When it comes to adding more value and ROI to your meetings and events, Dr. Jackie Freiberg and Dr. Kevin Freiberg know how to make it happen!

For instance…

Recently, Jackie taped six video segments that are being presented, one per month via internal webcast, to attendees of a corporate client’s meeting as a preview and teaser of coming attractions. The client is over the top grateful and this innovative twist has added a whole new educational / inspirational component to the upcoming event in August. The client is certain their attendance will go way over the original expected numbers!

Here’s a quote from the client:

“The webcasts are a hit! Jackie is fantastic. We have assigned three managers to each video. They must come to the event prepared to discuss how they implemented the video into their daily life, either personal or professional.”

Best of all: Jackie did not charge an additional fee to record the video segments! (The client was responsible for the videographer fees and worked with the Freiberg office on managing the taping itself.)

Our specialty at ROI Speakers is helping clients go beyond the keynote to add value to their meetings and maximize their buying power. We’d love to help you with your next event! Contact ROI Speakers today to discuss the best options for your unique program objectives.

NOTE: Book Dr. Jackie Freiberg and/or Dr. Kevin Freiberg by May 31, 2009, and save 25-44% off their standard rates – even more value! Contact us today for full details.

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Watch Video of Dr. Jackie Freiberg: “Leadership is a Choice”

Watch Video of Dr. Kevin Freiberg: “Leadership is a Choice”

A couple of months ago, Benchmark Hospitality International, a leading hospitality management company with 30 award-winning conference hotels, resorts, and conference centers in locations coast-to-coast and in Asia, announced its “Top Ten Meeting Trends for 2009,” as observed by its properties. What is trend #1?

The Business of Meetings is Business.

Here is an excerpt from the trend report:

This year more than ever before, the business of meetings is straight-up ROI. There’s not a lot of room for leisure and extracurricular play in the current meeting environment, where every single dollar is measured for its contribution to the success of the overall conference.

Meetings have never been more serious, focused, or strategic–or more regional, for that matter, as transportation expenses are trimmed. It’s good news for conference centers, which are all about serious meeting environments.

To read the full report, head on over to PlannerWire. To discuss some strategic, “straight-up ROI” speaker solutions for your upcoming meetings, give us a call at ROI Speakers (615.526.6600) or just request a proposal online.

When preparing to publish the Spring edition of our magazine, TSG keynotes, we asked Keith Ferrazzi, respected guru on the power of relationships in business, for some insights on how meeting organizers could make their programs cancel-proof. You can read the electronic edition of the magazine on The Speakers Group’s blog, but here are some highlights from our conversation:

• The key to cancel-proofing a meeting is to make it so valuable that the cost of canceling the meeting is greater than the cost of holding it.
• What is it that makes meetings so valuable? Face time. Face time is critical to building relationships, and relationships are critical to success.
• Why, then, are meetings being canceled? Event organizers don’t always maximize the total relationship potential of every aspect of their event.
• How can this be improved? Organizers must give event participants a safe structure to start making real connections that will benefit them during the event, and a structure that allows those connections to sustain throughout the year ahead.

Keith is helping meeting planners do just that with his new “Who’s Got Your Back” keynote package, which transforms a “regular” keynote into a sustainable, high-ROI program that engages your attendees before, during and long after your event has concluded. Learn more about that program and read more from Keith on “how to make your meeting cancel-proof” on pages 4-5 of the TSG keynotes magazine here. Plus, you’ll also find two more articles to enhance your meeting management, as well as access to a special web page with helpful video messages from Keith and a free except of his soon-to-be released book, Who’s Got Your Back.

“Show us any leader who sets clear goals, communicates openly, respects people and treats them fairly, holds people accountable, and creates trusting relationships, and we’ll show you a leader who’s almost got it right.”

Chester Elton, Adrian Gostick - "The Carrot Guys"

That’s from page six of Chester Elton’s and Adrian Gostick’s book, The Carrot Principle — the 2007 bestseller that has just been updated and reprinted and will be #3 in the Advice/How-To category of the New York Times Bestseller List this weekend (May 3).

