Kelly McDonald: New Social Media Speaking Topic

Kelly is a marketing and communications expert who speaks on how to grow business with effective marketing techniques and how to connect with others to form relationships that are constructive and effective in business.

Named one of the "Top 26 Hottest Speakers" by Successful Meetings Magazine, Kelly realizes  that the “buzz” of social media as an foundational topic has a limited shelf life.  At some point in the future, there will be no need for basic social media presentations anymore.  Instead, corporations and organizations be looking for how to take it to the next level.

Kelly's new social media session is perfectly geared for the marketing person who knows their way around all the social media tools, but is wondering how to be more innovative and wants to use the latest technology and tools to enhance their efforts even more.

To book Kelly McDonald, go here: fivestar@fivestarspeakers.com | http://www.fivestarspeakers.com/ | 913.648.6480

Austin Approves $350 Million Hotel @ Convention Center

According to statesmen.com, the city of Austin approved a $350 million convention center hotel this week.
The 1,100+ room property includes two hotels under one roof and 100,000 square feet of meeting space.

A sky bridge will also connect the property to the Austin Convention Center.

Bob Eubanks: Motivational Speaking and The Newlywed Game

Mostly known as the host of famous 'The Newlywed Game', Bob Eubanks not only has a Lifetime Achievement Emmy but is a motivational speaker and master of ceremonies with an inspirational message.

Self described as a man of limited techo abilities, Mr. Eubanks feels that in order for a company to maintain its creativity and cohesiveness, there must be a balance between people skills and technology. He shows you how you can maintain that balance in your career and in your personal life.

His most requested keynotes are 'It's All About People',  which takes his many years of business success, both on camera and managing and some of the biggest musical acts in the world (The Beatles, Dolly Parton, Barbara Mandrel), and 'The Not So Newlywed Game',  a live replica and hilarious take of the television game show using four married couples from the audience.

To learn more about Bob Eubanks, visit his website @ http://www.bobeubanks.com/

Mr. Eubanks is now available for speaking engagments, go here: fivestar@fivestarspeakers.com | http://www.fivestarspeakers.com/ | 913.648.6480

Speaker Profile: Willie Jolley

Willie Jolley is a world-class award-winning speaker, bestselling author and multimedia personality.

Highly regarded as 'The Comeback King' for successfully helping Ford Motors avert the need to accept bail out dollars-- Ford hired Willie to speak to all their employees and helped them design an internal communications campaign to reinforce the Ford “Bold Moves” messages.


Named “One of the Outstanding Five Speakers in the World”, by Toastmasters International, Jolley is a motivational speaker who has inspired millions.


His new book, 'An Attitude of Excellence' is a follow up to his 'Turn Setbacks Into Greenbacks', and has sold in great volume to such organizations as Procter and Gamble, Hyatt, Marriott, Verizon, Raytheon, and Norton Healthcare.


For more on Mr. Jolley, visit his website, http://www.williejolley.com/.


To order 'An Attitude of Excellence' or to book Mr. Jolley, go here: fivestar@fivestarspeakers.com | http://www.fivestarspeakers.com/ | 913.648.6480

Rajesh Setty and Seven Unwritten Rules of Social Media

Most businesses and brands have some sort of social media prescense, but what are the rules in terms of social media connections?

Rajesh Setty is an entrepreneur, author and speaker based in Silicon Valley and writes a great piece on the subject. See his Seven Unwritten Rules of Social Media on Open Forum.

Go here: fivestar@fivestarspeakers.com | http://www.fivestarspeakers.com/ | 913.648.6480

Corporate Entertainer Tim Clue's New YouTube Video

Tim Clue is a world renowned professional comedian, corporate entertainer, and communication consultant with over 20 years of experience who serves the special entertainment needs of the corporate community.

With his knowledge of corporate entertainment at all levels of industry - from the Fortune 100 and trade shows, to industry conferences and beyond - Tim Clue is more than simply a top comedian. As a published writer and theatrical director, Tim brings a 360-degree perspective to every project. For each and every client, he creates and performs original business humor and corporate comedy to suit each unique event.

Watch Tim's newly launched promo on YouTube.

