Grit keynotes for Cardiff and Welsh organisations
Cardiff is the capital of Wales, home to the Senedd and the Principality Stadium. Paris brings The Grit Code to its conferences and teams.
A capital that performs
Cardiff became the capital of Wales in 1955. The Senedd, the Welsh Parliament, sits on Cardiff Bay.
The Principality Stadium in the city centre hosts international rugby and major concerts.
Paris ran 7 marathons on 7 continents in 5 days, 21 hours and 51 minutes.
Who Paris speaks to in Cardiff
Welsh Government bodies
Keynotes for public-service teams.
Sport
Endurance stories for clubs and governing bodies.
Media and creative
Talks for production teams.
Universities
Sessions for students and staff.
Event venues
Cardiff’s stadium suites and Cardiff Bay venues host conferences year-round.
- Principality Stadium – conference suites in the city centre
- Cardiff Bay venues – around the waterfront
Ways to book Paris in Cardiff
Choose the flagship Grit Code keynote (45–60 min), a Grit Deconstruction workshop (90 min to half day), a 30–45 min virtual keynote, or Paris as host and MC for the day. Compare formats →
Why audiences believe him
5 days, 21 hours, 51 minutes
The time it took Paris to run 7 marathons on 7 continents: Antarctica, Cape Town, Perth, Dubai, Madrid, Fortaleza and Miami.
More than £150,000 raised
For marine conservation, by rowing 4,800 km across the Pacific in 2023.
See the keynote overview. The Grit Code keynote · Keynote speaker Bristol
Booking for Cardiff
Available for in-person events in Cardiff, or virtually in your local time zone.
Organisers typically book UK speakers about three months ahead, so get in touch early to secure your date.
See also keynote speaker in the UK, or browse all keynote speaker locations.
A British speaker with real UK roots
Paris Norriss is British-born and British-educated. He was born in Bath, which he calls his home town, and grew up in Somerset, where he went to Millfield School and was captain of the Somerset County Athletics Association.
He went on to the University of Edinburgh, graduating with an MA (Hons) in Business Studies, and worked in the City of London for a short time before his career took a very different turn into adventure and television.
Since then he has rowed 4,800 km across the Pacific with three teammates (2023), run seven marathons on seven continents in 5 days, 21 hours and 51 minutes, and become CEO of Blazing Sand Studios, whose adventure TV shows are distributed in 123 countries. He is also an active member of the British Chamber of Commerce Dubai.
In London he delivered The Grit Code for Durlston Partners. For Cardiff organisers, that means a British speaker who knows UK audiences, UK humour and UK business culture, with the stories to back up every point.
Paris gave my team a gripping talk on grit in London this Summer, filled with his real life stories and passion for adventure.
Cardiff’s economy and who the talk is for
Cardiff has a population of about 383,536 (2023 figure, Wikidata), which makes it a substantial market for conferences, leadership events and company gatherings.
Cardiff is the head-office city for organisations such as Admiral Group (insurance industry).
Banking and financial services (Admiral Group). Banking and finance audiences respond to evidence. Paris frames grit as a measurable habit rather than a personality trait, and links it to the pressure of targets, regulation and market swings that finance teams face every quarter.
Students, graduates and faculty
Cardiff’s universities, including University of Wales and Cardiff Metropolitan University, make it a strong market for student, graduate and alumni events. Paris speaks to young audiences about effort, setbacks and choosing hard goals, and to faculty about building resilient teams.
Typical formats include welcome weeks, graduation events, entrepreneurship programmes and alumni dinners. University keynote speaker →
How a Grit Code session works
- Each booking begins with a call about the audience and what success looks like after the event.
- The talk turns the 7-marathon challenge and the Pacific row into habits teams can use on Monday morning.
- A virtual version of 30–45 minutes is available for distributed teams.
The content is shaped around Cardiff organisations and their goals, so the room hears examples that match its own challenges. Paris presents as an adventurer and CEO of Blazing Sand Studios, not as a theorist.
Where the talk fits in Cardiff
In Cardiff, the most common bookings fall into a few groups:
- Annual company conferences and town halls.
- Change and transformation programmes, including AI adoption.
- Safety, wellbeing and performance days for operations teams.
- Charity dinners and community events, which Paris knows well as an ambassador for Gulf for Good.
Credentials at a glance
- He ran 7 marathons on 7 continents in 5 days, 21 hours and 51 minutes.
- His TV shows have been distributed in 123 countries, and Guy in Dubai has 22 million views.
- In 2023 he rowed 4,800 km across the Pacific with three teammates, raising more than £150,000 for marine conservation.
- He is the CEO of Blazing Sand Studios, an AI video production company.
Questions from Cardiff organisers
Can I book Paris Norriss as a keynote speaker in Cardiff?
Yes. Organisers in Cardiff can book him in person or for a virtual session.
Does Paris speak to sports organisations?
Yes. His endurance stories suit sporting audiences.
Is Paris Norriss British?
Yes. He was born in Bath, grew up in Somerset, went to Millfield School and graduated from the University of Edinburgh.
Has Paris spoken for UK companies?
Yes. He delivered The Grit Code for Durlston Partners in London.
Which Cardiff industries is The Grit Code suited to?
The keynote is tailored to each sector. In Cardiff it suits banking and financial services audiences in particular, along with leadership teams, sales kick-offs and all-hands meetings in any industry.
Does Paris speak at universities in Cardiff?
Yes. He speaks to students, graduates and staff, for example at institutions such as University of Wales and Cardiff Metropolitan University, on grit as a learnable skill.
Is there a workshop option for teams in Cardiff?
Yes. The Grit Deconstruction workshop runs from 90 minutes to half a day and turns the keynote’s ideas into team habits and actions.
Can the keynote be delivered online for teams in Cardiff?
Yes. A 30–45 minute virtual version is available for remote or hybrid audiences, delivered in your local time zone.
Who has Paris spoken for?
Past clients include Nokia, DHL, Kraft Heinz, IHG, Dubai Airports, Expo 2020, COP28 and the UN Tourism General Assembly.
Check a date for Cardiff
Send the basics and Paris’s team will reply, or book a call.