Still wildly popular nearly 100 days into his administration, President Barack Obama is enthusiastically greeted in cities and capitals across the globe. The “Obama Effect” defies definition, puzzles pundits, and continues to attract passionate admirers from all sides of the political spectrum. When the broadly smiling president jauntily steps up to the podium to address the nation, we see the real thing at work — the WOW factor — the elusive element that planners everywhere try to capture to make their meetings stand out from the rest.

A large screen and state-of-the-art audio is invaluable to a professional speaker like Howard Putnam, author, consultant and former CEO of Southwest Airlines, who often addresses large groups. Putnam was inducted into the prestigious National Speakers Association Hall of Fame in 2005. Photo by Dov Friedmann/www.PhotographybyDov.com

To The Rescue

When you can’t have or afford the real thing, where do you turn? Randy Nolen recommends the next best thing: Reggie Brown as President Barack Obama. The tall, skinny Chicago native, who sports an uncanny likeness to the president, applies a little gray at his temples before he takes the stage to impersonate the charismatic commander in chief. Brown, an actor/model who will appear as President Obama in “The Effect,” a film to be released in theaters in October, has been wowing audiences since January when his new manager Nolen, a veteran talent agent and producer, packaged “Meet The President,” a 45-minute customized act developed for association and corporate meetings and charity events.

Nolen, who has offices in Palm Desert, CA, managed two other presidential impersonators: Tim Watters as Bill Clinton and Steve Bridges who created, with the aid of prosthetics, a George W. Bush persona so realistic that Bush “43” invited him to the 2006 White House Correspondents Dinner where they stood side-by-side and pulled off a hilarious dueling skit. Over the last 15 years, Nolen and his team of make-up artists and writers have perfected “Meet The President,” and now, he says, it’s time for Reggie Brown to shine as an illustrious Barack Obama impersonator.

Nolen portends that Brown’s popularity as a celebrity entertainer/speaker will mirror President Obama’s mushrooming fame. Reggie Brown will be, “a huge, huge hit,” said Nolen. To this day, he is amazed at how awestruck attendees approach the “president.” Nolen’s witnessed captains of industry literally shake as they clasped the “president’s” hand or stood alongside him for a souvenir photo opportunity — the most popular after-speech activity. Moreover, planners under tight budget constraints can easily afford to book Brown because he’s just starting out and his fee structure is at the lower end of the scale. Nolen suggests that “Reggie Brown as President Obama” is a natural attendance-builder, which doesn’t always have to be a surprise: Who could resist stopping by to chat up the “president” at trade shows and exhibits?

Why It Works

“Meet The President” works, said Nolen, because the “audience is in on the joke.” In addition, humor invariably lightens a conference and sets the tone for the event. Film director and television producer Gil Cates, who garnered rave reviews for his 14th Academy Awards this year, recently arranged for a surprise “presidential” appearance in Palm Springs, CA. “At our Backstage at the Geffen annual fund-raiser, we’re always trying to find fresh ways to surprise and excite our audience,” said Geffen Playhouse Producing Director Cates. “This year, we announced early in the program that we may have to interrupt the show for a

Speaker Dore Jean, CEO and owner of KAIZEN, presented a program on how to lead in turbulent times at the Vacation Rental Managers Association 2008 Conference. She is a popular, repeat speaker for the association. Photo courtesy of the Vacation Rental Managers Association

surprise guest. Later in the evening, I practically interrupted Carol Burnett, who was telling a story onstage, to announce that our special guest had arrived. We had two ‘secret service’ men walk up the aisles and as soon as Reggie walked on stage, the audience gasped and stood to their feet. Perhaps because we were living within the world of theater where anything can happen, or perhaps because there are very few good reasons to interrupt Carol Burnett, I think most audience members believed it was actually the president for a couple of minutes. Then the crowd dissolved into laughter when they got the joke, and it set a phenomenal tone for the rest of evening.”