To book Tim Clue go here: fivestar@fivestarspeakers.com | http://www.fivestarspeakers.com/ | 913.648.6480

Speaker Jon Gordon: Silpada and The Seed

FIVE STAR AE Brittanny Kreutzer had the opportunity to see keynote Jon Gordon speak today at a Silpada Jewelry event. 

Brittanny had nothing but great things to say about Jon and his keynote-- and explained that she was wow'd by his amazing story-telling skills and the fact that he uses humor, stories and tips the audience could easily take away. Jon is unique in that he creates a program and highlight what your audience want to hear. He took the time to dive into Silpada's culture and even interviewed Silpada attendees and knew their language.

Jon's program focuses on the importance of relationships (both growing and building) and staying positive.

Jon just released his newest book, 'The Seed: Finding Purpose and Happiness at Work', which is a follow up to his best selling book, 'The Energy Book'.

For more on Jon Gordon, visit him at http://www.jongordon.com/

To book Jon Gordon, go here: fivestar@fivestarspeakers.com | http://www.fivestarspeakers.com/ | 913.648.6480

Keynote and Motivational Speaker Jim Jacobus Returns to Speaking

After a brief hiatus, famed keynote and motivational speaker Jim Jacobus makes an excited return to speaking this summer.

An international expert on extraordinary performance and what it would take for us individually and collectively, personally or professionally to experience our immense potential, Jacobus is a trusted resource for organizations looking to get maximum "personal results" in today's competitive environment.

Personally, Mr. Jacobus played collegiate basketball and baseball, has been on three World Championship softball teams, won a national championship in golf, is a six-time Chrysler National Long Drive regional champion.

As a keynoter,  Jim is compelling, dynamic and witty. As a trainer he is insightful, powerful and gets results.

Check out Jim's 'Living Life Large' demo here.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVLBupXPyqE

To book Jim Jacobus, go here: fivestar@fivestarspeakers.com | http://www.fivestarspeakers.com/ | 913.648.6480

From Open Forum: Top 5 Business Uses for the Ipad

I'm an Apple addict. See how working on an Ipad goes beyond sending emails or drafting texts.

From AmEx's Open Forum: http://www.openforum.com/articles/top-5-business-uses-for-the-ipad

Lunch and Learn with Speaker Tommy Spauling

Professional and motivational speaker and New York Times best selling author, Tommy Spaulding, stopped by the FIVE STAR offices yesterday for a little lunch and learn.

As we noshed on croissant sandwiches, we learned that Mr. Spaulding is not only carb-free and quite humble (he doesn't like to talk about himself), but was CEO and President of Up With People (the world's largest non-profit), his book, 'It's Not Just Who You Know' was #2 on the Times best seller list, and his speaking engagements focus on Relationship Building and Customer Service. 

Mr. Spaulding went on to tell us about the amount of research he spends preparing for speaking engagements (sometimes 12+ hours) and he dives deep (he was recently a Starbuck's barista for a day before speaking to their corporate HQ's). 

He caters to the needs of the group he's presenting to and will even open for an event later this month featuring Richard Branson.

The FIVE STAR team looks forward to building a relationship with Tommy and his team.. and thanks for lunch!

To learn more about Mr. Spaulding, visit his website, http://www.tommyspaulding.com/

To book Mr. Spaulding, go here: fivestar@fivestarspeakers.com | http://www.fivestarspeakers.com/ | 913.648.6480

Flash Mobs: The New Meeting Must Do?

We've all seen them. They pop up in shopping malls, airports and they have millions of views on YouTube.
That's right, Flash Mobs. They're everywhere and according to Meeting and Conventions they are the next hot thing and will knock the socks off your next corporate event.

According to the article, 'Destination management company Shackman Associates New York (shackmanassociates.com) can set up a Flash Mob to appear for your attendees anywhere in the Big Apple. For those organizing mobs elsewhere, contact a local destination management company; the Association of Destination Management Executives (adme.org) has an online directory.'

Here's Mashable's Top 10 Flash Mob Vids, all of which are amazing.. http://mashable.com/2010/06/20/flash-mob-videos/

Would you use a Flash Mob for your next event?

