CONTACT & BOOKING | MAILING LIST | VIDEOS | HOME About Richard Worzel Keynote Topics Articles & Books Clients & Testimonials Futuresearch Blog Clients & Testimonials Below are excerpts from testimonial letters I've received from conference organizers and sponsors who have used my work in delivering keynote speeches, seminars, or workshops. Groups or companies wishing to know more should contact me directly at futurist@futuresearch.com or phone 1-416-489-4511. Saskatchewan Registered Nurses Association, May 2008 "It was a pleasure meeting you and a privilege having you present for us at our Nursing Technology - Implementing Innovation Conference here in Regina on May 8. Everyone went home contemplating their role in creating a 'healthy future' for the public we serve. We appreciated your candor and logic in assessing where we are going, how we might get there and whether we'll enjoy the ride. Your presentation was recognized by a very positive evaluation and several reflective comments scribbled in the margins and on the back pages. ... [O]ut of 87 completed forms, 2 were dissatisfied, 26 were satisfied and 59 were very satisfied with your presentation. Outstanding Richard, it was a stellar way to lay the groundwork for our conference. On another note - we are interested in perhaps accessing your services again in the guise of a two day visioning workshop with registered nurses here in Saskatchewan." Top Integral Wealth Securities, February 2008 "We couldn't have asked for better results." "Thank you for your exciting presentation OIl "The Next 20 Years of your life" at our 20th annual Financial Forum. We hold a Financial Forum each year for two main reasons - one is to educate and entertain our clients and the second is to attract prospects that may want to become our clients. We received many, many gratifying comments from those in attendance. Everyone found your talk to be such an eye opener. It gave them inspiration to go into the future with eyes wide open and to go forward with a plan to prepare for the future instead of being surprised by it. You have a special talent for taking complex concepts and distilling them into ideas that anybody can understand, yet you also dissect seemingly trivial events to expose a world of possibilities. I feel that one of your greatest talents is your ability to reveal the relevance between future events and our products and services. This year almost one quarter of our audience were prospects. For the first time in the history of the Forum every single one of them has contacted us to make an appointment. We couldn't have asked for better results. This is the second time we have had the pleasure of your performance on our stage and I know we will be inviting you back in the future. Thank you Richard!" Top Community Futures Grande Prairie & Region, February 2008 "A pleasure to work with" "Richard Worzel was a keynote speaker for our Next Steps 2008 symposium held on January 17, 2008. Mr. Worzel was a pleasure to work with and welcomed pre­symposium information that allowed him to customize his talk for the local, regional audience. We received excellent feedback regarding the caliber of our keynote speakers and a great number of delegates made positive comments about Mr. Worzel's talk, presentation style and information. Many of those who attended said they would use his supplied scenario planning guide with their own organizations and community groups. We would consider Richard Worzel for future events that necessitated the experience and knowledge that a futurist brings to the table." Top Capital Care Foundation, Edmonton, February 2008 "Outstanding ... powerful and awesome" "A majority of delegates rated Richard's presentation as excellent. Richard interacted with delegates, conversing with them before his presentation. Some comments from our delegates described Richard's presentation as "outstanding, extremely intelligent, great utilization of population projections, powerful and awesome". Richard's approach to the engagement was highly professional from the initial contact through the preparatory discussions to the day of the presentation. Richard was interested in customizing his presentation to the audience and discussed the needs of the audience and the content of his presentation with members of our Program Committee well before the conference date. He was meticulous with confirming facts of our organization and conference and reliable in following through with commitments. I have no hesitation in recommending Richard as a first class speaker." Top Western Transportation Advisory Council, November, 2007 "Captivating" "I would like to thank you for recommending Richard Worzel as our dinner speaker at the Uncorked! Maximizing Value in Supply Chains Conference in Vancouver. Richard managed to engage and inform the audience, even while competing with the dessert course! Not only was the presentation timely and thematic, it continued to stimulate discussion and ideas throughout the conference. Working with Richard prior to the event was also a pleasure. His professionalism and attention to detail ensured that the process was as smooth as possible. After our first discussion, we knew we were in good hands. We really appreciated his consultation process and openness to our ideas and thoughts about the presentation content. Not only was this refreshing, it ensured that we felt confident in our choice and therefore in our event. The delegates at this conference were senior business, government and labour representatives. It can be difficult to please everyone and Richard's presentation did just that, making an hour seem not long enough. His ability to relate relevant material to everyone and natural style as a speaker were impressive. We congratulate Richard for captivating us all throughout the entire presentation." Top BC Notaries AGM Fall Conference, September 2007 "We would highly recommend you to any organization" "On behalf of BC Notaries, Directors, and staff of The Society of Notaries Public of British Columbia, we would like to thank you for your splendid Keynote address to our Fall Conference and Annual General Meeting 2007 at The Hilton Whistler Resort & Spa. You custom-tailored your presentation specifically to our audience of BC Notaries, who highly valued the insight they gained from your words. It was an inspirational start to our most successful Conference program yet! We would highly recommend you to any organization planning an event that requires an outstanding speaker." Top Alberta Roofing Contractors Association, June 2007 "Exceptional ability to connect and relate to an audience" "Your presentation was excellent!! You have an exceptional ability to connect and relate to an audience in a very professional and relevant manner. We have received numerous compliments on having you as a speaker and I pass these on to you. As with most industries, there is a tendency to believe that what is happening in a global sense does not impact our industry - "we are different so it does not apply" is a common phrase. Of course nothing could be farther from the truth and I do hope in all sincerity that our members were listening and giving at least some thought to the message you delivered." Top British Columbia Legal Management Association, June 2007 "His presentation materials were tailored and truly relevant to our industry" "Richard Worzel led a 1/2-day session at the June 2007 conference of the British Columbia Legal Management Association. He started preparing months in advance to determine the primary issues facing our members who would be conference delegates. Even in the early morning before his session, he learned many details of what had been covered previously at the conference so that he could be sure that his session built from there. As a result of his preparation, and given his very personable style, Richard related truly well with his audience, who he drew into much meaningful interaction. His presentation and materials were tailored and fully relevant to our industry. Our delegates found it a wonderful learning experience, with practical techniques and tools on how to contemplate the future, how it might impact upon them, how to prepare their organization, and how to design and implement actions to lead their organization through future changes. At a personal level, they found Richard informative, insightful and inspiring." Top Canadian Investor Relations Institute, June 2007 "Exceptional speaker, visionary" "On behalf of the Canadian Investor Relations Institute, we would like to thank you for speaking about "What the Next 20 Years Look Like" to our delegates at our 2007 Investor Relations Conference on June 17-19, 2007 in Whistler, BC. The conference attracted 336 delegates from diverse positions and companies. We received positive ratings of your session. Participants responded that the session was "excellent and I appreciated how Richard tailored his presentation to the audience", "exceptional speaker, visionary" and "a very enjoyable presentation, very insightful". You will be happy to learn that 80 percent of responding delegates rated your session an impressive 4.1! Thank you again for taking the time to share your expertise at our conference. We fully recognize that we would not receive such positive feedback from conference participants without the excellent presentations and stimulating discussions provided by talented individuals, like you." Top Calgary CFA Society, June 2007 "I was impressed with the level of preparation and effort" "The Calgary CFA Society hosted Richard Worzel [as] the feature speaker for its CFA Day celebration on June 6th, 2007. We chose Richard based on his reputation as one of North America's leading futurists and because he is a CFA charterholder. Richard was proactive and very professional as we worked together to identify a theme for the presentation, which he prepared specifically for the occasion. The topic - "The