94th Annual ICMA Conference

Convention Connection Speakers Bureau has booked keynote speakers Frans Johansson, Cokie Roberts and Michael Beschloss for the 94th Annual ICMA Conference at the Greater Richmond Convention Center in Richmond, Virginia. “Celebrating Our Past—Preparing for Our Future” is the theme for this year’s ICMA Annual Conference, the largest annual event in the world for local government managers and staff. The conference will run from September 21-24, 2008.

Frans Johansson is author of The Medici Effect and a speaker on innovation. A successful entrepreneur who co-founded (while under 30 years old) two businesses in the U.S. and Sweden, Frans uses the intersections in his life to innovate. The Medici Effect has been translated into 17 languages and has been recognized on numerous lists as a top business book. Johansson argues that innovations occur when people see beyond their expertise and approach situations actively, with an eye toward putting available materials together in new combinations. Because of ions, “the movement of people, the convergence of science, and the leap of computation,” a wide range of materials available for new, recontextualized uses is becoming a norm rather than an exception, much as the Medici family of Renaissance Italy’s patronage helped develop European arts and culture.

Cokie Roberts has covered Congress, politics and public policy for nearly 20 years at ABC News. In addition to her responsibilities at ABC, Ms. Roberts serves as Senior News Analyst for National Public Radio, where she was the Congressional Correspondent for more than ten years. She is the recipient of numerous broadcasting awards, including three Emmys. She has been inducted into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame, and was cited by the American Women in Radio and Television as “One of the 50 Greatest Women in the History of Broadcasting.”

Michael Beschloss has written nine books on American Presidents.  The New York Times Book Review has called him “clearly the most widely recognized Presidential historian in the nation.”  Newsweek has called him “the nation’s leading Presidential historian.”  The International Herald Tribune has called him “a national treasure.” Beschloss’ most recent two books, Presidential Courage (2007) and The Conquerors (2002), were each on the New York Times bestseller list for months.

Convention Connection is a full-service speakers bureau based in Malibu, CA with over 25 years of experience booking motivational speakers, entertainers, and teambuilding for corporate and association clients. For more information, visit our main site at http://www.speakersrus.com or call 800-443-9979.

Keynote Speakers: Keep on Trucking

I recently watched motivational speaker and photographer Steve Uzzell’s keynote preview video again and in a post-July 4th patriotic fever was struck by the beauty of the natural places in our country as depicted in his work: in particular his award-winning campaign for a trucking line he did some years ago for Yellow Freight. There’s something very uniquely American about long-haul trucking culture, and though I’d never thought about it clearly before, truckers really do criss-cross some of this country’s most gorgeous landscapes and following them around provides for some great photo opportunities (providence, he calls it). Gas prices these days mean that they spend thousands to fill up…but oh, to be on the open road in places like these!

Keynote Speakers, Reasonable Fees

With meeting budgets shrinking, we’ve got you covered with a wide selection of outstanding, top-rated speakers. From sports to sales, our speakers cover the most requested topics. We have booked the most popular and the most affordable speakers for $10,000…and yes, some for under $10,000 and under $5,000. Contact us for exact fees and a complete proposal. Here are a few favorites from Convention Connection account executives Kiela Hine, Sandy Shaw and Barbara Rosenbloom:

Terry Bowden. This college football coach, on-air analyst, and corporate motivational speaker covers topics such as teamwork, motivating benchwarmers, and self-confidence.

John Powers- the classic motivator, with a variety of topics.

Scott Waddle is the former commander of the USS Greeneville. After a scandal that put his name in headlines, he became a shining example of ethics and leadership under pressure, and he now brings his message to groups.

Christine Cashen is a keynote motivator whose specialty is workplace improvement.

Steven S. Little addresses perhaps the most important issue facing groups in today’s economy: how to grow your business.

Frank Miles is a professional clean comic whose message of overcoming fear is presented with insights from his own experience. Great option for the corporate or association audience looking for comedic entertainment, and a takeaway message, too.

Steve Uzzell is an award-winning photographer who blends his talk with stunning pictures, giving insights into the creative process as a metaphor for possibility.

Mike Rayburn is a very popular corporate guitar virtuoso whose on-stage performance is a mixture of keynote speech and customized entertainment.

Anthony Galie’s logic defying programs are a showcase of his skills as a licensed psychotherapist and master hypnotist, but they also teach tangible skills in focus and goal-setting that are applicable to any audience.

For more: contact us at 1-800-443-9979 or email contactus@conventionconnection.net.

Chad Hymas asks- are you an ostrich, a chicken, a seagull or an eagle?

At the age of 27, Chad Hymas‘ life changed instantaneously when an accident left him a quadriplegic. Since that time Chad has been recognized by the state of Utah as the Superior Civilian of the Year. He is the president of his own communications company and an Internet marketing company. As a member of the National Speakers Association Chad travels as many as 150,000 miles a year speaking to hundreds of professional and civic organizations such as Wells Fargo, Blue Cross Blue Shield, AT&T, Rainbird, IHC, American Express, Prudential Life, Vast FX, Zion Securities, and others. Here are just a few of Chad’s (creatively and wonderfully titled) keynote speech topics:

*Success And The Bird Next Door

*Who Needs Legs When You Have Wings

*Get The Worm Faster: Succeed With A Bird’s Eye Perspective!

*Eagles Don’t Fly In Flocks, But Seagulls Never Get Lonely

For more avian-inspired information on these topics, click here for full descriptions.

By the way, when you book Chad you’ll find out that:

- The ostrich personality is best at focus
- The chicken personality brings stability
- The seagull empowers the team
- The eagle inspires leadership

Who are you?

Convention Connection Books Top Speakers

Searching for a speaker? So many options, so many topics…so little time to find the best one for your event. That’s why I’m here on our blog. We’ve done all the research so you don’t have to. We know speakers’ strengths, their styles, the types of audiences they impact the most. We know their topics and expertise, their preferences, and the conditions that inspire the best performances. It’s our job to put the pieces together and match you with a keynote speaker who will have your attendees talking long after the event has ended.

Your goal is to host a successful meeting, convention or event. Our goal is to make you look good doing it. With everything on your plate, the last thing you need to worry about is the time-intensive process of finding, securing, and communicating with the right speaker for your event. That’s why we’re here to ease that burden. How? By taking care of you everything you need, from start to finish, to secure and host a top-notch speaker for your event.

We look forward to blogging here about the hottest speakers on the circuit today and providing a fresh new look at the inside of the speaking industry. Any questions, feel free to email me at christine@conventionconnection.net.