When planners want a memorable evening, think presidential, recommends Tim Seeden, president of Lisle, IL-based Association Solutions Ltd., who first saw Reggie Brown as the president on his NBC affiliate in Chicago and then again on WGN morning television. He said, “I was truly impressed with the way he captured his audience and his story. Over the years I’ve seen guest introducers and then it struck me that his appearance would take the element of surprise to the next level — having Reggie do a walk-on ‘sight gag’ as the president. Once our audience hears ‘Hail to the Chief,’ regains consciousness and then their heartbeats, it will be memorable for sure!” Seeden, who booked Brown for a Chicago event this May for municipal clerks from around the world, explained, “What better recognized world leader than the president? Our hope is that this appearance will create a long-lasting memory and add to the overall excitement of the conference. And besides, Mr. Obama claims Chicago as his home, so the WOW and believability factors should really go a long way.”

How to intersperse lighter moments with a substantive program, and keep attendees interested, engaged and eager to return next year to the American Dairy Products Institute’s (ADPI) two-day annual conference, are Dale Kleber’s main objectives for a successful trade association meeting. He is confident that a unique experience this year will go a long way in bringing them back next year. Therefore, he booked Reggie Brown for a surprise luncheon appearance at this year’s conference in Chicago because “he presents a remarkable physical resemblance to President Obama and has mastered the president’s inflections and mannerisms,” said Kleber, the CEO of ADPI. “We weren’t able to book the real Obama, so Reggie is the next best thing.”

Kleber added, “We expect that he will fool a lot of the audience into believing, at least for a moment, that President Obama has returned to Chicago and dropped in to address our members. Even when they figure Reggie is not really Barack, they will still be shocked at the resemblance. But more significantly, Reggie has developed a routine with some very funny material, and he is said to be very good in mixing with the crowd and posing for individual photos after his bit. Plus, we have been able to work with his writers to customize his lines to our organization and poke fun at some of our members.” Kleber knows first-hand that “all work and no fun makes for a rather boring business meeting.” 

Barbara Bartos, a speaker and entertainment consultant for more than 21 years, is the managing partner of Annapolis, MD-based Speakers.com, a premier full-service speakers bureau and the first Web site for professional public speakers. She arranged for Reggie Brown to appear at two distinctly different events: as a surprise presenter at the award ceremony for “Yes We Can!” and a student leadership group meeting in Chicago where they will focus on comparisons between Abraham Lincoln and Barack Obama’s leadership skills. “Reggie will be a surprise guest at a

Author and celebrity music photographer Ian Wright presented at the inaugural cruise of the Celebrity Solstice. Nearly 2,000 attendees sat in rapt attention to the history of The Beatles. Photo by Dana Leslie Nease, courtesy of Nite Raiders Entertainment

luncheon and after impersonating the president, he will talk to them about the importance of community service and wrap things up by reciting the Gettysburg Address as Barack Obama,” said Bartos.

She noted, “?‘Reggie Brown as Barack Obama’ is an ideal fit and will create a program that will be unique, entertaining and memorable long after the event is over.” Bartos, who is always looking for fresh, creative program ideas for her clients, added, “During these tough times, many meetings have taken on a more serious tone. But every meeting needs a little entertainment factor and Reggie Brown as Barack Obama is a great way to lighten up an event.”

Saving On Speakers

Booking Reggie Brown as the president is just one surefire way to meet your event’s entertainment objective and keep your organization’s number-crunchers content, but there are several additional avenues to consider when searching for insightful, informative speakers. For example, Susan G. Trivers, the president-elect of the Washington, DC, chapter of the National Speakers Association, offers astute advice for planners and attests that professional speakers are a creative group of people who are eager to serve meeting planners in a variety of ways that benefit all concerned parties. “Many speakers will offer more than one appearance at the same event for a small increase in the fee,” she advised. “And, they will also work to develop meaningful feedback forms and processes, and will be happy to share their impressions in a follow-up debriefing session.”

Trivers manages 10 member/guest events that generate funds for her chapter. She lined up two panel discussion groups, and secured exceptional speakers from the local area in order to cut costs on transportation, lodging and meals. “We rely upon the association’s own Speaker Directory and the Find-A-Speaker Directory of the Washington, DC ,chapter. A small committee plans the events for the year and selects the speakers,” she added.

In addition, Trivers advises planners to refer to the National Speakers Association Web site (nsaspeaker.org) and select the link to the chapter that is closest to the event’s host city.

“I am a keynote and breakout session speaker myself and an eight-year member of NSA. I have found that when meeting planners ask speakers to work with them more as partners than as just one of the many items on a checklist for the meeting or conference, the meeting planner and the attendees have a highly satisfying experience.”