FIFA World Cup Game Sets New Tweet Record

From Mashable:

'The FIFA Women’s World Cup set two new records for number of tweets sent per second on Sunday.

The final game, between USA and Japan, set the new all-time high with 7,196 per second at the end of the game. The Paraguay vs. Brazil game is the new number-two spot with 7,166 tweets per second, according to a tweet sent by @Twitter.'

Read more here.

Hoda Kotb: Life on Bad Hair and Kathie Lee

The sweet and hilarious co-host of The Today's Show's fourth hour, Hoda Kotb, dishes on life's up's and down's in her new memoir, “Hoda: How I Survived War Zones, Bad Hair, Cancer and Kathie Lee.”

Kotb's best selling book releases tomorrow in paperback.

Watch this great excerpt from from the show.

For booking information, go here: fivestar@fivestarspeakers.com | http://www.fivestarspeakers.com/ | 913.648.6480

Ron Clark's New Book to Launch July 26th

'America's Educator', Ron Clark, is a NY Times Best Selling Author, 2000 Disney American Teacher of the Year and is a regular guest on CNN, Oprah and The Today Show.

Clark has turned his phenomenal experiences and successes as an educator and has incorporated them into his latest project, the Ron Clark Academy, a private non-profit school in Atlanta, Georgia . Students follow a unique curriculum which gives students opportunities for international travel and offers training workshops for teachers to learn more about Clark's amazing teaching methods.

His best selling book, 'The Essential 55' hit the Times Best Seller list and his second book, 'The Excellent 11', followed in 2004.  His next book, 'The End of Molasses Classes, Getting Our Kids Unstuck: 101 Solutions for Parents and Teachers will release on July 26th.

For the Ron Clark story, hit the wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Clark_(teacher), for more on Ron and the Ron Clark Academy, visit the website here: http://www.ronclarkacademy.com/default.aspx

For booking information, go here: fivestar@fivestarspeakers.com | http://www.fivestarspeakers.com/ | 913.648.6480

Spotify Now Available in the US

Euro-based music service Spotify launched this morning in the US with all four major music labels on board.

You can sign up for both unlimited and mobile services which range from $4.99 to $9.99, respectivally.

It's free service will rollout via member invite in the next few weeks. 

Spotify will be the only free, on-demand listening service in the US--check it out and grab an invite here http://www.spotify.com/us/hello-america/

Will you pay or wait?

Daymond John: FUBU CEO on 'Branding Yourself from Birth to the Boardroom'

You may have heard of him. Daymond John--the founder, president and chief executive officer of FUBU apparel -- "For Us, By Us". Considered one of the greatest entrepreneur's of our generation-- Daymond created distinctive and fashionable sportswear and a host of other related gear.

FUBU's phenomenal success made mainstream apparel companies realize the potential for fashionable sportswear that appeals not just to trendsetting urban youth, but to mainstream teens as well.

A success story, an industry leader, a young entrepreneur, a man who has reached and surpassed new heights of commercial and financial success - just a fraction of classifications used to describe Daymond John. Over the last 20 years, Daymond has evolved into one of the most successful fashion icons in business today.

Daymond is also regarded as one of the most sought after branding experts, business, and motivational speakers in the country.

Check out his awesome promo reel http://vimeo.com/26304820

For booking information, go here: fivestar@fivestarspeakers.com | http://www.fivestarspeakers.com/ | 913.648.6480

TED Global 2011: The Stuff of Life

TEDGlobal, Ted Speaks summer conference, is taking over Edinburgh, Scotland through July 15th.  Super cool. For complete coverage, head to the TEDGlobal 2011 homepage, where you'll find live coverage, tweets, blogs and amazing ideas.

You can also follow via #TEDGlobal on Twitter.

Right now, Rebecca MacKinnon is speaking on taking back the internet, and explains to us that the Internet isn't as free as we might think.

Who's your favorite TEDGlobal speaker?

Speaker Profile: Charlie Nardozzi

The FIVE STAR gang had the opportunity this morning to 'meet' (via conference call ) gardening guru, Charlie Nardozzi. While he's an expert on gardening, food, and all things agricultural--he's a writer, speaker, and radio and TV personality.

