Today’s guest, Gail Davis, Founder and President of GDA Speakers, is a true titan in the events and speaking industry. She brings a wealth of entrepreneurial insights and lessons in leadership from her 25-year journey. There is no doubt that Gail has seen—and shaped—it all. To that end, Scott and Gail dive deep into the world of speaker bureaus and the magic behind curating exceptional experiences. Gail shares her take on the critical role of integrity and ethics in partnerships between speakers, bureaus, and event planners, ultimately revealing the secrets to fostering trusted relationships between the parties and remarkable events. Gail also addresses the need to create a story arc as well as the “red thread” principle that pulls the narrative together. She talks about the challenges of managing high-profile engagements, striking a balance between organizer expectations and speaker needs, as well as the evolution of diversity on the speaking circuit and the sparkle of celebrity speakers.
Title
Pulling the Red Thread (ft. Gail Davis | President and Founder | GDA Speakers)
Bio
Gail Davis is the president and founder of GDA Speakers, one of the top speaker bureaus in the world, representing more than 3,500 speakers in business, politics, government, entertainment, and media. With more than 25 years in the speaker space and with Gail at the helm, GDA is known to exceed expectations by working with both clients and speakers to create and deliver the ultimate speaker experience.
Opening Quote
[33:11- 33:56]:
“Another tip because you're talking about that arc, and all of a sudden, I'm like, I have to say this, and of course, this is going to be music to your ears, but event planners need to consider a professional MC. It is so important, and they need to be realistic. Do their internal leadership members, is that really their expertise? Because it's pretty unusual that it is and it's a hard sell sometimes because sometimes the ego wants to be on the stage. But I have never recommended you Civillico any of the professional MCs that I've had a client come back and say that was wasted money. I mean, they're all like, oh my goodness. We're never going back. We're never going back.”
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Brought to you by eSpeakers and hosted by professional emcee, host, and keynote speaker Scott Bloom, No More Bad Events is where you’ll hear from some of the top names in the event and speaking industry about what goes on behind the scenes at the world’s most perfectly executed conferences, meetings, and more. Get ready to learn the secrets and strategies to help anyone in the event industry reach their goal of putting on nothing less than world-class events.
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ABOUT THE HOST:
A veteran comedian and television personality who has built a reputation as the go-to choice for business humor, Scott has hosted hundreds of events over two decades for big and small organizations alike. Scott has also hosted his own weekly VH1 series and recently co-hosted a national simulcast of the Grammy Awards from the Palace Theater.
As the son of a successful salesman, he was exposed to the principles of building a business at an early age. Scott cut his teeth at renowned improv and comedy clubs as a comedian. As a self-taught student of psychology, he’s explored what makes people tick and has written a book (albeit a farce) on how to get through life. He’s uniquely positioned to deliver significant notes on connecting people and making business seriously funny. And who doesn’t like to laugh?
Learn more about Scott: scottbloomconnects.com
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When the perfect speaker is in front of the right audience, a kind of magic happens where organizations and individuals improve in substantial, long-term ways. eSpeakers exists to make this happen more often.
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SHOW CREDITS:
Scott Bloom: Host | scottbloomconnects.com
Joe Heaps: eSpeakers | jheaps@eSpeakers.com