Speaking
I’ve spoken to tens of thousands of people, at hundreds of theatres, literary festivals, private members’ clubs, travel trade shows, schools, universities, corporate and public events all over the world, including: The Royal Geographical Society, Frontline Club, Cambridge and Oxford Universities, Armchair Adventure Festival, World Travel Market, Wilderness Festival, Eton and Tedx.
Clients can choose from a selection of tried and tested multimedia presentations, or commission me to create something entirely bespoke for their event. For public speaking enquiries, please get in contact.
Testimonials
“A great contribution to the Royal Geographical Society’s Monday Night Lecture series. Our audience really appreciated hearing about his imaginative cycle powered investigation of the state of the nation.”
Professor Joe Smith, Director of the Royal Geographical Society
“It was a real pleasure having Simon come to chair an event at the Frontline Club. Not only is he an excellent public speaker in his own right with fascinating experiences; he is a great interviewer – bringing the best out of the other film makers on the panel.”
Laura Gane, Editorial Director, The Frontline Club, London
“What an extraordinary life! Simon had the guts to live the way he wants, no regrets – and this is what appealed to us when curating our event in 2017. Even though he’s living out of a suitcase and always on the move that didn’t stop Simon from communicating with us regularly, refining his talk over several weeks to produce the kick-ass TEDx Talk that wowed our audience on event day.”
Kimberley Owen, Event Director TEDx LeamingtonSpa
“Over the years, we have had several speakers come into the school to talk about their adventures and Simon, without doubt, was the most inspirational. With a perfect balance of talking and video clips, our pupils, from years 1 to 6, were captivated. Not only will Simon’s adventures excite and interest pupils, but the overriding message of pursuing passions, being resilient and overcoming challenges is one that both adults and children can benefit greatly from. A talk from Simon is sure to be a highlight of the year for any individual.”
Ed Callaway, Prep School Leader, Widford Lodge Preparatory School
“Simon delivered one of the best received talks of the year to our Year 9 and 10 pupils. His highly polished talk was interesting, amusing and inspirational to boys looking for adventure, and for those looking at a career that can combine personal interests with the need for an income.”
Tim Dawson, Head of Sixth Form, Sherborne School
“Simon really knows how to engage with students of all ages. He captivated his audiences (from Year 5 up to Year 11) with his incredible adventures. Simon is living proof that with determination and ambition you can achieve amazing life goals, and the questions pupils asked at the end clearly demonstrated that they had been inspired by this message.”
Pippa Adams, Deputy Head, St Edmund’s School, Surrey
“Simon took us on an incredible journey through his life, his adventures, and the stories that he has to tell from around the world. His message is a strong one for any school, combining the virtue of hard work with following something that is a real passion. His sense of adventure and challenge will have inspired all who heard him.”
Chris Townsend, Headmaster, Felsted School
“A fascinating and inspiring presentation, with wonderful visuals to tell Simon’s story so far. Some incredible feats of endurance and self-will demonstrated to our pupils how important it is to focus on their passions in life and to make the most of opportunities that come their way.”
Simon Clarke, Head Master, Spratton Hall, Northamptonshire
“Simon kept his audience, made up of all ages, enthralled from beginning to end. The clever combination of narrative and film made for a dynamic, and uplifting experience. The questions asked by the pupils at the end of a talk are always the best gauge of success and it is fair to say that Simon most definitely inspired us all. It was a mind-growing evening, thank you!”
Nathalie Roberts, Deputy Head, Orwell Park School, Ipswich
“Simon spoke to 200 children with an age range of 8 – 13, and he held all captive for an hour with his fascinating stories interjected with extremely impressive films. The volley of questions at the end was testament to Simon’s excellent presentation and how he had inspired all in the Hall.”
Chris Scott, Administrative Master, Dragon School, Oxford
“Simon’s talk was inspiring and kept the students engaged throughout. The students were keen to ask questions at the end of the talk, which is always a great sign and many have gone away thinking about how they might combine their passion with a career. I’ve already booked him for next term.”
James Smart, Deputy Head of Sixth Form, St Helen & St Katherine, Oxford
“Simon gave an insightful and interesting talk to our sixth formers on travel journalism. It proved to be an excellent way to broaden our students’ horizons around travel and life as a hard working journalist. Inspiring stuff.”
Will Speke, Deputy Head, Fitzharrys School, Oxford
“Simon has a treasure chest of experiences from which to draw on and kept a group of sixty ten-year-olds enthralled. His presentation was pitched perfectly for this age group, using video clips and dramatic photography to help the children really engage with his experiences. Simon’s patient and caring responses to the myriad questions the youngsters posed was particularly appreciated by us all. I’ve already asked him back!”
Michael Andrews, Head of Enrichment, St John’s College, Cambridge
“Simon is an inspirational speaker and captivated our students with a really well paced and planned presentation. Simon focuses on key messages to motivate young people such as achieving your goals and ‘always say yes’. The video content and photos brought his amazing adventures to life and he was able to engage a wide range of ages. Fully recommended!”