He's the former host of PBS’s Garden Smart, reaching more than 60 million households. He has also been a gardening expert on many national syndicated television and radio shows such as HGTV’s “Today at Home”, Discovery Channel’s  “Home Matters”, Sirius Radio's 'Martha Stewart Living', and Natural Eating with Elysa.

While Mr. Nardozzi is versatile in speaking engagements, his most popular topics are Edible Landscape, Organics and children's gardening.

For more on Charlie Nardozzi, visit his website at http://charlienardozzi.com/.

For booking information, go here: fivestar@fivestarspeakers.com | http://www.fivestarspeakers.com/ | 913.648.6480

Google+ To Hit 10 Million Users

I'm not 100% sure what all the hype is about, but Google's new social network, Google+ might be one of the biggest things to hit the internets since.. Facebook.

Do you have your invite? Do you like it?

From Mashable: http://mashable.com/2011/07/12/google-10-million/

Corporate Comedian Profile: David Glickman

If this head shot doesn't make you giggle, then I don't know what will. We just booked custom corporate comedian David Glickman--and the amazing thing about this funny-man is that no two of his appearances are EVER alike.

Glickman works with organizations that want to add some comic relief to their events in order to make them fun and memorable.  He specializes in clean, clever, and customized entertainment for your convention, meeting, sales rally or banquet. His program is about YOUR people, YOUR industry, YOUR products, YOUR services.

He was selected the winner of the Entenmann's National "Funniest Person In America" Contest from over 500 contestants.

His most requested programs include his 'customized corporate comedy' show in which he highlights your event and organization and 'A Dose of Healthcare Humor', which puts a funny edge on everything from HIPPA to managed care.

For booking information, go here: fivestar@fivestarspeakers.com | http://www.fivestarspeakers.com/ | 913.648.6480

Betty Ford: An Extraordiary Life

We were saddened to hear of the passing of First Lady Betty Ford on Friday at the age of 93. Ford was not only an advocate for women's health rights, and the Equal Rights amendment--but she endured a very public battle with addiction to both alcohol and painkillers. Her legacy lives on at the Betty Ford Center, which has helped thousands deal with addiction.

FIVE STAR friend, recent FIVE STAR showcaser, and one of our most booked motivational speakers, Steve Ford, shares many touching and insightful stories as First Son and his life with both President Ford and the First Lady.

This YouTube video shows Steve accepting an award on the behalf of Ford, and he goes on to say how amazing it is that she 'took two of her darkest moments (breast cancer and addiction) and turned them around to be positives in her life.'

Our thoughts and condolences are with Steve and the entire Ford family.

Corporate Comedian Profile: Sklar Brothers

The twin Sklar Brothers have gained notoriety from their highly rated podcast, SklarBro Country, which focuses on pop culture with a twist of sports.  They have hosted and customized material for corporate events with such companies as Motorola, Major League Baseball, Reebok and ESPN and are now available for corporate events as they take their show on the road.

Check them out here: http://comedians.jokes.com/sklar-brothers or on their website http://www.supersklars.com/main.htm

In addition, they’ve had guest starring roles on Curb Your Enthusiasm, Entourage and Grey’s Anatonmy and were recently on the Jim Rome Show.

Webcast: 'Music Licensing: What Event Planners Need to Know'

When you play music during an event, you might owe licensing fees to artist agencies such as BMI and ASCAP. Failing to pay those fees can lead to hot water – and pricey penalties. 

Meeting & Conventions hosts a free webcast and their experts address how and where music can be used in an event and how to obtain the necessary licenses.

Listen to the webcast on Wednesday, July 20, 2011  @  2:00pm EDT.

Register for free here:  http://video.webcasts.com/events/pmny001/viewer/index.jsp?eventid=38479 

Via TED: Matt Cutts-- Try Something New for 30 Days

Ever wanted to do something but couldn't? They say it only takes 30 days to make something a habit.  Google guy Matt Cutts breaks it down in this motivational blurb via Ted.

