Yorkshire International Business Conference: The Frost report on a TV lifetime face to face with the world's leaders

THEY couldn't bring the last American president to this year's Yorkshire International Business Convention so the organisers went for the next best thing.

"We got the guy who has interviewed the last seven," said Mike Firth, introducing Sir David Frost, veteran political journalist and broadcaster.

The 71-year-old has probably interviewed more of the world's leaders than any other living correspondent. But rather than use his keynote address to shed light on his skirmishes with the 20th-century's most powerful men, Sir David chose to humour his guests with a series of anecdotes that would not have been out of place in an after-dinner speech.

He finally got to Richard Nixon, the former US president and subject of his most famous interview which inspired the recent Hollywood film.

"Nixon," said Sir David, "had a long political career, but still found it difficult making a bridge with people, like there was a screen between him and other people."

Sir David was happy to hand over editorial control to the makers of the Frost/Nixon film as "it was better that it was not Frost on Frost but somebody else on Frost", he said.

The person he would most like to have interviewed was Sir Denis Thatcher, whom he praised for "a fantastic sense of humour" and faultless behaviour as consort to Margaret Thatcher.

"He was there when he was needed and never there when he wasn't."

The best interviewers always listen, do their homework, seize on follow-up questions and find subjects who are fascinating, revealed Sir David.

He told the Yorkshire Post he had tried to avoid becoming cynical during a lifetime spent interviewing politicians.

"One thing that you can very easily do is to be affected by how old you are. When I was 20 or whatever, some politician of 40 looked more impressive than he probably was because he was 20 years old than me.

"When you are interviewing someone the same age who you actually got drunk with at university, and then you go to the point when you are actually older, then it is very easy to take the view that the standard of politician is dropping when, in fact, it is that your age is rising."

Mike Firth, the organiser, said he had hoped to bring George W Bush to the convention, but his advisers had been worried about security.

He had also been in talks with Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Governor of California, which were ultimately unsuccessful although he hopes to revive these for next year.

Nearly 900 people attended in Harrogate, while 600 attended in Bridlington.

"We need great days like this to inspire us to action," said Mr Firth. "My sense is Yorkshire is going to bounce back this year."

YP rating: 6.5/10

Given that he has interviewed some of the most powerful men in the world, the audience of business leaders might have appreciated some more insights into the characteristics of leadership.

The amazing life of Brian

Brian Blessed

ACTOR Brian Blessed evoked Britain's triumph over fascism as he called on Yorkshire businesses to fight the recession.

The Mexborough-born miner's son said the teamwork displayed during the Battle of Britain, as well the support he received as an explorer, showed the true strength of the national character which would be needed again in order to come out of the slump.

"It's all teamwork. If you can get a man of 71 up Everest without oxygen, and it be a world record, or a man to the North Pole without oxygen, it requires teamwork, and I feel we are going to make it.

"Britain has been through the second world war. We had the

Battle of Britain, we beat the Germans and our Navy beat the German wolf packs, the third Army beat Rommel in the desert. We are fighting people."

Mr Blessed, 73, said a love of life motivated him to keep attempting physical feats – he has completed 300 hours in a space simulator in Moscow – and said he was inspired by his father. "My dad was a Yorkshire coal miner, and he once was an opening fast bowler for Yorkshire."

The star of Flash Gordon, who was wearing Nelson Mandela's shirt given to him after climbing Africa Face on Table Mountain, also lavished praise on the strength of the region's businesses before going on to recite the inspirational St Crispin's Day speech from Henry V.

"I don't think there any better businessmen than Yorkshire businessmen.

"We hold the country together. They are a bit soft down south. All they do is take profits."

YP Rating 9/10

A stirring mix of Shakespeare, song and comic anecdotes to inspire the audience to beat the slump.

Woman who defied the odds

Michelle Mone

MODEL, mother, entrepreneur and mentor. Michelle Mone has been many things in her 37 years, and many of them came after a battle against the odds.

The Glaswegian founder of Ultimo, the upmarket lingerie label, overcame family illness, a lack of qualifications and then a miserly back manager.

Today, with her husband, Michael, she runs MJM International, a 55m business, and has also served on the board of the The Prince's Scottish Youth Business Trust.

Mrs Mone, who left school at 15 after a blood vessel and spinal cord disorder left her father paralysed, became a model and then had her first child.

It was only later, after struggling with several other business ideas, that an "uncomfortable" Wonderbra spurred her on to invent a new type of bra.

As Mrs Mone tried to establish her business, she ran up debts of 420,000. She spoke of how, several years earlier, her bank had been on the point of withdrawing its backing for her when a rival institution stepped in with funding.

