Clients & Testimonials
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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.
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World Education Conference / Meeting Planners International, July 2010
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"Thank you so much for participating in WEC 2010 in Vancouver! Both the Peak Oil session and Flash Point were a hit with attendees. I appreciate your dedication to information and educating our audience."
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Mega Group, June 2010
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"I was thrilled to have someone of your caliber at the closing of our event. I greatly appreciated your ability to personalize your presentation in order to support our vision and plan. You delivered very fact-based and enlightening observations about the impact of trends in the coming months and year and more so, your conclusions were clear and practical.
Our goal in having you was to better equip our partners to understand the changes and trends; we also envisioned giving them some support tools to structure their own conclusions. You achieved both while giving an entertaining presentation.
Your performance in question and answer period was outstanding."
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Foodservice Consultants Society International, Minneapolis, March 2010
""…our first and immediate choice…Richard's approach to preparation is peerless…his ability remarkable"
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"FCSI (Foodservice Consultants Society International) enjoyed Richard as a closing keynote speaker at our worldwide conference in Beijing, China in 2008 to such a degree that when we sought a closing speaker for our 2010 Conference In Minneapolis, MN, he was our first and immediate choice.
Not only is Richard an accomplished and engaging speaker, but his approach to preparation is peerless. Considerable time was spent with Richard on phone calls and in emails clarifying for him the nature of the Society, the demographics and psychographics of the audience, the intent behind the theme ("New Times · New Tools · New Solutions") and the goals we were seeking as a result of his presentation. His comprehension of these details and ensuing ability to integrate the information into his closing remarks is stellar.
Further, he participated in the Conference by coming early and listening to other speakers as well as engaging in discussion with attendees. By doing this, he was further able to integrate other speaker's words and messages into his closing remarks as well as probe the tenor of the attendees and adjust accordingly.
Richard's ability to elucidate current economical conditions and then parlay those observations into likely future scenarios, while also describing the impact we might expect financially and socially as a result, is remarkable. He is able to be provocative without offending, realistic without being sensationalistic and concerned while not projecting hopelessness. His wake-up calls are both serious and filled with encouragement.
He, once again, was the most highly rated speaker at the Conference. Several members already shared that they would have liked for him to speak even longer than the 1˝ hours he did and would like to hear him again. It would not surprise me if he became a fixture at FCSI Conferences!"
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Federated Co-operatives Ltd., March 2010
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"Richard Worzel provided an engaging, though provoking, and informative look at where the world and our industry may be heading. As anyone with an eye on the future may attest, this generated more questions than answers. The important thing for us was to have our staff start asking the questions. Thank you Richard - highly recommended!"
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Annual Defined Contribution Plan Summit, Banff, February 2010
"…the best choice…a pleasure to work with!"
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"In engaging Richard Worzel as our Keynote for the 11th Annual DC Plan Summit, we can simply say we made the best choice for our audience. Richard was a pleasure to work with from the beginning, allowing myself and the magazine editor to provide him with the overall conference theme and content in which to tailor his presentation directly for our audience. He is very charismatic and confident in his message, which sat well with our audience as they are forever planning for the future. We would ask him back in a heartbeat and highly recommend him to anyone who is looking for an engaging and informative session for their conference."
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FreeBalance public financial management, February 2010
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"Your opening presentation set a positive tone for the week and helped generate and stimulate discussion within both programs. The ideas you introduced about future events, technology and scenarios and how they may affect government finances worldwide, which will in turn impact the fiscal governance and economic development of countries were positively received. The quality and quantity of questions asked also indicated your ability to provoke thought and constructive debate.
In addition, during discussions about your presentation with both [international government] Ministers and Customers, the feedback was enthusiastic and positive.
I look forward to attending another of your presentations."
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Risk and Insurance Management Society, October 2009
"A perfect balance of theoretical and practical - Richard's presentation was awesome!"
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"Thank you for being so engaged during the development phase of the workshop. Your desire to ensure that your presentation met the unique and varied needs of our membership was appreciated; and the resultant end product was very well received. You delivered a perfect balance of theoretical and practical information, a refreshing change from the all-theory material we typically see. Your pragmatic and common sense approach to risk management and scenario planning was simple enough to incorporate into the business planning cycle of any organization and yet complex enough to ensure the value of the effort. The positive learning experience was punctuated by member feedback which included:
Richard's presentation was awesome! He totally knew his subject matter, spoke off the cuff and with complete candor. His insights [although somewhat terrifying to consider] prompted out-of-the-box thinking."
