Gareth is a true star in the world of vegan nutrition, dedicated to the cause, hugely knowledgeable, very experienced, right on the cutting edge of latest research and development in the complex world of nutrition. His expert area is sports nutrition and he is a fully qualified Aiki Jitsu examiner and instructor, as well as being a power lifter. Strait outta Saff London and not to be messed with. Not to be missed either - his talk is sure to be one of the best attended at the show.

Another very strong vegan fella who is also very up to date with sports nutrition, especially in the bodybuilding world. Pete will be accompanied by one or maybe two others from the veganbodybuilders and will talk you through basic training and competitive bodybuilding on a vegan diet. Class act, a mine of practical, straightforward information and enthusiasm for this hugely popular activity. See www.veganbodybuilding.org

Max Drake is a practicing medical herbalist, with clinics in Bristol and Thornbury. He is a member of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists, and also runs workshops on crafting herbal medicines. Herbalists recognise a vital energy in all living things, and this energy underlies the complexity of our medicines. Adaptogenic herbs produce an increase in bodily resistance and vitality, helping the body adapt to and defend against the effects of environmental stress. They enhance our general capacity to withstand stressful situations, and hence guard against disease caused by overstress. Max will explain the theory and talk about specific herbs and how to use them.

Alex Bourke is originally from Bristol, and is an international vegan activist, with sales of 80,000 of his books.  He became vegan during a successful campaign to get cruelty-free food into the canteen at UWE's Frenchay campus. Dissatisfied selling his brain for money, he volunteered for a year at Viva! and in 1994 published the first of many vegan guidebooks to London, Britain and Europe, followed by Campaign Against Cruelty - an activist's handbook.  Alex has led campaigning and publishing workshops on five continents and regularly appears on national radio to cheerfully demolish anyone who disses the vegan way of life.

Kerry McCarthy was elected as the Labour MP for Bristol East in May 2005, having previously worked as a lawyer and on various political campaigns.Her main political interests include crime and justice, the economy, child poverty, international development, transport and education. She is a member of the Treasury Select Committee and works closely with organisations such as Oxfam and Save the Children on their UK and international campaigns.Kerry lives in Redcliffe and has a constituency office in St. George. She has been vegetarian since August 1981 and vegan since January 1st 1992 (one New Year's resolution she has managed to keep!)

Europeans for Medical Progress Trust is a charity whose goal is to protect human health and safety by promoting human-specific medical research. Their film, Safer Medicines , showcases state-of-the-art approaches to ensuring that drugs in the future will be safer than they have been in the past. World leading scientists from industry and academia present their vision for the future of drug development. Is animal testing the best way to ensure 21st Century drug safety? Watch this film for an insight into just how far scientific methods have come since thalidomide .

Recently - formed Political Party Animals Count are coming to the show, and speaking on Sunday at 2pm in the Campaigns area will be Andrew Knight, Ethical Veterinarian and Policy Advisor to Animals Count. Andrew covers vegetarian/vegan companion animal diets and the scientific case against animal experimentation, as well as the need for an independent transparent scientific review into the use of animals for scientific research, toxicity testing and education. Please visit his website for a biography and the titles of his presentations:   http://www.aknight.info/presentations.htm

Justin is the campaigns manager at Viva!, Europe's largest campaigning vegetarian and vegan group - which is based here in Bristol. Viva! exists to help people change to a kinder, healthier animal-free diet, because they believe that it is the best way to end the suffering of animals and improve the world around us. Justin will talk about how meat and dairy really is a global killer - of 55 billion animals each year; of millions of people suffering from chronic disease and hunger caused by our Western diet; and, ultimately, how it destroys our environment and could be the ultimate planet killer. Justin will also suggest practical ways to spread the vegan message and help turn the tide. For more on Viva!'s campaigns, please visit www.viva.org.uk

Nigel has been vegan for about 15 years and currently works for the Vegan Society. His original training was as a formulation chemist making toiletries before setting up a vegetarian and vegan guest house for 9 years. After this he was a VSO volunteer in Zambia; living on an essential oils farm.

Shazzie is the UK's most prolific and popular raw food writer, speaker and chef. She has been an ethical vegan since 1987 and a raw foodist since 2000. She is the author of three best-selling books, has published over 300 raw recipes and released a DVD series 
Shazzie's web site, www.shazzie.com attracts over 10,000 people per day and documents seven years of her raw food journey. Shazzie is the founder and Managing Director of Rawcreation Ltd which imports, retails and wholesales over 700 ethical life-changing products through its online store, detoxyourworld.com.
Raw chocolate revolutionary Shazzie also recently launched her own range of hugely popular handmade raw vegan chocolates, Shazzie's Naked Chocolate, a series of six delicious bars free from fire, sugar and dairy. See www.shazzie.com

Emma Goldie, from Raw Intent, will share with you the numerous properties of superfoods, as well as their simplicity of use in everyday life with a realistic & down to earth approach.
Her talk will introduce you to the exciting world of Superfoods. Learn about:
- The vast range of superfoods available to you
- How to integrate them into your current diet & lifestyle
- How to maximise the nutritional benefits of everyday foods

James is currently UK Savate Kickboxing champion and trains exclusively on a raw food diet, proving loud and clear that the vegan diet can be a positive influence on highly achieving at the top level of competitive sports. James used to work for the Vegan society and is an excellent speaker as well as champion. Really useful for anyone wanting to compete on a vegan/raw diet. Truly inspirational, in fact. See www.londonsavate.co.uk  

Kate is in her fourteenth year of rawdom. She is mother to three boys under ten who she raises on a mostly raw diet, and whom she home educates. She is the  author of Eat Smart,  Eat  Raw, the UK's  best selling  raw  foods book, and Raw  Living,  her  second book is out this summer. She is currently working on her third book, Raw Magic. Kate opened the highly successful Raw Magic Shop in Brighton's vibrant North Laines area last year. As well as selling raw foods and superfoods, the shop became famous for its fresh chocolate. Kate has also developed a range of raw chocolate bars and snacks, including the Hi-crunch bar, nominated in the best product category in this year's Yaoh 007 Vegan Environmental Awards.
See www.rawliving.co.uk