Green Economy and The Future of Energy" - was so popular that we could not accommodate all of the interest... As the event approached, Richard provided us with an opportunity to review and provide input on the presentation materials. I was impressed with the level of preparation and effort that went into the materials. On the day of the event, Richard arrived early and took the time to chat with many of our members as they arrived. He delivered an energetic presentation and, after his presentation, Richard was available to address remaining questions from the audience. Richard was a pleasure to work with and we were very pleased with our experience with him." Top Edmonton CFA Society, June 2007 "Informative, entertaining, and thought provoking" "Thank you for presenting to the Edmonton CFA Society for our CFA Day event on June 7, 2007. The event was well received. Have heard a lot of positive feedback from our audience. Your presentation was informative, entertaining and thought provoking. I appreciated the professionalism you have showed throughout the entire process of arranging this presentation. You presented ideas to improve our event and re-adjusted your schedule to accommodate the unique needs of our society. Again, thank you for your help with the first annual Edmonton CFA Society CFA Day event. Please do not hesitate to use my name as a reference... Hopefully, we will be able to work together on future events." Top American Marketing Association, BC Chapter, May 2007 "Fantastic feedback" "Thank you for playing such an important part of this year's BCAMA VISION conference on May 11th, and for your fascinating and engaging presentation. We are continuing to receive fantastic feedback from the attendees and from the VISION committee. Your presentation and valuable insights made this year's VISION conference an extremely successful event. You have helped to bolster the event's reputation as the premier event for this area's marketers. It was an absolute pleasure working with you." Top BMO Financial Group, April 2007 "You provided us with a great deal more than an engaging presentation" "[Y]ou provided us with a great deal more than an engaging presentation, and I would particularly like to thank you for all the time and effort you put into our event. I greatly appreciate the time you took to understand our objectives and the effort you put into developing a presentation for us. It was a pleasure to work with you to fine-tune the presentation and I enjoyed our exchange of ideas as we discussed the content. I was also impressed by the amount of extra time you spent with us the evening before the event and with our guests at the event. I enjoyed our conversation during dinner and thank you for the suggestions and ideas you provided. Thank you again for your presentation and for your energy and enthusiasm. I hope that we will have the opportunity to work together again in the future." Top National Managers' Community Council, Government of Canada, April 2007 "A great way to start the conference" "As the Chair of the National Managers' Community Council, I would like to express our appreciation to you for your presentation at the National Managers' Professional Development Forum...Feedback on your session was extremely positive with participants stating that it was a dynamic, thought provoking presentation and a great way to start the conference. Following are some more of the comments from delegates that we would like to share with you: "Interesting thoughts re: demographics / role of education." "Makes me realize what we will be up against in the not so distant future." "Presentation was excellent! Thought provoking & very informative; strategic." "This gave me something to think about!" "Excellent topic! Very good speaker." "A real eye-opener - particularly the information on demographics." "Interesting to see these issues grouped. I have heard them discussed separately." "Talked about the future in realistic terms. Lots of change to come." Thanks again for your very informative and entertaining opening keynote presentation - it was definitely a great beginning to our forum!" Top Deloitte & Touche, April 2007 "We invited Richard back" "Richard's presentation was both insightful and entertaining. The topic and material he covered fit in perfectly with our Firm's financial services industry training session. The feedback received from the partners and staff who attended was extremely positive. As a result, we invited Richard to present at the second offering of the training session later in the year. Overall, Richard did an excellent job!" Top BMO Financial Group, April 2007 "Thank you very much for speaking at BMO Financial Group's "The New Realties of Retirement" event last week. Your presentation "Uncharted Territory: Preparing for a Future without Precedent" set the context for the event and was very informative and entertaining. But, you provided us with a great deal more than an engaging presentation, and I would particularly like to thank you for all the time and effort you put into our event. I greatly appreciate the time you took to understand our objectives and the effort you put into developing a presentation for us. It was a pleasure to work with you to fine-tune the presentation and I enjoyed our exchange of ideas as we discussed the content. I was also impressed by the amount of extra time you spent with us the evening before the event and with our guests at the event. I enjoyed our conversation during dinner and thank you for the suggestions and ideas you provided. Thank you again for your presentation and for your energy and enthusiasm. I hope that we will have the opportunity to work together again in the future." Top Western Retail Lumber Association, February 2007 "I want to thank you for your great presentation at our breakfast meeting during our Trade Show and Convention...Our 2007 Prairie Showcase Buying Show and Convention set an attendance record this year with 2823 delegates and the evaluations indicated that it was also our most successful show in terms of value to our members. This was due in large part to your presentation on 'Building Tomorrow's Business'. You did your homework in preparing for our audience and it paid off." Top Toronto CFA Society, November 2006 "A complete professional and a fabulous speaker" "Richard Worzel spoke for Toronto CFA Society on November 9th, 2006. I chose Richard to participate as a speaker of our newly created Author Speaker Series based on his reputation as being one of North America's leading futurists. The added bonus is that Richard is also a CFA and this knowledge would be essential when speaking to a Society of other chartered financial analysts. Richard was a complete professional and a fabulous speaker. He was very effective in conveying his topic and session to our mid-sized group but could also be just as effective in speaking as a keynote speaker at a larger sized conference. Richard was quite accessible prior to the event, allowing me access directly to him. I was continuously asking him to amend his presentation to accommodate my very specific needs and Richard was very helpful. He went above and beyond the average speaker to give me whatever I needed in order to offer my members exactly what they needed. Prior to the start of the session, Richard walked around the room and not only introducing himself but shaking hands with those in attendance. This impressed me quite a bit as most speakers show up just before they are scheduled to speak and do not take the time to personally get to know the attendees. Richard's presentation was very effective and he gave very specific examples that catered directly to what our CFA's were looking for. I would recommend Richard as a speaker and hope to use him again in the future. Top Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation, May 2006 "Any organization looking for ways to think innovatively - should seek [Richard] out" "I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for the excellent presentation and working session that you lead for our senior management team last week to kick-off our annual strategic planning sessions. Going into these sessions, we had hoped that your involvement would help to spur innovative thinking about our future direction and strategies - we were not disappointed. Our management team found your views on the present world situation and how things might develop, especially from our perspective as a deposit insurer, to be very astute and presented in an extremely interesting and entertaining manner. Further, I would recommend that any organization looking for ways to think innovatively about its future and on how to develop appropriate plans to cover a variety of eventualities should seek out your services." Top Ontario Construction Secretariat, October 2006 "Our organization represents unionized industrial commercial and institutional construction on both the labour and management sides. Our audience is by its’ nature adversarial and argumentative. We try to find and present issues and concerns common to both sides. Richard spent considerable time speaking with me and my staff and researching our organization prior to his presentation trying to understand the dynamics of our group and the manner by which they would best receive his messages. I was impressed by his commitment to going well beyond simply delivering his message to making sure this audience would "get it". Richard was the wrap up speaker on the last of our three days when frequently much of our audience is more focused on going home. His talk not only captured their interests but was indeed greeted by a standing ovation at the conclusion with many members staying around to speak with Richard regarding both his talk and related materials. Because of his willingness to learn about my audience and adapt his presentation accordingly, my organization is already considering additional speaking opportunities