Posts Tagged ‘Catch Me If You Can’

“And the envelope please..”: Three Blockbuster Speakers (and Movies) to Watch this Fall

Posted: September 1, 2015 in Speaker Ideas
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

In our posting last year, Top Ten Films That Have Influenced The Speaker Circuit, we discussed the symbiotic relationship between the success on Hollywood’s big screen and the speaking demand created for the protagonist of the film. Captain Jim Lovell from Apollo 13, Mike Eruzione for Miracle, and Frank Abagnale from Catch Me if You Can are just a few examples. While their life lessons and stories are timeless and well-known, the release of these films was a critical catalyst to market demand and success on the speaking circuit. When you combine a compelling story with savvy podium skills and a major picture, you create a perfect storm of excitement on the speaking circuit.

September 1st marks the opening of the fall movie season and The Speaker Experts have identified three that will have an impact on the speaking circuit over the next six months and beyond:

A Walk In The Woods
A-Walk-in-the-Woods
AWalkintheWoodsmoviePoster























Robert Redford and Nick Nolte hit the Appalachian trail for laughs in the film adaptation of the best-selling book by Bill Bryson. A consistently sought-after speaker in the humorist/author space, this film will greatly increase Bryson’s name value among a broad swath of interested conference planners and attendees. Also, though Bryson lives in the UK, he will be speaking to groups in the United States in March 2016.



Everest
left for dead
everest_movie_poster_2























Josh Brolin portrays Dr. Beck Weathers and Robin Wright plays his wife, Peach, in one of the most anticipated films of the year. Weathers has been a highly sought-after inspirational speaker for years, and this film will surely add to demand. Another prominent figure and proven speaker featured in this movie is world class climber and IMAX filmmaker David Breashears. Portrayed in the film by Micah Huptman, Breashears also serves as a senior lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Leadership.



Concussion
Game Brain
concussionpostersmall


















Will Smith takes on the NFL through his portrayal of Dr. Bennet Omalu in a true David vs. Goliath story. Dr. Omalu is relatively new to the commercial speaking circuit but his compelling story should create high market demand from organizations with both clinical and inspirational interests within the commercial speaking market (Dr. Omalu is represented by the Greater Talent Network).


A word of caution: much like the stock market, past performance is no guarantee of future success when it comes to a speaker bureau predicting a speaker’s increased market demand based on the release of a motion picture. The Speaker Experts feel that the risk is low and the upside is high with the speakers related to these films. However, you should discuss the benefits and risks with your trusted IASB bureau partner to determine if one of these speakers is a potential fit for your next event.

Final Note: Washington Speakers Bureau announced a blog featuring “insights and resources for event professionals” and can be accessed here. WSB has been a leader in the speaker bureau industry for three decades and The Speaker Experts look forward to their industry observations and suggestions.

Gary McManis & Jay Conklin

Speaker Recovery Options in Second Tier Markets

Posted: May 5, 2015 in Meeting Planner
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
0
In our inaugural post “Speaker Recovery Options in First Tier Markets”, we pointed out that despite the most careful and detail-oriented preparations and planning, speakers do get sick, or have family emergencies or travel problems that can cause them cancel. The Speaker Experts strongly recommend you have a speaker recovery plan in place before traveling to your meeting. While the resources in “Second Tier Convention Markets” can be scarcer than their larger counterparts, they are out there and available to the forward-thinking event planner. Here are 3 pre-event precautionary procedures you can undertake to help deal with a last-minute speaker cancellation:

  • Mine the local universities and television networks for talent. Often you will find a well-known, local celebrity who knows their way around the speaker stage. (A local or regional speaker bureau might be worth a call as they typically have a handle on this type of talent).
  • Hire a speaker to attend your event and be on stand-by. We recently worked with a major insurance company who was concerned about the logistics of getting their speakers to an obscure location. The solution was to hire a well-known NBA broadcaster to attend the entire meeting and be there on stand-by. While his skills were never needed, his presence provided a nice insurance policy for the event planning team.
  • Have a handle on professional speakers who live in the area or are a short drive away. Below is a list of popular second tier convention cities and a selection of high impact speakers who reside nearby:
SECOND TIER CONVENTION CITIES
Mobile, AL
Fred Haise
Apollo 13 Astronaut

Mesa, AZ
Captain Mark Kelly
Commander of Space Shuttle Endeavour

Vail, CO
Aron Ralston
subject of 127 Hours

West Palm Beach,FL
Jim Knight
frmr. Director of Training at Hard Rock Int.
Mike Abrashoff
frmr. Commander of the USS Benfold

Shreveport, LA
General Russel L. Honore
Commander of Joint Task Force Katrina

Baltimore, MD
Commander Kirk Lippold
Commander of the USS Cole

Jackson, MS
General Russel L. Honore
Commander of Joint Task Force Katrina

Indianapolis, IN
Derek Daly
Author and international racing champion
Scott McKain
customer experience expert, best-selling business author
Wildwood, NJ
Stuart Varney
FOX Business News Host of Varney & Co.

