Danny Bamping Profile

Profile

A serial entrepreneur Danny Bamping, Managing Director and founder of Bedlam Puzzles Ltd, is also a skilled cameraman, director and producer and is the creative mind behind a number of companies and initiatives, mostly in the Natural History & Environmental filmmaking sector.

Sometimes known as the ‘Green Entrepreneur’ Danny’s other business activities are varied – yet always focused on being as ‘sustainable and eco-friendly as much as profitable’. For instance the Bedlam company car is a Toyota Prius Hybrid, The Bedlam Cube has no packaging, it is now the ONLY plastic Toy made in the UK (and from 23% recycled material) The wooden versions are made from Rubberwood certified sustainable plantations.

His other business interests include – H2o.tv – The worlds first cross platform water based channel. Future Planet – a ‘green’ media & TV production company and The Cardmaster – redesigning the wallet for the 21st Century. He is semi-famous for his appearance of the TV Show – Dragons Den – where he accepted investment from 2 Dragons – only to turn them down afterwards.

Last year Danny won the first ever BPMA Entrepreneur of the Industry Award for the UK's promotional marketing industry, which is worth £20 billion annually. The Bedlam Puzzle Company also won the ‘Most innovate Product Award’. He was also the runner up in the IOD Entrepreneur of the South West and Bedlam Puzzles was named Plymouth’s Business of the year. The company was also a regional winner and in the top 50 in Britain in this year’s HSBC start-up stars awards for companies under 3 years old.
His primary business interest the Bedlam Cube dubbed the next Rubik's Cube of the toy world' which Danny and his team have made into a worldwide phenomenon in just two years, with annual sales now estimated at over £1 million. His new Toy Brand is launching this Christmas and Crazee Thingz will start to appear on our shelves and on websites around the world!

Since leaving education in 1997 Danny has been driven to pursue various unique opportunities some of which he has created from nothing such as ; Future Planet, H2o TV, the British Big Cats Society. In others he has recognized the global potential in and has ‘re-generated’ them namely – The Bedlam Cube.

Experience

During the last 10 years I have completed a wide variety of camerawork, for locally based companies. On a wider scale I have completed broadcast camerawork - both adventure and underwater orientated for National Geographic , C4 and the BBC . During that period I have also attended many wildlife film festivals such as:

• Wildscreen - Bristol , October 1996, 98, 00, 02, 04, 06
• International Wildlife Film Festival - Missoula, Montana USA April 99
• Jackson Hole Film Festival - Wyoming, USA September 1999, 03, 05
• The European Wildlife Film Festival - , Sweden 1999, 01
• The Realscreen Summit - Washington DC, USA - February 2000
• Main Jury panellist for Wildlife Europe 2003
• Main Jury panellist for Wildlife Vassa Finland 2004
• Main Jury panellist for IWFF 2006 (March)

Qualifications / Education:

• (1996/7) - Plymouth College of Art and Design
• PQE Post-graduate course in underwater imaging
• (1993/6)   - University of Wales College, Newport
• BA (Hon's) Film and photography 2:1 - specialising in Bio-visual studies
• (1992/3) - Bolton institute of H.E - Art foundation course - Distinction
• (1990/2) - Bolton Catholic Sixth Form - 3 A-Levels - Art, Design & Business
• (1985/90) - Thornleigh Salesian College (Bolton) 5 GCSE - including Maths, English, Geography, Computer and Business studies

Previous Work experience:

• (1999) Egypt , (Red Sea) filming some of the best Freedivers from Britain
• (1998) South Africa - filming Sharks and other wildlife while on Safari
• (1998) Produced and directed Boxing training Video ' Hooks and Uppercuts'
• (1997) Majorca , Cave Diving - filming 2 of Britain's best Cave Divers
• (1996) Egypt (Red Sea) and Turkey (European Diving Centre)
• (1995) Produced and directed promotional film for Flat Holm Island project
• (1995) 'Woodfall Wild Images' an Environmental / Natural history, stills library
• (1995) 'Partridge Films' - Natural History Production Company
• (1995) 'Oxford Scientific Films' - filming for Channel Fours 'Gulliver's Travels'

Awards:

Named number 28 – in the 50 Top Entrepreneurs in the UK – 2005 J

1 – Bedlam Puzzles – Plymouth Business of the Year 2006
2 – Bedlam Puzzles – Most innovative Product and Service BPMA 2006
3 – Entrepreneur of the Industry Award – BPMA 2006
4 – Entrepreneur of the South West Region – IOD – 2007 – runner up
5 – HSBC Start up Stars – Regional finalist – top 50 companies in the country.

Hobbies and interests:

I have an active interest in sports such as Football ( Bolton Fan! ), Golf ( about 5 Handicap! ), Fishing ( Caught some big ones!)

Diving ( Commercial Ticket HSE PT 4 ) & recreational ( BSAC Dive leader ) been to 55M, and dived with sharks and dolphins and done some intense cave diving!

I take time to observe and study the natural world and I consider myself a Conservationist , an Environmentalist and also a Cryptozoologist (Google it!) I have a unique and lively personality and sense of humour.
( Apparently !