Since then, she has built up a business with four factories in China, an office in Hong Kong and models including Helena Christiansen, Mel B and Katie Price, as well as Rod Stewart's girlfriend, Penny Lancaster, later replaced by his ex-wife and supermodel, Rachel Hunter, leading to a very public spat.

It did little to harm Mrs Mone, however, and she urged would-be entrepreneurs to get started today.

"The opportunity is when the the bigger companies are cutting back and not spending. Then's your time to start a business."

YP Rating 8/10

Tough, witty and plain-speaking, Michelle Mone managed a rare feat – silencing hundreds of businessmen.

Vital decisions that prevented a tragedy

Peter Burkill

IT takes a lot of courage to get on stage and speak in front of hundreds of business people – but it takes a lot more, as well as some quick-thinking, to avert disaster when your aeroplane is plummeting to earth.

Pilot Peter Burkill, who was in charge of a Boeing 777 when it suffered a double engine failure on the way into London Heathrow, had only 30 seconds to come up with a plan to save all 152 people on board from certain death.

His talk was the story of the most extraordinary flight of his life. The subject matter was serious, saying goodbye to his wife and children when he thought he wouldn't make it, and mentally calculating the death toll – from "everybody's a goner" to saving passengers at the front and middle of the plane – but got more emotional as he went on. The lessons for business men and women in Harrogate was, of course, about taking vital decisions when under extreme stress. Mr Burkill, who has since left British Airways amid suggestions of a "whispering campaign" against him, described his sense of disbelief as, mid-air, he contemplated the prospect of crashing.

"This cannot be happening. The aircraft was not showing any warnings... If it does happen, it has to happen to someone else."

Mr Burkill and his co-pilot, First Officer John Coward, landed the plane without the loss of a single life. Their work made headlines around the world but they have not experienced the same acclamation as Captain Chesley Sullenberger III, the American who was feted by politicians after making an emergency landing on the River Hudson in New York.

YP Rating 6/10: Calm, cool and brave, Peter Burkill was a likeable, if subdued, speaker.

That something special that spells success

Ren Carayol

PEOPLE at the top of organisations should think about leadership, culture and personality if they want their businesses to flourish in the 21st century, according to Ren Carayol.

Born in Gambia, the son of a diplomat held executive positions at Marks & Spencer and Pepsi before embarking on a second career as a business speaker, author and broadcaster.

Mr Carayol told delegates that the biggest challenge facing businesses is the culture of an organisation and said BP's woes in the Gulf of Mexico result from its cost-cutting culture.

Business people should "manage a little less and lead a little more", accept "their heritage will not be their destiny" and realise "culture is more powerful than strategy", he added.

Mr Carayol said organisations get "fat" in good times and recessions present the opportunity for companies to get back in shape and "think a bit tougher".

"Now is the time to think about doing things a bit more differently." He added: "If you have nothing unique, special or different about you, basically you are in trouble."

He added: "In tough times, you need the leadership. What makes you special is leadership. People in this room are good at management. Management is a responsibility for others. Leadership is a responsibility to others."

Too many people work in bland, neutral organisations that stand for nothing, he said. For companies to succeed, they must engender values that appeal to the best people.

YP rating: 6/10

Ren Carayol's performance commanded attention, but tended towards platitudes and soundbites.

If you want good service, 'go to the United States'

Chris Hutcheson

A VISIT to a proctologist – and all the dubious jokes that come with it – sounds more like subject matter for a student revue than a major business convention but it got Chris Hutcheson thinking about customer service.

The father-in-law and business partner of chef Gordon Ramsay, who previously ran a printing business for 30 years, went on a comic, if slightly long, polemic about businesses which don't pay enough attention to the people who buy their products.

"If you are dealing with a company that starts with the name British, then God-help you because they won't."

His ire wasn't preserved for plane and train companies, however. Shopping online, the DVLA, insurance firms and everyone's favourite bugbear – the banks – came in for a polite thrashing.

His most vivid tale was of a difference of opinion with a taxi driver which led to a confrontation between Mr Hutcheson and an "enormous fat potato with a sledgehammer of a first in my face".

Afterwards, he told the Yorkshire Post: "The best place for customer service is the States; the worst, continental Europe."

Mr Hutcheson also urged would-be entrepreneurs to try out their ideas, saying it is always challenging to set up a business, whatever the general economic climate.

"There is nothing easy about it. It needs certain individuals to take the ball and run with it. However difficult times are, there will always be an opportunity."

YP Rating 6/10

Chris Hutcheson was funny but surely there was more to tell us about the secrets of good customer service, as well as of life with Gordon Ramsey.