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HPB Association Management Services, October 2009
"A 10 out of 10!"
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"As an independent event planner, I would grade Richard Worzel's presentation a 10 out of 10! Richard not only made sure that I had all of the information I needed, but he also spent a considerable amount of time with my client to make sure that his presentation was relevant, timely and "spoke" directly to the issues being faced by the delegates. Richard presentation style is engaging and outstanding! Thanks, Richard, for a job well done!"
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Amgen, September 2009
"...the presentation provided many controversial and discomforting issues, but that is exactly what it was meant to do"
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"Richard Worzel was asked to present his perspective on the future of the healthcare environment ... and the factors therein that would have a direct impact on the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. The objective of such a talk was to impart a sense of what the expected changes could be in order for the audience to consider how they can help prepare the company to ensure that it is best positioned to take advantage of potential changes.
Richard provided a fascinating overview of trends in demographics ... and how these would impact other important aspects such as changes in disease patterns, the cost of healthcare and the dilemma between personalized medicine versus overall treatment of populations. He also brought in the advances in technology and the understanding of the human genome which will allow much improved data capture, in turn allowing for swifter and more precise decision making; all making for intriguing political and ethical quandaries that our society will have to deal with.
Overall, the presentation provided many controversial and discomforting issues, but that is exactly what it was meant to do, which Richard delivered in a very interesting and captivating manner."
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College and Association of Respiratory Therapists of Alberta, October 2009
"He became of valuable member of our organizing team...Richard pitched in above and beyond our expectations."
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"Richard is a very engaging presenter who provides pragmatic information and tools to assist you in planning for your future. The scenario planning resource materials help you embrace your future rather than dread it!
Richard mingled with the meeting participants throughout the day thereby introducing a comfortable, congenial atmosphere.
Richard discussed the presentations with us in advance and incorporated our objectives into his presentations. We were particularly grateful in how he customized his presentation for our audience, who were preparing for the H1N1 pandemic. We look forward to realizing immediate and significant returns on our investment in his presentation. Participants are utilizing Richard's tools in their working environments.
We sincerely appreciated Richard's help and guidance in events of the day, extraneous to his presentation. He became of valuable member of our organizing team with his foresight and experience as a seasoned presenter. For example, he gave instruction to another presenter on use of the headset microphone and assisted with laptop preparation. Richard pitched in above and beyond our expectations.
It was a genuine pleasure working with and learning from Richard."
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Air Cargo Logistics Symposium, June 2009
"...you left your audience with the tools to bring an innovative approach to their workplaces."
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"Your dynamic and thought-provoking presentation on Delivering Tomorrow's Promise was well received by our delegates and generated many positive comments. Your glimpse into the not-so-distant future incorporated well the day's topics in a way that left your audience with the tools to bring an innovative approach to their workplaces. As the closing speaker, you had the advantage of leaving our delegates with a memorable message, and you accomplished this remarkably well."
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Sexton Group, Las Vegas, November 2008
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"The Sexton Group and its members would like to thank you for a very informative and fast paced session at our Las Vegas meeting. We appreciated the preparation time and consultation that allowed you to use industry specific references. This contributed to making the material more relevant to the audience. The topics were serious and your delivery did a good job of providing the right amount of humour with the gravitas. The audience was engaged throughout the presentation.
Your inclusion of tools to put theory into action gave our members a framework to return to their businesses and practice what they had learned. All in all a very insightful and enjoyable presentation."
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Foodservice Consultants Society International, Beijing, October 2008
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"Richard Worzel was the closing keynote speaker for the Foodservice Consultant's Society International worldwide conference, whose theme was "Foodservice Future: A Brave New World", held in Beijing this year 16-18 Oct, 2008. Over 20 countries were represented in the audience. Richard was asked to not only address critical issues surrounding sustainability and globalization impact on the foodservice industry, but to also tie together for the closing a summary of topics presented throughout the conference, the goal being to assist attendees in connecting the critical issues. Not only did he perform this function with clarity, intelligence and panache, but he also added sufficient new facts and data that enhanced and elevated the vision of the conference, plus practical solutions for upon which attendees can act, stressing that one small improvement step at a time is a solid method by which to build a better world for all.