for Richard to present to our broader membership. I am pleased to highly recommend Richard as an effective, interesting, informed and dynamic speaker." Top Life Sciences Industry Summit, Long Island, New York, May 2006 "I wanted to let you know that your presentation was extremely well received by our audience. As discussed prior to the event, we were looking for a luncheon speaker who would appeal to an extremely diverse audience of business executives, corporate scientists, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, professional service providers, government representatives, and academics (to name just a few). Your ability to 'look to the future' and identify current and anticipated trends that are likely to impact business and society in decades to come was of mass appeal, and you conveyed sufficient technical credibility to keep the interest of the Ph.D's in the room without totally losing the non-scientists in the audience. Not an easy feat. The 45 minute talk flew by, and the Q&A was clear testimonial to the interest of the audience. As co-producer of the event, it was a real pleasure to work with you. With the millions of details that need to be taken care of when planning an event like this, it was very reassuring not to have to worry about the keynote address. You made it a point to contact me to explore the topic, discuss your outline, and review all of the last minute details. It gave us the ability to make minor suggestions that I think helped tailor the talk to our specific audience. As a result, a topic of broad appeal was made very personal...the best of both worlds. Thank you for contributing so substantially to the success of our event. I hope we have the opportunity to work together again in the future." Top Career Development Association, May 2006 "Thank you again for being our keynote speaker at the 2006 Building Tomorrow Today consultation for career practitioners. Your presentation set the tone for our Journey into the Future theme; your remarks were frequently quoted in subsequent sessions, indicating the relevance your topic had to the conference overall. Of exceptional note was your ability to tailor your remarks to the audience. You were able to provoke thought about the future of the career practitioner, and pose options for consideration of what work will look like in the future - important elements for our participants in their interactions with their clients. The Organizing Committee was particularly pleased with your willingness to work with them prior to the conference, to ensure the material was appropriate for the audience, and to have an opportunity to review your draft presentation. Your openness to other’s ideas was appreciated. We would not hesitate to recommend you as an excellent key note speaker." Top Saskatchewan Agrivision & Saskatchewan Ethanol Development Council joint meeting, March 2006 "The straightforward keynote message that Richard delivered, outlining the need to move beyond commodity agriculture, is an important message. It had a significant impact on the audience composed of rural, farm and business leaders. Richard provided insight and clarity into the key "drivers of change" within the global economy that gave us clues to the future of agriculture. Clearly Saskatchewan and Canada have a number of strategic competitive advantages within the agri-value economy that are sustainable into the long term. BUT these advantages are within the new agricultural system that meets the emerging consumer demands for safety, health, nutrition, sustainability, and ecologically and environmentally sound business practice. Richard has a good understanding of how the quickly the future impacts our daily lives. He presented two futures for our consideration. One based on the status quo resulting in continuing decline...and the second on the urgency of re-inventing agriculture to capture the benefits of a higher value "life science and bio-products agriculture"...leading to growth and prosperity. Thank you for your candid approach. It was much appreciated." Top Farm Business Management Council, February 2006 "You held the audience captive." "...[I]t is always a pleasure to work with a [speaker] who is as committed to the end results as yourself. I appreciate the time you spent working with me to ensure the content of your presentations and workshops was tailored to our client’s needs, and met our Conference objectives....the delegates from both conference locations found you to be an excellent speaker. You held the audience captive and made yourself available to answer questions during the conference, things that are very important to our audience." Top Canadian Information Processing Society, December 2005 "This year, the Conference offered key note perspectives from two other renowned Canadian futurists. Our decision to include you in the pivotal role to synthesize much of the thinking that preceded the final day was instrumental in the Conference's success." "I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you once again for your participation as a key note speaker at the 2005 ICE Technology Conference. The feedback from the delegates who attended your key note were outstanding, and as you no doubt noticed, the Conference Chairman, Dr. Perry Kinkaide, was delighted with your presentation. When an event like this is planned, the Program Committee has certain expectations from our key note sessions and, by all accounts, you more than exceeded those expectations. It was our hope that you could tie the preceding three days of themes into a look at the future of technology, not just from a technical or traditional IT perspective, but from a more integrated view of the many technological influences in our lives in the near and perhaps distant future. Your ability to convey a sense of the convergence of biotechnology and nanotechnology into a future reality of day to day living was key in helping our delegates pull together these themes. This year, the Conference offered key note perspectives from two other renowned Canadian futurists. Our decision to include you in the pivotal role to synthesize much of the thinking that preceded the final day was instrumental in the Conference's success. As the final morning key note, we wanted to have someone shake up the thinking and you were very successful in doing just that. The sense of the larger implications of technology, such as the integration of PCs into humans, was both thought provoking and, for some unsettling - and this is exactly what we wanted! Your picture of the future certainly shook up the crowd and had folks thinking outside the box. But I think our delegate feedback says it best..." "Enlightening...Funny...Honest...One of the most interesting presentations by a most eye-opening speaker that I've heard in a very long time" "different point of view that gave me much food for thought" "excellent speaker - definitely worth hearing" "ONE OF THE BEST TALKS" "fascinating insight into the future" Top Bell Canada, December 2005 "Your discussion was insightful and gave us a lot to think about as we tackle our day-to-day work, and simultaneously plan our future direction. Following the session, we received comments from participants who told us your message and presentation was interesting and thought provoking, and that they appreciated the opportunity to learn new ideas and concepts that will affect not only the work we do, but how we will communicate as a society. Your delivery was engaging and you maintained the attention and interest of the group throughout the session. I want to especially thank you for your flexibility in accommodating our schedule and venue changes. Despite the changes to our original conference plans earlier in the year, you managed to deliver a current, focussed and relevant discussion in a very professional manner. Thanks, and I look forward to hearing you speak in future!" Top Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, December 2005 "I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for your excellent presentation at our 2005 Ontario Southwest Municipal Conference on "Global Issues: Local Impacts". In keeping with the theme, our conference committee was looking for a keynote presenter who would be able to speak to global issues, and how they impact municipalities in Ontario. Your keynote speech, entitled "Future Tense: The Future for Ontario Municipalities" certainly accomplished that goal. Your address provided a wonderful introduction to our day, and generated conversation amongst our delegates. As well, your efforts in tailoring your presentation to the needs of our group are to be commended. The result was a fully engaged audience who were interested in hearing what you had to say on a number of topics related to municipal governance. In addition, our committee truly enjoyed meeting, and working with you, and I would highly recommend you to any group seeking a professional speaker." Top Animal Nutrition Association of Canada, November 2005 "We received many positive comments following your presentation...The results of our post-convention survey also demonstrate that your topic was enthusiastically received and was considered by many to the "highlight of the convention." Thank you for contributing so much to the success of our Annual Convention. It was a pleasure to work with you and I look forward to the opportunity of working with you again." Top Ready Mixed Concrete Association of Ontario, October 2005 "For the first time in a long time [conferees] were taken out of their 50 mile radius and into much broader and more interesting places." "Perhaps the most refreshing thing that came out of your time in front of everyone was the comment that you made people think - a challenge sometimes. They said that for the first time in a long time they were taken out of their "50 mile radius" and into much broader and more interesting places. In our daily lives we are constantly