YO! creator to share secrets at Leaders in Abu Dhabi

YO! creator to share secrets at Leaders in Abu Dhabi
Watch out Virgin – YO! is hot to go – and Leaders in Abu Dhabi is about to hear all about it.
British entrepreneur extraordinaire Simon Woodroffe’s YO! brands are well on the way to rivaling the iconic Virgin empire set up by Sir Richard Branson and he will be sharing his secrets at Emirates Palace on May 25 as part of an inspiring line-up of internationally recognised speakers.
It all began in 1997 with YO! Sushi, a conveyor belt sushi bar with bells and whistles that became an overnight sensation in London and has since expanded at home and abroad.
Last year he opened the world’s most revolutionary hotel, YOTEL, at both Heathrow and Gatwick Airports in England, providing low cost accommodation for travelers. Other YO! ventures include YO! Zone, YO! How, YO! Below and YO! to Go.
Not surprisingly, Simon has been a panelist on BBC2’s Dragon’s Den, helping give life to big ideas developed by would-be entrepreneurs.
His career has been diverse, to say the least. He left school at 16 and spent 30 years in the entertainment industry designing and staging concerts for many big name artists in both Los Angeles and London. He went into television in the 1990s as the driving force behind the hugely successful international Nelson Mandela and Prince’s Trust concerts, as well as shows for Amnesty International.
Then came YO! – and suddenly it was all go!
Since then he has been named as Ernst & Young Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 1999, while YO! Sushi was awarded best venue at the UK Retailer of the Year awards in 2001.
He received an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List in 2006 for his contribution to hospitality and is currently one of five highly successful businessmen who advise the British Government on economic policy.
Simon says he has learnt a tremendous lot from his personal experiences and this is what he shares with audiences around the globe.
“You learn as much from your mistakes as you do from your successes,” he says. “Success in life is all about giving up what you are not good at and focusing on the things you are.”
Joining Simon on the podium at Leaders in Abu Dhabi are former world chess champion Gary Kasparov; former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO, General Wesley Clark and internationally acclaimed management guru, Marcus Buckingham.
The Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and the Department of Economy and Planning have lent their full support to the event. Leaders in Abu Dhabi is sponsored by Etisalat, Citi Private Bank and Omniyat Properties. Media partners include Business 24 7, Emerat Al Youm, 103.8, Noor Dubai, Arabian Business, Arabianbusiness.com, Oman Economic Review and The Times.