A life-changing event

This is the first event of its kind for a number of reasons - one being that a large number of free tickets have been made available. Another is that it boasts a proudly South African "lekker is lekka" line-up of speakers.

"There have been a number of similar events locally, but with international speakers. South Africans are interested in self-education and so I thought why not an event that showcases the best local talent sharing their knowledge and success. It would be an opportunity for South Africans to be on stage, which has never been done before," says Walsh.

Attend - if you want to improve your life

Day 1 will be about why people struggle and how to overcome these challenges. Day 2 will focus more on the business and how to have a successful business. Walsh says anyone who wants to improve their life can attend. "A number of different topics will be addressed by the speakers - ranging from inspirational to practical to business advice."

"I believe that if you attend you will be inspired. It's the middle of the year and everyone needs a kick up the butt. These are not average speakers. Don't for one minute think because they are local that they are not world class. These speakers are of a high quality and speak at events all over the world," he adds.

There are 12 speakers over the weekend, and they include, amongst others, Neil Malan, sales specialist, Billy Selekane, inspirational speaker and multi-millionaire entrepreneur, and psychology and leadership expert, author and international speaker, Justin Cohen. There are also some of the speakers who assisted Walsh in formulating the event.

What also makes the event different is that the speakers, together with Walsh, drew up the programme as a team. "Therefore there is a singular focus to the event. The entire programme has also been designed so that it flows," Walsh says.

We're investing in ourselves

"When I started in this business 20 years ago, South Africans were not into self-development, but today they are investing into themselves. This event will attract a unique type of person, one who wants to empower themselves," says Malan.

Selekane adds to this, saying: "We need to build a society that will be able to compete internationally in five years' time. This event will help people do that, all you need to do is show up." He also says that this event will be life changing and is a great opportunity for anyone looking to change their life.

Walsh is expecting 4,000 delegates to attend, of which 2,000 will be through tickets that are available free of charge.

Taking people on a journey

As Walsh explains that although the event is free, there are packages available that provide added value such as the manual and meeting with the speakers. "However, this is not our core model, as we view this event as a type of corporate social investment," he says, "We are a small business ourselves and we are putting on this event for our community, as a big chunk of the audience will come from the www.entrepreneur.co.za/ website. Our goal is to connect people on an inspirational educational journey through this event."

A manual will also be available, and Walsh says that unlike many manuals at such events, this one is a real tool and not simply a book with promotional material. Delegates can purchase the manual if it is not included in their package.