challenged with the regular pressures and tasks, excess amounts of communication and many but usually the same issues and emergencies. You took them away from their daily processes and into the realm that literally broadened their scope and horizons. People need to stretch their minds. You gave us all much to think about. I would like to thank you not only for your content but for your professionalism in preparation and understanding the industry and some of the issues we face." Top Life Technologies Forum, September 2005 "It was indeed a thought provoking experience to listen to your talk on the future of biomedicine...The subject you tackled, The Future of Life Technologies, was one of significant complexity. During your presentation you broke down the topic into simpler portions that made it easier for the audience to follow. You also had researched the subject extensively and had molded it, with comparisons to the oil industry, to suit an audience of Alberta investors. This captivated the participants...On behalf of the organizing committees of the event and also from me personally, I wish to thank you very much for having delivered such an insightful talk and made our lunch event a great success. We would not hesitate to call upon you for an encore performance!" Top National Research Council, July 2005 "I wanted to take a few minutes to thank you for your generous help in developing scenarios for the futures of our organization during our three-day strategic planning session. The exercise itself was nothing short of insightful and certainly very useful. We have gone back many times to our summary documents and have made multiple references to our retreat with you. Your insight, drive and knowledge have made a lasting impression on me and my colleagues. Looking forward to working with you again in the future." Top Ontario Telecommunications Association, June 2005 "Thank you for your outstanding presentation at our 40th Annual Convention. Your message was timely and right on target. Your knowledge of our industry was so impressive that you could have been a telecom professional. In looking to the future, you clearly articulated the issues to be faced and not in a grim, defeatist manner, but in an enthusiastic, let's be a part of that dynamic industry of the future way. All in attendance felt the session to be energizing and the impetus to quickly move forward." Top World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology and Bioprocessing Orlando, April 2005 - "It's almost unheard of for a speaker to take such pains, and we appreciated it." "I am pleased to write a letter of endorsement for you as a dynamic and effective speaker. What sets you apart from most professional speakers is your willingness to learn about our industry and to work with us through two sets of revisions to your talk. You started with a presentation that was good, and almost totally suited to the occasion, and it then came together beautifully, and was tailored to the needs of this audience and this event. It's almost unheard of for a speaker to take such pains, and we appreciated it. It meant we could relax, as we knew what was going to happen before the event began. Our original request to you was to expand the thinking and knowledge base of the audience in this plenary session, and you certainly did. You looked at future developments that would span all aspects of the biotechnology and bioprocessing industries, and produced a scenario that painted a future 20 years from now - well beyond the time horizon of most of our participants, which was exactly what we wanted. This breadth of vision provided the ideal counterpoint to the detailed, specialist presentations of most of our other presenters. Your delivery was fluid and relaxed, and you connected with your audience in a warm, and at times humorous manner that underscored the message you so effectively delivered. We appreciate your professionalism and attention to detail, and would enjoy working with you again and would recommend you to other prospective clients." Top Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, April 2005 "Your presentation ensured our conference ended with a bang" "Your contribution was one of the key ingredients that resulted in a strong and valuable symposium. Thank you for stepping up to the plate with such short notice. You provided all the best elements of a winning session, which added solid, quality content. Once again, thank you so much for giving our attendees a wonderful presentation. We have been getting excellent feedback from them about your session. Your presentation ensured our conference ended with a bang and was great lead up to the night's festivities. What a great end to the day!" Top Valley First Credit Union, December 2004 "Your presentation...broadened our minds and allowed us to plan with greater intelligence." "[Your] presentation on "Who Owns Tomorrow" was both powerful and though provoking. In the rapidly changing environment of today's business world, the added process of analyzing the drivers of change and working through the most likely scenarios for the future, broadened our minds and allowed us to plan with greater intelligence... The board was very happy with this year's session and really enjoyed the two and a half days. The board found your keynote address and facilitation of the scenario planning exercise to be very thought provoking, relevant and particularly meaningful given the environment we are operating in today. On behalf of the board and senior management, thank you for sharing your vision of the future with us and for opening our minds to the opportunities it holds." Top Johnson & Johnson, November 2004 "The audience is absolutely captivated" "I was initially skeptical on the value that a professional speaker has on a conference agenda. Speakers typically offer well constructed presentations and performances but often have limited take away value that can be exercised after the event. The challenge before us was to inspire 100+ delegates that function in a very process driven environment and allow them an opportunity to gain perspective on where our industry is headed. Offering our delegates perspective on technological trends seemed like a great avenue for this. When we came across Richard Worzel's biography, we felt his specialties would greatly complement our agenda. In addition to his insights on technology trends, he offered perspective on healthcare, demographic, and governmental trends, all of which directly impact our business. Upon retaining Richard to present to our group, we found him very professional in the interview process and diligent in getting our feedback on how we can better cater the content to our audience. His efforts in organizing the presentation took a broadly defined subject ("the future") and offered our delegates valuable and focused insight on what lies ahead for our industry. His presentation style was nothing short of excellent. Richard was effectively able to capture and hold his audiences attention by delivering in an engaging and passionate way. During his presentation a note was passed to me by one of our committee members indicating that..."Richard was a great choice, the audience is absolutely captivated." IM professionals are often charged with driving the organization towards technological advancements and efficiencies. In this role, we tend to acquire tunnel vision when working on large projects or simply maintaining the shop. Richard was able to deliver a thought provoking perspective on the future through insight on governmental, societal, and economical changes around us and relate it back to our audience, challenging us to think about where we're headed in this industry both at work and at home." Top Association of Home Office Underwriters, October 2004 "I wanted to take a moment and thank you on behalf of the Executive Council of the Association of Home Office Underwriters for your excellent presentation at our annual meeting [in Chicago]. As the keynote, you successfully set the pace for the meeting and shared with us some valuable strategies to better manage the changes we face within our profession and industry. Your message was informative and thought provoking. This was also evident by the number of people who approached you later to talk one-on-one. It was indeed a pleasure to work with you, especially during our planning process. You already had an appreciation of the life industry, so it was easy for us to convey the issues and challenges facing our profession. Your willingness to mingle with our attendees in some pre-conference activities was also appreciated and provided additional opportunity for you to gain even more insight into our business. Our planning committee is grateful to you for your level of professionalism and attention to detail. A conference of our size requires a lot of preparation, coordination and attention to timelines. You were extremely well organized, prepared and responsive to our schedules." Top Discount Car & Truck Rental, October 2004 "Best ever keynote speaker!" "I am sending you this letter to express our appreciation for your excellent presentation and the contribution you made to making our convention a tremendous success. Your ongoing commitment to review your presentation outline with your clients prior to each speaking engagement is an excellent approach and very reassuring for your clients. Having noted this, I must complement you on your preparation for our convention. You were able to grasp, after our short briefing session, the essential issues facing our industry and created a presentation that was right on the money - no changes required! Your message added credibility to the competitive vision and strategies being outlined in our convention agenda and your presentation skills resulted in everyone leaving with a clear understanding of the issues that will impact our industry. Your staying to answer questions post