Resilience keynotes for New York conferences and sales kick-offs
The Grit Code helps New York teams in finance, media, advertising and tech keep performing when the pressure is relentless and the plan breaks.
A city that rewards people who keep going
New York is home to Wall Street and the New York Stock Exchange, the headquarters of global media and advertising groups, and a fast-growing tech sector. Teams here are used to pace and pressure. The question for leaders is how to keep people performing over a long, demanding year without burning them out.
That is what grit is: the mix of passion and perseverance that keeps people working towards a long-term goal. The Grit Code makes it practical, using lessons from rowing the Pacific and running seven marathons on seven continents, a challenge that ended in Miami.
Paris brings expedition footage, humour and tools your people can use the next working day, for audiences from trading floors to creative agencies.
Built for New York’s toughest rooms
Financial services
Conferences, offsites and sales meetings for banks, asset managers and fintech teams.
Media and advertising
Kick-offs and leadership events for agencies, publishers and production companies.
Sales kick-offs
Set the tone for a demanding year with a story about not quitting when the target looks impossible.
Associations & conferences
A main-stage keynote with real expedition footage for New York’s conference and trade-show calendar.
Where New York meets
Paris speaks at venues of every size, from boardrooms to main stages. New York’s major event venues include:
- Javits Center – the convention centre on Manhattan’s West Side
- Hotel ballrooms and corporate headquarters – across Midtown and Lower Manhattan, where many leadership offsites and kick-offs are held
Ways to book Paris in New York
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.
Past audiences include the UN Tourism General Assembly, COP28, Expo 2020, the US Army, DHL, Nokia, IHG, Kraft Heinz and Surfbreak Honolulu.
Speaking in New York, in person or virtually
Available for in-person events in New York, 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 USA, or browse all keynote speaker locations.
New York’s economy and who the talk is for
New York has a population of about 8,804,190 (2020 figure, Wikidata), which makes it a substantial market for conferences, leadership events and company gatherings.
Companies headquartered in New York include Human Rights Watch (international activities), Pfizer (pharmaceutical industry), Kodak (Precision engineering and optical industry), Sony Music (entertainment industry), Goldman Sachs (International Standard Industrial Classification) and JPMorgan Chase (economics of banking).
Banking and financial services (Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase and BlackRock). 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.
Manufacturing and engineering (Pfizer, Kodak and Sony Music). For industrial and engineering businesses, Paris’s message is that resilience is built, not born. Safety days, operations conferences and leadership offsites are typical bookings.
Students, graduates and faculty
New York’s universities, including Touro University, École libre des hautes études and Plaza College, 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
- Before the event, Paris speaks with the organiser about the audience and the outcome they want.
- On the day, the 45–60 minute Grit Code keynote mixes adventure film, stories and practical tools.
- Afterwards, teams can go deeper with a Grit Deconstruction workshop of 90 minutes to half a day.
The content is shaped around New York 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 New York
These are typical New York 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
- His TV shows have been distributed in 123 countries, and Guy in Dubai has 22 million views.
- He ran 7 marathons on 7 continents in 5 days, 21 hours and 51 minutes.
- Past speaking clients include Nokia, DHL, Kraft Heinz, IHG, Dubai Airports, Expo 2020, COP28 and the UN Tourism General Assembly.
- He is the CEO of Blazing Sand Studios, an AI video production company.
FAQ
Can I book Paris Norriss as a keynote speaker in New York?
Yes. Paris speaks at conferences, sales kick-offs, leadership offsites and company events in New York City, in person or virtually.
How far ahead should we book a New York event?
Organisers typically book US speakers three to five months ahead. Shorter notice is sometimes possible, so it is always worth asking.
What does Paris speak about?
Grit and resilience: how to keep performing under pressure, drawn from rowing 4,800 km across the Pacific and running seven marathons on seven continents.
How long is The Grit Code keynote?
The flagship keynote runs 45 to 60 minutes including Q&A. Paris also delivers 90-minute to half-day workshops and 30 to 45-minute virtual keynotes.
Can the keynote be tailored to our organisation?
Yes. Every booking starts with a briefing call so the stories and takeaways connect to your theme, your sector and the challenges your people face.
Which New York industries is The Grit Code suited to?
The keynote is tailored to each sector. In New York it suits banking and financial services and manufacturing and engineering audiences in particular, along with leadership teams, sales kick-offs and all-hands meetings in any industry.
Does Paris speak at universities in New York?
Yes. He speaks to students, graduates and staff, for example at institutions such as Touro University and École libre des hautes études, on grit as a learnable skill.
Is there a workshop option for teams in New York?
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 New York?
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 New York event
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More about Paris: About · The Grit Code · TV shows · Contact