Speaker News Archives

Books: Martin Hawes, Kathrine Switzer, Julia Hartley Moore
Martin Hawes latest book is titled Twenty Good Summers – Work less, live more and make the most of your money. It will show you how to free up your lifestyle by organising your money to get the income you need to get on with life!

Kathrine Switzer and Roger Robinson have released 26.2 Marathon Stories – with 26.2 informative and entertaining chapters tracing the history of the marathon. The book includes incredible photography of marathoners from around the world and is the ultimate tribute to the marathon — and the ultimate inspiration.

Julia Hartley Moore’s book Infidelity - exploding the myths is being released in the USA and Canada on February 16 under the title Infidelity Sleuth. Julia’s book rights have been sold to China and all Chinese-speaking countries, plus Russia, Indonesia (already published), Portugal and Brazil.

Upcoming event — Meet Auckland
On Wednesday March 15 we will be exhibiting at the inaugural Meet Auckland Expo, at the Aotea Centre, Auckland Convention Centre at The Edge. The expo will showcase what Auckland has to offer organisers of seminars, meetings, functions, conferences, team building exercises or other events. Exhibitors will include venues, exhibition display companies, caterers, technology providers and more. There will be a combination of appointment sessions and free flow format. Contact us.

MD update — Debbie Tawse
Thanks so much for all the caring messages and support I have received over the past three months.

I am now fully recovered physically from my surgery (removal of left lung due to non-smoking cancer tumour) and am now half-way through my chemotherapy — two treatments down and only two to go. I am handling this really well and am on track to be fully back on deck in April.

Meanwhile the team are doing a fine job in my absence. I think they’re trying to make me retire!!!
Cheers,
Debbie

New books: Graeme Dingle, Dr Fred Grosse and Dr John Tickell
Graeme Dingle’s latest book Dingle — Discovering the Sense in Adventure tells the story of how a scared, painfully skinny boy turns himself into one of New Zealand’s greatest adventurers.  

In Black Belt of the Mind Dr Fred Grosse teaches us how to fine-tune both our conscious and unconscious patterns to more effectively achieve continuing and increasing work satisfaction, wealth and good health.  

Dr John Tickell has released a recipe book for his Great Australian Diet which inspires readers to make different choices about the foods they eat, based on John’s 25 years spent researching the health, well-being and longevity patterns of people around the world. Contact us.

Triumphant last race – Nathan Fa’avae
Finishing on a high as a member of the World Championship winning team Nathan Fa’avae has retired from adventure racing. 

Nathan has been captain of the Balance Vector team that has won a multitude of races all around the world over the past five years — from Borneo to the United States to home in New Zealand.

Not just a world champion athlete, Nathan underwent heart surgery earlier this year to correct a condition that can be fatal if a severe attack occurs.

In his inspirational presentations Nathan talks about what it takes to succeed in what is quite possibly the worlds toughest endurance competitions. Contact us.

Farewell to team member – Amy Bushman
Our bubbly sales co-ordinator Amy Bushman is leaving us to move to Canada with her husband.  We are very sad to say farewell to Amy and will miss her cheerfulness and attention to detail efficiency. We wish Amy all the best for an exciting and successful future and know she will be an asset to any team she joins.

Amy’s replacement is Vicki Love who has been with us since March and you may have already spoken to. Vicki came on board when Michelle went on maternity leave, so she already knows our systems and people, so it should be a smooth transition.

All the best Amy — we will miss you! Contact us.

Wests Tigers benefits from Kovess passion
Passion Provocateur™ and speaker, Charles Kovess, who is exclusively represented by us in New Zealand, worked pre-season with Wests Tiger players. His radical passion strategy helped the players become brothers, rather than mere teammates.

Remembering Diana
Susan Maxwell Skinner was raised in New Zealand and trained as a reporter for the New Zealand Herald. As she rose through the ranks to specialise in feature-writing, royal visits became her “beat”. She met Lady Diana Spencer when on assignment to the royal wedding.

“Diana fever” gripped the world and Susan remained in the Buckingham Palace press corps for eight years. She has written three books and hundreds of magazine articles about Diana.

Susan presents speeches about Diana and how one woman can make a difference, featuring many famous photographs of the princess. Susan will be in New Zealand from February 14 to March 8, 2006 and is available for speaking engagements. Contact us.

Congratulations — again!
Congratulations to Caroline and Georgina Evers-Swindell on their Gold medal in the Women's Double Sculls at the World Championships in Japan. This is their third world title, another outstanding achievement one year on from their Olympic gold medal! Contact us

The Lady Killers — Jackie Clarke, Tina Cross, Suzanne Lynch, Taisha
The Lady Killers brings together the stunning vocal talents of Jackie Clarke, Tina Cross, Suzanne Lynch and Taisha.

Taisha is the country’s finest R&B stylist and most sought-after session singer. Suzanne Lynch grew up in front of the country on screen and on stage as part of the seminal pop duo The Chicks. Tina Cross is a pop princess turned musical theatre starat the very top of her game. Jackie Clarke is instantly recognisable as the new judge on NZ Idol and as part of kiwiana trio When the Cat’s Been Spayed.

Accompanied by a six-piece band of Auckland’s finest musicians, The Lady Killers are seasoned professionals making beautiful music dripping in harmony. They will pack your dance floor with their broad range of numbers — from gospel to girl group, from power pop to soul, plus a little bit of rock. Ideal for corporate and Christmas functions. Contact us

New Speakers — Mike Handcock, Weijun Collins, Karen Scott, Eoin Young
Mike Handcock combines innovative and practical messages with music, drama and humour to deliver presentations that educate and entertain a broad range of audiences. Drawing from his experience as a musician and performer, as well as 20 years in sales and financial services, Mike is able to cover a variety of topics. These include Strategic Management for Small Business; The Keys to Business Success; Defining Life Moments and Keys to Making Bigger Sales More Smoothly. He is author of three books: Eyes Wide Open, Meet Joe Sample and Your Empire Strikes Back. Contact us

Weijun Collins is the author of Desert Rose — the inspirational story of her life of suffering, romance and resilience. Born into an educated, high-ranking Chinese family, Weijun’s life changed dramatically when her father was denounced as an enemy of the Communist Party. This led to her being forced to labour in the Gobi Desert for ten years, enduring sub-zero temperatures with little food while sleeping in a cramped cave at night. The story she will tell you defies all odds. Unbelievable courage, determination and a sharp mind have taken Weijun from the depths of despair and living in poverty, to being a healthy, successful businesswoman, now residing in New Zealand. Contact us

Karen Scott is the founder and owner of Tots to Teens magazine and the owner of the parenting website Kids New Zealand Ltd. Having returned to New Zealand after several years overseas Karen saw a gap in the market here for a regional magazine for parents. She began Tots to Teens in Auckland as a single mother with two very young children, no publishing experience and very little money. The magazine is now the highest circulating parenting magazine in New Zealand with 130,000 copies per edition. Karen is an inspirational speaker who describes her journey to business success and covers a range of topics including goal setting, change, planning, vision and sales. Contact us

Canterbury motor racing historian Eoin Young has recently released his two latest books: The Amazing Summer of ’55 and McLaren Memories. For over 30 years he wrote a weekly motor racing page for The Autocar in the UK, and attended 449 Grand Prix. He became Bruce McLaren’s secretary and first employee in 1962 and helped Bruce to form his racing team over the next few seasons. Eoin now resides in Christchurch and is working on his twelfth book —Denny Hulme Diaries. Eoin is a fascinating and entertaining speaker who recounts his 35 years of international motorsport, giving an insider’s view of this exciting world. Contact us

Improve personal and workplace productivity and reduce stress — Debbie Mayo-Smith
There is a huge gap between how much we use our computers and email and how little we know in the way of time-saving shortcuts to help us work more effectively, when we’re trying to do as much as possible in as short a time as possible. This represents a huge cost to business.

Debbie Mayo-Smith shows how to improve business results and personal productivity with simple techniques on how to use email and information more effectively. She will inspire you with simple, step-by-step instructions and real work examples covering four key business areas:

• Inbox management
• Reporting and documentation
• Database management/marketing
• Marketing communications.

Debbie’s most recent new book, Conquer Your Email Overload - Superb Tips and Tricks For Busy People and her presentations around this topic will help develop new business and reduce overheads through time-saving shortcuts that will skyrocket individual productivity. Contact us

Jeanette Wilson — Dare to Believe
Jeanette Wilson left her job as a training manager for Lloyds Bank to take up a career as a medium and spiritual healer.  The inspirational story of her career transition is told in the bestselling book Medium Rare.  In her second book, Rare Moments, she gives fascinating insights about her incredible gift. Her television programme Dare to Believe (filmed live) will challenge you to examine your own beliefs and think outside the square.  A qualified NLP practitioner, Jeanette draws on her extensive coaching, sales training, management and career transition experience when speaking to a business brief. Alternatively she will deliver an entertaining address about her current work.

Ant Williams — Into the Abyss
In just three years Ant Williams went from being a novice to No.1 in New Zealand and fifth in the world in free diving’s elite echelon of the world’s extreme athletes. Ant learnt to free dive while based in Southern France setting up a Grand Prix motorcycle team, which went from 24th to 14th on the starting grid in just seven months. A registered sport and organisational psychologist, Ant has worked internationally for Super 12 rugby teams, Olympians and world champion athletes. Ant now runs a dynamic corporate development company that specialises in adventure-based training and consultancy. He incorporates his training techniques into his speeches, giving his audiences the encouragement and tools to “get out on a limb where the fruit is”!

Phil Keoghan — No Opportunity Wasted (N.O.W.)
Phil Keoghan is the globetrotting adventure host of The Amazing Race and author of No Opportunity Wasted – Eight Steps To Getting the Most Out of Life.  At age 19, Phil nearly drowned during a dive to a shipwreck. Having survived that experience, Phil wrote a “list for life” — a list of things he wanted to do before he died and proceeded to do them!  He moved to the USA and developed a career as a television producer and adventurer.  Now in his seventh season hosting THE AMAZING RACE, Phil Keoghan has worked all over the world as a cameraman, producer and host. Today he lives his life by his N.O.W. philosophy — No Opportunity Wasted— and encourages others to do the same. Contact us.

Dr Tom: The Attitude Doctor
Dr Tom Mulholland, author of Healthy Thinking – How to Turn Life’s Lemons into Lemonade, has his own television programme — a daily chat show, Dr Tom: The Attitude Doctor, which focuses on topical social and medical issues.  Tom uses his own life experiences to help improve the lives of his patients and corporate audiences. "“In the 15 years of being a doctor I found the most powerful thing I can do is change peoples attitudes” he says. “You can't change your personality or genes but you can change your attitude.” Unhealthy emotions and behaviours create physical, time and productivity costs on you and your organisation. Dr Tom shows how to eliminate unhealthy emotions like stress, anger, and frustration to improve communication and enhance productivity. 

Fall-out-of-your-seat, tears-in-your-eyes, laugh-out-loud funny
Tim Gard is one of the funniest speakers we know.

Whatever industry you are in, if you want to improve morale at work or entertain clients or staff, you must consider Tim. In fact, many meeting planners around the world say Tim is an absolute “must have!” Contact us    

How to Lose Friends and Infuriate Competitors
Jonar Nader, author of the widely acclaimed How to Lose Friends and Infuriate People as well as numerous other books, released his latest book, a novel called Z, in May 2005.

Don't Postpone Joy — Peter Taylor
Peter Taylor has been living on "borrowed time" for over eight years, hence his life philosophy Don’t Postpone Joy. It is the title of his book which was released in February 2005 and is changing people’s lives. Peter was also featured on TV3's 60 Minutes the same month.

Multi-talented performer — Mika
Mika is one of New Zealand's leading entertainers who regularly performs internationally. He offers an exciting and diverse range of entertainment options and is suitable for both New Zealand and international audiences. He can deliver a tailored performance to meet your brief — with a strong focus on Maori culture and performing arts, or a combination of Maori and Pacific flavours.

Mika's one man cabaret show combines song, dance and lots of chat, with quick fire humour in a wicked Vega Tribute to the Big Divas. He offers a unique Polynesian take on showbiz glamour with his intense passion and strong irony — somewhere between parody and tribute!