Elton and Gostick go on:

Show us an organization where people are coming to work on time, doing their jobs, and feel satisfied, and we’ll show you an organization that is close to achieving its full potential.

Show us some good management books that promise to transform your organization from ordinary to extraordinary, and we’ll show you wisdom that will push you nearer to your goals than you’ve ever gotten before.

Almost. Closer. Nearer. Some would argue that they are good words. For some leaders, they might even be good enough. But for those of us who are determined to reach beyond the ordinary to our maximum potential, “almost there” is a frustrating place to be.

What we need is an accelerator.

So what is this accelerator they speak of?

The simple but transformative act of a leader expressing appreciation to a person in a meaningful and memorable way is the missing accelerator that can do so much and yet is used so sparingly. But it is not the employee recognition some of us have been using for years. Not by a long shot. This is purpose-based recognition. It is recognition done right, recognition within a context of effective leadership.

Follow Elton’s and Gostick’s advice and a 10-year study of 200,000 managers and employees says you will:

1. Have lower turnover rates
2. Achieve enhanced business results
3. Be seen as much stronger in the Basic Four areas of leadership: goal-setting, communication, trust and accountability

Are you looking for higher productivity, engagement and retention within your organization? Elton and Gostick can help you achieve it — even in the challenging economy we face today — with powerfully effective recognition which can be done in a matter of moments without breaking your budget.

Contact us at ROI Speakers to discuss solutions including:

• The Carrots Keynote - highlighting proven ideas, powerful case studies, and humorous examples that o show how recognition engages people and improves your bottom line. It’s a no-holds-barred, high-energy, high-level event that entertains and boosts productivity.
• A Carrot A Day Training – teach your managers how to get started and sustain momentum in their recognition efforts with intensive, interactive exercises help you master the skills needed to integrate on-the-spot and formal recognition into your daily relations.
• A Carrot A Day Online Training – This training takes a three-step approach beginning with a customized live webinar, followed by self-paced interactive training and continues with practical tools to reinforce the training. Your managers will learn how to effectively appreciate great work and enhance employee engagement-from their desktops.
• And more!

Give us a call at (615) 526-6600 or just submit our proposal request form and we’ll help you optimize your recognition practices and accelerate the performance of your people and your organization.

NASHVILLE, Tenn., April 22, 2009 – Responding to the unique pressures facing its clients and others in the meetings industry as a result of sensational media coverage, government regulations, and reduced budgets, The Speakers Group has launched a new initiative, ROI Speakers (http://www.ROIspeakers.com), to help planners add value to their meetings and events – and increase ROI, or return on investment – by rethinking their use of professional speakers.

“Now more than ever, event planners can’t afford – literally or figuratively – to invest thousands of dollars in a speaker who shines for an hour, but whose impact is at risk of fading as soon as the session ends,” said Shawn Ellis, founder and president of The Speakers Group. “With ROI Speakers, we’re helping our clients engage speakers in ways that are aligned with legitimate business purposes, and that can be sustained well beyond the conclusion of the meeting.”

One of the keys to the ROI Speakers service is The Speakers Group’s requirement that all participating speakers meet three criteria:

1. Speakers must conduct significant pre-event research.
2. Speakers must deliver a customized presentation guided by findings of the pre-event research.
3. Speakers must offer one or more options for post-event content delivery to sustain the keynote message.

The result is an impressive roster of thought leaders and experts featuring names such as Marcus Buckingham, Kevin and Jackie Freiberg, and Patrick Lencioni, among others – including lesser-known authorities with fees as low as $10,000.

Further differentiating ROI Speakers is the completely consultative nature of the service. Every engagement begins with a needs assessment with the meeting organizer followed by a custom solution proposal. While the goal remains to secure a speaker who will receive high ratings on-site, the ultimate mission is to secure a speaker whose engagement will stimulate long-term, measurable results.

“Meeting planners should not be afraid of holding meetings, and they shouldn’t be afraid of investing money in speakers,” Ellis said. “They just need to define and defend the value of their programs, and ROI Speakers is one way we can help them in that endeavor.”

