Steven Kelly Announced as Speaker at OutdoorXpo 2027

British TV survivalist, former 29 Commando soldier and survival instructor Steven Kelly has been announced as a speaker at OutdoorXpo 2027, taking place at the NEC Birmingham on 20 and 21 March 2027.

The appearance marks another step in Steven’s growing work as a professional speaker, taking lessons from military service, extreme survival television and practical survival instruction onto the stage for an outdoor audience.

OutdoorXpo brings together people from across the outdoor world, including hiking, climbing, camping and bushcraft, adventure travel and other outdoor disciplines. For Steven, it is a strong fit: real-world survival, decision-making under pressure and practical outdoor capability sit at the centre of his work.

Steven Kelly joins the OutdoorXpo 2027 speaker line-up

OutdoorXpo 2027 is being held at the NEC Birmingham and is expected to bring together thousands of outdoor enthusiasts, brands, athletes, adventurers and experts.

The wider speaker programme features recognised figures from across adventure and the outdoors. Steven’s place on the programme adds a survival perspective built on military experience, television challenges and professional instruction.

Rather than treating survival as entertainment alone, his talks focus on what difficult environments reveal about judgement, preparation, teamwork, resilience and the ability to keep making useful decisions when circumstances stop going to plan.

You can view Steven Kelly’s official OutdoorXpo 2027 speaker profile here.

From 29 Commando to Naked and Afraid

Steven spent 23 years in the British Army, including service with 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery. That background gave him extensive experience operating in demanding environments and built the fieldcraft, discipline and decision-making habits that later became central to his survival career.

After the military, Steven developed his work as a professional survival instructor and founder of South West Survival.

He then took those skills into survival television.

Steven completed a 21-day challenge in Colombia on Discovery Channel’s Naked and Afraid, before returning to the franchise for a 35-day challenge in South Africa on Naked and Afraid: Apocalypse.

Across the two challenges, he completed 56 days in the Naked and Afraid franchise.

His wider television work has also included Naked, Alone and Racing to Get Home and Bear Grylls: Wild Reckoning.

Read more about Steven Kelly on Naked and Afraid and his wider television and media credits.

What Steven Kelly will bring to OutdoorXpo

There is a major difference between understanding survival theory and having to make good decisions when you are cold, hungry, exhausted, uncomfortable or under pressure.

That is the territory Steven works in.

His approach is based on practical skill, preparation and the ability to stay functional when the original plan fails.

Survival television has tested those principles in extreme conditions. Military experience tested them in a different environment. Teaching survival professionally has then forced him to turn those lessons into something useful for ordinary people, organisations and outdoor audiences.

The core questions remain simple:

• Can you stay calm when the situation changes?
• Can you identify the real priority instead of reacting emotionally?
• Can you communicate when a team is tired and under pressure?
• Can you adapt when the first plan fails?
• Can you keep making sensible decisions when motivation disappears?

Those lessons apply far beyond a television survival challenge.

Practical survival for the real world

Through South West Survival, Steven teaches practical survival and outdoor skills to adults, young people, schools, organisations and corporate groups.

Training includes areas such as fire, shelter, navigation, outdoor safety, survival priorities, emergency planning and mindset under pressure.

The aim is not to turn everyone into an extreme survivalist. It is to make people more capable, more prepared and less likely to fall apart when something goes wrong.

That practical focus is one of the reasons OutdoorXpo is a good platform for Steven’s work. The event sits directly within the outdoor and adventure space where survival knowledge, equipment, experience and real-world capability overlap.

Building a stronger professional speaking record

OutdoorXpo 2027 also adds to Steven’s growing professional speaking record.

He has previously spoken at The Bushcraft Show and the Armchair Adventure Festival, as well as delivering talks and experiences for corporate and organisational audiences.

His speaking work draws on three areas that rarely sit together in one career: 23 years in 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery, extreme survival television and the day-to-day reality of running a professional survival training company.

That combination gives audiences more than survival stories. It creates practical lessons around leadership, resilience, teamwork, preparation and decision-making under pressure.

For event organisers, corporate teams and media producers, more information is available on Steven’s Professional Speaker and TV Survival Expert pages.

See Steven Kelly at OutdoorXpo 2027

OutdoorXpo 2027 takes place at the NEC Birmingham on:

• Saturday 20 March 2027
• Sunday 21 March 2027

Steven’s official speaker profile is now live on the OutdoorXpo website. Further details about his stage appearance and schedule will be shared as the event approaches.

View Steven Kelly’s OutdoorXpo 2027 speaker profile.

Book Steven Kelly for speaking, television or media

Steven Kelly is a British TV survivalist, former 29 Commando soldier, survival instructor, speaker and founder of South West Survival.

He is available for selected outdoor events, festivals, corporate talks, panels, television productions, media interviews and survival consultancy.

Book Steven Kelly as a professional speaker or visit the speaking and media enquiries page.