Albuquerque, NM
Mike Mullane
career NASA astronaut and author

Cleveland, OH
Jim Gilmore
author and sought-after consultant

Pittsburgh, PA
Rocky Bleier
frmr. Super Bowl champion

Columbia, SC
Frank Abagnale
subject of the film Catch Me If You Can

Salt Lake City, UT
Adrian Gostick
best-selling author of The Carrot Principle

Virginia Beach, VA
You are on your own!

Milwaukee, WI
Dan Burrus
best-selling author, business strategist and technology futurist

Providence, RI
Michelle Stacy
frmr. Green Mountain Keurig President
Mike Eruzione
Captain of the 1980 US Olympic Hockey Team and subject of Miracle

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

These preparations can be initiated with just a few hours of internet research or by reaching out to the IASB-member speaker bureau of your choice. On a closing note, congratulations to Elaine Howard of the Mortgage Bankers Association of America. Her name was drawn from over 100 entries for the signed Billie Jean King tennis racquet!

Gary McManis & Jay Conklin

Ten Motion Pictures That Have Influenced the Speaking Circuit – And One To Watch

Posted: November 12, 2014 in Speaker Ideas
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
1
Hollywood loves an underdog – but not as much as the speaking circuit! Every once in a while a movie comes along that captures the imagination of the country. These very films remind us that anything is possible, and that extraordinary accomplishments can be achieved by ordinary people. These ordinary people have been on the speaking circuit for years, delivering inspirational lessons of overcoming obstacles and achieving impossible dreams. Fredi Lajvardi is one of those speakers, and Spare Parts, starring George Lopez, is on a trajectory that could push Fredi into the spotlight. With a January 16, 2015 release date, Spare Parts is the story of veteran teacher Fredi Lajvardi (played by George Lopez) and a group of deserving high school students from Phoenix who end up defeating the reigning champion MIT robotics team in a national competition. Think Rocky meets Stand and Deliver! To get a better idea of the movie, check out this recently released trailer:

It would be a Hail Mary to suggest that “Spare Parts” will crack the following top ten film list that have influenced the speaking circuit, but the speaker experts feel it is possible:

Miracle (2004)
miraclePlayers Mike Eruzione and Jim Craig are two of
the most in-demand sports speakers of all time.
Sadly, Coach Herb Brooks passed away before the film’s release.

Apollo 13 (1995)
apollo13Jim Lovell, Gene Kranz, and Fred Haise bring
“Failure is Not an Option” culture to corporate America.

The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
pursuithappynessChris Gardner breaks the cycle of poverty.

Catch Me if You Can (2002)
catchmeNow FBI consultant, Frank Abagnale is the nation’s
number one fraud and values speaker.

The Blindside (2009)
The Blind Side movie posterNFL plus Oscar equals speaking
success for the Touhy Family.

Stand and Deliver (1988)
standdeliverJamie Escalate and Edward James Olmos were two
of the educational circuit’s most popular
speakers in the 1990s.

127 Hours (2010)
Aron Ralston makes 127 hours fly by on stage.

The Rookie (2002)
rookieA physics teacher turned left-handed MLB pitcher
with a 98 MPH fast ball, Jim Morris is still
bringing the heat to the speaking stage.

Moneyball (2011)
Billy Beane, Paul DePodesta and Michael Lewis bring
baseball sabermetrics from the field to the board room.

Remember the Titans (2000)
rememberthetitansThe Speaker Experts live in Northern Virginia
and do not remember the story going the way of this
Hollywood portrayal, but Coaches Herman Boone
and Ed Yost were powerhouse speakers.

Note:  We received an overwhelming amount of suggestions and questions regarding our post on the ten top military speakers of the past 30 years and three to keep an eye on.  With the news events of the past week, the answer is “yes” – Navy Seal Robert O’Neil is one to keep an eye on!

Disclosure notice: The Speaker Experts represent Fredji Lajvardi. We have a horse in this race but we feel it is a winner!

Gary McManis & Jay Conklin

“Catch Me If You Can” Coffee Table Book Giveaway

Posted: July 12, 2014 in LinkedIn Exclusives
Tags: , ,
0

Catch Me If You Can

An exciting giveaway for the twenty LinkedIn responders who respond first! Thanks again for following our blog, we’re looking forward to publishing even more exciting and informative content in the future.

Gary McManis & Jay Conklin