Tania Zaetta is an Australian household name thanks to her achievements around the world in film and television. Originally shooting to fame on the hit show 'Who Dares Wins' as the 'Aussie Action Girl', her tireless energy and enthusiasm have lead to her forge one of the most diverse and successful careers in Australia. Glamorous, inspirational and a voice for women everywhere, Tania is a respected and admired role model. A strong MC to match her strong personality, she is a sought after and entertaining Speaker and Event Host. Her professionalism and dedication are complimented by her outgoing personality and friendly country girl nature. Whether your event is a Corporate Awards evening, Gala Charity Ball, A-List Media event, be it Youth related or inspirational & motivational for Business Women, Tania has proven her exceptional skills as an engaging and informative Speaker.

Effie Zahos is the editor of Money, with over 15 years' experience in the finance industry. Starting from the ground up, as a graduate trainee for one of Australia's major banks, she moved from corporate to TV, kick-starting her career in journalism as head researcher for Channel Nine's successful Money program. She now writes for Money magazine, specialising in consumer banking issues. Her articles have also been published in several lifestyle magazines including Real Living and Qantas. Effie is also has an array of broadcast experience, including a regular appearance on Channel 9's Mornings with Kerri-Anne as the personal finance editor. Other shows include Channel 9's A Current Affair and Today. Effie is also a regular on radio stations across Australia including the ABC network and the author of Getting Rich, Staying Rich.

 

Mark Zuckerberg is the founder of Facebook, a networking tool used by college students to meet people, reconnect with old friends and arrange events. The company just redesigned its Web site and received venture capital. Founded as Thefacebook in February 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg, Chris Hughes, and Dustin Moskovitz at Harvard, the website spread across campus and, within a few weeks, over half ...

Jack Zufelt is revolutionizing the human potential arena with his breakthrough research and best selling book, The DNA of Success. He is a noted international
keynote speaker, author and expert in the human potential field. He boldly states
and proves that, goal setting, doing daily affirmations and visualization, or the
many other self-help tactics and strategies simply don't work a ...

Adriano Zumbo is no ordinary patissier. His creations elicit admiration from critics and the public alike and for good reason; they're unique in concept and execution – quite simply, you won't find anything else quite like it in Australia. This country boy's first taste of the sweet life was raiding the lollies and cake mix from his parent's Coonamble supermarket. In his pursuit of masteri ...

Jane was a pleasure to work with, she always responded to my queries promptly and was always available when we needed help or information. I appreciate the time and effort that we were shown; particularly in the early planning stage, when things were quite confusing, Jane was always able to offer helpful advice. Thank you very much for helping us with such an important part of our business, I look forward to Jane assisting us again in the future!

I would highly recommend without hesitation the services of Jane Rowland Smith and Ovations. Nothing was too much effort, all was arranged within hours, and went very smoothly. The guest speaker was exactly what we required. Thank you Jane and the team at Ovations.

Nadia has been fantastic to work with and it's made my life so much better.

Kaaren has been the Veritas account manager for the past year, in that time we have built a very strong relationship with her. Kaaren is extremely responsive and always capable of meeting our tightest deadlines and most specific of briefs. Kaaren exceeds expectations, she is more than just an agent at Ovations she has become a partner to Veritas.

It was the first time a professional MC had been used for the forum and everyone noticed the difference. We've received lots of compliments. It was fantastic knowing that the afternoon was in capable hands and that I had one fewer thing to worry about.

This was my first booking with Ovations and it was a great experience. Easy to work with, very responsive and professional. I found Sharmila's ability to understand our event and match her knowledge to our event particularly helpful.  I feel confident to recommend Ovations services to my internal client for their next event.

Excellent. I love working with this team!

Fantastic as always. We had a few challenges come our way and you were able to help us out of a tight spot so it it all came together.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you and your team for the high level of service and support provided in the lead up to the International Education Forum 2006.

Once again I found dealing with Ovations both an enjoyable and enriching experience.

The Forum Group were very impressed with the professional and friendly service from Ovations. The talent they presented was not only in keeping with our brief, but they also thought outside the square which is why we went with their recommendations. Thanks again to your team.

The Ovations Showcase helped to illustrate the depth and breadth of speaking talent at Ovations' fingertips. With such talent available across the region Ovations is very well positioned to meet any organisation's needs, whether this be motivational, inspirational, leadership, teamwork, loyalty.