Mika teaches at AUT summer school, has his own television programme (Maori Television, Thursday night at 10.00pm) and was featured recently in Variety — New York’s leading entertainment magazine. A truly international performer, Mika is also an excellent role model and motivational speaker, who speaks to a variety of audiences. He especially loves helping young people and speaking to youth groups. Contact us

Stop making excuses — Jason Barrell
Jason Barrell was a gifted rugby player and was selected for Northland, then the Chiefs and Blues Super 12 Teams, as well as Auckland’s NPC team.  A freak accident on the rugby field resulted in a broken neck and the end of his professional career.  After six months in traction considering his options, Jason decided to join the police force. 

Jason’s life seemed to be back on track but something wasn’t quite right.  An MRI scan discovered a life-threatening brain tumour that was causing strokes.  Four hours of surgery turned into nine and caused brain damage meaning Jason needed to relearn everything, from walking to feeding himself.

Jason challenges people to re-evaluate their own limitations, take responsibility for their own lives and to stop making excuses as to why they are not living up to their true capacity.  Contact us.

Private investigator — Julia Hartley Moore
Julia Hartley Moore is a private investigator, international author, motivational speaker and television personality.  At 15 Julia had her first child and by the age of 16 had three children under the age of one. By 19 she was separated and divorced two years later. In the intervening years Julia raised her three daughters, married and divorced her multimillionaire second husband, worked as an in-house model and also for Mohammed Al Fayed at Harrods.

In 1995 Julia set up her own private investigation company which works internationally and in New Zealand specialising in the fields of commercial, family court and criminal law.

Julia wrote her first book in 2000 called Julia Moore P.I.  It was a great success and her second book Infidelity – Exploding the Myths, published in June of this year, immediately entered the best sellers list in New Zealand and was re-printed within one week of it’s release.

Through her work and life experiences, Julia has gained immense knowledge on the subjects of human nature, relationships and infidelity. She is a unique, inspirational, motivational, hard- hitting and humorous speaker. Contact us.

Personality profiles for improved communication — Allison Mooney
Allison Mooney’s legendary customer service record, as manager of Ansett Golden Wing, came to be immortalised in the "I can’t — I’ve split my trousers!" advertisement.  Now a highly skilled practitioner of Personality Plus (a dynamic profiling system), Allison delivers presentations on teamwork, customer service, and selling skills.

Understanding the personalities of people has been the key to Allison’s career success, staff management, dealing with demanding customers, as well as relationships with her friends, her children, and even her spouse!

Allison assists people in understanding others and effectively communicating with them. She is a fun and entertaining presenter with uncomplicated content that generates greater retention and application. Contact us.

Successful international musician – Moana Maniopoto
Moana Maniopoto consistently pushes the boundaries of Maori music with a unique blend of traditional Maori musical elements and contemporary western grooves. Moana and her band, Moana & The Tribe, have performed nearly 100 concerts across Europe. Through their recordings and live performances, the band has quickly cemented its reputation as one of the most successful indigenous groups to emerge from Aotearoa.

Offstage, Moana is one half of an award-winning documentary team with partner Toby Mills, was on the board of Te Waka Toi (Creative NZ), a member of the Music Industry Export Development Group, and is currently the chair of the Maori Music Industry Coalition. She is also a member of the Black Pearl National Trust, a charitable trust that works to empower and motivate Maori women.

Moana is also a qualified lawyer and has appeared on television in shows including Shortland Street. She speaks about her experiences, believing in yourself, and the value of integrating Maori and non-Maori cultures. Contact us.

Hypnotist & Comedian — Guy Cater
Guy Cater is a fully trained and qualified Hypnotist with an awesome show that he has performed in the USA, Singapore and all around New Zealand.

Subjects are chosen from audience volunteers and placed in a deep relaxed state — and then the fun begins. You will not believe the crazy antics they get up to in their sleep-like state — and nobody is belittled or embarrassed.

During the show Guy will have his subjects riding a horse in the Melbourne Cup, meeting an alien, playing musical instruments, laughing at a funny movie and crying at a sad one, becoming Elvis, Madonna or Michael Jackson, thinking they have won lotto and watching a fast game of tennis.

Guy's show is a riot of fun and laughter!

Speaker Showcase and Book Launch
Tuesday 15 November, Christchurch
Tuesday 22 November, Wellington
Tracey Richardson, author of Going the Distance

Tracey Richardson is NOT an elite athlete — she is a mum who embarked on a daunting physical and mental journey in order to change the direction of her life. After ten years working in corporate roles in New Zealand and Australia, Tracey took a break to have two children — both diagnosed with cystic fibrosis (CF).  Out of necessity she became self-employed and won a business award for her franchise business. 

By 2002 the continuous pressures of running her business and caring for her ill children took its toll. Tracey was morbidly obese and clinically depressed. She made the decision to discover some value and purpose in her life and competed in the grueling Ironman New Zealand triathlon, to raise money and awareness for CF. Tracey went on to compete in the world-famous Hawaii Ironman, one of the toughest one-day endurance events in the world.

A great opportunity to preview an outstanding speaker, motivate your team, or host clients. Tracey’s story is truly inspirational and amazing — a story of success over adversity and how focus and passion can actually change lives. Our showcase luncheon in Christchurch will be held at the Hotel Grand Chancellor on Tuesday 15 November at 12:00pm and our Wellington luncheon at the InterContinental on Tuesday 22 November, also at 12:00pm.

To register call Mel on 09 373 4177 or email info@csnz.co.nz for more details or contact us.

Standing Tall — Tawera Nikau’s new book
Tawera Nikau is an extremely talented athlete who played rugby league for top teams in New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom. He played for the Kiwis in 19 tests and made eight appearances for the New Zealand Maori team, which he captained in the 2000 Rugby League World Cup.

In 2001 Tawera retired and returned to New Zealand from England, after his wife’s tragic death. He was putting his life back together when a motorbike accident resulted in the loss of his right leg. Tawera was determined not to let this beat him and set himself a new goal of becoming a paralympic athlete.
In Standing Tall Tawera talks openly about his life, triumphs and challenges. He is an inspirational speaker and an excellent communicator. Contact us.

New books — Joe Bennett
Joe Bennett left his Lyttleton home last year to hitchhike the length of New Zealand and then wrote a book about his experiences. A Land of Two Halves is written in the same dry comic style of his regular columns. It includes entertaining commentaries on the people and places he discovered along the way— from campervans and their occupants to individual towns and cities and things that are uniquely Kiwi.

Unmuzzled is Joe Bennett’s seventh collection of his columns from newspapers including The Press, The Dominion Post, Hawke’s Bay Today, the Otago Daily Times, the Waikato Times, and the Southland Times.

Joe is satirical, topical and entertaining — both in his writing and speaking presentations. Contact us.

Icebreaker featured in leading business magazine Unlimited
Award winning merino clothing company Icebreaker celebrates its tenth anniversary this year. The February issue of Unlimited looks at the strategies and keys to the company’s success. Icebreaker is now sold in 1,000 stores in 17 countries, turnover has grown 811% in the last five years and Icebreaker now has 52 employees. Entrepreneur and managing director Jeremy Moon speaks about export market development, innovation, branding, marketing and innovative management. Contact us

Coach of ICC World XI - John Wright
Former New Zealand cricket captain, John Wright, returned to New Zealand earlier this year, after more than four years as coach of the Indian cricket team. John is recognised as the most successful international coach against Australia in recent years, and is looking forward to his new challenge as coach of the ICC World XI in the inaugural Super Series against Australia in October. John is an insightful speaker with a wry humour. We are delighted to welcome him home and know he will bring some wonderful experiences to his presentations on his return. Contact us

Contiki Holidays creator – John Anderson
John Anderson is the creator of the major tour operator Contiki Holidays. He began the business in 1962, with just £25, as a way to travel around Europe on his OE. By the time he sold the business in 1989 it had an annual turnover of $150 million.  Contiki is one of the very few international brand names solely created by a New Zealander. 

Back in New Zealand, John conceived the idea that developed into the Ellerslie Flower Show. He was the CEO of the event for the first year.

John and his wife Alison now reside in Malborough.  He is currently writing a book on the Contiki story. John’s presentations tell the incredible story of how he developed a simple idea into such a successful business, covering his determination to succeed, the belief in himself and his successes and failures. Contact us

Adventure racing captain — Nathan Fa’avae
Nathan Fa’avae is the captain of Team Seagate — the highly successful New Zealand adventure racing team.  In November the team were in LA racing the 3rd and final round of the Balance Bar Series, the premiere 24-hour adventure race series.

Going into the final it was anyone’s race, with whoever won out of Seagate or Nike taking the overall title of National Champions. Seagate had a perfect race and won by nearly two hours, winning the race and the overall series.

Nathan is a highly engaging and inspirational speaker who communicates well with all levels of audience.  His topics include teamwork, time efficiency, leadership, communication and achievement. Contact us.

Versatile entertainer — Phil Kingsley Jones
Popular comedian Phil Kingsley Jones is back in Auckland and available to entertain your audience — with his jokes and humorous anecdotes. Phil can team up with various musical entertainers to provide a variety show with wide appeal. He also hosts Legends Nights — interviewing New Zealand rugby and other sporting legends followed by an entertaining quiz. Contact us

Tony Christiansen — Race You to the Top
Tony Christiansen's book Race You to the Top is being reprinted in a teenage version to be sold to schools. The book tells Tony’s inspirational story simply and directly, with the down-to-earth humour and common sense he is renowned for.

An extremely popular speaker internationally, Tony is a qualified surf lifeguard, a champion swimmer, a second-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do, a speedway and racing car champion, a gold medal-winning athlete in world games, a qualified pilot, a successful businessman, a husband and father of three children… and he has no legs. Contact us

Distinguished teacher — Dr Richard Buchanan
Congratulations to Dr Richard Buchanan for winning first prize in the Distinguished Teaching Competition at the annual conference for the Society for Marketing Advances in Florida in November. The conference brings together marketing educators from throughout the United States and 16 other countries and Richard is the first winner from a university outside the United States. Contact us

Book poised for international success — The Attitude Doctor
Dr Tom Mulholland’s book Healthy Thinking was presented at the Frankfurt book fair last week and has received strong interest from 14 countries. As a result Tom will head to London to speak at the Book Fair there in March.

He has also just been re-elected to the Taranaki DHB as the highest polling candidate.

Tom is currently working on his next book, Healthy Thinking for Relationships — an extremely relevant area as we approach the Christmas season. Tom relates the importance of a healthy attitude to both personal and business relationships. He does this in an informative and entertaining manner. Contact us.

Pioneering marathon runner — Kathrine Switzer
Kathrine Switzer divides her time between living in New York city and Wellington, and has just recently become a New Zealand citizen.  Kathrine was the first woman to officially enter and run the Boston Marathon in 1967 and received worldwide notoriety when a race official tried to forcibly remove her from the race.

After a successful athletic career, Kathrine turned her attention to the creation of women’s opportunities in sport, a sports marketing career, communication, tourism and events, and motivating others in both fitness and business.

Kathrine’s book, Running and Walking For Women over 40 ... the Road to Sanity and Vanity, is a best seller in the United States and New Zealand and has been published in Germany, Hungary and Australia.

A highly motivational speaker, Kathrine’s presentations are relevant to business, sports or health. Contact us.

Outstanding businesswoman – Merepeka Raukawa-Tait
Merepeka Raukawa-Tait has contributed to the community for over sixteen years in the areas of tourism, small business, forestry, farming, health and education. She has been trustee/director of a number of Maori trusts and incorporations.

Merepeka is best known for her role as Chief Executive of Women’s Refuge as she took the organisation from the back streets to the front of the nation. She spearheaded a highly successful fundraising programme that doubled the annual appeal.

Now assisting individuals and businesses in the areas of communication, relationships, leadership, change and strategic planning, Merepeka shares her wealth of experience. She is a challenging and inspirational speaker. Contact us

Austin Powers — John McKenzie
John McKenzie is an experienced MC, voiceover artist, presenter and actor who will add some real enthusiasm to your event. John can appear as himself or as the character Austin 'Danger' Powers who can sing and dance as well as MC your event!

John's down to earth style mixed with his enthusiastic approach and good sense of humour gives him broad appeal to a wide range of audiences.

John is also a vocalist for band The Fab 3 who perform as a variety of characters including Austin, The Beatles, Elvis and Robbie Williams.

Get your Act Together—interactive keynote
Get your Act Together blends music, fun and a highly interactive style with strong and vital business messages.

