speakers_of_note

Newsflash - February 2010


 

Are you getting greener?

 

As a child, green was always my favourite colour and it still is. Green has also become the thinking/caring/mindful person's favourite colour too. In fact, green is not a colour anymore, it is a concept, a movement and an issue that concerns us all.

 

Why not incude a thought provoking green speaker at your next conference or event? Instead of getting the delegates to shout "Ra-ra, yes we can" and shake hands with the person next to them, get a "green" speaker who imparts some wisdom, gives them useful take home information, and gets them enthused about making our world a better place.

 

I was wondering if "Speakers of Note" can call itself a business which cares about the environment and thought this is a good place to tell you a little bit about how we operate and you can decide for yourself whether or not we are an environmentally friendly company.

 

Each one of us in the business operates from his or her own home, we are connected to each other via the internet and we all have access to our database and other essential information via the internet. So none of us does a daily commute to an office. This does not mean that we don't communicate with each other - Skype messages, phonecalls and emails fly around at quite a rate every day.

 

As far as possible, we are also a paper free business. All our correspondence is done via email, including our quoting, invoicing and contracts. Neil and I took a decision when we started the business eight years ago not to do any print advertising and this decision seems to have served us well.

 

Of course this business model does not suit every business, but lets all think about what we as individuals and collectively can do to take more care of our planet.

 

'Til next time,

 

Jenny

 

 

 

News from the world of SoN

 

Daniel Silke Updates "Zuma into the Future" Keynote after the State of the Nation address

 

Following his State of the Nation address , President Jacob Zuma has been criticized for being vague and unimaginative. In Political Analyst Daniel Silke's latest presentation "Zuma Into the Future", Silke will delve into the nuances of the speech and look at the limitations and options for the President in setting the policy agenda. Silke will also explain why it is so tough for the President to make substantive policy decisions and will predict the future course of the Jacob Zuma Presidency. "Zuma Into the Future" is now fully updated to reflect the shifting trends within the ANC , South Africa and the international political economy. Not to be missed!

 

 

 

Green Speakers

 

Dave Pepler

Dave Pepler is best known as the face of Groen, one of the icons of Kyknet. He has been presenting this environmental programme for almost five years and it has become one of the most watched programmes on TV in South Africa.

 

One of Dave many topics is: "How to be cool and green"

Every living moment of out lives impacts on the environment. From the minute we get up in the morning to the moment we fall asleep we move through a series of actions, each with its particular environmental footprint. This presentation leads you through a very ordinary day of an ordinary family, showing how quickly they build up a substantial carbon footprint. By showing how anybody can consider these actions carefully to minimize environmental damage, conservation becomes fun and, especially with children, it becomes cool!

 

Brad Beira

 

"Brad is a behavioural economist who has a special interest in the way our economy  places people and communities at risk and in uncovering the steps we can take to minimise this impact. This 50 minute talk focuses on some of the myths and realities of climate change in a practical and straightforward way. We look at how it affects all of us in Africa and South Africa, key points to ponder and 'first steps' to take to make a difference.

 

Simon Gear

 

Simon Gear grew up the son of a geography teacher and so spent his early years immersed in a constant stream of environmental information. He has completed his first book Going Green which contains simple environmental advice for day to day living and is currently on its first re-print.


Gareth Patterson

 

Award-winning wildlife expert, author and public speaker, Gareth Patterson, is known internationally for his efforts to greater protect the lions and elephants of Africa.

 

Inspiration from the World’s Most Southerly Elephants – the Knysna Elephants.

This compelling presentation by Gareth Patterson tells how we can draw inspiration from the world’s most southerly elephants. Once existing in their thousands, the Knysna elephants were devastated by ivory hunters and the early settlers. By 1920 only twenty were still surviving. In 1999 it was thought only one Knysna elephant remain, an elderly female known by the forest people as ‘The Matriarch’. Conservationist’s then gave up on the elephants of Knysna, terming them ‘a functionally extinct population’. But it was not the end though. And Gareth refused to give up on the Knysna elephants.

After covering thousands of kilometres on foot in forests and on the foothills of the southern Cape Mountains, Gareth discovered in secret places that the Knysna elephants had brought themselves, unaided by mankind, back from the brink. Gareth in turn, discovered these elephant’s unique survival strategies. Against enormous odds and adversity, these astonishing elephants were surviving where it was thought there was none.

These are elephants of inspiration, and Gareth’s presentation on these elephants leaves his audience imbued with this special inspiration.

 

Entertainment

 

New to Speakers of Note

 

Brendon White

 

Brendon was born to a musical family; his mother the late Alida White, singer and song writer, and father Rodney White, a jazz pianist, singer and song writer. He joined the performing arts workshop in 1985 where he studied singing, acting and dancing.

In 1986, Brendon attended the Drakensburg Boys Choir and has been playing music professionally since the tender age of 16.
Some of the shows Brendon has participated in are :

• American Dream – Club 58
• Feeling Groovy – a Peter Taylor production
• Legends Alive – Berties Big Easy
• Let the Good Times Roll – The Carousel
• Let’s Part – The Carousel
• Let the Good Times Roll – Carnival City

Brendon has frontlined with many popular bands over the years, as well as completing a 3-month stint as a vocalist in the Middle East.
As well as working part time with a guitarist, Brendon has successfully launched his solo artist career and is currently playing at corporate functions, weddings, private celebrations, and pubs & clubs.
His musical talent shines through with well put together backing tracks, keyboards and a velvet voice which takes you easily from sultry laid-back ballads to the number 1 pop and rock favourites of today.
Brendon participated in an international song-writing competition in Singapore last year, and with his vocals they won First Prize. Excellent going, Bren!!!!

 

Tonya Koenderman

 

The term DIVA has been bandied about a little too liberally recently, with the title being awarded to singers whose only claim to it, is to be female. But what exactly is a diva? Tonya Koenderman, one of South Africa’s hottest cabaret artistes sums them up to a “T”, as it were. “They are slightly eccentric, slightly over the top and ever so slightly melodramatic”.

Tonya Koenderman is one of the few performers who is able to recapture the power and sheer drama of the great belters. And this is no more evident than in her latest offering “DIVAS TO A ‘T’. A reworked version of her first hit of the same name, this show is sassier, sexier and with even more of the diva pizzazz. And with her long-time friend Lisa Bobbert on board as director, it is pleasing on both the eye and the ear.

The show promises to be a musical feast packed with serial thrillers and gorgeous, slightly revealing costumes. All your favourites are featured; Shirley Bassey, Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler, Liza Minnelli, Gloria Gaynor, Tina Turner, Miriam Makeba, Jikele Mawene, Pata Pata, Vicky Sampson, Mango Groove, and many more!

In true diva style, Tonya adds her own saucy touch to classics like “Big Spender”, “Diamonds are Forever”, “New York New York”, “I Will Survive”, “Proud Mary” and “Summertime”.

The show has already performed to sold-out houses in Durban and the Grahamstown festival and has been hailed as Tonya’s best yet.