Penderyn Distillery boss Stephen Davies and Mark Boddington – part of the famous Boddington’s beer dynasty and managing director of Silverlining furniture in Wrexham – will be among the speakers at the Business @ Bangor event on November 29.

The day is a celebration of the achievements of the much-lauded 20Twenty Business Growth and ION Leadership programmes, based at Bangor University.

They will be joined at Venue Cymru, Llandudno, by 20Twenty founder Professor Brian Morgan and up to 150 representatives from company’s across North Wales.

Benjamin Owen, managing director of Mochdre gym and health firm Fast Way to Fitness, is also set to attend and plans to deliver a unique workshop on Transformational Leadership.

“We are really looking forward to appearing at the conference and having the opportunity to talk about leadership in different working environments, and the impact it can have on staff and results,” said Benjamin, a health coach for 15 years.

“We look at how owners and managers can transform their business and help coach them to be better leaders by focusing on their own performance in an engaging environment, with quizzes, interaction with the audience and a stimulating discussion.

“It’s going to be a fascinating day and I’m sure of great value to many companies in the region.”

Mr Davies and Professor Morgan led an insightful discussion for 20Twenty on leadership and entrepreneurship in Wrexham over the summer and are united once again to share stories of how the award-winning Penderyn Distillery – which Professor Morgan also founded – went on to international success.

There will be an opportunity to ask questions and find out more about future plans, including a proposed retail outlet, visitor centre and training hub in Llandudno.

Mr Boddington will also be available for a Q&A, where the audience can discover more about Silverlining; the company has seen some of its creations sent to the most exclusive residences in the world, from Dallas to Dubai, Moscow to Mayfair, as well as celebrities including Kevin Costner and the late David Bowie.

20Twenty and ION Leadership Project Manager Gwenllian Owen believes this conference will be the best yet, a celebration of the hundreds of business people who have taken part in their programmes over past years.

Targeting firms in Flintshire, Powys and Wrexham, part of 20Twenty’s success comes down to the support companies receive in funding; Up to 70% of the cost comes via the European Social Fund through Welsh Government.

“The programmes and the conference itself are very much about experiential learning, which is why we’ve been successful,” said Gwenllian.

“The courses are plugged into industry, so they are relevant and have a major impact on the decision-making of leaders in business as they go forward.

“To have attracted the support of such well-respected speakers is testament to the value they believe 20Twenty and ION can bring, and we look forward to seeing them on the day.

“I’m sure everyone in attendance will be interested to hear what they have to say and take something away from the conference, whether it be through the talks, networking, workshops or by signing-up to join one of our upcoming cohorts.”

The conference runs from 9.30am-3.30pm; tickets £20, including refreshments. Exhibition space is available for former cohort members

For more information and to book your place, visit https://goo.gl/ge74QX

See the websites: www.20twentybusinessgrowth.com or www.ionleadership.co.uk

• There will be a reunion of business people who took part in the lauded LEAD Cymru project on November 20 at the Reichel Building, Bangor University. The programme ran from 2010-2015 and attracted more than 300 businesses. There will be a day of experiential learning, networking and celebration. If you graduated from the course and want to attend, email whittaker@bangor.ac.uk