Joseph Newsam, Assistant Head, Kimbolton School
“Simon was very inspiring, pushing the students to think about how all it takes is an idea/dream/goal, hard work and an attitude that you can do anything. And if you don’t know how to do it you’ll figure it out. I firmly believe that so much of life is just showing up and taking advantage of the opportunities that present themselves to you and I know that message came through to the girls. “
Rebecca Cresswell, Coordinator of Pupil Development, King’s High, Warwick
“Simon came and gave an interesting and inspiring talk to our cultural capital club on his life in travel journalism. It gave the students an insight into the world of writing, but also on the opportunities that travel can bring them. Simon was engaging and the students were able to relate to what he told them – especially that you need to follow your dreams and work hard to get there!”
Tom Peterson, Assistant Community Director, The Oxford Academy
“Listening to Simon speak about his expeditions and travels inspired our students to investigate journalism and travel as potential career opportunities. His passion for his work was contagious and we wish him luck in his journey across the US-Mexico border!”
Mike Tierney, Head of Sixth Form, St George’s, Weybridge
“Simon is a fantastic young man who has dozens, if not hundreds, of funny and highly interesting anecdotes from a life spent living nomadically as a journalist around the world. Our students relished the chance to ask him about getting into journalism and exploring the planet. A brilliant public speaker accompanied by photos and videos.”
Lisa Curtiss, Journalism Studies Course Leader, Solent University
“Simon was invited to give the keynote speech at both of our Student Awards events at our Ellesmere Port and Crewe campuses. Each event was in front of an audience of over 200 people. Simon managed to captivate both audiences with his presentation which was a mixture of verbal anecdote, photo and video. As well as holding the interest of the whole audience Simon was a pleasure to work with. He was a great communicator, punctual and just an all-round good guy. “
Mike Lorimer, Director of Marketing and Communication, Cheshire College South & West
“As a school who’s focusing on nurturing resilience and making the most of the opportunities that come one’s way, Simon proves to be the perfect choice of speaker. He speaks eloquently and importantly, with an ability to engage an audience of a wide range of ages and interests. I would happily recommend Simon.”
Rob Williams, Headmaster, Bishopsgate School, Surrey
“Simon’s talk showed my Year 12 students the importance of pursuing those things in life about which they are passionate, not solely because they have a clear career path labelled to them. The idea of taking risks and using the skills they have in a more creative way to forge a living is most definitely a message that will last with them. Very much hoping that his talk will become an annual feature of our Enrichment programme at Sutton High.”
Hannah Harvey, Head of Sixth Form, Sutton High School, London
“Simon gave a congenial talk to our well-travelled audience, illustrated by his own video sequences which enhanced his innovative approach to making exceptional journeys at a human pace. Chasing his dreams and creating out-of-the-ordinary adventures which are novel, interesting and inspiring. The students loved his stories, while many of us wished we were younger.”
David Pickford, Chairman, Royal Scottish Geographical Society, Aberdeen
“Simon’s talk was truly inspirational and he showed our pupils that there really are no boundaries to what you can achieve, and that you really can make a career out of what you love. His mantra of “Just.Say.Yes” is one that will certainly stick with all those who listened to his tales.”
Jenny Parkinson-Mills, Director of Educational Innovation, King’s High, Warwick
“Simon is an exciting and engaging speaker that had the students on the edge of their seats. In an age where social media and technology can impact students’ lives as negatively as it can positively it was fantastic to have hear from someone who did not intend to let life pass him by without getting out there and seeing it. I know that the students benefited from hearing him and I hope it encouraged them to find their dreams and follow them!”
Sarah Leonard, Programme Director, Cambridge University
“Simon’s talk was not only fascinating and engaging, but carried an inspiring message about acknowledging who you are. Instead of conforming to “normality”, Simon has chosen a life which suits who he truly is – something we could all learn from.”
Phil Sanger, Director, Vault IP Law Firm
“A real highlight of TEDx Leam 2017 was speaker Simon Parker. Sharing his experiences, adventures and a clear message to change your perspective. Authentic and engaging, inspiring a fresh challenge to go beyond perceived limitations. Enjoyable and thought provoking.”
Claire Brewster, Director, Coaching and Communications, Bright Living
“Simon’s presentation had all the elements that our audiences enjoy: interesting anecdotes, great images, and, of course, some physical suffering. His style of delivery kept the audience interested and informed with many anecdotes, providing an excellent accompaniment to his visual presentation. The content of his talk was so well illustrated with skilfully made video clips and still images showing the people, countries and personal body-punishing hardships involved. “
Gordon Macfarlane, Secretary,Royal Scottish Geographical Society, Glasgow
“The talk provided a wonderful balance of inspiration for travel, gap year possibilities and advice about following your passion. I have no doubt that at the end of a long term it was just the thing to raise the spirits!”
Richard Salmon, Assistant Head, Canford School, Bournemouth
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I love to hear about interesting stories, new angles and destinations. If you think we should collaborate, please get in touch.
