A maritime-themed lunch on the first day of the Southampton International Boat Show will draw parallels between sailing challenges and navigating business success.
More than 100 business leaders are expected to attend the Hampshire Chamber of Commerce event which features a keynote speech by yacht skipper turned leadership trainer and author Paul Adamson.
A sailor with more than 250,000 nautical miles to his name over a 25-year career at sea, Paul will touch on some of the strategic thinking and skills involved in exploring the oceans that he believes can be transferred to the boardroom and company workplace.
Linked to this, he will explain how his business, Lighthouse Training, works with company founders, executives and leadership teams who, he says, “are ready to stop firefighting and start leading with clarity and purpose”.
Clients span a range of industries and use the consultancy’s SHINE framework and central philosophy, Be the Lighthouse, Not the Weather, to find their bearing when the conditions get rough.
Paul, a former C-suite executive who helped grow a luxury yacht brand’s order book to £185 million over three years, added: “I will draw on my years as a skipper, including a circumnavigation of the globe alongside motorsport legend Eddie Jordan, to discuss what life at sea teaches us about resilience, leadership under pressure and navigating the storms that business and life inevitably bring.”
The presentation comes four years after Paul faced his own personal storm when he was diagnosed with blood cancer. His recovery and successful remission became a real-world test of the mental attitude and leadership skills he had learned offshore, and the thrust of a book, Be the Lighthouse, due for publication in November 2026.
Ross McNally, Hampshire Chamber Chief Executive, said: “Our Southampton Boat Show lunch is the signature social occasion on our business calendar, always eagerly anticipated. It’s also the only dedicated business networking event at the show itself. This year we look forward to welcoming members and guests for what promises to be a fascinating presentation from Paul.”
The lunch, including a drinks reception and networking, takes place at the Novotel Southampton on the opening day of the show, Friday 18 September 2026.
Tickets to the lunch include a complimentary pass to enter the show, recognised as the UK’s flagship annual festival of boating, watersports and waterfront entertainment.
Running over ten days from 18 to 27 September 2026, this year’s family-friendly Southampton Boat Show features a purpose-built marina hosting more than 250 craft plus paddleboarding and kayaking sessions and the chance to experience a dive tank.
You can book tickets for the Southampton Boat Show lunch here.
About Hampshire Chamber of Commerce
Hampshire Chamber of Commerce is the independent voice of local business across the county and one of the largest regional business networks in the UK. With a strategic vision to ‘unlock Hampshire’s potential’, Hampshire Chamber brings together the combined influence, strength and expertise of the county’s three former major chambers. It works with over 2,000 individual firms spanning all sectors and sizes of business. Member services include training, advice, international trade documentation, events, networking opportunities and lobbying to policymakers on issues affecting business. Hampshire Chamber’s business network is designed to help any employer to grow and thrive irrespective of their stage on the enterprise journey.