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Inside the Ultimate WOW Experience
What turns an event into a true WOW experience? Gail Davis shares her experience being onsite at an unforgettable event in Amarillo, TX, where powerful performances, meaningful community impact, and unexpected moments came together in a way attendees will never forget.
GDA Industry Insights
The Secret to Long-Term Client Relationships
The strongest client relationships aren't built when everything goes perfectly. They're built through trust, honest conversations, and how you work together when things don't go according to plan. Gail Davis shares lessons from decades of client partnerships and why trust is one of the most valuable things a business can earn.
GDA Industry Insights
How We Stack Up in the Age of AI
Gail Davis shares how GDA Speakers is embracing AI while staying true to what has always set us apart: relationships, experience, and personalized service that helps event planners make confident decisions.
GDA Technology
Your GDA Advantage: Our Client Portal & Polling Feature
At GDA Speakers, we believe event planning should be empowering—not exhausting. Over the years, we've embraced technology not just to keep up with change, but to stay ahead of your needs. Gail Davis dives into how our exclusive GDA Client Portal and polling feature were built to support you with transparency, efficiency, and heart.
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GDA Industry Insights
Less Is More
In 1995, while working on the other side of events as a meeting planner, I was in Maui with Rob Schneider. He was so funny and I was looking for every opportunity to use him at EDS for our general session, awards night, recap video, anywhere he would fit. Then he looked at me and shared something he learned on Saturday Night Live, “less is more.” He explained to me it is always better to leave the audience wanting more. This advice has been valuable to me over the years in coaching speakers and clients for the maximum impact. I recently found another great application for his lesson. This month my company turned 17 years old. In the beginning, I tracked the number of speakers in our database. I was constantly updating the website to say GDA Speakers works with over 500, 1,000, 2,000 speakers. Somewhere along the way that number got to 5,000. That is when I remembered less is more.
GDA Industry Insights
Six Speakers, Six Days, Three Cities….. Impressions.
There is nothing like going on the road to gain a new perspective or to remind you of the basics when it comes to event planning. I spent 20 years working on the other side of booking speakers as the Director of Corporate Incentive Events at EDS and now for almost the same length of time, I have been on the bureau side. I walked away from my recent onsite visits with this collection of thoughts:
GDA History
The Entrepreneurial Spirit
Nando Parrado is the inspiration and reason Gail Davis founded our company. Recently, Gail was invited as an EO (Entrepreneur Organization) member to travel with Nando and introduce him on a three city Canadian tour. On our 16th anniversary, we want to share Gail's introduction of Nando which takes us back to how she discovered Nando, the friendship they developed and how it lead to her entrepreneurial journey of founding GDA Speakers. It is my privilege and honor to introduce to you our next speaker, especially to a group of entrepreneurs. The fact Nando is here today speaking to you has a very strong tie to the entrepreneurial spirit. When Nando shares his story with you today, I want you to notice how decisions were made, how they adapted to an unknown environment and the innovation they used to lead them out of the Andes. Just like many of us, Nando and his teammates found themselves in a situation they knew little about, but their drive to get out was stronger than their lack of knowledge. With the same spirit and determination leading Nando to safety has driven his career the last 40 year. He is unlike any other speaker I represent; mainly because he isn't a speaker. Nando runs five businesses in Uruguay. He owns a chain of hardware stores, has an advertising agency, produces a number of television shows, is involved in real estate and more. He is a typical entrepreneur who loves being involved in a variety of things.
GDA Industry Insights
Top “Plan B” Questions When Bad Weather Strikes
With temperatures in the mid 70's, I walked to work enjoying the clear skies and sunshine streaming on my face. But the great weather in Dallas did not distract me from keeping close tabs on the Northeast storm and news updates on flight cancelations.Our clients expect us to know what is happening in the world that could possibly impact a booked speaking engagement. Inclement weather is at the top of the list, and our office was tuned in and ready to make some tough calls on behalf of our business clients and the speakers we represent. Last week we had to make a decision and hope you can benefit from the questions we asked to decide our course of action.
Trending Speakers
Business Advice From a Veteran
The contributions our veterans have made to protect and serve this country are immeasurable, but I also know that many of these men and women serve as valuable resources to corporate America.I have the privilege of knowing Eric Maddox, the Army Interrogator behind Saddam Hussein's capture. While serving in Iraq, Eric's breakthrough interrogation techniques revealed information from the dictator's inner circle that pinpointed the precise location of Saddam's Tikrit spider hole.One day when talking with Eric I asked, “How did you accomplish this assignment when so many other attempts to find Hussein had failed?”
GDA Industry Insights
Top A-Team Traits That Deliver Successful Results
by Gail Davis After 15 years matching top professional speakers with some of the world's most respected companies and organizations, I am often asked by other business leaders, “What's the secret of your success?” Well, the secret is, it's not my success, it's the success of the whole team. Recently after being asked this question, I decided to stop and think about the traits that make the team successful. It was a great personal and professional exercise to watch the team in action and fully appreciate each team member and how they work together as a cohesive group.
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