One of the county's leading innovators and futurists has been named as the keynote speaker at one of the key dates in the Gloucestershire business community calendar.

With tickets sales well underway, the organisers of June's Growing Gloucestershire Conference have announced one of the key speakers at the event will be entrepreneur, Adam Starkey.

As the founder and chief executive officer of Green Gourmet, the award-winning county food company, and chairman of GFirst LEP, Mr Starkey is described as "a vocal advocate of the imperative to explore the future and prepare for change".

He will open the conference and set the tone with a whistle-stop tour of what to expect from 'The Fourth Industrial Revolution', a theme that will be explored throughout the day.

Mr Starkey said: "I am a futurist which is all about understanding how today's innovations, trends and societal shifts are likely to shape our futures.

"What is Gloucestershire going to be doing in 20 years? Robots, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things; what do these all really mean for us in our professional and personal lives?"

Jonathan Nicholls, conference chairman, said: "Adam's an accomplished and inspiring speaker as well as a successful business leader, so it's great to have him setting us up for a day of insightful discussion.

"We are very proud of the conference programme, which will offer insight into the future of business in Gloucestershire and plenty of networking opportunities."

Now in its 16th year, the not-for-profit event, organised by Gloucestershire Professionals and hosted by The Growth Hub, offers a chance for business people to come together to network and be inspired.

The event is due to take place on June 20 at The Growth Hub and University of Gloucestershire's Oxstalls Campus in Gloucester.

This year the conference is backed by CIMA, CIPD, CMI and the FSB, whose members are represented on the voluntary group Gloucestershire Professionals.

Any organisations wishing to sponsor or take a stand at the event should get in touch.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.glosprofs.com .

For the latest conference news and seminar speaker announcements visit www.glosprofs.com .