- Conference Speakers
Topics:
- Business
- Entrepreneurs/Innovation
- Sustainability
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Tim Smit
Born 25 September 1954 in the fishing village of Scheveningen outside The Hague in Holland, TIM SMIT was educated in Britain at Vinehall and Cranbrook Schools. He obtained a BA in Archaeology and Anthropology at Durham University and worked for 2 years as an archaeologist in North East England.
Early Career
After working in the music industry for ten years as a composer/producer in both rock music and opera (and being involved in 7 platinum and gold discs!), Tim met his partner, John Nelson and together they ‘discovered’ and then restored “The Lost Gardens of Heligan’ and Tim remains a Director to the present day.
The Gardens
The Gardens now receive over 400,000 visitors a year and is the most visited private garden in the UK. It was voted ‘Garden of the Year 1995’ by Country Life, ‘Garden of the Year’ by the Good Guide to Britain in 2000 and more recently “The Nations Favourite Garden” by Gardeners World in 2003. Tim’s book, “The Lost Gardens of Heligan” was “Illustrated Book of the Year 1997” at the British Book Awards and headed the Sunday Times Best-sellers Lists for several months before going on to become an international success. The 10 part Documentary of the same name won the Garden Documentary of the Year Award in 1998. Tim has subsequently written two further books on Heligan: “Secrets Locked in Silence” (1998) and "The Heligan Vegetable Bible” (2000) with Philip McMillan Browse.
Heligan has now expanded its horizons into the wider estate exploring conservation, land management and farming. A Farm Shop selling local produce opened in 2003.
Eden Project
Tim is Chief Executive and co-founder of the Eden Project, near St Austell in Cornwall. Eden began as a dream in 1995 and opened its doors to the public for an exhibition in 2000. The press dubbed it “the Eighth Wonder of the World” but this pioneering scientific foundation is more than a catchphrase. To date more than 4 Million people have walked through its gateway to see a sterile, derelict pit turned into a cradle of life through new technologies to create its own soil and startling architecture; symbolic of human endeavour and an organisation to run it that is described by others as a trail blazing social enterprise harnessing the best attributes of public service with the commercial rigour of the private sector. It has won more awards than you can shake a stick at but what it is actually most proud of is that it is changing people’s perception of the potential for the application of science and indeed, the public language of science as well as living up to its mission to play a massive part in local regeneration. It demonstrates once and for all that sustainability is not about open toed sandals and nut cutlets, it is the good business practice and citizenship values of the future. Eden is rated Number 4 for paid for Visitor Attractions (London Eye, Tower of London and Alton Towers precede it). Recently the Project has picked up the prestigious Excellence in England Large Attraction of the Year Award and has been handed two years running by the Group Travel Industry as best Long Visit Attraction. It also recently won the Silver Guild Award for Lifelong Learning at Chelsea Flower Show.
Tim is also on the Board of the Prince’s Trust Business Division, a member of the Cornwall Gardens Trust, and a Director of Kneehigh Theatre. He was recently appointed Patron of the Urban Parks Forum. He chaired The Landscape Heritage Trust’s feasibility study of urban parks and gardens throughout the UK and presented their findings to the Government Select Committee on the Environment. He is also on the Board of Cornwall’s South West Development Group and Patron of Royal Cornwall Hospital’s Sunrise Appeal.
Accolades
Tim has received numerous awards and accolades including the “Outstanding Contribution to Tourism in the UK” awarded by the English Tourism Council, the Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award, a Catey Award for Tourism and an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from Exeter University.
In 2001 Tim was the subject of the BBC’s “This is Your Life” and he was awarded an Honorary CBE in the 2002 New Year’s Honours List.
Author
Tim’s book “Eden” was published by Bantam Press. This details the story of the Eden Project: its genesis in the Lost Gardens of Heligan and its design and construction against the odds.
Keynote Speaker
Tim is a much sought-after keynote speaker and in his free time, he enjoys reading, film and being the occasional ‘roadie’ for his son’s rock band.
