Halifax businessman and founder of International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival Ian Smith dies aged 80

Mr Smith began life as a local journalist before moving to work for the British Aircraft Corporation, David Brown Industries and the Vilene Group of Companies.

He first started his company in 1973 in Halifax and it is still located in The Old Vicarage in Boothtown; Ian lived in Halifax for more than 40 years.

In 1974 he started his own business and founded the British Sewing, Knitting and Needlecraft Association in an effort to assist suppliers around the country and kickstart a declining industry.

In 1984 he set up the Automatic Identification Industry Association for Europe promoting the bar coding, RFID and biometric industries. In Western Europe, behind the Iron Curtain, and in the Middle East and Asia, he was appointed by the Department of Trade and Industry to lead an EU project looking at food traceability in the wake of the outbreak of BSE and the EU appointed him leader of numerous other global projects.  He led DTI Global Watch missions to America and Japan and worked closely on the development of anti-counterfeit solutions.

Ian was a man who never stood still. He loved to travel and opened companies in the USA and Hungary and in the days before email, internet and even fax, he formed International Travel Partners – a group of 40 leading travel agents around the world - to enable him to operate and run major exhibitions and conferences.

But Ian’s main love was Gilbert and Sullivan. Throughout his life, Ian played all the G&S “patter roles” and formed his own amateur G&S Society - The West Yorkshire Savoyards and with his passion for travel took them to perform around the UK, Ireland, America and Hungary.

In 1994 Ian founded the International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival in Buxton. Today the annual Festival takes place in Buxton Opera House and The Royal Hall Harrogate. This unique event attracts thousands of visitors from all around the world.Ian created the professional National Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company to perform at the Festival and this acclaimed company now also tour the UK every year.

Ian passed away on November 22 and leaves wife Janet and children Belinda, Neil, Oliver Henry and Charles.