Keynotes for a Roman city in Hertfordshire
St Albans grew from Verulamium on Watling Street and takes its name from Britain’s first recorded Christian martyr. Paris brings The Grit Code to Hertfordshire teams.
Verulamium, the abbey and the city charter
Verulamium was a major Roman city on Watling Street. Much of it lies unexcavated beneath parkland and fields beside the modern centre.
The abbey church became a cathedral in 1877, the same year Queen Victoria’s charter made St Albans a city. Its shrine marks St Alban, executed in the 3rd or 4th century.
The Alban Arena, opened in 1968 as City Hall, staged The Who that year and remains the city’s main theatre and music venue.
Who Paris speaks to in St Albans
Hertfordshire firms
Keynotes for partners and client teams.
Regional offices
Kick-offs for sales and operations staff.
Independent and state schools
The Grit Generation for students.
Local charities
Talks for fundraisers and volunteers.
Event venues
The Alban Arena, the cathedral and the country house hotels around Hertfordshire host the area’s dinners and offsites.
- Alban Arena – the city’s civic theatre, designed by Frederick Gibberd
- St Albans Cathedral – which hosts concerts and civic events
- Country house hotels – around the city in Hertfordshire
Ways to book Paris in St Albans
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.
Read how The Grit Code is built, or see the London page for larger events. The Grit Code keynote · Keynote speaker London · Keynote speaker Cambridge
Booking for St Albans
Available for in-person events in St Albans, or virtually in your local time zone.
Organisers typically book UK speakers about three months ahead, and shorter notice is sometimes possible, so it is worth asking.
See also keynote speaker in the UK, or browse all keynote speaker locations.
St Albans’s economy and who the talk is for
St Albans has a population of about 82,146 (2011 figure, Wikidata), which makes it a substantial market for conferences, leadership events and company gatherings.
Businesses with their headquarters in St Albans include Premier Foods (food industry).
Manufacturing and engineering (Premier Foods). 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.
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 St Albans 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 St Albans
These are typical St Albans events for The Grit Code:
- Leadership offsites and strategy days, where senior teams need energy for a hard year ahead.
- Sales kick-offs and annual conferences, where the talk resets ambition and stamina.
- Awards nights and staff celebrations, where Paris can speak or host.
- Graduation, alumni and entrepreneurship events.
Credentials at a glance
- 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.
- 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.
Questions from St Albans organisers
Can I book Paris Norriss as a keynote speaker in St Albans?
Yes. Organisers in St Albans can book him in person or for a virtual session.
Can Paris speak at a leadership offsite near St Albans?
Yes. He often runs a keynote followed by a Grit Deconstruction workshop for the same team.
Does Paris speak in schools in Hertfordshire?
Yes. The Grit Generation is his programme for students.
Which St Albans industries is The Grit Code suited to?
The keynote is tailored to each sector. In St Albans it suits manufacturing and engineering audiences in particular, along with leadership teams, sales kick-offs and all-hands meetings in any industry.
Is there a workshop option for teams in St Albans?
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 St Albans?
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 St Albans
Send the basics and Paris’s team will reply, or book a call.