Sam North is the CEO of Inflection Point Events, which owns SME XPO, the UK’s leading event for ambitious scaleups. In October 2024, he and his business partner took the plunge and acquired the event from the Evening Standard – not because they love stress, but because they believe in making SME XPO the ultimate platform for fast-growing businesses.

Sam is convinced that startups and scaleups hold the key to dragging the UK out of its economic funk. But they need more than just good ideas – they need connections, investment, and occasionally, someone to tell them their pitch deck is 37 slides too long. That’s where SME XPO comes in: helping founders find the right investors, partners, and solutions – while giving them the spotlight they deserve.

Before diving into events, Sam worked in the sailing industry, and he still spends his free time racing yachts offshore. He insists that business and sailing have a lot in common – strategy, adaptability, and the occasional moment of clinging on for dear life in rough seas.

With SME XPO, Sam is on a mission to help the UK’s most exciting businesses navigate their own journeys – connecting, growing, and making waves (hopefully the good kind).