Mr. Worzel's presentation style represents the best example of how a professional can extend warmth, authenticity and humor while simultaneously hitting the nail on the head surrounding critical and not always pleasant, issues. He made use of good visual tools and spoke with clarity, well chosen words and practical examples to get his point across. Our attendees appreciated Richard's candor and honesty as he shared his financial interpretation of today's challenging economic situation. He was able to convey a sense of urgency and call-to-attention around issues our attendees needed to hear without projecting an aura of fear and doom.
Beyond his plausible presentation skills, he proved to be an astute listener and learner, genuine in his approach and interaction with attendees and openly willing to be a team player with the other speakers and conference planners. It truly was a pleasure for us to work with him. We unhesitatingly recommend him as a keynote speaker and will look forward to having him speak at future conferences."
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Credit Union Insurance Services Association, June 2008
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"Richard's thought-provoking informative keynote gave our conference delegates the tools to plan for business achievements and accomplishments well into the future. We highly recommend Richard's live presentations and every one of his best-selling books. It was an honor, a privilege and a pleasure to meet and learn from Richard Worzel - futurist extraordinaire!"
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Integral Wealth Securities, February 2008
"We couldn't have asked for better results."
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"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!"
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Capital Care Foundation, February 2008
"Outstanding ... powerful and awesome"
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"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."
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Western Transportation Advisory Council, November, 2007
"Captivating"
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"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."
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Calgary CFA Society, June 2007
"I was impressed with the level of preparation and effort"
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"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."
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American Marketing Association, BC Chapter, May 2007
"Fantastic feedback"
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"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."
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BMO Financial Group, April 2007
"You provided us with a great deal more than an engaging presentation"
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"[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."
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Deloitte & Touche, April 2007
"We invited Richard back"
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"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!"
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Western Retail Lumber Association, February 2007
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"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."
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Life Sciences Industry Summit, Long Island, New York, May 2006
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"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."
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Career Development Association, May 2006
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"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."
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Farm Business Management Council, February 2006
"You held the audience captive."
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"...[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."
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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."
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"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"
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Life Technologies Forum, September 2005
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"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!"
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National Research Council, July 2005
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"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."
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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."
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"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."
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Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, April 2005
"Your presentation ensured our conference ended with a bang"
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"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!"
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Valley First Credit Union, December 2004
"Your presentation...broadened our minds and allowed us to plan with greater intelligence."
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"[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."
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Johnson & Johnson, November 2004
"The audience is absolutely captivated"
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"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."
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Association of Home Office Underwriters, October 2004
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"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."
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Discount Car & Truck Rental, October 2004
"Best ever keynote speaker!"
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"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"!"
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3Com, Boston, September 2004
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"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."
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Principal Clerk, House of Commons
Government of Canada, September 2004
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"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."
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Changepoint Corporation, October 2003
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"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!"
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Classroom Connect, New York City, March 26th, 2003
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"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."
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AIM Funds Management, June 8th, 2001
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"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."
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Dole Packaged Foods Company, April 9th, 2001
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"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.'"
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Emerging Technologies 2001 Conference, February 9th, 2001
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"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."
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Polygon Homes, November 22nd, 2000
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"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!'"
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Greater Washington Society of
Association Executives, July 21st, 2000
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"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."
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International Association of Career
Management Professionals, July 28th, 2000
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"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."
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IMS Health, May 25th, 2000
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"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."
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Reimer Financial, May 16th, 2000
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"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.'"
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Mackenzie Financial, May 15th, 2000
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"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!"
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3Com, January 3rd, 2000
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"...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!"
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Merrill Lynch, November 12th, 1999
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"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."
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Standard Life, October 8, 1999
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"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!"
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ICS Advent, San Diego, September 17, 1999
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"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."
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Convenience Store News Top 50 Forum, June 18, 1999
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"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."
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The Document Company Xerox, June 10, 1999
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"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."