Charles Kovess (Australia’s Passion Provocateur), together with musical director Robert Clark, will have your audience stomping, clapping and even singing their way to a more productive and passionate work environment. The fun really starts when the audience members become the star performers in their very own musical production number.

At the conclusion of the presentation participants will feel inspired and motivated and experience a sense of ”Wow, that was amazing!” Contact us for further information.

Technotrends
Author of six books, including the highly-acclaimed Technotrends, which has been translated into over a dozen languages, Daniel Burrus is an internationally recognised technology forecaster and business strategist. The New York Times has described Daniel as one of America’s top three business “gurus” in the highest demand as a speaker.

Daniel will be in NZ (ex-USA) for a presentation on May 172005. He is available for additional engagements in Asia Pacific on either side of that date. Contact us

Paul Jeffreys remembered
With great sadness we learnt of the death of Paul Jeffreys. Paul was always a pleasure to work with, professional, courteous and kind. His story and determination touched so many, in the way he shared his personal experiences so openly with us. We will certainly miss his presence in our world.

Dr Mary Quin — visiting New Zealand
On a trip to Yemen, in late 1998, Mary Quin was among a group of 16 tourists taken hostage by local militants. Mary's dramatic escape during a gun battle between militants and the Yemen army, in which four tourists were killed and two wounded, made headline news around the world. She draws on her diverse life experiences in corporate America, international activism and hostage survival to provide compelling insights on issues of concern in business today.

You may have heard Mary speak at one of our breakfasts last year. We are pleased to announce that Mary will be back here in March. During her stay at the luxurious Treetops Lodge & Estate, Mary will be hosting one dinner as guest speaker.

For information and rate enquiries for this special weekend at Treetops, please contact Marleen Goedhart from Icon Conference and Event Management Ltd on events@iconevents.co.nz or 09 845 5540 or 021 659 988. Very limited tickets are available. Contact us

Fundraising Luncheon for Nias Orphanage
Celebrity Speakers (NZ) Ltd and Intercontinental Wellington hosted a fundraising luncheon in late January — with all proceeds going to an orphanage in Nias, one of the islands in Indonesia that was devastated by the December tsunami. Dr Tom Mulholland, who spoke at the lunch, took a medical relief team and supplies to Nias. They were accompanied by a Television New Zealand crew and their visit was featured on Close Up in late January. Debbie Tawse MC’ed the event and the hotel management team waited on the tables. Hotel manager Heather Riley presented Dr Tom with a cheque for $3,560 for the orphanage, which is administered out of Singapore. Debbie and Tom will meet with the management team when they attend the Global Speakers Summit in Singapore. Contact us

Global Speakers Summit brings international speakers to the region
A Global Speakers Summit is being held in Singapore March 31-April 2. Celebrity Speakers (NZ) Ltd is sponsoring this inaugural event. Many of the world’s leading speakers will be in Singapore, Australia and/or New Zealand on either side of those dates and are available for speaking engagements.

Campbell McComas AM
We and our colleagues in the conventions industry throughout Australasia were shocked to learn of Campbell's death on January 8 this year. Campbell was a superb performer, a wonderful MC and a master speechmaker who created hundreds of characters and fooled thousands of people with his speeches delivered in hoax character. We were privileged to work with Campbell on numerous occasions and his attention to detail and sheer brilliance as a performer were arguably unmatched in the industry. He will be sadly missed.

Campbell died peacefully in hospital after losing his battle with leukaemia, which had been diagnosed only six weeks earlier. He was 52. Our sincere sympathy to his family and friends.

September 11 fire-fighter — Michael Weinstock
Michael Weinstock was a volunteer fire-fighter in New York City on September 11, 2001 and narrowly survived the collapse of the World Trade Centre buildings. He returned to Ground Zero during the days that followed the attack. Afterwards Michael returned to his role as Assistant District Attorney in Brooklyn’s Domestic Violence Bureau.

Michael has overcome significant challenges in his life including family struggles as a teenager leading to his dependence on the families of friends for a place to stay. Despite all of this, Michael managed to put himself through university and law school.

In his presentations Michael gives a personal account of his experiences on September 11 and the impact it had on himself and New York City. He also talks about his youth and the lessons he learned that have made a difference to his life, as well as observations from his legal career as a prosecutor. Contact us

International renowned entertainer – Michael Barrymore
Michael Barrymore is a multi-award winning entertainer, presenter and performer best known for his show’s Strike It Lucky, Strike It Rich and Barrymore.

He has won numerous television and comedy awards (by both public and industry vote)including Silver and Gold Awards for Best International Television programme at the New York Festival.

Michael became a resident of New Zealand in March 2004.  Shortly afterwards he toured heartland New Zealand receiving standard ovations and positive press reviews for his performances. Michael is available as an MC, host or performer for corporate and social events. Contact us

New speaker—adventure racer Nathan Fa’avae
Nathan Fa’avae is the Captain of Team Seagate—the highly successful New Zealand adventure racing team. He has been captain since 2002 and in this time has lead the team to six international victories in only nine starts. The other three results were a third and two fifth placings.

Combining a wealth of outdoor skills and life experiences, Nathan has been described as a whirlwind of efficiency and is a leading navigator.

In 2004 Team Seagate plan to compete in seven high profile international events and aim to win them all and finish as the undisputed number one team in the world.

Nathan is a highly engaging and inspirational speaker who communicates well with all levels of audience. His topics include teamwork, time efficiency, leadership, communication and achievement.  Contact us

Unique word-class entertainment—Duo Des iles
Just relocated to New Zealand after travelling the world entertaining cruise ship crowds, Wendy and Eric Desiles are highly talented performers who can alter their show depending on audience requirements. Both experienced entertainers in their own right, they have combined to create an act that is uniquely their own.

Creative and spontaneous, their fast paced show includes comedy, mime, acrobatics, dance, magic and life-sized puppets. As their show is totally visual, they cross any language barrier with ease.

With colourful and elaborate costumes and props, Duo Des iles perform a memorable act, ideal for a conference opening, superb evening entertainment or spots throughout your conference.  Contact us

Fantastic feedback—Lisa Cork
Lisa Cork recently gave a keynote presentation to the FMG National Sales Conference and received fantastic feedback following the event. 

“Her presentation was quite simply inspirational. Lisa has the knack of delivering a fun presentation with a really clear and serious message—she also fully involved her audience in her presentation. In fact the days following on from our conference it is clear that Lisa’s presentation was the highlight. Feedback received from the Chief Executive of FMG and a number of client business managers was that Lisa provided us all with the tools to really change our business thinking.  I would recommend Lisa Cork to any business or group. She is totally professional and motivating. Given the opportunity I will utilise Lisa’s services again in the future.” Stephen Paul, Group Regional Manager, South Island, Farmers Mutual Insurance Association

Lisa specialises in effective marketing and international communication strategies and as director of her own marketing and communications company, she travels the world advising clients in these areas. Contact us

Character First—Colin Pearce
Just back from a study tour in the USA watching the Character First Institute install their training programme, Colin Pearce has secured the license for the programme for Australasia.

Colin describes it this way: “We’ve been skirting around character flaws for years talking about politically correct language, equal opportunity and behaviour modification but with this programme you actually get to tell the truth. You get to say (in much nicer words of course), 'Harry. Your character stinks! Here’s a how to clean it up!'”

This is a great keynote about creating a culture of character—with videos, interviews, tips on hiring, correcting and recognising. Colin can also continue working with your organisation in this area, with follow-up training and consulting.

The Character First programme was developed by the Oklahoma-based Character Training Institute, a non-profit group formed in 1996 to encourage true success in business, organisations, schools, communities and families by encouraging character growth and development. Contact us

Updating speaker and industry knowledge
As you may know our MD, Debbie Tawse, places great importance on keeping up to date with speakers, their style and content, and is constantly researching new speakers, as well as those we have existing relationships with. This includes both local and international speakers. And she endeavours to ensure her team members keep up to date as well.

Recently both Debbie and sales consultant Louise Ryburn attended the National Speakers Association of Australia (NSAA) conference in Melbourne. This gave them the opportunity to meet and network with around 250 speakers from USA, Australia and New Zealand. This ensures we can provide you with the best speakers to fit your requirements and outcomes-whether they are for a keynote speech or an ongoing organisational programme. (If you didn't know—we also place our speakers for ongoing consulting work).

Congratulations to Colin Pearce on receiving the 2004 Nevin Award (awarded annually to the member whose accomplishments reflect outstanding credit, respect, honour and admiration of NSAA and the entire speaking profession) and to Charles Kovess the new National President of NSAA.

Debbie is also off the USA this week for the annual conference of the International Association of Speakers Bureaus—to ensure she keeps up to date with international industry trends and speakers. Contact us

Three years on—Fat Man still slim
Three years after losing a staggering 64kgs in just 12 months, Paul Jeffreys has proved it is possible to keep the weight off through a change in lifestyle.

His book Diary of a Fat Man (published last year) is still selling well and tells how Paul combined a diet of low-glycaemic index foods, exercise and willpower to reduce his weight from 168kgs to 104kgs.

Paul is featured in the article Getting Heavy With Fat in the May 2004 issue of North & South, about New Zealand’s obesity epidemic.

Science and technology issues—including Mars
As study director for the National Research Council/National Academy of Science in the USA, Douglas Bennett formulates and forecasts on technological trends and advises on policy.   He has directed numerous studies for the NRC and NASA is using the recommendations of one of these in developing their Mars robotic exploration programme—highly topical now they have the Spirit Rover on Mars.  

Douglas communicates science and technology issues to both technical and non-technical audiences. Douglas can make the most technical topics interesting and understandable. He comments on the potential downside of technological optimism, the vulnerability of society due to our dependency on technology systems and how to control the power of and rights to technology—all topics of huge importance in New Zealand where we are so quick to adopt new technologies.

Douglas will be working in New Zealand from March so will be available for much of the year and is guaranteed to offer valuable insights to the technology and science sectors.

Mystery and the Mouth—John Morrison and Miles Davis
John Morrison and Miles Davis form an unlikely partnership—a former international cricketer and a garrulous cockney. Together, as Mystery and The Mouth, they have been creating waves on television and radio – covering the 2003 cricket world cup for TV3 and hosting their own top-rating Sunday morning show on Radio Sport.

Both John and Miles are happy to express their opinions and they don’t always agree—leading to an entertaining barrage of good-humoured banter. With an in-depth knowledge of sport to draw from, Mystery and the Mouth are guaranteed to inform your audience as well as amuse. Contact us

Experience the magic of Rhythm Interactive
Rhythm Interactive is a facilitated drum event, where delegates get the experience to make their own music within minutes—without one word being spoken! Shows can range from 30 to 120 minutes—depending on your conference schedule.

You don’t need musical experience to participate in Rhythm Interactive—the program has been designed for people of any age group and all levels of musical experience.

Rhythm Interactive is a perfect team building tool and can be used as an icebreaker, a stress release exercise, a training exercise or any other event that involves your people. This high impact interactive drumming show is an absolute ”must-have” experience.

Burnout—What is it and how do you avoid it?
Do you have colleagues or do you yourself suffer from the pressure of work commitments, family life or general life commitments? Would you like to know how to recognise the symptoms?

Ian Prince was a workaholic and over-achiever who nearly lost everything due to burnout. Luckily he had a supportive family and employer who assisted him and got him through his time of need.

Having studied burnout and its effects, Ian now speaks about his experiences to help others deal with burnout and avoid it. Contact us.

Peter Taylor—sandfly bite at Barcelona changes life forever
An equestrian rider, coach and administrator for 24 years, Peter Taylor was living his dream working as manager and coach for the Canadian Equestrian Team at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992. Bitten by a sandfly while there, he developed Visceral Leishmaniasis Donovani, a normally fatal illness that kills in the first 3—20 months after contraction.

Ten years later he now has chemotherapy every seven weeks, a treatment that has left him partially blind since April 2000.

Prior to his equestrian career, Peter operated two successful businesses in the hospitality sector—including the legendary Le Brie restaurant.

Throughout all his challenges, Peter has retained a positive attitude and developed the ability to adapt to change. His experiences and business success leave Peter well qualified to speak about being the best you can be. His presentation focuses on the basic principles of purpose, passion and enjoying life. Contact us for further information.

Sailor relives experiences
Tony Mowbray and his crew tackled unbelievable conditions and faced certain death during the traumatic 1998 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. Although six people were killed, Tony's crew survived the harrowing experience. Four months later, searching for answers, Tony set out on solo voyage around the world in his yacht Solo Globe Challenger. The voyage was completed in record-breaking time.

