Benedict Allen – Keynote Speaker

A world-renowned explorer and hard-core adventurer who can motivate and invigorate a variety of audiences. Described by the Radio Times as being ‘Britain’s most fearless man’, Benedict Allen has many fascinating and hair-raising tales to tell, which he skillfully adapts to suit his audience.

Exciting, entertaining, and inspiring though his speeches are, their underlying message is that we all have our own jungles. The office environment, the marketplace, the world economy – these are highly competitive places – never more so than now.

When speaking about triumphing in a competitive world, Benedict compares his own extraordinary experiences of survival in the most remote places on Earth, to the global ‘jungle’ we all inhabit. Themes he touches upon include learning how to react in a crisis; the value of commitment and perseverance; the importance of being flexible and able to adapt to changing circumstances; developing leadership capabilities, while also being able to listen to and learn from those around you.

Benedict Allen attracted global media attention when he encountered a string of devastating obstacles following an expedition with his indigenous friends into the heart of Papua New Guinea. Having tackled the notorious Central Range, Benedict contracted both malaria and dengue fever and then became trapped in a dense jungle where local communities were at war. A multi-national search-and-rescue mission was launched – and Benedict was at last extracted by helicopter. This adventure is the basis of Benedict’s book, Explorer: The Quest for Adventure and the Great Unknown.

Benedict Allen’s films include Birds of Paradise – The Ultimate Quest, The Skeleton Coast, The Edge of Blue Heaven, The Bones of Colonel Fawcett, Last of the Medicine Men and Ice Dogs for BBC and Expedition Africa for the History Channel.