the city’s development, creating opportunities for members to collaborate and grow, which in turn helps Sunderland to be a more dynamic destination for business.
Rob Lawson OBE, chair of Sunderland Business Partnership, said: “We’re delighted that Jamie and Alex will be taking part in this year’s event.
“We’re looking to do something a bit different with the addition of SunFest, which will be a fantastic day of talks, performances and networking in a lively, high-energy setting. I’m sure demand will be high so I’d recommend people take advantage of the early bird offer.”
Sunderland Business Week is sponsored by Sunderland City Council, North East BIC, Nat West, Ward Hadaway, Sunderland College, Sheepfolds Stables, Richard Reed, Sunderland BIDs, Sunderland AFC, New Results and Creo Communications.
Patrick Melia, chief executive of Sunderland City Council, said: “We’re always keen to showcase the great things that are already happening in Sunderland and also highlight the opportunities there are going to be in the future.
“Sunderland Business Week provides a great opportunity to shine a spotlight on what a fantastic city this is to do business in.”
To buy tickets for SunFest or for the latest updates on Sunderland Business Week visit www.sbweek.co.uk.