Try something new...and take the 30 day challenge.

http://www.ted.com/talks/matt_cutts_try_something_new_for_30_days.html

QR Codes and the Tesco Virtual Supermarket

You've seen them. Those little, square, black and white thing-a-ma-gigs. They're on billboards, on nametags at conferences, in magazines. They're QR codes. They're making a move through social media, marketing and advertising faster than I can update my status on Facebook.

Grocer Tesco unveiled their virtual supermarket in a subway in South Korea--where a large billboard was installed in the station which is designed to look like a series of supermarket shelves.  Each sign also includes a QR code.

Users scan the code of the product they would like to purchase, and add it to their online shopping cart.
After the web transaction is completed, the products are delivered to the user's home within the day.

How awesome is that??!   Check it out here:  http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/16/view/15557/tesco-virtual-supermarket-in-a-subway-station.html

Good Read: 'Content Lessons Learned from 25 Popular Blog Posts'

Jay Baer is a great writer, and one heck of a blogger. He's been writing convinceandconvert.com for an eternity now--and with 300 posts under his belt he dove into his Google Analytics (um, nerd alert) and knocked out the reasoning's behind all those page views.

Read it here, http://bit.ly/cJgqUf,  it the results just might surprise you.

Actor Paul Reiser Hits Speaking Circuit

We loved him on 'Mad About You' and seasoned actor, writer and stand-up comedian, Paul Reiser not only has a new best seller on the list, but is hitting the speaking circuit as well.


In addition to co-creating and starring in the critically acclaimed 'Mad About You', Reiser is also the author of the New York Times bestsellers Couplehood, Babyhood and his newest follow-up, Familyhood, which was just released in May. 


Reiser is now bringing his trademark perspective on the universal truths of life, love and relationships to a live audience. Reiser’s unique point of view that is so evident in his writing and comedy are brought to life as he shares his insights on the highs and lows of marriage, parenting and mid-life with the wit, warmth and humor that he’s so well-known for.


To book Paul Reiser, emial us fivestar@fivestarspeakers.com, visit us, http://www.fivestarspeakers.com/  or call us, 913.648.6480.


fivestar@fivestarspeakers.com | http://www.fivestarspeakers.com/ | 913.648.6480

Patrick Dempsey and Derek Daly @ the Indy 500

Check out pals Patrick Dempsey (swoon Dr. McDreamy) and celeb racer turned keynote speaker, Derek Daly, as Daly interviews Dempsey for a spot at the Indy 500. Via http://www.derekdaly.com/ .

Good Read: 'How Social Media Changes Event Planning'

Not only has social media has changed the landscape of our social lives, but it's changed the business models of many industries.  Event planning is no different as Twitter, Facebook and many more can easily create a buzz and reach a huge audience for little or no cost. From engaging your audience to a Twitterwall, QR codes and Ustream-- social media is taking the event planning industry by storm.

Here are some great slides via Webprosnews: http://www.webpronews.com/social-media-changes-event-planning-2010-04

What's your go-to for event planning?

Michael McMillian: Pink Bat Thinking

Best-selling author Michael McMillan touches on turning problems into solutions in 'Pink Bat Stairs'. Watch this awesome YouTube video--the problem was the stairs… most people preferred using the escalator instead. See how they fixed it.

http://www.michaelmcmillan.com/%e2%80%9cpink-bat%e2%80%9d-stairs

Speaker Terri Sjodin's Book Hits Bestseller Lists

Terri Sjodin's book, 'Small Message, Big Impact: How to Put the Power of the Elevator Speech Effect to Work for You', made the Wall Street Journal's Hardcover Business List, The New York Times and the USA Today Money list of best sellers this week. The book hit bookstores today.

Sjodin book gives entertaining and practical advice on sending an important message in a quick and effective manner. 'Revealing how to build a persuasive case, bring a message to life and implement an authentic voice', 'Small Message, Big Impact' is a great go-to for anyone who pitches.

Terri Sjodin is the principal and founder of Sjodin Communications and is one of America's most highly sought after female speakers. She is the author of the highly acclaimed book, 'NEW SALES SPEAK - The 9 Biggest Sales Presentation Mistakes and How To Avoid Them'.

Sjodin can be found on her website, http://www.sjodincommunications.com/ or see her on YouTube.