Tony relives his experiences and relates them to today's business. He believes, in 2002, vision, planning, goal setting and improvisation are more important than ever.

His determination, courage and achievement are infectious and his messages are always tailored to his client's brief.

Transatlantic Rowers Win Upheld
The protest lodged against Team Holiday Shoppe has been dismissed by a London committee. This means the record-breaking win by Jamie Fitzgerald and Kevin Biggar is upheld. Jamie is an outstanding achiever with an entertaining and passionate presentation style. Contact us.

Leadership Institute—Dr Lester Levy
The inaugural Chief Executive of the New Zealand Leadership Institute will be Dr Lester Levy. The Leadership Institute is an initiative of The University of Auckland, following the Knowledge Wave 2003 Forum. Its role is to improve research into how to create and develop leaders in New Zealand, as a partnership between academia and the business world.

Lester is an outstanding and inspirational speaker on the subject of leadership. He is author of the highly successful book Leadership and The Whirlpool Effect, and has had an impressive leadership career. His corporate presentations are full of practical and personal examples. Contact us.

Dream in perfect detail—Claudia Riegler
Claudia Riegler spent nine years on the World Cup slalom ski circuit and achieved eight podium finishes—the last being a third placing in Lenzerheide, Switzerland, just before Christmas 2002. She won four World Cup slalom races and was placed second over all in the 1996-97 cup slalom standings.

Her ski-ing career taught Claudia how to achieve, how to put the perfect team together, how to use technology to get ahead and how important it is to be a step ahead of everyone else. And she dreamed in perfect detail. Claudia touches on all of these topics in her presentations, which are full of her natural warm humour. Contact us.

The Attitude Doctor—Healthy Thinking, Your Prescription for Success
Dr Tom Mulholland is the author of the book Healthy Thinking, Your Prescription for Success, which examines attitudes in personal and business life. His book, along with his presentation, provides motivation and inspiration in dealing with everyday activities.

Tom has experience as a doctor, entrepreneur, CEO and more recently as a stand-up comedian, and can improve your way of thinking and outlook. Even if you think you are already a success, you will learn new ways of dealing with either personal or work related issues. Programmes can be customised to corporate requirements. Contact us.

For Good
Stuart McKenzie's intense psychological thriller For Good, starring Miranda Harcourt is now showing nationwide. For Good has had great world wide recognition—the film will compete in the Paris Film Festival in March, and it has also been selected for the Festivals of Montreal, Kerala, Hawaii, Quebec, NZ and St Tropez where it won Best Actress for Michelle Langstone. Riveting viewing!

Business, memoirs and much more
New Zealander Dr Mary Quin is a former senior vice president of the Office Document Products Group at Xerox Corporation in the USA.  She also has vast experience in other areas including international trade, economic development and women's rights.

Mary is currently developing business opportunities between New Zealand and the USA, as well as putting the finishing touches to her book Kidnapped in Yemen which will be released in June. The book describes her extraordinary experiences while on holiday in Yemen when she was taken hostage by militants, her subsequent escape, the impact of these events and her life since then.

With such a diverse background Mary can speak on a wide range of topics including business, women's rights, inspiration and change.

Comedy Hypnosis
Get ready for a hilarious adventure tour of the amazing human mind with internationally renowned comedy hypnotist and entertainer Barry Jones, who creates a rare laugh-a-minute experience. Barry guides his volunteer participants through a fun-filled interactive performance that reveals the marvellous creativity and capabilities of the mind in an exciting, intriguing and wildly entertaining show!

The Psychology of Persuasion
Philip Hesketh combines a powerful mix of thought provoking, well researched, persuasive techniques with a unique brand of humour that has audiences enthralled and laughing out loud. One of the United Kingdom's top professional speakers, Philip's clients include Nike, PWC, Pfizer, HSBC, Johnson & Johnson and Woolmark. His goal is to help people to be more persuasive through understanding how the process of influence works.

Having studied psychology, Philip became a salesman and later the founder, managing partner and salesman of an advertising agency, which employed 150 people by the time he sold it. He is well qualified and experienced to speak on the topics of persuasion and influence, and specialises in bringing things closer together—people and products, buyers and sellers, employers and employees. His work covers relationships, influence and persuasion, presentation skills and goal setting—all key elements of his speaking and sales training work.

In New Zealand from 23 February until 6 March 2004, Philip is available for keynote and workshop sessions and intends to spend more time in this country each year. We will feature Philip at our next Auckland showcase breakfast at the Crowne Plaza Auckland on Tuesday February 24 at 7:15am. A great opportunity to preview an outstanding international speaker, motivate your team, or host clients.

Diary of a Fat Man—Paul Jeffreys releases book
Paul Jeffreys, formerly Managing Partner at M&C Saatchi, made a dramatic change in lifestyle on January 2002, when he committed to losing weight after his doctor described him as ‘morbidly obese’. In the following 12 months he achieved his goal with a total weight loss of 64kg.

His determination and commitment, his strict yet moderate regime and the resultant change in health and lifestyle was portrayed in the documentary Fat Man Slim. Now, Paul has told his own story in a book Diary of a Fat Man, released in August, 2003, which went to No 1 within the the month.

Masters of the Universe—Theatresports team wins in Edmonton
New Zealand does it again! Yes, our Theatresports team (creative director Lori Dungey, Penny Ashton and Sully O'Sullivan) recently won the Masters of the Universe title at the Edmonton International Improvisation Festival, ahead of 11 teams from around the world—Germany, Japan, USA, Australia and Canada.

Their highlight scene was an improvised musical about a sheep farmer in NZ, complete with a chorus of ”baa-ing” sheep!

For the uninitiated, Theatresports is ”improvised theatre” where actors make up stories, poems and songs on the spot. Ideal corporate entertainment for your conference or Christmas function. Contact us.

Pacific Business Person of the Year—Mike Pero
Mike Pero, Pacific Business Person of the Year (2003), puts his success down to hard work.

Mike is the owner and manager of the largest single mortgage broking business in New Zealand—Mike Pero Mortgages. He began the business in 1990 and there are now more than 30 franchisees throughout the country, from Whangarei to Dunedin, and the business processes close to $1 billion worth of loans each year.

Driven by a work ethic his parents instilled in him, Mike is very close to his business and is motivated by sales targets and net profits. His presentation is highly motivational with ideas for business success and innovative marketing. Contact us.

Ward & Tutheridge—fantastic feedback
The feedback from our clients on this talent duo has been fantastic. The Famous French Waiters are just two of the characters that Greg Ward and Brett Tutheridge can become for your next event. They are a creative team, MC’s and entertainers and can tailor their act to suit any event or requirement.

All of the characters are highly interactive and entertain with music, comedy and witty skits. This duo provides highly adaptable and professional entertainment and can either tailor one of their existing shows or create an entirely new show for your event. Contact us.

debs' diner wins Stand of The Year at Meetings 2003
We are very pleased to announce that Celebrity Speakers won the award for Stand of The Year at Meetings 2003, at the Aotea Centre.

Meetings is the annual industry exhibition which showcases products and services for conferences, meetings, events and travel incentives.

This is the second year in a row and the third time since 1999 that we have won the best stand award.

Thank you to everyone who visited our stand on July 30 or 31—it was great to see you there!

New role for Nigel Avery—Millennium Institute
Nigel Avery has been appointed to the new position of General Manager, Sport at the Millennium Institute of Sport & Health. Nigel’s role will be to work alongside and develop the High Performance programme as well as the liaison with the sports clubs and the other key partners, including Auckland University of Technology and the NZ Academy of Sport North.

Institute CEO Mike Stanley says, “This role is absolutely vital to the future of the organisation and Nigel is a standout candidate. His broad experience as a competitor at the elite level in a number of sports, his ability to relate to people of all ages and his general business acumen will be a real asset to the Institute.” These are all skills that Nigel incorporates into his presentations. Contact us.

Icebreaker—winner of two major awards
Icebreaker and its founder, Jeremy Moon, recently won two major business awards. Icebreaker received the Best New & Emerging Exporter to the USA award at the American Chamber of Commerce Success & Innovation Awards. These awards celebrate business innovation and success in the import, export, investment and tourism sectors between New Zealand and its second largest trading partner, the United States.

The company was also awarded the Design in Business award by the Design Institute of New Zealand. This award reflects a growing recognition of the importance of design for export success. Design is crucial in the success of a niche exporter such as Icebreaker, which sells its merino clothing through over 500 stores in 15 countries.

Jeremy presents on business success, export market development, innovation, branding, marketing and innovative management. He was rated Best Speaker by attendees at the Tradenz export awards seminar 2002, and rated best topic (Branding to Add Value, the Icebreaker Story); rated Best Speaker by delegates at the Marcus Evans Strategic Brand Management executive seminar 2002; and also rated Best Speaker at Business Club 2003—a tour of 11 NZ centres. Contact us.

The Profilers—The Handwriting Expert
Imagine you could instantly see what a person is REALLY like, just by looking at their handwriting. That's exactly what you'll be able to do after listening to handwriting analyst, Malcolm McLeod. You may have already watched Malcolm’s amazing technique, as the host of The Profilers, currently running on TV2.

You will find out what your signature says about you and what others around you are REALLY like. The way you write says who you are. How you cross your "t's" or dot your "i's", where you place your full stops, how loopy your signature is or whether you print or use cursive writing—all reveal secrets about your personality.

Whether you're looking for a great icebreaker, a lively after-dinner team activity or a keynote presentation for your conference, Malcolm's presentation is sure to entertain, educate and get everyone wondering. Contact us

New speakers and entertainers
John Shackleton has recently immigrated to New Zealand from the UK and, with a coaching and sports psychology background, is passionate about helping people reach their potential by raising their game. Jeremy Moon is the CEO of Icebreaker, a highly successful New Zealand manufacturer and exporter of merino adventure clothing. After Ian Prince experienced burnout first hand he undertook research in the area and now helps others to recognise the signs so they can prevent it from happening to them. John Glass is an experienced comedian and MC who specialises in corporate hoaxes. Rt Hon David Lange has been fighting a serious illness and is now available again for selected speaking engagements. Contact us.

New Speaker—Tall Black Dillon Boucher
Capturing the support of Kiwis nationwide, the 2002 Tall Blacks battled their way to a place in the semi-finals of the world championships. Dillon Boucher was a key member of that successful effort and is known as a gritty and explosive player who is intelligent and a tough competitor.

Proteam has just signed Dillon for a two-year term in the new Kiwi side to play in the Australian league. Dillon was the Tall Blacks representative to accept the team and overall awards at the Say When Halberg Awards recently.

Dillon’s speaking topics include teamwork, leadership, goal-setting, coaching, motivation and general lifestyle. Contact us.

CSNZ Signs Warriors CEO and Coach
New Zealanders were enthralled last year by the success of the Auckland Warriors—from 13th (out of 14) to Minor Premiers of the NRL and into the 2002 Grand Final. CSNZ is delighted to exclusively represent both Warriors CEO Mick Watson and coach Daniel Anderson.

Mick Watson has a background in business and a passion for people and their performance. Mick is responsible for posting the Warrior's first profitable result. Mick’s presentations cover the business principles of cost-effective management, marketing and performance as a CEO. On a personal level, he speaks about the importance of striving for a greater being and escaping a mundane existence to “enjoy your life”.

Daniel Anderson has a teaching background, which lead him into coaching as a career. Daniel’s presentation tells the story of the setting up of the “New Warriors” and focuses on working within your parameters and always practising what you will perform. Daniel asks his players to make use of their natural abilities and talent and, along with his management team, to challenge him with new ideas, theories and techniques. Contact us for further information.

Lord of the Rings—The Two Towers
Watch for actor Bruce Hopkins as Gamling, King Theoden's sidekick in Lord of The Rings 2 and 3, i.e. The Two Towers and The Return of the King. Bruce had the second largest role of any Kiwi actors cast in the trilogy. And yes, there will be a figurine available!

After 40 days of working with Sir Ian McClellan, Bernard Hill (King Theoden) and Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn) as well the obligatory 10,000 Orc and Urukai, Bruce has some interesting tales to tell! And of course, he is also a highly personable MC who creates a good rapport with his audience.

Bruce was seen earlier this year as Marcus Bowman, the slightly wayward pyromaniac international yachting star on Shortland Street!