your presentation was appreciated. The reviews have been "best ever keynote speaker"!" Top Human Resource Management Association of Manitoba, October 2004 "Richard Worzel was a Keynote speaker at the 2004 bi-annual Conference for the Human Resource Association of Manitoba. Richard successfully customized his address specifically to the requests of the Program Committee. He engaged our thoughts and perspective early on in the process and provided us with the opportunity to contribute to the content of his presentation. As a result of this interactive process, Richard's presentation delivered a fresh, interesting perspective on some of the trends HR Practitioners should anticipate in the future. Richard was the opening Keynote speaker for our two-day Conference and he proceeded to set a professional, exciting tone for the Conference. His address generated much positive conversation. He connected with the audience on an intellectual level with a strong sense of business focus, which is exactly what we as the Program Committee were looking for. Richard was a pleasure to work with and I would highly recommend him as an extremely adaptable and knowledgeable individual. Top 3Com, Boston, September 2004 "I wanted to personally thank you for agreeing to speak at 3Com's Senior Leadership Meeting in Boston. This is the third time 3Com has invited you to speak, and given the short notice, you were once again to exceed our expectations for this important planning session. Although you had less than two weeks to prepare, you were able to consult with our team and forward your speaking notes in advance of the session, giving us the opportunity to ensure your comments would dovetail with the rest of our meeting. Your customized presentation was ideally suited to the needs of this highly technical - and very demanding - audience. Your delivery was warm, confident, humorous, and well paced. What more could anyone ask? You gave our participants cutting edge insights, information, and innovative thoughts and ideas that I know they will use going forward. This kind of valuable take away is rare. You did a great job of sizing up our needs in such a short period of time. Finally, I can't resist adding that one of the participants who had attended one of your previous sessions commented that you still had the long hair! My first reaction was to chuckle - and then it struck me that not only does your appearance stand out, but it makes your message all the more memorable. Clearly you've thought through every aspect of your profession." Top Principal Clerk, House of Commons Government of Canada, September 2004 "We invited Richard Worzel to address our group of over a hundred and asked him to provide motivation for thinking differently and creatively; for provoking new ideas and creating a comfort for participants to take a risk in expressing new ideas and new ways of thinking. On remarkably short notice, Richard agreed to the task and was successful at developing and delivering a provocative message that responded to our challenge to him. Written feedback from participants, in multiple instances, cited Richard's speech, "that futurist guy", as the best activity of the day. In particular, his thoughts on scenario planning for the future generated interest and an appetite to hear more about it. I would not hesitate to recommend Richard Worzel to any group that is seeking a speaker who will stretch and challenge the thinking in your organization." Top Bell Canada, August 2004 "Your presentation on "Getting the Call: Products and Skills for the Future in Telecommunications" was outstanding, motivating and thought provoking. Your presentation certainly provided us with great insight into what the future holds for us and how these emerging trends will shape the way we serve our customers. I really appreciated the time that the two of us were able to spend together preparing and tailoring the message for our employees prior to the conference." Top Co-operative Trust Company of Canada, August 2004 "We found Richard to be very professional, personable and approachable. For the development of the presentation for the planning session Richard allowed ample time to first clearly understand the objectives of the planning session. Discussions regarding the possible agenda were very open and interactive. He freely offered his ideas on what processes could assist in meeting the objectives. Clearly he was not attempting to push a fixed process on us. Also very helpful, Richard consulted with our planning facilitator who was facilitating the remaining two days of the planning session. This was very reassuring to know that the information and processes over the entire 3 days would align well. One of the main reasons we invited Richard to our session was to help stretch the thinking of the participants in preparation for the remaining planning. This objective was certainly met. We appreciate the commitment Richard made. [Despite the fact that he traveled directly to the event from Europe], it was great that he could spend some meet-and-greet time with the group prior to and during the event." Top Saskatchewan Pulse Growers, January 2004 "Richard is clearly a true professional when it comes to the logistics of speaking and presentation. For our conference, his topic was a bit of a departure for us, but it really hit home with our delegates - after all, who isn't concerned about the future? Our industry (agricultural production of peas, lentils, beans and chickpeas) is one that was somewhat new to Richard, but he really did his homework. A month later, conference delegates are still quoting from Richard's presentation. I really appreciated the fact that he worked closely with us in advance to ensure he knew his audience. In a volatile industry like agriculture, which has more than its share of negativity, Richard was able to point out the fact that the future is not simply something we'll have to wait for and react to. The future holds a spectrum of options: it's up to us to choose and plan for the future we want. What a refreshing-and empowering-message! As a presenter, Richard was all we could ask for: professional, entertaining, and thought-provoking." Top Changepoint Corporation, October 2003 "We just wanted to thank you for starting our annual planning conference with such a bang. Everything about your presentation was just right. Our people are at the leading edge in the development of enterprise software, and thus technology savvy. You not only captured their attention with your outstanding presentation skills, but also expanded their thoughts with respect to technology futures and innovation. The points you raised kept coming up in our discussions through the day, and I've heard recurring discussions arising from your presentation ever since. Of course, your outstanding presentation was not a surprise: we knew what you were going to say before you stood up in front of the group. The work you did in preparation, and in submitting your remarks to us for comment beforehand not only helped us work together to produce an outstanding conference, but it also gave us a great deal of comfort before the conference ever began. It was a great keynote, and launched a terrifically productive conference. Richard, I knew you were an outstanding speaker for large audiences and big conferences, because I've heard you speak before. But you proved that you can address smaller groups in an intimate setting, and tailor your remarks for an individual company. The future is truly a topic that's of interest to everyone - and you've proven that you're a speaker who is versatile enough for any audience. Thank you!" Top The Investment Funds Institute of Canada, September 2003 "Dynamic, articulate, thought-provoking and inspirational speakers are hard to find. It becomes even more complex when seeking speakers with powerful messages and revolutionary concepts. Add to the mix that the speaker must be able to connect with the audience and you will have some idea as to why we are delighted with the glowing comments we received from our delegates about your plenary presentation at our 17th Annual Conference. Since 1996, I have worked with over 500 industry and specialized speakers and I can sincerely say that it was a pleasure working with you. Your professionalism and enthusiasm shines through loud and clear - it is not often that keynote speakers approach delegates to introduce themselves (good for you!) before their presentation. I especially appreciated the time you took to develop and write your presentation excerpt so that we could review it together. In addition, you have my admiration and respect when you stopped by a day early to sign 300 copies of your new book Who Owns Tomorrow? which we distributed to all of our early-bird delegates." Top Classroom Connect, New York City, March 26th, 2003 "This is the second time that I've thanked you for the work you've performed at our events but I feel compelled to write you again because I am so very pleased with the outcome in New York. As you know, New York City is going through some difficult times and educators are even more concerned about the future of education both nationally and in New York City. I was concerned that some of the more challenging content you present could be a bit more than they were able to deal with regardless of it's value. As usual, you provided me with your full speaking notes for review (you are still the only keynote speaker ever to do this for me) and then ensured that you and I take the time to have a substantive discussion regarding the content and my concerns. Just as you had done in the past, you worked very hard to hit just the right note on a cold winter day in New York City. The response on the evaluations has confirmed for me yet again that your approach to really customizing your message for your audience is extremely effective. Richard, I can't thank you enough for the Keynote speech and the