To learn more about ROI Speakers solutions, visit http://www.ROIspeakers.com and watch the five-minute video titled “The ROI Speakers Difference.” Also available on the site is a free special report: “How to Maximize the Value of Your Speaker Bookings.”

About The Speakers Group

Since 2003, The Speakers Group has been connecting meeting professionals and organizational leaders with high-content, relevant speakers who combine substance with style. Known for its friendly, knowledgeable service, the company is also considered to be one of the most innovative speakers bureaus in the country. To learn more about The Speakers Group, please visit us at http://www.thespeakersgroup.com, check out our blog at http://www.thespeakersgroup.com/blog, and follow our founder on Twitter at http://twitter.com/shawntsg.

John Buchanan has a great feature article in the March 2009 issue of Corporate & Incentive Travel magazine titled “The Meetings Industry Fights Back.” Subtitle: “What Planners Must Do Now to Save Their Meetings… and Their Jobs.” The bottom-line answer: Define meeting objectives, measure results, demonstrate ROI.

[That is exactly what we are helping planners do here with ROI Speakers. Watch this video to learn more.]

Buchanan’s article cites Sharon Marsh, meetings group manager at Medtronic Cardiovascular, as acknowledging a weak spot in many meeting planning strategies: the inability to objectively demonstrate a tangible return on investment (ROI) for meeting expenditures. As a result, planners and meeting management teams are now feeling the heat. “I’ve been in this industry a long time and I’ve seen how little thought is put into the decisions that are made,” Marsh said.

Also quoted in the article is Rhonda Marko, president and CEO of Destination Nashville, who agrees with Marsh’s conclusion. “So the job of a meeting planner right now is that if they haven’t been doing it already, they have to start measuring ROI now,” Marko said. “They have to be very clear about the measurable objectives and the results of their meetings.”

Click here to read the full article, which not only spotlights the very obvious challenges with meetings today, but also the solutions that, if implemented, will allow planners and their organizations to thrive for a long time to come.

Concerned with planning a meeting in accordance with the Model Board Policy for Approval of Meetings, Events and Incentive/Recognition Travel? If your organization has received emergency lending from the federal government, you must be careful to adhere to the requirements established by the American Hotel and Lodging Association, Meeting Professionals International, National Business Travel Association, Professional Convention Management Association, U.S. Travel Association and others. As if your job were not complicated enough!

When it comes to engaging speakers for your events, ROI Speakers can help – particularly as it relates to the requirement that meetings, events and incentive travel must serve one or more specified legitimate business purposes. Examples of such purposes are:

• Effective product launches to educate sales force, channel partners and customers
• Sales conferences and employee meetings to align vision, strategy and tactics
• Training and staff development meetings – learning environments conducive to adult learning and professional development, improving participants’ skills at their trade and/or their familiarity with the company’s products or services
• Employee recognition programs to motivate and reward employees for achievement and productivity
• Professional conferences that provide networking, education and best practice sharing across companies and industries
• Performance incentives with clear rule structures that are designed to motivate and reward high performers for exceeding established goals that generate incremental revenue growth for their respective organizations and that are beyond the investment in the program
• User conferences for customers utilizing the company’s products or services to obtain feedback, build networks, provide product training and capture ideas for enhancements to the company’s product offerings
• Employee meetings as a result of company mergers and/or acquisitions for the purpose of alignment of products, brands and cultures

According to the policy, each proposed meeting, event or incentive/recognition travel with a cost exceeding $75,000 must be supported by a written business case identifying a specific business purpose. Considering that one notable keynote speaker can consume a large portion of that $75,000, it is critical that your speaker be aligned with your program objectives.

Once we know the specific business purpose for your meeting, we will guide you in selecting a high-content business speaker with real expertise to support that purpose. In addition, all ROI Speakers engagements include our signature pre-event research element as well as the post-event sustainability element, making it very easy for you to not only justify your speaker investment, but actually enhance the value of your meeting!

