HOW IS THE MARK OF A LEADER DIFFERENT FROM OTHER KEYNOTE SPEAKERS?

We are different in three key ways:

1) Our storytellers incorporate mesmerizing video and music to make the experience unforgettable. The key learnings will stick long after your conference is over.

2) You can intersperse our stories throughout your conference, weaving together your presenters’ key messages to support your theme and objectives.

3) Or you can set the bar for your conference with a keynote that audiences have described as “a spellbinding audiovisual tour de force”.


WHAT ARE THE “STORIES”?

There are dozens of stories about many of the world’s greatest leaders and brands and what has made them successful. Each story is built with video and original music, runs off a laptop, and is narrated live by our storyteller. The stories range in length from 5 to 15 minutes. Some are funny; some are very emotional; all are inspiring and thought-provoking.


WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY “INTERSPERSING THE STORIES”?

The Mark of a Leader is designed to be the framework for an entire conference. It has a powerful opening and closing, and then our stories can be spread wherever your agenda allows or needs a boost... before/after breaks, between other speakers, to kickoff days or awards programs, etc.


HOW DO WE DO THAT – OUR AGENDA IS ALREADY FULL?

Simple. Take the 60-90 minutes you would typically put a speaker at the beginning or end of the conference and simply spread it through the agenda. It really works!


BUT DO YOU DO TRADITIONAL 60 MINUTE KEYNOTES?

Yes, all the time. They are also incredible.


YOU ALSO DO WORKSHOPS AND BREAKOUT SESSIONS?

Yes. They use our stories, and are typically 90 -120 minutes long. They are customized for every client, and are highly interactive.

We also have several experiential sessions tied into our key themes. These are run with 3rd party providers and include a variety of painting, music, and game show formats.


DOES THE STORYTELLER ACT AS THE CONFERENCE MC?

We don’t recommend that the storyteller do housekeeping messages, but we have done it. And the storyteller can definitely do introductions and summaries, as well as onstage interviews with executives.


HOW MANY STORYTELLERS ARE THERE AND DO THEY WORK TOGETHER?

There are currently two – Doug Keeley and Don Allison. Both are award winning industry veterans. Their bios are under “Who we are” on this website. Only one would be at a conference at any time.


HOW DO YOU SELECT WHICH STORIES TO USE?

We do this with you based on your messages and audience and how we are being used in the agenda.


WHAT AUDIENCES DOES THIS WORK BEST FOR?

We have presented for an audience of 8 and audiences of many thousands. We talk to sales forces, franchisees, dealers, entrepreneurs, associations, entire employee teams, senior management teams, incentive and reward winners, volunteer organizations, and on and on.


WILL IT WORK FOR ANY AGENDA?

Yes. We have delivered incredible keynotes at luncheon meetings, been spread through 5 day sales conferences, run management retreats, and everything in between.


IT USES A LOT OF VIDEO AND MUSIC. IS THE AV SETUP COMPLEX AND EXPENSIVE?

No, everything runs off a laptop, which we bring. We just need audio and video feeds from the laptop, and a lapel mic for the storyteller. Nothing more than your executives probably need. We do require that there be an AV operator and a stand alone sound system (not a hotel ceiling system).


CAN WE GET THE STORIES ON VIDEO WITHOUT THE LIVE STORYTELLER?

No. The storyteller is the narrator. The stories are not self-contained videos.


IS THERE A FOLLOW UP PROGRAM AFTER A CONFERENCE?

Absolutely. We have a great book of stories, several types of workshops, a monthly electronic magazine, and several other tools which form the basis of ongoing programs.


CAN I GET A DVD OF SOME STORIES?

Yes, but we must control the DVDs because the material is all purchased under strict copyright control.


CAN I GET REFERENCES?

Absolutely. All of our clients will enthusiastically endorse The Mark of a Leader.


WHERE DID THIS IDEA COME FROM?

The Mark of a Leader was designed by a team of award-winning corporate event producers who, having produced thousands of meetings, wanted to accomplish several goals:

- Bring high end AV production to events without a big price tag
- Create a “thread” that would help tie the messages of a conference together
- Build a customizable product that would be different depending on the client’s messages, audience, and agenda
- Work in multi-media story format so the messages were powerful and unforgettable


WHAT IS THE PRICE?

We charge by the day regardless of how long we present for. That encourages you to use us throughout your conference. The day rate is a just a typical moderate speaker fee. For that you get an incredible speaker and our entire library of video stories!