Vince Sorrenti—performs for Tina Turner’s “50th Anniversary in Showbiz” Party
Vince Sorrenti performed for a crowd of celebrity guests from around the world (including Tom Cruise and Mick Jagger) at Tina Turner’s home on the Côte D’Azur recently. Vince was honoured to be the only entertainment hired on the night to celebrate Tina Turner’s 50th Anniversary in Showbiz.

The bottom line, of course, is that Vince is funny. Contact us for further information.

“World” —designs by Denise L'Estrange-Corbet star at Fashion Week!
World’s Winter 2003 Collection, The Empire Strikes Back shown at the L’Oreal Fashion Week is described by designer Denise L’Estrange-Corbet as a “culmination of ideas and experiments which has incorporated aspects from the past and accelerated them into the future.” Their showing has again attracted major attention both locally and from international buyers.

Described as the “Factory of Ideas and Experiments”, World has literally taken on the world and now exports to various corners of the globe.

For an insight into retail, business success and the operations of Small Business Enterprise, contact us.

No Mean Feat Mark Inglis’ book released
Mark Inglis has just released his new book—No Mean Feat, detailing the extraordinary story of survival by Mark and his climbing partner Phil Doole, in an ice cave near the summit of Mount Cook.

Mark and Phil were trapped in the cave for 13 days and both men lost their legs through frostbite. No Mean Feat tells the story of the ferocious storm that caused the men to be trapped and their situation throughout their days in the cave and their eventual rescue.

For a highly inspirational address—with lessons in team building, achieving personal excellence, overcoming adversity and turning dreams into reality contact us.

Rt Hon Jenny Shipley
Jenny Shipley created history when she became New Zealand's first woman Prime Minister in 1997.

Now, having retired from politics in July 2002, she is taking up a new career, consulting and speaking to organisations both within New Zealand and internationally—and we are proud to exclusively represent her for all speaking engagements.

Jenny speaks on a wide range of issues including personal insights and experiences from her long career in politics, world leaders, social and policy issues, role models, balancing work leadership and family responsibilities, equality or equal opportunity, MMP and APEC. She also addresses international trade and economic issues and is an experienced facilitator.

Jenny will work with you to inspire your people and help you achieve your organisational goals. She will assist in the development of a strategy and the business plan to achieve it.

For full details on presentation topics and areas of Jenny's work contact us.

Strategic Foresight
Imagine standing in the future so you can see what needs to be changed today—a highly useful technique for business and governmental organisations. A new book Strategic Foresight—The Power of Standing in the Future, written by Nick Marsh, shows you how to do just that.

Nick Marsh has worked as a business and management consultant for over 15 years. In this, his third book, and in his presentations, Nick combines strategic planning, future studies and organisation development to deliver strategic foresight—a fresh approach to planning and organisational change.

In his facilitated “Power” workshops, he leads your team through the process. Ethical issues, sustainable value, consumer and shareholders requirements are all examined. Contact us for further information.

The Power of the Pride
“Lion prides consist of a flat social structure in which lions and lionesses, powerful individuals in their own right, benefit from belonging to a group of equally powerful members all motivated by the same clear cut goals. This immensely efficient formation puts the lion pride in a win-win situation where the success of the each individual is the team's success—and the success of the team is the success of each individual.”
From The Power of the Pride by Ian Thomas.

Ian Schubach, partner to Ian Thomas, uses dramatic wildlife imagery to deliver this powerful analogy to business teams in a memorable and highly inspirational keynote presentation. Contact us for further information.

Gold and Gold Again
It was great to see Sarah Ulmer and the Rugby Sevens team, captained by Eric Rush, defend their Commonwealth titles and win gold at the Manchester Games. And to see Nigel Avery come through with two golds was awesome!

Demand for these athletes is high: Nigel even gave a brief presentation the day he flew into New Zealand, and Eric continues to be in demand. For insights as to how these top achievers achieved their golds and their dreams contact us.

Summit Success
Peter Hillary has again retraced the steps his father Sir Edmund Hillary took nearly 50 years ago, when Sir Edmund reached the summit of Mt Everest on 29 May 1953. Peter summited Everest (again) on Sunday, 26 May 2002. (Peter Hillary first scaled the highest mountain in the world, at 8848m, in May 1990.)

This is his second successful ascent of Everest and he has said it will be his last. He made the climb as part of the National Geographic 50th Anniversary Everest Expedition.

Hillary is a powerful and dynamic speaker who takes his audience “with him” on his many extraordinary experiences.

Unique and inspirational performer—Michael Parmenter
Michael Parmenter is one of New Zealand’s leading performing artists. An acclaimed dancer and choreographer, Michael was awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit for his contribution to dance.

His work Empty Chairs was commissioned by the Royal New Zealand Ballet for its nationwide tour in 2001.

Michael speaks about his life experiences while taking the audience on a journey of creativity using humour and candor. Michael needs only a chair as a prop and even with limited space, breaks his narrative with dance throughout the story-telling process. For details on Michael’s presentation which can cover creativity, discipline and training, contact us for further information.

Len the Loser—On Tour
Don’t miss “the funniest night out in New Zealand”—Len the Loser’s NZ tour. Watch an entertaining corporate comedian live in action. Tickets are available from Ticketek. Contact us.

2003—Plan now to make it a great year
Let the team at Celebrity Speakers (NZ) Ltd help to make your 2003 event a success and take some of the work from your shoulders. We have lots of ideas and are able to provide inspiring solutions for a broad range of occasions.

If you want to start your conference with a bang, try an explosive entrance on a Harley ridden by Mike Tamaki, entrepreneur extraordinaire and a highly entertaining keynote speaker. More than just a businessman, Mike will have your audience in fits of laughter with his witty anecdotes.

Once your event is underway, Daniel Anderson, coach of the Warriors or Frano Botica, one of few athletes to wear triple Black Jerseys, will keep your audience interested and entertained with their inspirational sporting success stories.

If a business focus is your goal, Melissa Clark-Reynolds or Mike Pero, self-made highly successful entrepreneurs and millionaires, will provide motivational presentations on achievement.

Why not close your conference in style with a keynote presentation from the Rt Hon Jenny Shipley, former Prime Minister of New Zealand.

From New Year kick-start meetings to new product launches to annual conferences—if you have an event in the pipeline for 2003, contact us soon to make sure you have the wheels in motion.

2002 Comedy Awards—the winners!
The NZ Comedy Guild Awards 2002 were held in December. Jeremy Elwood picked up the most awards including Best Male Comedian, Best MC and Most Inspiring Comedian. Michele A’Court won the award for Best Female Comedian.

As a duo, Jeremy and Michele won the Best Laugh! Festival Show Award for If You Want Me, I'll Be In the Bar, which they wrote and performed together.

Jeremy and Michele can perform at your next event either individually or as a duo. Contact us for further information.

Kathrine Switzer in NZ until late February
Kathrine Switzer is an athlete, author, sports commentator and successful businesswoman. Currently based in New York, where she established the highly popular Avon Running Global Women's Circuit, Kathrine is back in New Zealand until late February.

Her current business interests—which include Program Director of Avon Running, consulting to sports shoe manufacturer RYKA, as well as writing another book, demonstrate the range of abilities and skills Kathrine has.

Her inspirational and up-to-the-minute presentations are always tailored to the brief and cover topics such as business, health and wellness, media, sport, tourism and sponsorship.

While much of Kathrine's focus is encouraging women to get active, this message applies to both men and women across the board. Plus her international business career means she can deliver keynote presentations based on practical knowledge and personal experience.

Don't miss this opportunity to engage Kathrine while she is back in New Zealand. Contact us for further information.

Adventurer Graham Charles sets off on another expedition
Graham Charles and his team have set off on their latest sea kayaking/mountaineering expedition to The Southern Andes. This is a world first—never before have the Southern Andes been approached and traversed from so far by sea kayak.

Based on his previous expeditions, Graham is bound to have some exciting stories and relevant messages on his return. Contact us for further information.

Great opportunity—check dates of visiting speakers
New Zealand will be welcoming a number of excellent international speakers and entertainers to our shores in November and over the next few months. (See Speaker Dates.) This represents opportunities for you to engage international speakers at reduced or shared travel costs. In addition we welcome home Suzy Aiken and Nick Nickolas, who have been working and performing internationally.

Visiting speakers include:
Tony Mowbray, survivor of the 1998 Sydney to Hobart race, the fastest Australian to sail solo, non-stop and unassisted around the world—and a truly inspirational speaker.

Mark McCrindle, one of Australia’s foremost generational experts, who speaks on how to manage, motivate and market to emerging generations.

Chris Law, leading British yachtsman; and Ed Baird, international yachtsman who was with Team New Zealand in 1995—both part of the TVNZ America’s Cup commentary team.

Dr Jose Ramos-Horta—winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1996 and Senior Minister for Foreign Affairs and Co-operation for the Democratic Republic of East Timor.

A number of international speakers will be here in late November for the National Speakers Association Convention 2002, including Charles Kovess, former lawyer and Australia’s Passion Provocateur, who speaks on the power of passionate teams.

Ron Lee – “Corporate Ninja”.

Allan Pease – “Mr Body language”.

Bob “the Cat” Bevan, leading British entertainer, who is especially popular with sports clubs (including the Lord Taverners Club).

In addition, Nick Nickolas, magician and comedian, returns to New Zealand after an extended period of international touring. Incorporating magic with comedy, or comedy with magic, Nick is a superb option for your Christmas or entertainment functions.

Suzy Aiken, health and lifestyle presenter, is also back in New Zealand for the next few months. Suzy will again host the Heineken Open International Men’s Tennis Event.

For details on the speakers and entertainers listed above, or other visitors or returning Kiwis, contact us.

Wellington Speaker Showcase—Successful Event
Our recent Showcase Seminars (hosted in conjunction with the Wellington Conference Expo) were a great success. Attendees had the chance to preview Miranda Harcourt, Mark Inglis, Michael Laws, Christine Rankin, Linda Clark, Tony Mowbray, Ginette McDonald and Billy Graham.

As a result we have engagements already confirmed for these speakers! If you want further details on our featured speakers for an upcoming event, please contact us.

Want someone new?
New Zealand business loves “new”. Keep up with new speakers, entertainers and trainers. Our new people cover business, motivation, inspiration, sales and marketing and healthy lifestyles.

New Speakers and entertainers
We are delighted to introduce you to Yoshimi Brett, Leo Ward, Frano Botica and Jude Ellis. So, if you need a facilitator, entertainer, a sports personality or an inspirational achiever.

Mary Robinson
Former President of Ireland and United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson is recognised internationally for her work, particularly in the legal and human rights areas. The development of Ireland's economy has been well documented. Mary will be in Sydney in early November, and is able fulfil a limited number of engagements either side of 6-7 November. For updated details regarding her itinerary and availability contact us.

Performance management—a vital ingredient to business success
Sales strategies and techniques, customer service, negotiation skills, client relationships and management are all key elements that contribute to the success of any business. Yet how many of us actually measure the performance in these areas? Geoff Wake conducts training in these areas and implements performance management programmes that will impact on your bottomline results.

Sales strategies and techniques, customer service, negotiation skills, client relationships and management are all key elements that contribute to the success of any business. Many businesses invest thousands of dollars in training their key personnel in these areas because we know that a one per cent improvement in a certain area can create a much greater percentage impact on our bottom line. Yet how many of us actually measure the results of that training, or performance in key aspects of our operations?

Geoff Wake, who has years of practical experience in sales, customer service and people management roles, delivers customised presentations and training workshops in these areas, and works with organisations to develop and implement performance management programmes.

If you want to improve performance within your organisation, would like a no-obligation meeting with Geoff, or simply want more information about him or other speakers who can add impact on your bottomline, contact us

2002—the year ahead
Success doesn't just happen. It is planned in advance. Talk to us now about your programmes for 2002; development programmes, meetings or conferences so we can be sure you secure the speaker, facilitator or business consultant who is best suited to your needs. For advice, recommendations or further information contact us.

Dare to be different!
If you want to create an impact at your next conference, or event, then dare to be different! Michael Parmenter is an extraordinarily talented individual, a leading choreographer and dancer who has demonstrated commitment, inspiration, creativity, perseverance and overcome incredible adversity throughout his outstanding career.