The team at Ovations are a dream to work with. They listen to your brief and then don't give up until they've found exactly what you're looking for. I'd recommend them highly to any event organiser.

The service was truly outstanding with a result of a very happy client and an enthralled audience. I cannot think of any other agency who provide such consistently engaging, thorough and professional service. Thanks Ovations for making me look like a star

Without the wonderful contribution and input of Ovations, this event wouldn't have been the great success it was.  Thank you for all your efforts and I really look forward to working with you again in the future.

Just a quick note to say what a pleasure it has been in dealing with Ovations.  This is my first time round with helping organising these events and through a few (ok, many) calls I found the consultants were always helpful.

The service from Ovations was prompt and efficient. Excellent service.

On behalf of the Sydney Convention and Visitors Bureau I would like to extend a special thank you for your assistance in providing the speaker for the recent Members AGM Luncheon. The feedback was fantastic with member surveys indicating this calibre of speaker to be greatly appreciated.

Quality of service was fantastic! The Ovations Team are very focussed on pleasing the client ... despite budget and time constrictions.

Leanne always followed up on requests. Very prompt return of information and bookings.

The service I received from Leanne and the staff at Ovations was outstanding. They were always helpful. I will definitely recommend the company.

The quality of service was excellent. You dealt with our constant changes professionally and responded on time!

Leanne pointed us in the EXACT direction.

Due to the good feedback and no doubt the assistance provided by your company, there is a demand for us to repeat this Conference.

Impeccable service as always. Leanne and her staff are to be congratulated on their attitude, assistance and commitment to service.

Just a short note to thank you for your coordination of entertainers for the Australian Trucking Convention. Our feedback from delegates was excellent. (We) enjoyed working with you to ensure the entertainment was successful for the Convention. Once again, thank you for your efforts and we look forward to working with you next year.

From the telephone inquiry, through to an in-depth meeting with Leanne, every attempt was made to ensure that our brief was well understood and that the trainer presenters would be the most effective people to assist us in meeting our objectives.

The Consultants at Ovations were both efficient and helpful in our experience and I would have no hesitation recommending the company to anyone looking to source and book appropriate entertainment. Thanks again!

We hold a number of functions every year and are always in need of entertainment and MCs. I must say it has been a pleasure working with Ovations thus far as they have been a tremendous help, always offering a number of alternatives at a great rate. I look forward to working with them again soon in the future.

Helpful, quick response time, flexible and full of alternative suggestions.

Our most incredible series to date! Three speaker showcases in just one week, in Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney! All, webcast LIVE thanks to Staging Connections.

Watch the Brisbane showcase!

Our most incredible series to date! Three speaker showcases in just one week, in Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney! All, webcast LIVE thanks to Staging Connections.

Watch the Sydney showcase!

This June we held an unprecedented THREE showcases in one week across the eastern coast of Australia!

Now you can watch the Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney showcases online in their entirety right here!

Our most incredible series to date! Three speaker showcases in just one week, in Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney! All, webcast LIVE thanks to Staging Connections.

Watch the Melbourne showcase!

We've all had those moments when the challenges feel too great - we're so caught up in what we need to achieve but can't see how we're going to do it.

It's at those moments we need to remember the WHY.

Sam Cawthorn understands this better than most and believes that communicating the WHY of your organistion is one of the most effective means of getting buy-in from your team.

Sam says:

The WHY is the core story of an organisation or individual. It’s the reason why we do what we do and what drives our passion and energy. Most think that our why is for more $$$ we can put into the bank or as simple as paying the mortgage.

But I beg to differ. Making more money is a result and there is a reason behind why we pay the mortgage. We need to get down to the core of who we are and why we are doing what we’re doing in the first place.

Read the rest of Communicating the WHY

Glynn Nicholas is one of Australia's best known comics, theatre producer and author, and a popular business speaker for his savvy insights on leadership and teambuilding.

When busking his way through Europe, Glynn learned that the key is sharing.

Shared trust enables you to achieve the impossible both with an audience and a team - they know you're leading them somewhere great.

Shared humour binds co-workers together and unites them in a common goal.

Shared humanity shows your team (and audience) that they're valued as individuals, something so few organisations get right.

Get those things right and everything else just falls into place.

Those lessons may have come from Glynn's busking experiences but they're ever-present in his work today, highlighted in the return of his hit comedy show, Certified Male, described as "Brutally frank and seriously funny". Delving into the secrets of men and corporate life, the show makes its return to the Australian stage in August.

