A global debating forum whose prominent speakers have included Tony Blair, Richard Dawkins and Stephen Fry has gone into administration.
Intelligence² – which has held debates in London, New York, Sydney and Hong Kong – has had its contests broadcast on BBC World to an estimated audience of more than 70m people.
Leonard Curtis directors Michael Healy and Neil Bennett have been appointed joint administrators for the London-based company.
In a statement released to Insolvency News the administrators said they will ‘continue to manage the business and the strategy will evolve as discussions with interested parties move forward’.
The company was established in 2002 and has gone on to host debates with 2500-strong audiences in the traditional ‘Oxford style’.
Topics have included ‘The Catholic Church is a force for good in the world’ and ‘George W. Bush is the worst American President for the past fifty years’.
The lectures and debates have also been streamed via the web for online viewing.
According to its latest accounts filed up until September 30 2011 the company’s net assets had dropped to -£672,306 from -£154,258 the previous year.
And the amount owed to creditors stood at £ 540,915, up from £263,279 in 2009.
The company was created by co-founders John Gordon, the former chief of Xtreme Information and Jeremy O’Grady, the editor-in-chief of The Week news magazine.
At the time of going to press, the company had not returned any calls for comment.
By Andy Pearce
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