Michael's first “formal” speaking engagement, on the subject of creativity, was rated as a conference highlight, and resulted in him presenting at an international meeting in Chicago to huge critical acclaim.

Just as some of us require proven previous success, there are others who want a speaker who is not over-exposed and who can offer something different. This can be especially important when organising an annual conference or event.

If you want to create an impact or a really special effect at your conference, meeting or event, then Michael Parmenter may be just the person you are looking for. Michael is an extraordinarily talented performing artist. He is a leading choreographer and dancer, with a multitude of successes behind him. He has demonstrated commitment, inspiration, creativity, and perseverance throughout his outstanding career, which has been recognized internationally.

It is successes such as this that can inspire each and every one of us in our businesses, no matter how large or small, to access the potential and power within us.

Michael's first “formal” speaking engagement, on the subject of creativity, was delivered at the Ninth International Conference of Thinking, hosted in Auckland in January 2001 and his presentation was rated as one of the conference highlights. This resulted in him presenting at an international meeting in Chicago to huge critical acclaim.

Michael is a remarkable individual. Not only has he excelled at his chosen profession, he has overcome incredible adversity. His story and his experiences have relevance to so many aspects of our lives and businesses—success, inspiration, health, perseverance, prejudices, and creativity. Whatever your brief, chances are Michael will bring a fresh dimension and innovative approach to it. Contact us.

Community spirit—Miranda Harcourt awarded ONZM
Miranda Harcourt sees this award as a reflection of her passion for both performance and community work.

“This is very exciting,” said Miranda. “It recognises the need for performing arts in communities. People can tell their stories through movement ensuring better communication.”

Miranda uses her drama and communication skills in her work with the deaf and disabled. She is a highly acclaimed actress and is recognised for her work in Verbatim, which she has performed in prisons throughout Australia and New Zealand. She has won numerous awards for both performing arts and her work in the community.

At her speaking engagements Miranda uses her experiences to shed both humour and insight on communication issues.

First woman of fashion—Denise L'Estrange-Corbet awarded MNZM
Denise L'Estrange-Corbet is the first New Zealand female fashion designer to receive this award.

“I'm thrilled to bits,” said Denise. “This award shows that fashion design is being taken seriously, which is exciting for me personally and professionally.”

Denise has established a reputation in the New Zealand fashion industry for her innovation, irreverence and individualism. She designs garments for the rich and famous, and her garments have been shown in Hong Kong, Sydney and London.

Denise places huge importance on reading and is well known for her voluntary work with “Books in Homes”.

Denise has spoken to many business audiences including the 1999 APEC conference, and Helen Clark's 2000 Business Forum. She speaks about the fashion industry, retail, business success and her voluntary work with New Zealand schools.

Top achiever—Mark Inglis awarded ONZM
Mark Inglis considers the award as a great New Zealand acknowledgement and a reflection on the support he has received from his family.

“I have often considered what I do as somewhat selfish so I see this award as a benchmark,” said Mark. "It's a huge surprise, but very satisfying, and I hope inspirational to both disabled and able-bodied people.

A professional mountaineer, Mark was trapped on Mt Cook for over 13 days in November 1982. As a result of frostbite, both Mark's legs were amputated, forcing huge changes in his life.

Mark went on to achieve a biochemistry degree with first-class honours, which led him to a career in medical research. In 1992, Mark changed course again and took up winemaking.

He is an avid sportsman, who won cycling gold at the Sydney 2000 Paralympics. He recently returned to Mount Cook and climbed to the summit.

A highly inspirational speaker, Mark talks of facing his challenges front on - and constantly shifting his goalposts.

HighLife 24/7 Showcase Breakfast featuring Matt Church, Friday 14 June, Wellington
Imagine you and your staff taking charge, tapping into the body's natural chemistry to deal with pressure, sleep and eat better and be vigorously engaged in life—and business. See your habits work for you, rather than against you. Overcome internal blocks to achieve a naturally high life. Improve your life style and enjoy a better life!

Leading Australian lifestyle speaker Matt Church, is author of Adrenalin Junkies and a new book HighLife 27/4. Matt will deliver practical tips on how to achieve success in your personal and business life at our showcase breakfast at the Hotel InterContinental, Wellington on Friday, 14 June, 7:15am.

To register call Kimberley Wylie on 04-495 7846 or email info@csnz.co.nz for more details.

Tony Mowbray (ex-Australia) 17-24 May
Having survived what he felt was sure death when his yacht surfed down a 60ft wave upside down in the tragic 1998 Sydney Hobart Race which claimed six lives, Tony eventually returned to his dream of sailing single-handed around the globe. In April 2001 he became the sixth Australian to do this—and the fastest. An amazing and inspirational story of courage, sacrifice and achievement. Contact us for further information on Tony Mowbray.

Donald Cooper (ex-Canada) May 21-June 6 TBC
Donald is an award-winning retailer with seven awards of excellence for retail marketing and service innovation. Prior to that, Donald was also a world-class manufacturer. Cooper Canada was the world's leading supplier of hockey equipment and Canada's largest maker of both sports equipment and fine leather goods.

A professional speaker since 1991, Donald focuses on the customer and how to add more real value; and how to create a business environment that generates clarity of purpose, loyalty, creativity and effectiveness.

Tribute to Kevin Smith
I was in Melbourne on Monday 18 February when I was told of Kevin's death. Like most people, I was shocked to hear of the tragedy. The news of his accident was almost unbelievable and his death is a tragic loss. A young man, husband, father and a friend to so many, taken in the prime of his career. In fact, many said his career was about to take another leap with his next project—in Hollywood.

Celebrity Speakers (NZ) Ltd has worked with Kevin, and I've frequently attended plays he acted in, and enjoyed his company at the odd social event. I've enjoyed listening to The Wide Lapels—a great band that Kevin and his friends performed in. They called it their “self-indulgence”; their little bit of fun—and they certainly enjoyed it.

Kevin gave so much of himself to others in a very public career, and he will be greatly missed. Our sincere condolences to his family, his friends and workmates—who were his friends.

Christine Rankin—“one of the best”
When it comes to engaging speakers, a proven success record is critical for some of our clients especially when there is an element of controversy or perceived risk involved. Read this positive, spontaneous, unsolicited feedback regarding Christine Rankin's presentation on the topic of leadership to the Conventions and Incentives NZ industry conference hosted in Christchurch in late September.

“I've heard many speakers—and I want to say you are one of the best.” Alan Trotter, CEO, CINZ.

“She [Christine Rankin] was outstanding! She should stand for Prime Minister—and I'll be her campaign manager.” David Brown, General Manager, Crowne Plaza Auckland.

Christine's presentation truly was outstanding and inspiring. She established rapport and credibility with her audience, she incorporated humour and an incredible insight into the New Zealand psyche. She delivered strong and relevant messages for business and society today. She bared her soul a little, yet not too much to offend people. She extolled the benefits of daring to be different.

Christine is a powerful speaker with a commitment to the development of our country and our people. Contact us.

No is Negotiable: Business Breakfast rated as “Best Yet”
Our October Business Breakfast, co-hosted with the Hotel Inter-Continental Wellington, which featured Barry Bull, was extremely well received. One attendee instantly rated it as our “best yet.”

Barry is an outstanding businessman who has an impressive corporate career in the entertainment industry and more recently in music retailing. Toombul Music (Barry's retail store) holds 30 Westfield awards for retailing excellence. Barry was the first person to be inducted into the Westfield Hall of Fame.

Barry is author of the recently released business book A Little Bull Goes a Long Way. His presentations feature a high impact multi-media show, incorporating highlights of his career in the entertainment industry to reinforce his tips and practical strategies that relate to any business. His “Top Ten Hit List” features his keys to success and includes his all-time favourite, “No is Negotiable.” Contact us.

New Zealand rowers show guts and determination
Kiwis do it again. The success of the Telecom Challenge team in the Trans-Atlantic Rowing Race again shows the guts and determination that typifies so many New Zealanders. This two-boat challenge has been remarkable. Firstly it contained an all-women crew and secondly, the mens crew had to make a last minute change when Rob Hamill had to be replaced after breaking his hand. Matt Goodman flew over at the 11th hour to replace Rob and row with Steve Westlake. Rob maintained his involvement, overseeing the New Zealand campaign and liaising with the media and facilitating other sponsorship aspects of the Telecom Challenge, a sponsorship that was co-ordinated by Jack Ralston and Rob Nichol.

The result: a huge team effort that has been rewarded by the men's crew again winning the race and the women's crew of Steph Brown and Jude Ellis being in an almost head-to-head battle against a Belgian men's crew to finish in fourth place.

All members of the campaign will be returning to New Zealand shortly. To hear more about their experiences, and be inspired by their courage and commitment contact us.

Controversy creates interest
Consider the statistics… 25,000 books sold within New Zealand within three months of publication, when the standard for a business book is around 3000-5000 copies, and 10,000 for a New Zealand sports book is considered exceptional.

The book, of course, is Gladiator. While Norm Hewitt is perceived by many to have broken the unspoken agreement of “what goes on tour stays on tour”, others have commended him for telling “his story.” Whatever your opinion, the book has created controversy and aroused the interest of thousands.

At Celebrity Speakers (NZ) Ltd, we frequently receive requests from clients for speakers who deliver a different viewpoint or perspective. They want controversy. If you want to hear Norm's story, his interpretation of events and how he overcame his personal demons, or indeed to hear from other controversial personalities contact us.

Business Breakfast Showcase—Auckland, Tuesday 26 February 2002
Our showcase breakfasts provide a great opportunity to preview speakers and are also an excellent way to entertain clients, educate or motivate personnel, or simply be inspired yourself.

Ron Lee (a.k.a. The Corporate Ninja) is a motivational humorist and keynote speaker who has spent 20 years researching, practising and demonstrating the benefits of both internal and external forms of martial arts. His book What Shintaro Taught Me—Zen and the Art of Success, which will be released in February, covers many of the techniques and philosophies of martial arts which Ron uses around the world, to help both corporates and individuals attain their business and personal goals.

Learn:
The secrets of inner strength.
How to not only “go with the flow”, but how to “use the flow”.
The Bushido technique of negotiation … and more, at breakfast at the Crowne Plaza Auckland, on Tuesday 26 February 2002.
7.15am for 7.30am start (8.45am finish).
$39.00 per head, incl. GST.
NB: Guest appearance by Dr Takashi Kinoshita.
To register call Caroline Jack on 09 375 4920, or email banquets@crowneplazaauckland.co.nz

Tribute to Sir Peter Blake tragically killed on 6 December 2001.

THANK YOU—for helping us achieve 12 years in business
You've heard the statistics-so many small businesses fold within two years, so many of those remaining after two years fold within five, and more still fold within 10 years. In November 2001, we celebrated our 12th year in business, so a huge thank you to all of you who, through your support and valued custom, helped us achieve that milestone.

Europe's Business speaker of the Year 2000 visits Asia Pacific region
Ken Robinson, author of Out of Our Minds—Learning To Be Creative was voted European Business Speaker of the Year (2000). Ken visits our region in January 2002.

One-off opportunity with one of the world's 40 premier thinkers on business management
Dr Oren Harari was recently named by the London Financial Times as one of the 40 premier thinkers on business management in the world. Next year, the Financial Times will publish a book featuring these thinkers.

In addition, Harper Collins is publishing another book by Oren, which they anticipate will be a best seller. The book, which will feature US Secretary of State Colin Powell as a role model, is the result of an article by Oren about Colin Powell's leadership, which generated huge publicity in the USA.

Oren is the author of Leapfrogging the Competition: Five Giant Steps To Becoming A Market Leader and Beep Beep! Competing in the Age of the Road Runner. A former senior consultant with the Tom Peters Group, his presentations bring provocative new perspectives on competitive advantage, organisational change, and transformational leadership and frequently address issues such as technological advance, digitalisation and globalisation.

This is your opportunity to engage one of the world's leading business thinkers in an exclusive one-off arrangement. Phone Debbie Tawse on +64 9 308 3600 or contact us.

NB: Please tell your colleagues about this opportunity if it does not fall within your own area of responsibility. Simply forward them the link in the URL address line at the top of your browser.

Nude skinny-dipping and sunbathing in Antarctica
Sea kayaking 1,200km through brash ice and treacherous extreme weather conditions around the northern peninsula of Antarctica, with only two colleagues is not everybody's dream. Yet for outdoor professional and adventurer Graham Charles it is just one of many hugely diverse experiences that have impacted on Graham and made him the man he is. And yes, he and his colleagues were caught nude-sunbathing along the way!

