The Builders Merchants Federation (BMF) has lined up TV builder, Tommy Walsh, to speak at the BMF All-Industry Conference in Malta next June.
Mr Walsh found fame as the builder on BBC’s popular garden makeover programme, Ground Force, but his TV career came about by chance.
After leaving school and working for his father for several years, Mr Walsh started his own building firm in east London. His company specialised in hard landscaping and he was working at the house of a BBC executive producer while she was considering various pilots, including a garden challenge show. His comments on the pilots not only provided a useful sounding board but also earned him an invitation to take part in a successful screen test with Charlie Dimmock. He went on to film 11 series of Ground Force as well as several series for the Discovery Channel.
In addition to his TV career, Mr Walsh has written a number of best-selling DIY project books and regularly appears at Home & Garden Shows both in the UK and overseas.
John Newcomb, managing director at the BMF, said: “Tommy Walsh is another great addition to our speaker programme for what promises to be the best BMF All-Industry Conference yet.
“His move from running a small building company to becoming one of the most recognised faces on our TV screens is a fascinating story. But I’m just as interested in Tommy’s views as a builder and a merchant customer.
“It’s important that delegates hear what their customers think, and I know Tommy won’t hold back in his comments on the effectiveness of the merchant industry as suppliers to the building trade.”
The 2015 All-Industry Conference takes place in Malta from 18 to 21 June, 2015 at the five star Westin Dragonara Resort in St Julians Bay and will be hosted by Olympic and Commonwealth gold medal winner and TV presenter, Sharron Davies.
Early bird conference rates apply for both merchants and suppliers until the end of the year. Visit the conference website at www.bmfconference2015.co.uk for more details.