Best-Ever Events

“There is no comprehensive job description for meeting planning,” said Michael Sarka, CMP, “since it changes so greatly from event to event.” Sarka, the executive director of Santa Cruz, CA-based Vacation Rental Managers Association (VRMA), has been an active association executive and meeting planner for 35 years. In fact, he claims to have been part of the original development committee for the certified meeting planner designation and worked with his professional colleagues to prepare the initial examination. Accordingly, there’s no doubt how much he values the opportunity of working with association members and meeting colleagues, convention bureaus and host properties, in order to create what he calls best-ever events.

According to Sarka, keynote speakers provide opening and closing general sessions for VRMA seminars and for its annual conference. “They are primarily experts on topics of interest to most VRMA members, such topics as customer service and marketing.”

In preparation for the larger events, Sarka works with a program planning committee. “We then look for experts and professional speakers in the areas of expertise identified. Next, we have the members of the committee review Web sites for other sources of information on the bidding speakers, ultimately reaching consensus on who would be the best of those being considered,” he said.

“We will probably still hire entertainment for the 2009 annual conference, but we will cut back on the number of entertainment-related functions,” he added. Sarka advises planners to find speakers close to meeting sites “to save on travel costs;” ask keynote presenters to conduct a three-hour session after the keynote address and charge a fee for attendance, “which helps pay for the keynoter”; and, finally, use a trade-out to help lessen the cost for the presenter. “For example,” he said, “offer room nights for the presenter at the host property beyond the first night or two, and deduct that from the fee for speaker.”

All The Unusual Suspects

Farrah Parker, marketing manager of the City of Los Angeles Community Development Department, coordinates meetings and special events related to economic and workforce development for the city. “In addition to sourcing and securing locations, caterers, florists, entertainment and other related vendors,” Parker said, “I develop talking points for elected officials and executive management personnel who will speak at these events.”

Parker looks for inventive presenters “who do more than stand in front of a room and present a monologue,” she said. “I look for professionals who use lively displays, integrate multimedia techniques and who generally seem to have engaging personalities.”

Parker also relies upon independent research to source candidates who may not necessarily label themselves as speakers. “The approval process involves the development of the speaker’s profile and all relevant business ventures. We also attempt to research a certain degree of the speaker’s personal life to ensure that we do not select someone who could pose a conflict of interest,” she explained.

Parker plans several large-scale events annually, including press conferences, trade summits, focus groups, business services seminars, awards dinners, fundraisers and more.

“Keynote speakers play a major role in my events,” observed Parker. “For example, the city plans an annual press conference to announce the launch of Hire LA’s Youth summer employment program. For last year’s press conference, I helped secure Ervin “Magic” Johnson to join Mayor Villaraigosa in his call for public action on the part of local merchants and retailers.”

While booking a little “magic” makes any event an exciting one, Parker also has to keep it affordable. “In December 2008,” she explained, “I planned an international trade breakfast that focused on the opportunities available for small businesses that serve the Los Angeles port areas. Traditionally, speakers receive an honorarium fee for such extensive speaking engagements. Instead of securing a speaker with a non-negotiable honorarium, however, I researched industry professionals with a desire to highlight their skills and who wanted to position themselves as up-and-coming experts.”

Furthermore, Parker offers incentives to lure speakers. She presents them with awards, certificates signed by the mayor and city council president, and includes their Web site links in all press materials.

What about booking entertainment? Parker finds social media such as Facebook very useful and sources local musicians and entertainers that have a direct connection to Los Angeles. “Instead of payment, I offer similar incentives such as those granted to the keynote speakers. Additionally, we reference these entertainers on the city’s Web site and provide links to the talent’s Web site, thereby generating increased traffic to their site.”

Parker shared the following tried-and-true tips:

Look to the unusual suspects. Don’t simply Google professional speaker databases. Instead, use new social media tools such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to source the profiles of professionals related to your particular event/industry.

Find innovative ways to compensate the speaker. Are there corporate sponsors involved? If so, ask your title sponsor such as the host hotel if they can throw in a three-night stay at one of their properties.

Look for new talent whenever possible. Entertainment does not have to be an internationally/nationally known artist. Oftentimes, new talent will thrill your audience with their passion and determination.    ACF