follow-up workshop that extended the themes of your speech into a conversation with my attendees. Your ability to facilitate a high level discussion and offer insights that the attendees could use when they return to their schools and district offices is impressive. The best part of having you come speak to our attendees is that you make us look so good. Our event is certainly enhanced by your participation. I think it is important to let you know that should I ever leave education and need a keynote speaker in virtually any industry, I will call you first. Your insights are applicable and helpful to almost any group of professionals I can imagine." Top AIM Funds Management, June 8th, 2001 "Your input and involvement during the development [of our Spring Focus tour] was invaluable, and your execution of the events was always polished and professional in spite of a demanding - and no doubt very tiring - schedule. In addition, your willingness to adapt to changes 'on the fly' was most appreciated, and helped the events become more and more impactful as we moved along...I especially appreciated your professionalism throughout the tour, the small details of which often go unnoticed - showing up in the meeting room well in advance to prepare for the evening, greeting each and every member of your audience prior to the presentation, and staying long afterwards to continue discussion and respond to questions from attendees. These details are what set apart a 'speaker' from a 'partner,' and I'm very pleased to have had you as the latter." Top Dole Packaged Foods Company, April 9th, 2001 "I would like to thank you for the outstanding presentation you gave on the occasion of our National Sales Meeting 2001. I have received very positive feedback from our attendees as the relevance of your presentation, combined with the style and humour with which you presented it. We appreciated your professionalism in tailoring your presentation specifically to our needs instead of a 'one size fits all.'" Top Emerging Technologies 2001 Conference, February 9th, 2001 "Thanks for getting the conference off to a great start! Your presentation was excellent! It was stimulating, thought provoking, and crafted to our audience. I appreciated the opportunity to discuss your presentation in advance, and you clearly incorporated our discussions into your presentation...Your presentation clearly set the tone for the remainder of our conference." Top Certified General Accountants of Ontario, December 15th, 2000 "It was a pleasure having you back again after eight years and very interesting to reflect on how much has changed so quickly. We were, of course, very impressed that so many of your predictions had come to pass! ... Feedback from the delegates on both your keynote and your workshop were very favourable, with a rating of 9.1/10 - and certified general accountants are hard markers...I appreciated your interest in learning about our group beforehand and taking the time to customize your presentation. I also appreciated the attention to the details of the event." Top Canadian Cable Systems Alliance, November 24th, 2000 "[The conference attendees] found your presentation not only thought provoking but entertaining as well. I would personally like to thank you for your professionalism throughout the planning of your presentation. The conference calls in preparation of your presentation as well as the draft copy were not only appreciated, but also right on the mark!" Top Polygon Homes, November 22nd, 2000 "You had less than a week to prepare for our talk, and in that very short time you spoke several times with our Executive Vice-President to ascertain our group's needs and areas of focus. We especially appreciated the 11-page fax we received a few days before the event outlining your presentation and asking for feedback. You really cared about meeting (and exceeding!) our expectations....It was a pleasure working with you and dealing with such a professional! Your presentation was lively, funny, and interesting. Many of our managers enjoyed the question-and-answer period afterward and were impressed with the depth of your knowledge. As they told me: 'He really knew his stuff!'" Top Greater Washington Society of Association Executives, July 21st, 2000 "We’re still getting rave reviews about your keynote! Our membership was fascinated by your observations. ... Thanks so much for the extra effort you put into tailoring your presentation to the association community. It is so important to our audience to hear how things directly affect them. I have worked with countless speakers in my 15 years of experience, and I can say that it’s rare to encounter a presenter willing to customize as you did." Top International Association of Career Management Professionals, July 28th, 2000 "Your comments captured the attention of our audience extremely well; dialogue and supporting visuals professionally delivered. [We] especially appreciated the time you took to prepare and customize the subject matter to our profession. Speakers we have had often overlook this carefulness to detail...Your presence also stimulated conversation during and after the conference." Top Ontario Medical Association, June 7th, 2000 "Mr. Worzel bills himself as 'Canada's leading futurist' and it’s easy to see why. Pulling no punches, he delivered a sobering and thought-provoking hour-long address to a packed room [of physicians]. In addition to fulfilling his contract with us by delivering a well-paced, well-received presentation, Mr. Worzel was also a delight to work with. He was agreeable to suggestions and was most affable to revision his presentation in the weeks leading up to the event...I have no hesitation in recommending Mr. Worzel -- you will find him to be an exciting and dynamic speaking with a message your audience needs to hear." Top IMS Health, May 25th, 2000 "Here are just a couple of remarks taken from the [presentation] evaluations: 'Worzel excellent introductory conference speaker. Very interesting. Start got attention!' 'I thought Richard Worzel was an excellent speaker and provided lots of food for thought.' We were most impressed with the amount of time and effort you put into customizing the presentation for our audience. Every exchange we had with you was an interesting one, and it was a pleasure to work with you." Top Reimer Financial, May 16th, 2000 "What a pleasure to work with you. Not only did you make every one of our clients feel special by meeting and having casual conversation with them in the lobby prior to the seminar, you also changed their way of viewing the future...The responses coming back from our clients and prospects (who have attended other seminars we have hosted) were along the lines of 'best yet', 'fresh approach', and 'different from expectations.'" Top Mackenzie Financial, May 15th, 2000 "Just a note to thank you for your tremendous input to the recent Mackenzie cross-Canada road show. It was most well received, not in small part Richard, due to your wonderful talents...Personally, as always, Richard, I just want to say what a great pleasure it was for me to work with someone so personable, diligent, and professional. It is rare in the 'speaking' world. You make it look so easy. For that, great thanks!" Top 3Com, January 3rd, 2000 "...you not only helped us validate [our corporate] vision but also positioned it with clarity for our Canadian staff. As you know, most of the audience was well versed in technology and as such are a little cynical when it comes to technology/prediction presentations. You won them over!" Top Effem Inc. (makers of Mars bars chocolates), November 23rd, 1999 "I want to thank you for your very stimulating and entertaining opening presentation at our future focussed meeting last week. The presentation set the stage for the rest of the day. I received many positive comments about your presentation during and after the meeting." Top Merrill Lynch, November 12th, 1999 "We have hosted many speakers over the years but Richard Worzel truly stands out. His initiative to help promote the event was unprecedented - he was willing to do what he could from beginning to end. He was the guest speaker at a chamber [of commerce] luncheon we hosted as well as at an evening client event. In both cases, the audience was captivated. Before our client event began, he walked through the audience and introduced himself. While this may seem a simple thing to do, it effectively impressed our clients and prospects before he set foot on stage. Once on stage, Richard articulated a number of interesting, fresh and though-provoking ideas about the next 20 years of our life. We highly recommend Richard Worzel; he was a pleasure to work with and a true professional." Top Ad & Sales Club, October 20, 1999 "I'd like to thank you for your outstanding presentation. You had the rapt attention of your audience throughout the entire 45 minutes of your presentation...I'd personally like to thank you for your professionalism throughout the planning for this meeting. I appreciated the opportunity to review your material to ensure it was in keeping with the expectations of our club members...Thank you for a great meeting and for making our club look good." Top Standard Life, October 8, 1999 "Both Doug and I want to express our appreciation for the wonderful job you did at the Sales Planning Meeting in September. Although you weren't given a lot of time to prepare, your presentation was both informative and thought-provoking. The feedback from the Sales Staff who attended the meeting has been very positive and it appears the other thing we could have done differently was to have invited you to speak to them sooner!" Top ICS Advent, San Diego, September 17, 1999 "People talked about and referenced your points often after the meeting. It also helped that you were able to stay after the formal meeting and talk with employees. We would have no hesitation in recommending