To read the full Model Board Policy, click here to view the PDF on the U.S. Travel Association’s web site.

To consult with one of our representatives about scheduling a speaker for your event, call us at 615.526.6600 or request a proposal online.

Below is an article by Drs. Kevin & Jackie Freiberg that highlights the tremendous success of a high-ROI engagement they recently conducted with the Sony Style Stores. Check it out!

Whether you voted for our new leader or not, the country is a buzz and oh so hungry for answers to what the future holds! Our country, without a doubt, is crying out for leadership! Our businesses, our communities, and our families need leadership. It is a new era; and to lead it, we want game changers.

There are a lot of theories and a lot of approaches to leadership today. Just try a “leadership” search; you’ll get a diversity of thought.

But let us make one thing very clear-leadership is a choice. Every day we are confronted with multiple opportunities to step into the breach and lead like a game changer. From cutting costs without compromising performance, to “up-coaching” a colleague who has become a liability to the team, to calling BS in favor of a better way, to stepping out on a limb and streamlining a process for a client. All these situations and more call for gamechanging leaders- are you up for it?

Let us introduce you to a client who is doing exactly the OPPOSITE of many other retailers. As the reports scream, “retail sales are the lowest in 40 years,” many retailers are tightening the budget, cutting expenses, and paralyzing their teams. BUT not at Sony Style Stores – they are BOOMING! Dennis Syracuse, Sr. Vice President of Sony Retail Stores, is a gamechanging leader. Even though the media is hosting a recession, Dennis RSVP’d: “Regrets, we are choosing NOT to participate!” Dennis is changing the game and leading his managers and sales associates to BOOM!

How do you get 700 people at 70 different locations around the country to hear the same message without blowing the budget and shutting down the business? In the spirit of refueling his team and giving them tools during a tough time, Dennis stepped into the breach and approved a game-changing event!

We did a 2-hour, customized BOOM! presentation at their state-of-the-art San Diego Sony Style Store. The event was video cast live via Direct TV to Sony Style Stores nationwide, and over 700 Store Managers and their teams heard the message. Talk about an innovative and economical approach to hosting a meeting!

And that’s not all…

Another game-changing move was to avoid the one shot approach – bring in a speaker and fire-up the team for a day, and then it’s back to business as usual. Nope! Not good enough for Dennis; he knows what you measure gets done. So, Sony Style Stores is using our BOOM! Formula to not only track individual and team success, but to more deeply root the message into their service culture. There is no doubt that Sony Style associates have embraced and are implementing the 7 Choices in BOOM! They are doing whatever-it-takes to keep sales up and create an unforgettable experience for their customers.

Read a recent exchange between SONY Sales Managers sent in an eWave (an electronic conversation).

“One Customer, One TOTAL SOLUTION for $31,000 Dollars, putting us over our daily goal by $2000, and it is not even lunch time!”

“Let’s Play to our Genius and Realize that the Customers want to be educated And that SONY has the LIFESTYLE for them.”

“FOCUS FORWARD and make the Holidays all about S O N Y.”

“WOW…the weekend warriors are out in force!”

“We have officially joined the party, BOOMing to $19,793 versus $14,613!”

“Who’s next to push the plunger down and blow the doors off business as usual!?!”

BOOM! is about building a team and a culture of ACCCOUNTABILITY, COMMITMENT and PERFORMANCE! Do you have what it takes to equip your team with ideas on how to lead like game changers, especially in a tough business environment? Do like Dennis, RSVP REGRETS! Be a game changer, be creative and host an innovative, economical meeting. Give your team a gift that will refuel commitment, strengthen accountability, and drive performance up!

We have yet to see the choices our country’s new leaders will make. But you can choose today to be a leader and inspire others to think and act like game changers too. Your choices will determine the quality of your reputation and the difference you will make. Game-changing leaders do not wait for permission; they are accountable to the team and own the success of the business.

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Want to blow the doors off business-as-usual at your organization? Ready to see your people and your business BOOM?! Call us at ROI Speakers today and we can help: 615.526.6600.