We've set October the 17th for our next Sydney Speaker Showcase and once again we're at the opulent Establishment, Merivale! If you haven't been to one of our previous showcases, now is the time to register for what will be a truly entertaining and delightful morning - all over a sumptuous breakfast spread!

To get a taste of the Ovations Showcase experience, just click the button below to watch our June showcases online!

Earlier in the year we were thrilled to welcome Cas & Jonesy back from their momentous unsupported journey to the South Pole.

Now the boys are back with their Extreme South Australia Tour 2012!

In case you missed it, on Australia Day 2012, James Castrission and Justin Jones made history by becoming the first and youngest pair of adventurers to travel the 2,270km return journey from the edge of Antarctica to the South Pole. And they did it on foot with no support crew.

Now they're sharing their amazing story with audiences around Australia!

If their opening night was any indication, this is a show you won't want to miss - so inspirational and gripping the 800-strong crowd was moved to finish the evening with a standing ovation.

Show Dates: Canberra - Wed Aug 8, Brisbane - Thu Aug 9, Perth - Mon Aug 13, Adelaide - Tue Aug 14, Melbourne - Wed Aug 22. Call Ovations on 1800 682 846 for details.

I was giving a presentation last week and was asked to comment on the value of building relationships. This is one of the core values in my business and I believe it is what has ensured a 12yr career in corporate speaking following the Sydney Olympics.

When I reflect on my own performance at those Games there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that I could not have done it alone. We hear a lot about the team of people; coaching staff, sports psychologists, strength coaches, massage therapists, physios and nutritionists that surround athletes and they really do play a huge role in performance.

How does this relate to business? It comes back to the old saying that the ‘sum is greater than the parts’. We can achieve more by working together. Focusing on relationships within our own business along with that of our clients is vital to a successful business. A focus on collaboration, partnership and synergy of brands can be incredibly powerful.

Strategic planning was a big part of my preparation as an athlete and similarly in my business. Get your thinking cap on and think of ways your business can build better relationships and partnerships. Target key associations and put a strategy together to create relationships that enhance and facilitate growth, creativity and forward motion.

…and have fun doing it!

Lauren Burns
OAM, Naturopath, Nutritionist, Herbalist (BHSc)
Olympic Gold Medallist, Taekwondo. Sydney 2000

Our own Peter Sheahan has been awarded the CPAE - Council of Peers Award for Excellence. It's the speaking world's highest honour and is given out to just five speakers annually throughout the world.

An intensive peer-reviewed process, candidates must excel in several categories: material, style, experience, delivery, image, professionalism and communication.

It's an award so rare, that only two other Australians have ever been awarded the prestigious title: Alan Pease and Lisa McInnes-Smith.

It's also a lifetime award, given for speaking excellence and professionalism. If you hire a speaker who holds a CPAE, you know that you're in the very best of hands.

Peter Sheahan, already a Certified Speaking Professional, now joins the ranks of the ultra-elite speaking world, holding a title that only 191 men and women have earned in its 35 year history.

Would you like a double pass to see Glynn Nicholas' smash hit comedy stage showCertified Male?

If you live in Hobart or Perth, you're in luck!

We've got a double pass for each city for the return tour this August and September - and all you have to do is call and ask! First in, best dressed!

Certified made its UK debut at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2007 to critical acclaim and sell-out houses and now returns to the Australian stage for a limited time only!

The Age review of Certified Male says it all: "Nothing can match it for physical comedy and psychological insight...hilarious".

Hobart Dates:

August 16 - 26
(free tickets exclude Fri & Sat night)

Perth Dates:

September 19 - 22
(free tickets exclude Fri & Sat night)

The first to give Nadia a call on 1800 682 846 and ask will have tickets on their doorstep in short order!

Samson Danniels likes to go fast? Growing up in Toronto, Sam spent every second he could being outside and active. Among a huge variety of sports, his passion was his bicycle. This passion led him to BC after high school, to pursue bigger mountains and to try to make a name for himself in the emerging world of Freeride Mountain biking. After a large jump went wrong, Sam ended up in the hospital ...

Kaarle McCulloch teamed up with the legendary Anna Meares to grab Bronze in London. It took World Record performances to beat this tough Aussie duo, but in the end they did Australia proud with their effort, commitment and results. Kaarle is a Triple World Champion, Commonwealth Gold Medallist and now Olympic Medallist, at only 24 years of age these are astounding achievements in themselves. Wi ...