you to other organizations with similar needs. A particular advantage you provided is tailoring your presentation to the current needs of the audience...Providing us with an outline of your talk in advance also allowed us to tailor our executive messages so the whole program looked integrated to the audience." Top Convenience Store News Top 50 Forum, June 18, 1999 "You were though provoking and entertaining. Many of our retailer and supplier attendees conveyed to me that you were their favorite speaker during the two day event. It was clear from the audience questions generated at the conclusion of your speech that your vision, and the articulate and enthusiastic manner in which you delivered your message, was interesting and hard hitting...I also appreciated your professionalism in timing your presentation perfectly. Out of all of our guest speakers, you were the only one who's presentation fit exactly in the allotted time slot. All in all I was completely impressed with you and your material. Thank you again for your stimulating presentation. We would be honored to have you back." Top The Document Company Xerox, June 10, 1999 "Thank you for your excellent presentation on 'Facing the Future' to our customers and business partners ... Feedback from the random surveys we conducted was very positive. DocuWorld '99 attendees found your comments and insights extremely informative and thought provoking and it was a pleasure to have you attend as our keynote speaker." Top Credit Union Central BC, May 10, 1999 "I've just seen results of our meeting evaluations and you'll be pleased to learn, as I was, that your session received highest rating from a majority of the delegates. It takes a speaker of substance and authority to reach a diverse group such as ours in a way that expands their understanding and vision. In this, you clearly succeeded. Your ability to connect with the audience and communicate the dynamics of change occurring in our industry certainly met my best expectations as a conference organizer." Top Ontario Association of School Business Officials, March 31, 1999 "In the workshop feedback responses your presentation was consistently rated as excellent with a number of individuals commenting specifically on it as a "highlight of the event" and "valuably thought provoking". I especially appreciated your thoroughness in reviewing the objectives of the workshop with me in advance, and incorporating the key issues and objectives." Top Missouri Tourism Division, March 22, 1999 "'Fantastic' 'excellent presentation' and 'worth every minute.' These are just a few of the words delegates from the Missouri tourism and travel industry used in their evaluations to describe your session...I had numerous opportunities for futurists. I was particularly interested in your services because of what you asked of me. The fact that you were willing to research our industry and ask me for profiles of the audience told me this was not another 'This is what I present, take it or leave it' type of speaker...Thanks again for a great presentation and I look forward to working with you in the future." Top Maclean Hunter Publishing Limited, January 25, 1999 "Your material was interesting, well researched, and presented in a way that related to everyone in the audience. You spoke to a group that was up all night. The fact that you were able to engage, inform, and entertain them first thing in the morning is a credit to your skills...As an aside, during your presentation, I sat beside on of our company's most senior managers. She didn't move a muscle. At the end, she turned to me and said, 'That's the best thing I've heard in ages. He gave me a fresh perspective on my business, and gave me ideas I can act on now.' Quite a tribute." Top Produce Marketing Association, January 1, 1999 "What a pleasure it's been working together...Your presentation was extremely well received. The audience, a diverse cross-section of our industry and almost 40 percent of whom came from outside the U.S. and Canada, responded enthusiastically to your vision of the future and how it might impact their business...To be honest, the success of the presentation came as no surprise to me. I knew that the time we spent preparing for the event would ensure a positive experience for our audience. I appreciated your flexibility prior to the event, and your eagerness to learn about our association and members." Top Financial Concept Group, December 4th, 1998 "Thank you for your impressive presentation at our national conference...Your ability to tailor your presentation to suit the specific needs of our people came through very clearly in your presentation, and as a result, the feedback was tremendous...Your professionalism resulted in a high powered and influential presentation." Top The Young Associates, Faculty of Management University of Manitoba, November 24th, 1998 "I would like to thank you for your fascinating, insightful presentation to our group at our October 29th Annual General Meeting. As I looked around the audience while you were speaking, I could see that they were transfixed. Moreover, I want to thank you for being such a pleasure to work with. I have brought in many speakers for the different groups to which I belong, and I have to say that you were one of, if not the most, easy going and flexible of all." Top Money Concepts, Public Meeting, Ontario, November 23rd 1998 "I would like to thank you for your excellent seminar that you presented to my clients and prospects on November 3rd, 1998. We had hoped to draw over 400 people and we exceeded our expectations with a crowd of 600. The comments about your presentation have all been positive. You are a strong supporter of professional advice and we appreciated your mentions. You really connected with the audience with your extended 'meet and greet' with many of the guests as they arrived. Your presentation was entertaining as well as informative. Everyone should hear your presentation about the future." Top Investors Group, Client Appreciation Night Ontario, October 19th, 1998 "Many people have told me how informative they found the session. Your presentation was perfectly tailored to the audience, such that everyone (including myself), left the session with a greater outlook of what the future holds for us. It was a wonderful learning experience for all in the room to not only hear the content of your presentation, but to see your dedication and enthusiasm. I was most impressed with how personal your presentation was, in that you took the time both before and after your presentation to actually meet with the audience. On behalf of the many regions involved and the clients of Investors Group, thank your for your outstanding performance." Top Investors Group, Winners Conference, October 5th, 1998 "Your session was informative and provocative. You certainly can hold the attention of an audience and I can attest to the fact that fully a week later our representatives are still talking about it...constantly! I don't believe anybody had any idea what a Futurist was prior to hearing you, and now I can't imagine any of them missing an opportunity to hear your again." Top The Ontario Community Support Association, July 13, 1998 "The conference delegates thoroughly enjoyed your talk 'Ready for the Future'. The conference evaluations speak for themselves - the overall rating of your presentation ranged from excellent to very good." Top Institut québécois de planification financière, le 29 juin 1998 "Vous êtes sans contredit un des acteurs de cette réussite et nous tenons à vous remercier pour votre brillant participation à cet événement. Vous avez charmer votre auditoire et le tenir en haleine, tant par la qualité de votre discours que par l'intérêt que vos propos on suscité chez nos planificateurs toujours à l'affût des changements qui influencent leur travail et se répercutent dans leur quotidien. Je m'en voudrais de passes sous silence la délicatesse qui vous a porté à pronouncer votre conference en français et je puis vous assurer que ce geste a grandement été apprécié par les membres de l'Institut québécois de planification financière. Vous réitérant mon entière satisfaction, je vous prie d'agréer l'expression de mes meilleurs sentiments." Top Investors Group, B.C., June 17, 1998 "Today we received the results of the Response Cards from the Select Services Event in Vernon of June 10th. These results confirmed what we had been told verbally from our clients - You were a HIT! Of the 200+ that responded there was a 53% Excellent and 38% Very Good response. ... It was a pleasure to work with you on these events and to meet you in person - you and your book have got me looking at the future in a new light. In addition to the tremendous positive feedback, folks were impressed with the way you took time out before and after to shake hands and say hello. That meant a great deal to our clients. Don't ever stop doing that. Again, thanks for making our events the huge successes they were." Top Investors Group, Quebec, May 22, 1998 "Your topic, 'A View from 2017', proved to be quite an enlightening experience for everyone in attendance, including ourselves. The feedback received from the participants was tremendous...we would gladly recommend you as a speaker to anyone who is looking to make a good seminar, great." Top StorageTek Canada, Inc., May 15th, 1998 "Thank you for your excellent presentation to our customers and business partners in Calgary on April 14. StorageTek's Solutions Forum '98 was deemed to be a success with you as the keynote speaker. Our customers and business partners found your comments and insights extremely informative and thought provoking. We will be using your comments and demographic data to fine tune our market planning. I enjoyed working with you in advance of the presentation." Top Food and Consumer Manufacturers of Canada, May 4, 1998 "I though you would be pleased to know that, based on the results of our speaker evaluations, your presentation received a high rating. Some comments from members regarding your presentation style and content include: 'stimulating, thought provoking, pragmatic vs. theoretical, a refreshing change versus other futurists. FCPMC would be pleased to recommend you as a speaker at any time." Top Ontario Mutual Insurance Association, April 16, 1998 "Thank you very much for your excellent contribution to our 1998 annual convention! You were definitely the right choice for keynote speaker...I think you could probably tell from the faces of your audience and the comments of those who spoke to you after the presentation that you hit the nail on the head. I know that our Chairman and Board of Directors were very pleased with your presentation." Top Independent Power Producer's Society of Alberta, April 8, 1998 "From a conference organizer's point of view it was a pleasure to work with you. You specified very clearly and well in advance all your requirements for making your presentation. This ensured that, in addition to your providing an excellent and entertaining talk, the technical side also ran smoothly. 