Resilience keynotes for Chicago conventions and leadership events
Chicago is one of America’s great convention cities and a headquarters town for finance, food and manufacturing. The Grit Code gives its teams a practical way to keep going when the plan breaks.
Big shows, big targets, long seasons
Chicago is home to CME Group, one of the world’s largest derivatives exchanges, and to the global headquarters of McDonald’s in the West Loop, alongside a deep base of manufacturing, logistics and professional services firms.
Many of those businesses run long, relentless sales and operating years. Grit, the mix of passion and perseverance that keeps people working towards a long-term goal, is what separates the teams that finish strong.
Paris’s food-industry experience is directly relevant here: he has spoken at the Kraft Heinz MEA Leadership Convention, on leading through change with grit.
Who Paris speaks to in Chicago
Associations & trade shows
A main-stage keynote with expedition footage for delegates at Chicago’s convention venues.
Food and consumer goods
Leadership and sales events for teams in one of America’s great food-industry cities.
Trading and financial services
Offsites for teams who make decisions under pressure every day.
Sales meetings
Set the tone for a demanding year at national and regional sales meetings.
Where Chicago meets
McCormick Place hosts many of the largest trade shows in the US each year, which makes Chicago a regular stop on the association and exhibition calendar.
- McCormick Place – on the Near South Side, the largest convention centre in North America
- Navy Pier and downtown hotel ballrooms – on the lakefront and along the Loop and River North
Ways to book Paris in Chicago
The Grit Code keynote (45–60 min) · Grit Deconstruction workshop (90 min to half day) · virtual keynote (30–45 min) · event host and MC. Compare formats →
Tested at sea, on the ice and on stage
7 marathons, 7 continents
Antarctica, Cape Town, Perth, Dubai, Madrid, Fortaleza and Miami in 5 days, 21 hours and 51 minutes.
Rowed the Pacific
4,800 km in 2023, raising more than £150,000 for marine conservation.
At the Kraft Heinz MEA Leadership Convention, Paris spoke on leading through change with grit. Past audiences also include DHL, Nokia and IHG. Kraft Heinz MEA Leadership Convention recap · All past speaking events
Speaking in Chicago, in person or virtually
Available for in-person events in Chicago, or virtually in your local time zone.
Organisers typically book US speakers three to five months ahead, so get in touch early to secure your date.
See also keynote speaker in the USA, or browse all keynote speaker locations.
Chicago’s economy and who the talk is for
Chicago has a population of about 2,746,388 (2020 figure, Wikidata), which makes it a substantial market for conferences, leadership events and company gatherings.
Companies headquartered in Chicago include McDonald's (accommodation and food service activities), Boeing (aerospace industry), United Airlines (air transport), Kellanova (fast-moving consumer goods), Mondelez International (food industry) and Groupon (e-commerce).
Manufacturing and engineering (McDonald's, Kellanova and Mondelez International). Manufacturing and engineering audiences value process. The Grit Code breaks grit into habits that can be practised on a production line or a project site, using the discipline of a 4,800 km ocean row as the example.
Aviation, transport and logistics (Boeing and United Airlines). Aviation, transport and logistics teams work around the clock and against the clock. Paris has spoken for DHL and Dubai Airports, and his record-breaking marathon challenge, run to a tight timetable across seven continents, is a natural fit for operations audiences.
Technology and software (Groupon). For software and tech companies, the talk focuses on resilience during constant change, including the shift to AI. As CEO of Blazing Sand Studios, an AI video production company, Paris speaks from inside that change rather than about it.
Students, graduates and faculty
Higher education is part of Chicago’s talent pipeline, with institutions such as Illinois Institute of Technology, Loyola University Chicago and Roosevelt University. Paris’s talks for students and graduates focus on grit as a skill that can be learned, using his own expeditions as evidence.
Typical formats include welcome weeks, graduation events, entrepreneurship programmes and alumni dinners. University keynote speaker →
Other large venues in Chicago
For bigger audiences and set-piece events, Chicago venues include Richard J. Daley Center and Courthouse Place.
Paris is comfortable on any stage, from an arena to a boardroom, and can also host the main stage as MC. Event host and MC →
How a Grit Code session works
- Paris starts with a short briefing call to understand the room, the sector and the challenge in front of it.
- The keynote uses film from his expeditions and TV work to make each idea concrete.
- Many organisers pair it with a Grit Deconstruction workshop or ask Paris to host the full day.
The content is shaped around Chicago 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 Chicago
These are typical Chicago events for The Grit Code:
- 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 is the CEO of Blazing Sand Studios, an AI video production company.
- He ran 7 marathons on 7 continents in 5 days, 21 hours and 51 minutes.
- In 2023 he rowed 4,800 km across the Pacific with three teammates, raising more than £150,000 for marine conservation.
- His TV shows have been distributed in 123 countries, and Guy in Dubai has 22 million views.
FAQ
Can I book Paris Norriss as a keynote speaker in Chicago?
Yes. Paris speaks at conventions, sales meetings, leadership offsites and company events in Chicago, in person or virtually.
Does Paris speak at large conventions and trade shows?
Yes. The Grit Code works on main stages for large delegate audiences, with expedition footage, and Paris can also host or MC.
How far ahead should we book a Chicago event?
Organisers typically book US speakers three to five months ahead. Shorter notice is sometimes possible, so it is always worth asking.
Which Chicago industries is The Grit Code suited to?
The keynote is tailored to each sector. In Chicago it suits manufacturing and engineering, aviation, transport and logistics and technology and software audiences in particular, along with leadership teams, sales kick-offs and all-hands meetings in any industry.
Does Paris speak at universities in Chicago?
Yes. He speaks to students, graduates and staff, for example at institutions such as Illinois Institute of Technology and Loyola University Chicago, on grit as a learnable skill.
Is there a workshop option for teams in Chicago?
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 Chicago?
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.
Bring grit to your next Chicago event
Share your date and audience, or book a call.
More about Paris: About · The Grit Code · TV shows · Contact