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David Ben
Corporate Entertainer & Innovation Speaker
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Fee Range: $5000 or less |
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Educated at the University of Toronto (BA), the University of Western Ontario (LLB), and the London School of Economics (LLM), David retired from practicing tax law to pursue his passion for creativity, performing and community. University of Toronto Magazine has since profiled him as one of 40 young alumni “taking the world by storm.” As a magician, David was the sole protégé of Ross Bertram - one of the great sleight of hand artists of the twentieth century. David is a member of London’s prestigious Magic Circle and has performed throughout the United States, Canada, England and Japan.
He has made numerous television appearances including Open Mike: The Mike Bullard Show (3 times), Pamela Wallin Live (3 times), Canada AM (3 times), Breakfast Television (5 times) The Dini Petty Show (2 times) and Michael Coren Live (2 times). David was also the subject of an award winning documentary film “A Conjuror In The Making” which aired on Adrienne Clarkson Presents on the C.B.C. and on Breakfast With The Arts on the A & E Network in the United States. He was the consultant for “The Wizards of Awe” - a two-part documentary for The Journal, “Martin Gardner Mathemagician” for The Nature of Things, “The Strange Genius of Stewart James” and “Dai Vernon - The Spirit of Magic” for History Television’s The Canadians. This latter film, in which he also acted as Associate Producer, was awarded the Chris Award from the Columbus Film Festival as the best biographical documentary in the year, a bronze award at Worldfest, Texas and was a finalist at the New York Film Festival.
David acts as a keynote speaker on creativity, innovation and problem solving. He has presented Magic By Design and Advantage Play to a broad range of associations and corporate clients in the United States and Canada. His book Advantage Play – A Manager’s Guide To Creative Problem Solving, published by Key Porter Books, examines magicians, card cheats and psychics as models of creativity and pragmatic problem solving.
David has two distinct keynote presentations – Advantage Play and Magic By Design - for corporate conferences, sales meetings and association programming. Magic is a metaphor with meaning and David uses it to empower his audience with serious and new ideas but in an entertaining manner.
Presentation Topics
David Ben struck the word impossible from his vocabulary. As a world-renowned magician, David has to make problems disappear. Problem solving, he believes, is everyone's core business. Unfortunately, few people have been taught how to solve problems in an effective and efficient manner. David demystifies the problem-solving process by taking his audience behind the scenes of the world of magic and revealing the tricks of the trade - the methodology magicians, card cheats and psychics use to perform the impossible.
David also demonstrates that every activity is a sales opportunity. Whether people work in the field or behind a desk, success depends on how well they sell the skills, products or services they provide. Using magic as his metaphor, David also demystifies this process and provides a strategy for maximizing success. His common sense approach ensures that clients and customers receive exactly what they need when they need it in a manner that is efficient for both buyer and seller.
His presentations focus on assessing opportunity based on the needs of the customer, maximizing opportunity by discovering new applications for existing products and services, using negative people to advantage, closing the transaction, understanding the importance of the "after sell" and its role in developing new and repeat business, and inspiring confidence in colleagues and co-workers. Always interested in technology, David outlines his pragmatic approach to innovation and the use of technology.
Most of all, David demonstrates the true meaning of being proactive. As a magician, David has to make miracles happen. By performing magic and then explaining how the magic was created, people learn that success in magic and business is the result of the cumulative effect of many apparently inconsequential details. It is a unique approach to learning a few new tricks for the trade presented by a unique individual - David Ben.
Audiences love the unexpected – in books, movies, magic, and relationships. David Ben teaches how to engage, motivate and move your audience. He draws on his vast experience as an internationally acclaimed magician, theatrical producer and, yes, tax lawyer, to demonstrate how to orchestrate the unexpected.
David illustrates how performers make meaningful physical and emotional contact with the audience. Participants learn how to set the stage and usher the audience into the proper environment before making contact. David teaches the importance of invisible threads, how ‘less’ is more, and how to enhance communication by focusing on executing key concepts rather than confusing detail. David emphasizes the importance of listening to your audience as you guide them to the final destination.
David also discusses the concept of stage fright – on the stage and in business – and the techniques available to ensure that every performance is delivered in a confident and controlled manner. He teaches how to distinguish between real risk and perceived risk, and the power of process – how one constructs, practices, rehearses and performs. He examines the role of critics and criticism, how to profit from both the positive and the negative, the importance of chasing perfection and sharing secrets.
He peppers his presentation with humorous anecdotes culled from his performances at the Shaw Festival, the Charlottetown Festival and other high-risk and highly visible theatrical ventures. He also enchants his audience with tales from private practice including how he made the Stanley Cup magically appear at the National Hockey League’s annual awards dinner. The goal is to empower each participant with the will and way to become a proven performer.
Testimonials
"As excited as I was to have engaged you as our headline speaker at this years annual Global Private Banking Conference, nothing could have prepared me for the exceptional presentation you delivered to our audience. Your performance was captivating. The lessons you gave by drawing comparisons between our two businesses were thought provoking, memorable, and right on target!"
Royal Bank of Canada
"After having seen many speakers in the past, I believe there are not many who can compare themselves with the informative and, yet at the same time, entertaining style of David Ben."
BDO Dunwoody
"The magic and the message in your presentation was well received by our staff. I'm very pleased with how well you were able to customize the presentation to suit our requirements. It was thoroughly entertaining while combining an important business message. All in all, an excellent performance."
The National Life Assurance Company of Canada
"I'd like to take this opportunity on behalf of the entire Public Affairs team, to thank you for your astounding motivational speech. Your performance left us all spellbound. We still don't know how you did it, but we're sure glad that you did!"
Bell
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