'Best presenter'...'excellent'...'very good'...'very good format and content'...'most entertaining' - audience comments. On behalf of the Independent Power Producer's Society of Alberta, I would like to congratulate and commend you on the excellent opening address at this year's conference...Thank you for your efforts in making the address relevant for our rather technical (and electrical) audience. I enjoyed working with you, and highly recommend your services for similar conferences or working groups who need to kick start the creative process." Top The Maple Ridge Foundation, B.C., March 4, 1998 "I know your message 'landed' as a few of the guests commented about needing to do something immediately about their financial situation...obviously your words had impact. Richard, again, excellent delivery on a very important topic to all of us: our future." Top Hicks Financial Solutions, February 4, 1998 "Wow! What a great evening! Feed back from our clients has been terrific. Your presentation created a sense of excitement as to what the future offers. In fact, one of my senior clients made the comment, 'I wish I had my entire family with me tonight, every one of them would have benefited from listening to Mr. Worzel.' Our clients were particularly impressed by your personal touch. Few speakers take the time to chat with their audience before the presentation and you created an obvious rapport with all in attendance...Thank you for a super event and I look forward to working with you in the future!" Top State Farm Insurance Companies, February 4, 1998 "Your message was on the mark; you challenged us to keep learning, to continue to strive to improve...Richard, thank you, your presentation set the stage for the rest of our conference, and energized us to continue our search for excellence." Top Vision 2020 Symposium - New Brunswick, January 30, 1998 "We genuinely appreciated both your presentation and the manner in which you facilitated the workshops throughout the day - but more than that, we were grateful for your willingness to work with us prior to the event. Your meeting with organizers in advance of the conference allowed you to customize a presentation and workshops that would be suited to the audience and assist in meeting the objectives of the conference." Top Insurance Council of Canada, January 15, 1998 "According to the evaluation forms filled out by Forum participants, your presentation was a highlight of the day. Your insights about the future of information flow, the changing roles of the customer and the potential impact of many current trends provided excellent context for the rest of the Forum. I would also like to add a heartfelt note of appreciation for the painstaking work you did to ensure that your material nested with and provided landscape for the main goals of the day. I have worked with many speakers in my career - and you surpassed them all in the effort you went to ahead of time to understand the Forum's goals and content, and to structure presentation so that it fit seamlessly...It was a pleasure working with you - and I'm sure our paths will cross again!" Top Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists, December 28, 1997 "Richard Worzel was a great success as you predicted and was most helpful in communicating with me in advance and on the day of his presentation...I have enclosed the results of our evaluation form for Richard's presentation. As you can see he was well received." [Content: 18.0% good, 26.2% very good, 55.7% excellent. Speaker's effectiveness: 6.7% good, 23.3% very good, 70.0% excellent] Top RBC Dominion Securities - Five Regional Business Conferences, November, 1998 "While Richard's credibility as a speaker goes without saying, what made the difference for us was his willingness and ability to customize the topic specifically for us. The feedback from all of the conferences was excellent. Some of the comments were: He was an articulate speaker. The topic was very relevant. We came away with ideas we could implement immediately. I would highly recommend Richard as a speaker." Top TD Private Client Services, Ontario, November 20, 1997 "Thank you for doing a terrific job at our recent 'Exploring the Future' seminar. It must have been very daunting to present your views on the future to a guest list that represented some of Canada's most exciting technology companies. Your presentation was a catalyst to a stimulating question and answer session that I sincerely didn't want to end. You managed to create a special evening for many of our best client and prospects. Already we are enjoying some new business because of the presentation and we anticipate that we will pay for our efforts many times over as a result of some excellent new relationships." Top An Educational Evening, the American Heart Association Convention, Orlando, Florida, November 12th, 1997 "Your subject, 'The Next 20 Years of Your Life...The Future of Society and its Impact on the Medical Community' was very interesting and well received by the audience. The fact that you agreed to autograph your latest book...was appreciated by everyone. Actually, the book was very popular as some doctors requested some 2nd and 3rd copies for their colleagues! Thanks again for an excellent presentation!" - Hoechst Marion Roussel Top Investors Group, Ontario, November 3rd, 1997 "Your presentation was wonderfully received and valued. This was made quite clear by both our representatives and their clients as the feedback from both parties was extremely positive. I would also like to state that in terms of other client appreciation events held in the past, this one was our most successful due in large part to the value your created during your session. I felt our clients enjoyed the message you delivered and the way in which you conveyed the information was very effective. Your individual discussions before and following the presentation were very well received by our clients. To anyone who is interested in adding special value and insight for the benefit of their clients, I have no hesitation in giving you my highest recommendation!" Top Great Pacific Management, October 21st, 1997 "I am enthused to be able to write this letter. I saw your speak in April of this year and thought 'I wish my clients were here to listen to your presentation'. Following your talk I called...to book you for a 'week of seminars'. I went out on a limb, taking the chance that you would have the same effect on our clients that you had on me. The feedback from our 5 seminars here in the Vancouver lower mainland has been super. The results were beyond expectation. Your presentation was extremely good, however I feel the greatest benefit to us was your 'connection' with our clients. Many said it was the best seminar they had attended...different, new information. Despite poor weather in Vancouver on the Thursday evening seminar, we had about 200 more attendees than projected." Top Investors Group, Alberta, September 22nd, 1997 "Your presentation was wonderfully received and valued. This was made clear by their feedback. Some quotes: 'Seminar could easily expand by 100% in duration', 'Really makes one think ahead for one's future', 'This was most informative, the future sounds exciting', 'Eye opening and very motivating',...From my point of view your presentation was excellent, very valuable and presented in an understandable way, never creating any confusion. The most telling event was when we had to cut off the question period as it could have gone on for hours. To anyone who is interested in adding special value and insight for the benefit of their clients, I have no hesitation in giving you my highest recommendation." Top Ford Motor Company of Canada, July 8th, 1997 "Allow me to again thank you for the exceptional presentations you made to our dealers earlier this year. The feedback has been extremely positive and reflects on your professionalism." Top The Soap and Detergent Association, May 7th, 1997 "I want to thank you for participating as the lead speaker for our 1997 videoconference...From early reports, your efforts were appreciated by our audience, as I have received many compliments...The conference was a success in the number of downlink sites and participants as well. We had 472 downlink sites in 48 states, Canada, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Island with an estimated viewing audience of 9,500...Again, please accept my thanks for a job well done! And, a special thanks for your patience with the whole tedious process of developing and approving your presentation. You were a delight to work with and I really appreciate your understanding and cooperation - above and beyond the call of duty!" Top Mackenzie Financial Services Inc., April 28th, 1997 "Richard Worzel was a faculty memb