Graeme Bowman

Graeme Bowman is highly regarded as an MC for conferences, launches, awards presentations and special events. A big key to Graeme's success is his ability to switch from funny to formal and back again, as the mood and nature of the event requires.

For example, at a Gala Dinner or Awards Night, his first appearance is often in a crumpled shirt and shorts, as David Attenborough's long lost brother, Bruce, who delivers a hilarious routine about the evolution of your organisation. He may then launch into a rock song also tailored to your audience.

But a few minutes later, Graeme is back on stage, dressed in a suit. Most importantly, he treats the formal part of his MC role with restraint. This means that if he is introducing a VIP, he does it respectfully. And if he has a role to play during an awards presentation, he knows that the award winners are the heroes. (The last thing you want at this time is an MC who makes fun of the winners or trivialises the awards.)

At a lengthy conference, what people need most, in between business presentations, is a mental or physical breather. Graeme can provide that through short humorous routines and stretch breaks. The whole aim is to keep your audience awake, and focus their attention on the things that really matter.

By the way, a hoax speech can be combined with a Master of Ceremonies role, to create a Hoax MC ... imagine, the Master of Ceremonies and Guest Speaker for your event is an English or American gentleman with a fairly innocent sounding name like George Connor. George is now living in Australia and has two main attributes - he is a very experienced MC, and it just so happens that he also has a strong background in your industry.

As MC, he is very professional, respectful and energetic, with a good sense of humour. His professionalism and credibility are also obvious during the first few minutes of his after dinner speech. But gradually that credibility gets stretched to breaking point, as his presentation goes off on all sort of tangents. And some of his ideas and opinions don't seem to stack up.

The result is that, for most of George's speech, the audience is roaring with laughter. After the hoax speech, George reveals himself to be Graeme Bowman, and any further MC duties are conducted by Graeme.

Client Ovations: His dual role as MC and chief entertainer for the evening component of the awards kept things ticking along, managed to retain the interest of hundreds of staff and had everyone, from the company chairman to the function staff at each event, focused from go to whoa. I would not hesitate to recommend Graeme for any size corporate function in any setting.

Elders Limited

The audience comprised senior management and Sales and Marketing Award winners from all over Australia. Your hoax speech/comedy act was very well received and quite a surprise to some people as you would have noticed by one or two attendees suddenly bursting into laughter (a bit later than most who had already realised what was going on).

Simplot Australia

Thank you for your great presentation at our Conference Gala Dinner. Your presentation as a visiting overseas speaker on "Innovations in the New Millennium" was spot on for the night and the audience. The vast majority of our audience was totally fooled by your hoax presentation with many comments such as 'I have not laughed that much in years!'

Australasian Soft Drink Association

I was very impressed with the way in which you very quickly related to our business and its unique challenges, which was illustrated in the way you gravitated to be a part of the industry rather than an outside consultant. I can still visualise the look on people's faces as the hoax speech you gave on GST finally dawned and the result we were looking for materialised.

Daimler Chrysler

I could not believe how many heads were nodding sagely during the George Connor address as you set off on more tangents than a geometry major, discussing concepts that were as chillingly real to the assembled retailers as they were absurd. Graeme, we were very satisfied with your research and commitment to tailor both hoax and comedy routines to our needs. My Managing Director was completely hoodwinked, but has renewed my employment anyway.

Yamaha Music Australia

Our delegates were delighted and enthralled by the hoax character you played and I know you fooled them for longer than most of them want to admit. The part you played was not only effective but also entertaining.

Motorola Australia

As Master of Ceremonies, Graeme's ability to continually entertain and focus the audience was well received by the diverse audiences present in each state. He also performed a hoax speech during dinner and presented a thought provoking lateral thinking presentation at the conclusion of each conference.

PLAN Australia

Thank you for doing such a superb job of Bruce Attenborough, long lost brother of David, at our Management Summit. I am amazed with how you were able to captivate our audience, who, in the past, have been quite a challenging bunch to entertain or impress.

Thiess

You will be pleased to know your session was one of only two awarded a five star rating by delegates.

Australian Sales ' Marketing Institute

The conference was a huge hit and without your terrific input we could not have achieved such a high standard.

Choice Home Loans

It was a great evening and the feed back has been extremely positive - The "talk of the day" was the German Professor at the dinner!!

Local Government Association of Tasmania

Graeme's performance at our recent black tie event during Cox Plate week was simply sensational. His portrayal of a leading American racing identity was riveting and hysterical. The general feeling was that Graeme's speech was one of the funniest things they had ever heard.

Moonee Valley Racing Club

Magnificent job ... as Dr George Connor from the World Business Council on Sustainable Development, the audience was caught completely by surprise. The speech broke the ice for many attendees who seemed much more relaxed and enthusiastic about meeting people and exchanging views the following day. You are obviously a consummate professional and master of your craft and combined both a comic and corporate approach which suited our audience perfectly.

National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality

Quick ability at ad libbing ... comfortable rapport with delegates ... the conference is being hailed an outstanding success due, in no small measure, to your role as MC. In particular, your alter ego, Dr George Connor, is being hailed as one of the most popular speakers. We would have no hesitation in recommending your services as an MC and hoax performer.

Building Designers Association of Victoria

The conference has been claimed as a great success and your presentation contributed to this with a rating of 10 out of 10.

Institute of Hospitality in Healthcare

You had all of our managers, and their partners, thoroughly enthralled. At different times through your presentation they were either convinced of your credentials, worried about where our company was heading, completely confused or crying with laughter.

Penfold Motors

Thank you for your performance at this year's Minister's Environment Awards. While the night was a serious event to recognise the environmental achievements of industries in Tasmania, people were also there to have a good time, and the light relief provided by your hoax speech provided a good counter-point to the more serious speeches.

Department of Primary Industries Water and Environment, Tasmania

Don Dirt" was very professional in the way that he delivered his presentation with an excellent blend of education and entertainment. You took a difficult subject and not only made it look easy but also inspired our members to re-look at their commitment to the product category of Lawncare.

Retravision

Thank you for your efforts and professionalism last night in delivering a first class performance as the MC for our dinner.

Thames Water Projects (Australia)

This hoax worked fantastically well. Attendees were thoroughly captivated by this slightly quirky and off-beat character. We were very pleased at how the audience of over 450 of the leading business people in NSW received Graeme as Master of Ceremonies.

NSW Business Chamber