A Magical Event
Gail Davis, 25 September 2013
Talk about creating an experiential event….my hat is off to Chrissy Nardini. Chrissy wanted to create a memorable kickoff event and thought of everything to make that happen!
The theme for her year is “Game Changers”. Chrissy selected NBA legend, Earvin “Magic” Johnson as the keynote speaker. They rented out Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis where she had the cocktail party and dinner on the floor of the arena. She had all the attendees’ names scrolling on the LED rolling message board across the perimeter of the arena. The floral arrangements on the tables were made with a basketball as the base! All super clever ideas.
The Impact of a TED Talk- A Guest Blog From Leslie Morgan Steiner
Gail Davis, 29 August 2013
Last August, I got a call from Phil, an old friend I had not seen since our 1977 elementary school graduation. He knew that I was a frequent public speaker and writer. He had a question: had I ever considered doing a TED Talk based on Crazy Love, my 2009 memoir about surviving domestic violence in my first marriage?
Turns out that Phil, no longer the 12-year-old soccer fanatic I remembered, had founded TEDxRainier, the Seattle-based offshoot of the big TED conventions held every year in Long Beach, California. On one Saturday in November, Phil explained, 1,200 people would each pay $100 to gather in an auditorium at the University of Seattle to listen to 30 brief, impactful TED Talks. The speeches would be filmed and distributed via YouTube.
The Day That Changed Our Lives- A Guest Blog From Steve Palermo
Gail Davis, 30 July 2013
By: Steve Palermo
With July 7th just a few weeks ago, it never fails to get our attention. There has been 22 years of July 7th’s that have passed since The July 7 of 1991. That’s the day when a young, recently married couple of five months had their lives turned upside down and forever changed.
I was shot outside of Campisi’s, a local Italian restaurant in Dallas, where I was having dinner with some friends, after having umpired a Texas Rangers baseball game. Two of the waitresses were leaving Campisi’s and heading home for the evening, when three young men jumped them outside the restaurant. They began beating and mugging the waitresses and trying to steal their purses. From there, the night became a blur, which at times has blurred our lives.
Everyone Should Book John O'Leary
Gail Davis, 13 June 2013
Everyone should book John O’Leary. He has a powerful message and is a very authentic speaker.
Our database contains over 4,000 speakers. I will only make a bold statement of absolute endorsement on those whom are deserving.
John O’Leary was first brought to my attention by one of my YPO St. Louis clients, Donn Lux. He really encouraged me to meet John so I invited John to come to my office and we met. I have many speaker visits. It is nice to meet a speaker in person but unless I hear them speak live, it is hard to truly understand their message.
A few months later in September of 2009, I got another email raving about John O’Leary. This time it was from another YPO member in Los Angeles, Ed Bagdasarian. Here is the text of his email:
Eric Saperston is Another Gift
Gail Davis, 25 March 2013
Do what you love and the money will follow. Truer words have never been spoken.
Last fall, a generous client reached out to me and introduced me to a wonderful new speaker Eric Maddox. Then, in early January, it happened again.
I have worked with Richard Lowry for a number of years. I am always blown away with his attention to detail to create a true event experience – from the smallest concept to the most elaborate set on the stage. Richard impressed me as someone who loves his craft and has the skill to make a vision come alive.
When Richard reached out to introduce me to Eric Saperston, he referred to him as “a little known gem.” I was intrigued. And the more I learned about Eric Saperston, the more I felt he was the creative person I was missing from my roster.
Create an Oscar Award Winning Event with Eric Maddox
Gail Davis, 09 January 2013
As a former meeting planner I know the importance of timing when it comes to booking speakers.
I have a tip that I am certain will be a home run for your next event! I suggest you book Eric Maddox, the interrogator who masterminded Saddam Hussein’s capture.
Eric was recommended to me by one of my long term clients. I respect his opinion tremendously so when he suggested I get to know Eric I wasted no time. I immediately invited Eric to my office to give his presentation to my entire team.
- Celebrating John O'Leary: A Gold Star Speaker & an Inspiring Journey
- The Evolution of DEI: A Shift Toward Personal Culture
- The Future of Event Planning: Trends and Tips for a Seamless Experience
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- Celebrating 25 Years Part 9: Providing Value Through Decoding the Speaking Industry
- Celebrating 25 Years Part 8: Revolutionizing the Ultimate Client Experience
- Celebrating 25 Years Part 7: The Village Behind The Vision
- Celebrating 25 Years Part 6: The Three-Legged Stool
- Celebrating 25 Years - Part 5: The Cornerstones of GDA's Speaker Family
- GDA's Top Trending Speakers
- Celebrating 25 Years - Part 4: New Office, Same Mission
- The Husband & Wife Duo That Every Event Needs: Sandra Joseph & Ron Bohmer
- Celebrating 25 Years - Part 3: Cultivating Culture
- Dandapani: The Risk Worth Taking
- Celebrating 25 Years - Part 2: Turning Points
- Meet our NEW Gold Star Speaker: Liz Murray
- Celebrating 25 Years of Setting Stages Worldwide
- Nando's Timeless Story: Coming Soon to Theaters & Netflix
- Introducing Ankit Fadia 2.0
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- Meet Our NEW Gold Star Speaker!