Impossible to “categorise”, Graham has an extensive background in corporate training, facilitation, outdoor pursuits, photography and much more. Graham is a highly inspirational speaker, who uses outstanding photographic images from his adventures, to reinforce key business messages.

A Humbling Experience
CSNZ managing director, Debbie Tawse spent three weeks in Nepal at the end of April. As Sir Edmund Hillary's agent, Debbie wanted to learn more about the work of the Himalayan Trust (which was set up by Sir Edmund), in Nepal.

Debbie reflects, “It was an incredible honour to accompany Sir Edmund and Lady Hillary on their annual visit to the Solu Khumbu region, and to observe just a few of the multitude of projects the Himalayan Trust has initiated, or contributed to, since it was first established.” These projects mainly focus on health, education, forestry, and the welfare of the local people.

“Sir Edmund and Lady Hillary are revered by the people within this region for the huge contribution they and the Himalayan Trust have made. It was a humbling experience to be with them and taught me a great lesson about giving, and helping others, selflessly. This truly amazing 'trip of a life time' showed how easily we can make a difference in the world, if we choose to.”

If you would like to learn more about the Himalayan Trust activities, or contribute to this very worthy cause please contact us.

NB: Special thanks to Sir Edmund and Lady Hillary for allowing me to share this personal story.

Debbie Tawse speaks at international industry conference in Scottsdale, Arizona
CSNZ managing director Debbie Tawse attended and addressed the International Association of Speakers Bureau's conference in late April. She spoke on the challenges and opportunities of working in a global market, when our dollar value is so low. Debbie challenged international bureaus, particularly North Americans, to look beyond their own shores and take the opportunity to engage those New Zealanders and Australians who are world leaders in their chosen fields, or world class speakers.

Debbie's attendance and comments reinforced the company's credibility within the group and should lead to more New Zealanders speaking offshore. Already one partnering speakers bureau has showcased Tony Christiansen in front of American clients and another is promoting Peter Hillary.

“Here lies a man who made a difference to New Zealand, South Africa, even the world”
Gregory Fortuin openly tells others he would like those words on his epitaph. Gregory, a highly passionate and compassionate man, was recently appointed as Race Relations Conciliator, and featured on 60 Minutes.

After years in the financial services sector with a multi-national insurance company, Gregory recently retired from the corporate world and is devoted to helping others. He is Chairman of the Youth Suicide Awareness Trust, and lives his life to achieve his dream of making a difference. Born a coloured in apartheid South Africa, Gregory has experienced great changes in his life and has also experienced “reconciliation” firsthand. His presentations are tailored to a brief, and guaranteed to make an impact.

An Awesome Team
CSNZ managing director, Debbie Tawse, recently spent five weeks out of the office, and was not able to be contacted for over three weeks of that time. Her longest serving team member, Josie Maskell (who had been with us for six years and gave us one year's notice) left the company the day after Debbie flew out of the country.

“The way the company operated while I was away speaks volumes for the team I have on board—and I want to recognise them for their work” says Debbie.

“Following a huge and purely coincidental turnover through a short period, four of the six remaining team members were new this year, and the last (Danielle) started only one week before I went away. Their commitment to the company is inestimable, and shows the huge confidence I have in them. Not only did they run the company in my absence, the feedback I have received about their service has been fantastic. I am proud of my team and their commitment to you, our clients, and to the company.” They are here to serve you, so please, feel free to contact anyone of them.

Simply Magic - success for comedy magician Phil "Trust Me" Cass
Phil Cass, featured on Holmes recently, was a huge succes at the TV2 Laugh Festival. Just how does he cut a man's tie and then restore it? Contact us for more information.

Sell-out tours and packed performances speak volumes
The TV2 Laugh Festival was once again a showcase of talent, old and new, local and international.

Kiwi favourites were to the fore again. If you are looking for entertainment which combines music, comedy and light relief (read side-splitting laughter!), then we have a number of options.

Manic Opera, renown throughout the country for their musical parodies including Beer Angel, 4W Drive and Ponsonby People, are an absolute delight. The Topp Twins are equally outrageous and clever; Dwayne Francks plays many characters and then the piano; Len the Loser is an outstanding guitarist and entertainer; and The Minstrel is a very talented singer songwriter. These talented Kiwis (albeit some of them are imports) have performed around the world and are ideal for conference and corporate entertainment.

We also offer fabulous entertainment packages including Appointment at Ascot, Off Broadway and The Twist. Contact us for further information.

Kiwi-born Ocean Yachtsman creates waves in Europe
One may have been forgiven for thinking Grant Dalton was French, after he won The Race (the first round the world race of the Millennium) on giant catamaran, Club Med. This ocean yachtsman, who is a veteran of The Whitbread Round the World Race was feted in grand style when he sailed into Marseilles for yet another victory—and a first in ocean sailing.

While Grant prepares for his next venture (The Volvo Ocean Race) he is available for some international engagements. He is well qualified to give a truly global perspective on planning, preparation, teamwork and risk management, as well as some entertaining and inspirational stories and experiences. Contact us for further information.

From the ridiculous to the impossible
Who would ever believe that a small team from a Caribbean island could ever become Winter Olympians and stars? Or that a boy who grew up in a tough poverty-stricken ghetto in Kingston could participate in three Winter Olympics. That is exactly what Devon Harris, Captain of the two-man Jamaican bobsled team has done—and now he is training for his fourth Olympics.

As Devon says “the hopelessness of the environment I grew up in was the motivation to pursue the things I dreamt about. My dreams gave me purpose. School sharpened my saw.”

A highly motivational and inspiring speaker, Devon visits New Zealand for the Montana Christchurch Winter Carnival. He will be available for a restricted number of engagements or appearances in early August. Hear first-hand how the team that inspired the popular movie “Cool Runnings” achieved their success, and view some remarkable footage of their antics. Be quick though—there is already tremendous interest in Devon, whose personal philosophy is that he will not permit others to define the limits of his success. Contact us.

Passion - the Key to Sustainable Competitive Advantage in the 21st Century
Be passionate about your work, and work-mates—or move on. Charles Kovess, Passion Provocateur© believes more passion in our lives and our work is the key to success in the knowledge economy. People and the human factor are all important, and it's passion that gives us the edge. As a keynote speaker and facilitator, Charles challenges his audiences and companies he works with to get passionate about their work, and to take responsibility for their actions and results. The response to his presentation at a recent Business Breakfast at the Parkroyal Wellington was extremely positive, and shows that companies and senior management are now ready to accept his philosophy. Charles was featured in Management Feature of the NZ Herald on April 25. Contact us.

Dramatic Yemen hostage escape story inspires corporate audiences
New Zealander Dr Mary Quin was taken hostage by local militants while on holiday in Yemen. Her dramatic escape during a gun battle made headline news around the world.

A former senior vice-president in the Office Document Products Group at Xerox Corporation in New York, Mary Quin currently lives between Auckland and New York. Mary is setting up her own business, assisting companies with trade and distribution within USA. Mary is an inspirational speaker who combines her years of experience as a senior executive in corporate America, and her passion for travel and women's rights, in presentations to organisations and audiences on both sides of the Pacific. To engage Mary contact us.

Sports nutrition, aging, longevity and power training seminars
Internationally recognized, Dr Michael Colgan is author of Optimum Sports Nutrition, Hormonal Health, The New Nutrition, Protect Your Prostate, Beat Arthritis and many other highly regarded books on numerous aspects of health. Always on the cutting edge of scientific progress, he is founder of the Colgan Institute, a consulting, educational and research facility concerned with effects on nutrition, athletic performance and aging.

Dr Colgan consults and speaks to many of the world's leading sports people and sports teams, as well as corporates wishing to improve the performance of their individuals and their teams.

Dr Colgan will be in New Zealand regularly from early 2001 and is setting up a health clinic at Millbrook Resort, near Queenstown . Those organizations and individuals, whether New Zealand or internationally based, wanting more information on his clinics, programmes, consultancy work and seminars, please contact us for more details.

Breadwinner: A Fresh Approach to Rising to the Top
As a child, sitting on the banks of the Murray river while wagging school one day, Tom O'Toole had an Irish "knowing" and understood that one day he would be a successful businessman. That time has come and Tom is now the proprietor of Australia's most successful bakery. It's bigger than the corporate bread shops, the franchises and the city bakeries and it's in a little town called Beechworth with a population of only 3149.

No small achievement for a boy who left school without even learning the alphabet.

Tom's book tells how he achieved this success. It tells you about incredible determination and happiness, as well as sadness and even madness! It tells you about the power of positive thinking—and even more beyond that.

Tom is a wonderful speaker who, in his own unique style, recounts his experiences and talks about the simple principles and values that have led to his success. Listening to your dreams, having fun, creating events, valuing and respecting your staff—these are just some of the things that have helped make Tom O'Toole and Beechworth Bakery the success they are. Contact us to have Tom speak at your meeting.

Create your own Peak Performing Organization
The international best-selling business book, Peak Performance: Business Lessons From the World's Top Sports Organizations is based on a study of the
world's top sports organizations and interviews with their key inspirational players, both on and off the field.

The book has been nominated for the UK's WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD and the American edition of the book, which features more successful USA sports organizations, will be released in December. Clive Gilson and Mike Pratt, two of the co-authors, received rave reviews when they gave an overview of the elite theory of Peak Performing Organizations (PPO) at a business breakfast in Wellington.

We received very positive feedback from those who attended, and some are already working with Clive and Mike to build their own Peak Performing Organizations. Comments included: "It was very real—we related to the sports organizations. It was fresh and I really liked the way they used story-telling when addressing change management. We related to The Greatest Imaginable Challenge and The Inspirational Dream. The content was good, applicable, real and appropriate. And the breakfast was superb. They (Clive and Mike) used real examples such as Team New Zealand that we could relate to-and they interacted well."

To engage Clive and Mike to introduce the PPO theory and concepts so you can create your own Peak Performing Organization contact us

Celebrity Speakers (NZ) Ltd is proud to represent Clive Gilson and Mike Pratt exclusively throughout Australasia.

Boyd Gunn—new speaker receives rave reviews
Colourful language including swearing and X-rated content were overlooked by most as Boyd Gunn entertained and inspired a business audience at a breakfast in Auckland recently. Comments from attendees included "Down to earth and funny; Interesting and colourful; Terrific; Great, Something left field; Fantastic, very inspirational and motivating; Energetic and entertaining."

Boyd is responsible for the success of some of New Zealand's top direct sales teams. With no university or business training, and after years of addiction and violence, in the early 80's he sold 26 food-drying franchises, for $60,000 each, across Australia.

Following the 1987 crash he sold Kirby Home Maintenance vacuum systems, and in two years his offices turned over $2.9 million, with a third being profit.

And now, in a supposedly depressed market, Boyd is doing well in real estate.

Boyd's presentations will challenge you to increase sales, profitability and fun and they are X-rated! His unconventional philosophies challenge the status quo on business practices and encourage an atmosphere of opportunity.

Fresh thinking that speaks for itself!
Sending 10 tonnes of broccoli to then US President George Bush, resulted in US$120 million free publicity for her client—and laid the foundation for Lisa Cork's career in fresh produce marketing!

Now, her reputation and success in her field has resulted in her speaking at the World Potato conference in Amsterdam on the Five Trends in Produce Marketing.

Consider—what does a bad apple (or peach, orange or pumpkin) cost your business? If you are a supplier, seller or shopper of fresh produce, then Lisa may be able to help you bridge the gap between the three—through her fresh produce marketing skills that cover storage, branding and packaging, as well as trends. The ability to understand consumers and their needs, combined with her understanding of the nutritional value of the produce she works with, means Lisa delivers value at many levels—including partner programmes, marketing strategies and campaigns, produce retailing, public relations, health and nutrition.

To learn more about Lisa and how she can assist your business contact us.

People first, Business second
Melissa Clark-Reynolds is widely recognized for her work in the area of private accident compensation, particularly through the Fusion alliance, which quickly became New Zealand's largest private accident compensation insurer.

Melissa loves taking a concept from the idea stage and turning it into a reality. She believes we can create things that we can barely even imagine are possible, and her highly successful company, GMV, is an example of this. One of the keys to her success is the team she gathers around her. She has the ability to create, motivate and build an organization to have the potential to be a success in the future.

