Grit keynotes for Salt Lake City conferences
Salt Lake City, the capital of Utah, hosted the 2002 Winter Olympics and is close to world-class mountains. Paris brings The Grit Code to its events.
Mountains and ambition
Salt Lake City is the capital of Utah and hosted the 2002 Winter Olympics. The Salt Palace Convention Center is downtown.
Utah’s tech scene, known as Silicon Slopes, has grown fast. Fast growth needs people who keep going.
Paris tells stories from Antarctica, one of his 7 marathons on 7 continents.
Who Paris speaks to in Salt Lake City
Tech
Keynotes for software teams.
Outdoor industry
Talks for adventure brands.
Conferences
Main-stage keynotes.
Universities
Talks for students.
Where Salt Lake City meets
The Salt Palace Convention Center hosts conventions and outdoor-industry shows.
- Salt Palace Convention Center – downtown Salt Lake City
- Mountain resorts – in the nearby Wasatch
Ways to book Paris in Salt Lake City
Most Salt Lake City organisers book the 45–60 minute Grit Code keynote. Teams that want depth add a Grit Deconstruction workshop of 90 minutes to half a day, remote audiences get a 30–45 minute virtual version, and Paris can also host and moderate full-day events. 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.
Read about the IHG keynote on 7 marathons. IHG Ignite: 7 marathons, 7 continents · The Grit Code keynote
Speaking in Salt Lake City, in person or virtually
Available for in-person events in Salt Lake City, or virtually in your local time zone.
Organisers typically book US speakers three to five months ahead, so an early enquiry gives the best chance of your preferred date.
See also keynote speaker in the USA, or browse all keynote speaker locations.
Salt Lake City’s economy and who the talk is for
Salt Lake City has a population of about 199,723 (2020 figure, Wikidata), which makes it a substantial market for conferences, leadership events and company gatherings.
Salt Lake City is the head-office city for organisations such as Zions Bancorporation (financial services), Huntsman Corporation (chemical industry), USANA Health Sciences (food industry) and Myriad Genetics (pharmaceutical industry).
Manufacturing and engineering (Huntsman Corporation, USANA Health Sciences and Myriad Genetics). 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.
Banking and financial services (Zions Bancorporation). 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
Higher education is part of Salt Lake City’s talent pipeline, with institutions such as Western Governors University and Maestro 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 Salt Lake City
Beyond the main conference halls, Salt Lake City also has large venues for major events, including Delta Center, Jon M. Huntsman Center and United States Courthouse for the District of Utah.
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
- 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 Salt Lake City 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 Salt Lake City
These are typical Salt Lake City 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 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.
- 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.
FAQ
Can I book Paris Norriss as a keynote speaker in Salt Lake City?
Yes. Paris speaks at conferences, company events and leadership programmes in Salt Lake City, in person or virtually.
Is the keynote suited to tech companies?
Yes. Every talk is tailored to your industry in a briefing call.
Which Salt Lake City industries is The Grit Code suited to?
The keynote is tailored to each sector. In Salt Lake City it suits manufacturing and engineering and 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 Salt Lake City?
Yes. He speaks to students, graduates and staff, for example at institutions such as Western Governors University and Maestro University, on grit as a learnable skill.
Is there a workshop option for teams in Salt Lake City?
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 Salt Lake City?
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 Salt Lake City event
Share your date and audience, or book a call.
More about Paris: About · The Grit Code · TV shows · Contact