- Meeting & Event Planning Tips
- Speaker Fees: To Negotiate Or Not To Negotiate
- How Speaker Fees Are Like Handbag Shopping
- 23 Years of Unforgettable Experiences
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- 2022 Events Forecast
- The Anniversary
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- The Journey Never Ends...Sharing What We Learn Along The Way
- Business Growth Speakers
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- 2021: To Smoother Roads Ahead
- Virtual Events are Fun, Engaging and on the Rise.
- Case Study: "Quarantine...let's binge watch our meeting"
- When will large and in-person events make a comeback?
- Case Study: "Virtual Made it Possible"
- You need a good moderator/host for your event. Here's why.
- How are fees being adjusted for virtual appearances?
- Celebrating 20 Years- Part 8: Staying Tech Savvy
- Celebrating 20 Years- Part 7: IASB and EO
- Celebrating 20 Years- Part 6: Gratitude
- Look Who's 20!
- Celebrating 20 Years - Part 5: New Discoveries
- Celebrating 20 Years - Part 4: The Big Move...the Rebrand
- Celebrating 20 Years - Part 3: Growing Pains and Gains
- Celebrating 20 Years - Part 2: Turning Points
- Celebrating 20 Years - Part 1
- 18th Anniversary Celebration - Founder's Talk
- GDA Podcast Recap | Nando Parrado Episode 7
- GDA Podcast Recap | Richard Resnick Episode 6
- GDA Podcast Recap | Dr. Michael "Misha" Auslin Episode 5
- GDA Podcast Recap | Herb Meyer Episode 4
- GDA Podcast Recap | David Polinchock Episode 3
- GDA Podcast Recap | Jim Carrol Episode 2
- GDA Podcast Recap | Jeff Kirschner Episode 1
- The Story of the GDA Podcast
- The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same: 30 Years Of Perspective
- An Inspirational Story of Perseverance
- Less Is More
- Six Speakers, Six Days, Three Cities….. Impressions.
- The Entrepreneurial Spirit
- Top “Plan B” Questions When Bad Weather Strikes
- Business Advice From a Veteran
- Top A-Team Traits That Deliver Successful Results
- Setting Your Moral Compass
- Don’t Drop the Ball on Introductions
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- Secret Weapons
- Celebrating 15 Years With HR Houston
- A Unique Speaker You Need
- Rex Lewis-Clack: Class of 2013- A Guest Blog from Cathleen Lewis
- A Magical Event
- The Impact of a TED Talk- A Guest Blog From Leslie Morgan Steiner
- The Day That Changed Our Lives- A Guest Blog From Steve Palermo
- Everyone Should Book John O'Leary
- Eric Saperston is Another Gift
- Create an Oscar Award Winning Event with Eric Maddox
- Cruising into 2013
- Hope for the Holidays
- Don't Wait to Book Your Speakers Part 2
- Don't Wait to Book Your Speakers
- A Guest Blog From Kristina Wandzilak
- A Guest Blog from Nando Parrado
- Do You Take the Stairs?
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- DON'T HIRE MOVERS!
- Designing Women
- TEDxSMU - What a day!
- The End of the Up Experience Didn’t Leave Me Down
- Up, Up, Up. The Up Experience Part 3
- Round 2 of the Up Experience
- The Up Experience, Truly Uplifting
- An Audience with the Dalai Lama
- The Best Email Tip I've Ever Heard
- Don't Just Book a Speaker, Create a Revolution
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- Visiting Their Cells Emotional. Energy.
- Sex, Mentors and Thank You ... An unexpected sort of day.
- Powerful. The only word for today.
- The Give Back Tour Begins
- Andre Norman and Giving Back
- Energy and Synergy with Ankit Fadia
- Momentum, Passion and Transformation
- Partnerships
- An Epic Trip
- Tom Martinez- A Story of Hate, A Message of Hope
- Kids and Speakers
- Ethics
- Live From New York
- Growth
- Customer Service: Going Above and Beyond
- In Remembrance of Randy Snow
- A Sense of Connection
- Event Wisdom: Simple things that make a difference
- International Events
- A CEO Who Gets It!!!
- Celebrating 10 Years of Inspiration
- Domestic Violence
- Milestones and Celebrations
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- Nando, Sonia, Tim and 2008
- Timing is Everything ... and Steve Forbes, too.
- Rex Lewis-Clack and Cathleen Lewis