Many years ago Melissa realized her set goals were limiting her so she quickly expanded them. Learn how to “Think big, make your goal bigger and keep expanding it.” Contact us for further information.

Rob Waddell takes up a new challenge
Rob Waddell is making headlines on and off the water—again! The determination of this extraordinary athlete is incredible and inspiring. Following his Olympic 2000 gold medal in Sydney, Rob looked for a new challenge—and found it in America's Cup sailing.

Presented with the opportunity to trial for Team New Zealand, Rob staved off fierce competition for the position as one of the team's grinders. In the very same week, he was again named NZ Sportsman of the Year and made history by being the first person to be awarded the supreme Halberg Award for the third consecutive year.

To hear how Rob prepares, trains, beefs-up, stays focused and maintains balance in his life contact us.

Official Supporter to “Breakthroughs”
The Ninth International Conference on Thinking, hosted in Auckland, New Zealand in January 2001, featured many speakers who are represented by Celebrity Speakers (NZ) Ltd. New Zealand speakers, Sir Edmund Hillary, Rt Hon David Lange, John Edwards, Gordon Dryden, Mike Pratt, Susan Devoy, Paul MacDonald, Philip Patston and Donna Awatere Huata, all participated in the programme. If you would like more information on these speakers and the topics they covered at “Breakthroughs”, please contact us.

Award winning Master of Comedy returns to speaking circuit
After a five year break from public speaking, Tom Scott knocked back fierce competition from some of our heavyweight entertainers and comedians to win the inaugural (memorial) AK Grant Speech Competition. This very positive feedback has seen Tom return to the speaking circuit.

Tom has long been acknowledged as one of our leading satirical cartoonists and columnists, and an excellent entertaining speaker who pokes fun at political and topical issues. If this sounds like the rollicking laugh you want at your function, contact us.

Suzy Aiken wins Emmy Award for ABC New York Millennium Special
Presenter Suzy Aiken has been awarded a prestigious Emmy Award for her role in the United States 36-hour Millennium Special. The Emmy Awards recognise excellence within television. Suzy was interviewed via satellite by ABC network anchor Peter Jennings as part of its Millennium Special documentary, which was seen by 17 million viewers.

The key to Suzy's apparent ease during the interview which took place on the top of a parking building overlooking Auckland's Viaduct Basin, with a cacophony of superyacht horns in the background, was her preparation.

Suzy brings this same preparation and professionalism to her live presentation work, which includes MC and frontperson roles, as well as her keynote presentations on lifestyle. To engage Suzy, contact us.

Ann Andrews awarded the inaugural Spirit of Excellence Award
The National Speakers Association of New Zealand hosted its inaugural conference over the last weekend in November. The conference boasted the biggest collection of pre-eminent speakers from New Zealand, Australia and USA, ever to gather in New Zealand.

Ann Andrews, who is passionate about encouraging and developing self-managing teams within organizations, received the highest accolade possible—the inaugural NSANZ Spirit of Excellence Award for her professionalism and contribution to the industry within this country. For more details contact us.

Business—it's just Rock'n'Roll
Toombul Music, one of Australia's largest independent music retailers, is a three time winner of the Westfield National Individual Specialty Retailer award. Owner Barry Bull has won over 30 awards for excellence.

Learn the business principles and techniques that have made Barry and his single retail music store so successful, then implement them in your own business for improved results.

Barry's strategies include a clear vision—in his case to be the best, not the biggest; database marketing techniques; in-store appearances by artists and celebrities, and studying customers purchase patterns. All simple processes to inspire you to business and retail success.

How to Get New Business in 90 Days—and Keep It Forever
This how-to book by Wendy Evans covers 12 simple steps to help you grow your business. It is based on 15 years research and experience working with corporates around the world to help them develop their business—and a regular relentless 90 day cycle.

While operating her own marketing consultancy in Australia, Wendy enjoyed tremendous success for her clients ... and then she had a major failure. Instead of "packing up and shutting shop" she packed up and moved on—to Saatchi & Saatchi in Hong Kong, then London and New York, where she again achieved tremendous success in business development. Her clients have included Johnson and Johnson, Procter and Gamble, British Airways and Thomas Cook.

Since then Wendy has spent years researching the techniques that have brought in millions of dollars for these and other clients. She now speaks to and trains sales and marketing teams, companies and organizations on how they can improve their sales, develop new business and brand their products or service to achieve exponential growth.

Team New Zealand defends America's Cup - and team members sign with other syndicates
Team New Zealand's 5-0 victory over the challenger, Italian syndicate Prada, in March 2000, is now history. New Zealand's hosting of the America's Cup 2000 event has been recognised by all involved as the most successful ever. Yet many of the reasons for their success and details of the event remain a secret.

And then of course, there was the fall-out, with team members signing with other syndicates for the 2003 campaign. Now the bulk of the new team has been announced.

For insights and commentary on the last or next America's Cup, or an update on Team New Zealand as it is today, Celebrity Speakers (NZ) Ltd is proud to offer a range of leading speakers who can comment on various aspects of the event or the next campaign.

They include Tom Schnackenburg, Dean Barker, Burns Fallow, Peter Montgomery, Glen Sowry, Tony Rae, Chris Law, Chris Dickson, Ian Taylor and many, many more - members of the crews, of challenging syndicates including Russell Coutts, Brad Butterworth, Dawn Riley, Paul Cayard, Ed Baird, Dennis Conner; and others involved with the technology and organisation of the event. They give insights into the history of the Auld Mug, the syndicates involved and different aspects of the event. Please contact us for further details.

Race You To The Top
Tony Christiansen's autobiography Race You To The Top, released in mid-August, is a compelling and inspirational read.

Tony has had huge success on the speaking circuit as a motivational and inspirational speaker. He received a 5-minute standing ovation when he spoke to 2,100 of his peers, the world's leading professional speakers, at the National Speakers Association conference in Washington, USA, in early August. His approach and attitude to life are relevant to all of us—business people, children and parents alike.

Tony is a qualified surf lifeguard, champion swimmer, a second degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do, a speedway and racing car champion, a gold-medal winning athlete in world games, a qualified pilot, a successful businessman, a husband and father of three—and he has no legs. Phew!

How did he do it and what drives him to succeed? We suggest you read the book—it tells how he lost his legs in a railway accident when he was nine years old, and chose not to say "can't!" Or, to invite him to speak at your conference to hear his incredible and inspirational story first hand. Contact us.

Kiwi success on the water
New Zealand athletes are achieving on the water once again with a gold medal for rower Rob Waddell in the single sculls and a bronze apiece for Barbara Kendall and Aaron McIntosh in the boardsailing.

After a seventh placing at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996 Rob Waddell has spent the last four years preparing for the 2000 games and finally realised his dream by winning gold in Sydney.

Barbara Kendall, NZ's "golden girl" is calling herself NZ's rainbow girl, as she now has the full set of medals—including gold from Barcelona in 1992, and silver from Atlanta four years ago.

Barbara has been inspiring and entertaining audiences for years and with the latest addition to her medal collection will no doubt have more stories to share. Rob's talents aren't just limited to the water and he too is an excellent speaker who covers themes such as goal setting, self-management and personal commitment. Contact us now if you would like to book one of these Olympic athletes.

Former Wallaby Peter FitzSimons on 60 Minutes (NZ edition)
Peter, who is well respected for his contribution to Television New Zealand' s rugby programme Tight 5, has endeared himself to a wide a range of audiences for his quick wit, often outrageous opinions and outspoken manner.

When featured on 60 Minutes, Peter kept us his quick banter. Questioned on his sometimes used title: "The Thinking Man's Boofhead", Peter replied, "I think I'd rather be the Boofhead's Thinking Man." On rugby, his thoughtful response was, "A rugby tour is a lot like sex. When it' s good it's fantastic, when it's not, it's still not bad!"

And for those rugby stalwarts, he remains true to the game and his chosen sport: "Test Rugby is war—without hate" "I bow to no man what I got from rugby—the joy, the fun!" "I'm happy that one day I could call up my dad and say I'm a Wallaby."

And on words and writing, which form the basis of his current journalism, speaking and broadcasting career: "It's something that moves my spirit."

Peter is renowned as a writer and raconteur—and is an ideal entertaining speaker for both sporting and business functions.

Influential Figure of the Century
In the January Special Millennium Issue of the authoritative US magazine Runners World, Kathrine Switzer, winner of the 1974 New York City Marathon, was named among five Influential Figures of the Century. She joined Arthur Lydiard, coach to New Zealand's Sports Champion of the Century Peter Snell (who was named in the same magazine as one of the "20 Spirits Who Moved Us"); race promoter Fred Lebow; and running authors Jim Fixx and Dr George Sheehan.

After an infamous shoving match, when the race director of the Boston Marathon tried to evict Kathrine Switzer from the 1967 all-male race, world-wide attention was drawn to the inequality of women in the sport.

Kathrine Switzer went on to organise women's running events around the world with Avon, and was cited by Runners World for galvanising support for introducing the women's marathon into the Olympic Games and for getting millions of women world-wide into the activity.

Kathrine is the Program Director for the Avon Running Global Women's Circuit, which has events in 12 countries. She is the author of the best-selling book Running and Walking for Women Over 40, has an illustrious sporting, business, sponsorship, sports marketing, promotions consultancy, public relations and television commentary career, and combines experiences from these into her presentations which are specifically written to the client's brief.

New Zealand Sports Personalities Honoured
In a special presentation at the Halberg awards, Peter Snell (winner of three Olympic gold medals) was named Sports Champion of the Century.

World Champion Rower Rob Waddell was named as Sportsman and Sportsperson of the Year and Olympic Boardsailing champion Barbara Kendall was again named Sportswoman of the Year at the Halberg Awards held in Auckland in February 2000.

Rob immediately flew to Boston where he won his third consecutive indoor world rowing title, successfully defending his 2000m title, before returning to New Zealand for the national rowing championships.

Both Barbara and Rob are currently training for the Sydney 2000 Olympics, and are highly rated prospects to receive medals in their respective sports.

Whatever the outcome, both Rob and Barbara, who incorporate strong messages into their presentations, are certain to be highly sought after for speaking engagements after the Olympics - so contact us early to secure these inspirational speakers for your post-Olympic functions.

Two WOW! factors for Events
Events and gala dinners often require a special feature to make them memorable. Silver Creatures and Matt Hughes offer that X-factor.

Silver Creatures offer a visual experience set to music. Two corrugated flexible tubes or pipes, controlled by non-visible performers deliver a visual feast that is choreographed to deliver your message. The relevance to conference themes and corporate messages, especially teamwork, is endless. For company mergers, or events related to construction, utilities companies, especially water services organisations, or any function that has relevance to pipes, we highly recommend you contact us for further details.

Matt Hughes, of Circus Oz is a talented performer. His antics and specially choreographed performance on a trampoline are best described in a telephone conversation or a face-to-face meeting. To fully understand the intricacies and impact of his presentation, or for a video of Matt's work, please contact us.

World Toastmasters Champion woos audiences with his 100 voices
Brett Rutledge, is justifiably renowned as the man of 100 voices. His impersonations of leading world characters and world personalities, including Ronald Reagan, Richard Benaud, USA President Bill Clinton and many many more, leave audiences reeling at his accurate and at times comic interpretation of their personalities. Brett is an excellent MC and entertaining speaker.

The Power of The Pride
The Pride Structure developed on the grassy Savannahs of Africa. The natural instinct for survival amongst herds of wildlife, and the interaction between hunter, the hunted and competitor forged lions into teams of superbly effective hunters and fighters.

Ian Thomas examines the structure of a pride of lions, as an example of teamwork for maximum effect, and relates it to people in business.

Lion prides consist of a flat social structure in which lions and lionesses, powerful individuals in their own right, benefit from belonging to a group of equally powerful members all motivated by the same clear cut goals.

This immensely efficient formation puts the lion pride in a win-win situation where the success of each individual is the team's success - and the success of the team is the success of each individual.

Ten Years Old!
Celebrity Speakers (NZ) Ltd was founded in November 1989 to provide speakers and entertainers to the corporate and association market. Ten years on, we still "stick to our core business". There is a difference though - we now have ten years of experience, have increased our international networks and can now offer you not only New Zealand's, but the world's best. Our thanks to all those speakers, entertainers and clients, who have supported us throughout the past ten years and who have contributed to our existence today. Thank you, we wish you all the very best in your business.