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Missouri Tourism Division, March 22, 1999
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"'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."
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Produce Marketing Association, January 1, 1999
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"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."
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Financial Concept Group, December 4th, 1998
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"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."
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Investors Group, Winners Conference, October 5th, 1998
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"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."
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Hicks Financial Solutions, February 4, 1998
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"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!"
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State Farm Insurance Companies, February 4, 1998
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"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."
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TD Private Client Services, Ontario, November 20, 1997
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"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."
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An Educational Evening, the American Heart Association
Convention, Orlando, Florida, November 12th, 1997
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"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
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Great Pacific Management, October 21st, 1997
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"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."
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The Soap and Detergent Association, May 7th, 1997
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"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!"
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Mackenzie Financial Services Inc., April 28th, 1997
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"Richard Worzel was a faculty member for the initial session of Mackenzie University - a national education roadshow for financial planners which we completed just a week ago. The top line assessment is that Richard Was the highest rated of all the speakers we used. But the bottom line evaluation is even more important: he was the most useful to our attendees because he took the time to become familiar with their needs and wants by mingling before he spoke - and because what he said was both logically understandable and backed up with solid facts from his own research...We can enthusiastically recommend him to any audience seeking a better understanding of the future and its practical implications for today."
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Abbott Laboratories, April 8th, 1997
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"Thank you again for speaking at the Abbott Laboratories' Millennium meeting held for the Canadian Executive Team. As a futurist speaker, your mandate was to widely open our horizon, while provoking thoughts that might become strategic action plans to face the new millennium and win the battle. You surpassed our expectations. All participants were highly pleased and shocked by your presentation...Having you as our 'kick-off' speaker set the tone just perfectly for achieving our meeting objectives. I have only received praises on you as a person and on your presentation from my colleagues and from our President. I personally enjoyed working with you in preparing this event and I am very pleased of the high success of your presentation."
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Young Presidents' Organization
Tulsa, Oklahoma Chapter, March 5, 1997
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"I want to take this opportunity to thank you for a most interesting and informative evening at our YPO Futurist Event last night. The topic was timely and of great interest. You made it even more enjoyable in presentation, by taking what could be some dry information and presenting it in a style that was both interesting and entertaining. You might be interested to know that we had the largest attendance of the season last night. The feedback I have received has been very positive. Thank you again for taking the time to make our March Event such a great success."
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Deloitte & Touche, December 4th, 1996
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"Thank you for participating at our 1996 Financial & Special Services Conference held November 11-12th in Montreal. Our practitioners certainly enjoyed your entertaining and thought-provoking presentation and that is reflected in the extremely positive feedback we received. You'll be pleased to know that you got the highest rating of all the speakers...I hope that you enjoyed the event and the opportunity to meet and exchange views with some of our senior practitioners."
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Young Presidents' Organization
Kansas City, September 3rd, 1996
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"On behalf of the entire Kansas City YPO Chapter, I would like to thank you for your excellent presentation at the recent YPO meeting. As you are aware, we have an evaluation performed on each speaker and I thought you might be pleased to know the overall results. The evaluation of you as a resource provided a ranking of between "Very Good" and "Excellent" in the categories of Knowledge of Subject Matter, Involvement with the Audience, and Resource Take Home Value. Specific comments regarding the presentation centered around the audience's interest in your international perspective, the ability to stretch people's imagination and your ability to stir up a few controversial ideas for the group to ponder. I certainly enjoyed coordinating the meeting and you should feel quite satisfied that the group was motivated by your presentation."
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Faultless Starch/Bon Ami Company
Kansas City, June 5th, 1996
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"Each of your talks to our associates here at Faultless Starch/Bon Ami Company in Kansas City went over like gangbusters! Thank you for coming! Both your talk to our plant, warehouse, and office associates in our Isis building warehouse and your talk to our sales and administrative associates in our meeting room at the Ritz-Carlton were very well received by all, and I have received thanks and positive, uplifted comments from many people thought-out the company."
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IMAX Corporation, March 15, 1996
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"We invited and almost challenged you to speak about Global Trends and excite and motivate a group of veteran International Marketing Representatives, but with your engaging delivery and extremely impressive visuals you certainly rose to the occasion and surpassed our requirements!"
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