Sign & Digital UK (SDUK) today announces that one of Britain’s biggest names in retail, Mary Portas, will be headlining at the sign and display show taking place on 24 to 26 April, at the NEC in Birmingham.

In keeping with SDUK’s theme for 2018 - Creativity Brought to Life - Mary Portas will deliver an inspiring keynote followed by a Q&A session during the show’s opening day.

Crowned “Mary Queen of Shops” by the UK media, retail and brand expert Mary Portas has long been a champion for SMEs. The celebrity guest speaker will use the Q&A session to share her expertise and industry knowledge with the show’s visitors.

Mary Portas will also take a tour of the show floor, to meet many of the leading suppliers exhibiting at the show.

Rudi Blackett, event director at SDUK, said: “Mary Portas’s continued advocacy for independent retailers and the manufacturing industry makes her a truly inspiring guest speaker for our show visitors and exhibitors alike.

“We’re greatly looking forward to welcoming Mary and hope visitors and exhibitors will bring their burning business questions to benefit from Mary’s expert retail knowledge.”

Mary Portas, retail consultant and broadcaster, commented: “I’m always excited to discover new emerging techniques from retail, sign and display industries which will be a big part of Sign and Digital UK. The merging of digital and traditional manufacturing techniques is now more important than ever before, and I hope to open a discussion about how these trends will impact SMEs in the modern retail landscape at April’s event.

“With my Sign & Digital UK audience, I will aim to cultivate a new confidence in diversification. I look forward to rallying with business leaders from these adapting sectors and offering advice among small business owners who are looking to explore ways of getting ahead of their competitors.”

Speaking alongside Mary Portas at SDUK this year will be a stellar line-up of industry experts who will deliver a series of keynote talks, interactive sessions and panel debates across the three-day event.

For more information about the free-to-attend event visit www.signuk.com. The full speaker and seminar schedule will be available online soon. To enquire about exhibiting please contact the show team on 01342 332 100, email [email protected].