Geoff Ellis, the man behind major Scottish music festivals T in the Park and TRNSMT, will be the keynote speaker at this year’s Courier Business Conference.
The chief executive of DF Concerts will reflect on more than 40 years in the music business, during which time he has dealt with everyone from Oasis to Beyonce.
DF Concerts is also behind the Summer Sessions concerts which brought Noel Gallagher and Stereophonics to Slessor Gardens in Dundee in 2022.
This year’s Courier Business Conference 2025, held in partnership with Henderson Loggie, will have the theme of powering Scotland’s creative economy.
Held on June 24, it will bring together pioneers of gaming, music, fashion, design, media, and digital innovation to explore the future of one of Scotland’s fastest-growing sectors.
Chris van der Kuyl among conference speakers
Last year’s conference at the new Innovation Hub at Michelin Scotland Innovation Parc, looked at the plans and potential impact of the Eden Project coming to Dundee.
This year we are also holding the conference in one of the city’s newest spaces – The Big Real at Water’s Edge at City Quay which contains a £9m virtual production studio.
The studio is able to create hyper-realistic digital film sets on a giant digital screen and use cutting-edge techniques such as motion capture, made popular in films like Avatar.
Dundee games entrepreneur and Water’s Edge owner Chris van der Kuyl, will give an overview of the new technology and explain why it will draw businesses to the city as well as benefiting local companies.
As the co-owner of 4J Studios, which helped make Minecraft a global phenomenon, he will also give his views on the games and tech sector.
The conference, which runs from 8.15am to 2pm, will feature a panel discussion from representatives of the creative sector before Mr Ellis’ keynote speech.
Courier Business Conference 2025 panel discussion
The Courier editor David Clegg will chair a panel discussion featuring local businesses on ‘monetising creativity in Scotland’.
He said: “Scotland’s creative industries are among the most exciting and dynamic parts of our economy – and Tayside, Fife and Stirling is right at the heart of that story.
“This year’s Courier Business Conference will shine a light on the talent, innovation and entrepreneurial spirit driving growth in music, film, games, marketing and beyond.
“I’m particularly looking forward to hearing from Geoff Ellis, whose career reflects just how powerful creative vision can be when paired with business acumen.”
David Smith, managing partner at Henderson Loggie, said: “As sponsors of the Courier Business Conference, we’re proud to support a platform that’s spotlighting the creative industries shaping Courier Country.
“The conference is great event for business leaders to connect and hear from the creative minds driving change in our region.
“It’s an exciting time for our local economy, and we’re looking forward to being part of the conversation.”
Tickets for the conference are available at www.thecourierbusinessconferece.com
Conversation