Wednesday, April 25, 2012

IASB 2012 - Inspiring Speakers and New Friends

The Standard Ovation team recently road-tripped it down to Dallas, Texas for the 2012 International Association of Speakers Bureaus (IASB) conference. And if you think stuffing three "thirty-plus" (yes, it's technically a true statement) gals and their four-day supply of clothes and shoes into a Toyota Prius for 438 miles is fun...you are right!!! We pretty much laughed the whole trip, but we did also manage to strategize on business issues as well.    

This year's IASB conference was our first ever, and we are so glad it was. The entire event was perfectly orchestrated, from the amazing speakers to the generous Texas-sized hospitality, and we took away many valuable tools for our business too. The absolute best part though was getting to meet many of the bureau agents and managers we've talked and partnered with over the years and the many more we had never worked with. It was so much fun networking, socializing and laughing (a LOT of laughing) with this great group of people and making new friends. Given the last six months we can't tell you how meaningful this is to us.

And the speakers!!! We've seen quite a few speakers over the years, so it's such a cool feeling when you see a new speaker who just blows you away. I personally was blown away by Shawn Achor, author of The Happiness Advantage. Shawn is as high-caliber a speaker as they come, and his research on happiness and success is enlightening. Doc Hendley's story of how he founded Wine to Water and his ability to engage an audience was truly incredible...not a dry eye in the room. And Kevin Nealon (aka Franz of 'Hans and Franz' fame) made us laugh so hard our faces and stomachs hurt. Good times.

There were so many other great speakers over the four days at IASB, and we are glad we had the privilege to hear them all. Thanks to Gail Davis, Christa Haberstock and everyone else who helped create such a fabulous event, and although we may opt for air travel, one thing is certain...we will be back next year!

Amy, Charlotte and Sarah at the IASB Awards Banquet
Amy, Marilyn Sherman, Charlotte, Brittany Kreutzer, and Sarah

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