Articles by Ruth Levine

 
Hot Speakers for 2004
By Ruth Levine

Insurance Conference Planner, Nov 1, 2003

WHEN IT COMES TIME to find a speaker for your next meeting, one of the best places to start is with a reference from another insurance planner. There is no better testimonial than that of a colleague who sings the praises of the speaker they just booked.

But what is it that you are looking for? Time and time again I hear, “We want someone new, someone different. We want a speaker who has a message or story our attendees have not heard before.”

This brings us to the speakers who will be making waves in the financial services world in 2004 (I believe the industry is moving away from sales speakers and booking more feel-good and entertainment speakers):

Kevin & Jackie Freiberg — This husband-and-wife team has a dynamic synergy. The Freibergs' newest program is their most fun yet. Based on their latest book, due out in January, Got Guts? Go Nuts!, it is an exploration of how Southwest Airlines has transformed passion and gutsy leadership into high levels of performance and profits.

Erik Wahl — “The Art of Vision” is the perfect way to sum up this interactive program of inspirational performance art. Wahl is new to the speaker circuit but he is no longer a secret. His program opens with a dramatic interpretation of vision and creativity as he quickly paints large canvases on stage. The excitement heightens as Wahl uses the artwork to inspire audiences to expand their own perceptions in building a strategic vision, challenging everyone to identify a personal style for motivating themselves to rethink vision and purpose.

Passing Zone — We have all seen jugglers who juggle rings, bowling pins, and dishes. But have you seen the jugglers who juggle your CEO or top-performing rep? Can you imagine him or her dangling from a bungee cord on stage? Yes, the dynamic duo, Passing Zone, juggles people. Add to this a few chain saws (they are full throttle!) being tossed around in the air, all while your attendees are experiencing a living metaphor of juggling career, home, and unending expectations.

Steve Bridges — The son of a Baptist preacher, Steve Bridges was all set to follow in his father's footsteps. Instead, he became President of the United States. Well, sort of. Bridges is a master impressionist who has developed an amazingly accurate characterization of George W. Bush. Bridges has been tearing up the convention circuit as a “surprise speaker” who is preceded on stage by “secret service agents” while “Hail to the Chief” plays. He is also a terrific emcee and awards host.

Robert Stevenson — You get a clue about the man from the title of his book, How to Soar Like an Eagle in a World Full of Turkeys. Stevenson is one of the great new storytellers on the circuit whose stories are original. Attendees laugh while absorbing important messages about change, leadership, peak performance, and communication. He is not yet that well-known on the insurance circuit, but, according to some of your colleagues, watch out!

Michael Treacy — When it had been out for only three weeks, Treacy's book Double Digit Growth was already No. 9 on The Wall Street Journal's best-seller list. For those of you who have been turned down by the highly sought-after Jim Collins, author of Good to Great (Collins only accepts a small handful of dates per year), Treacy is your man. In an entertaining yet sophisticated way, he shares the secrets of America's top corporate achievers through animated first-hand accounts of being in the trenches and learning from American corporate icons.

To watch a video demo on any of these speakers and for information on fees and availability, log on to www.speakinc.com.