JOHN SIMONETT: TESTIMONIALS

This section contains over 200 client Testimonials, the most recent appearing first.

March 2009:   I am writing on behalf of the President, Board of Directors, Members and Guests of The Scottish Oil Club to thank you for your speech at our annual dinner on Friday.  I've received much positive feedback. I know I especially liked your talk and I think it's the best that I've heard in the five years I've been doing this event. Thanks!!!   Rob Schneider, Executive Secretary, The Scottish Oil Club

From letter to booking agent, November 2008
Thanks for organising John for our Seminar last week.  He was excellent with just the right amount of humour and kept the audience interested the whole time. The ability to engage with all the audience is a remarkable skill. I'd certainly be happy to recommend him for the future.  Steve Henson, AB Insurance Group

Hi John
We all thoroughly enjoyed your speech at our annual dinner. Your delivery & style of presentation was absolutely spot on. Many people are sending us congratulations on our choice of speaker. Thanks again!
Ian Watkins, Secretary, Gloucestershire Golf Union 

 A personal thank you for your presentation at our Financial Managers Association lunch. From the feedback received you were very well received by the attendees. Please forward a copy of your presentation so we can develop an article for our newsletter and place it on our website for members to access. Thank you for making the overall event such a success. Your memory was the main talking point among attendees at the end of the programme!
David Bowen, Head of Finance Skills Development, Healthcare Financial Managers Association

October 2008: Feedback to Booking Agent following John's 9 a.m. opening keynote speech "Restless Curiosity" on Creative Thinking at a User Group conference:  John ensured the conference got off to an incredible start with a presentation that had the 200 delegates spellbound, fascinated and crying with laughter.  Feedback was brilliant and many will be using some of his techniques in their own training roles. As always you have never let me down.  Each recommendation proving to exceed all previous, but this is a hard act to follow!  Peter Fry, Chief Executive, CCTV User Group

and from audience members at the same conference:  Thank you for the most enthralling, informative and interactive opening to one of our conferences ever. Excellent. I am a Past-Chairman and I received nothing but praise for your presentation. David White, AVIDD Consulting

Thank you for a very entertaining and informative opening session at the conference – everyone I spoke to really enjoyed it.  It was certainly the most stimulating presentation I have seen....   Martyn Powell, New Forest District Council

I thoroughly enjoyed your presentation at the CCTV Conference in the Cotswolds last week. In fact I enjoyed it so much that I want to pinch some bits of it for a workshop that I am going to be running on the Island in December!  Simon Dennis, Operations Manager, Isle of Wight Council   

John, having heard you for the first time, I enjoyed it tremendously and hope to hear you speak again soon. Stuart Cannings, Nottingham CCTV

August 2008: Just a word of thanks for your speech at our National Sales Conference last night. I know all of my team were surprised and impressed by your performance. I have heard a host of compliments from very clever, very funny - to by far the best after dinner speaker I've ever heard! It all cemented a successful day for us, so thank you again. I'm sure Hilary will be encouraging the MD's in BSS and PTS to ask you to do an evening for them in the future. Kelvin Stevens, Managing Director, F & P Wholesale

Thanks for a wonderfully entertaining evening yesterday.  I thoroughly enjoyed your company at dinner and found the ‘talk’ afterwards incredible given the amount of time you had to ‘swot up’ on everyone!  You were very much the topic of conversation in the bar afterwards and again in the office today. Hilary James, PA to Managing Director, F & P Wholesale

July 2008: I just wanted to thank you for working with us on the Power 100 breakfast. Your professionalism and attention to detail really makes you stand out and you helped us to deliver a great event. It was very enjoyable and personally motivating for me to be involved with someone so passionate about his work.        Julie Brown, Manager Support Services, Eastern Daily Press

and from letter to booking agent:  Hi Alan, I just wanted to say John was first class today. What a dedicated, professional and passionate speaker. He helped us deliver a great event. Your recommendation was spot on!  Julie Brown, Manager Support Services, Eastern Daily Press

Thank you for being such a great speaker at the Power 100 event.  The feedback so far has been really good, and everyone has said how much they enjoyed your talk and found it thought provoking and refreshing.  I really hope we can work together again, and if we hold our conference next year, I shall definitely be suggesting to the boss that we include you!  Jo Hill, Manager, Real Estate, Bank of Scotland Corporate

June 2008:  On behalf of the South West Region committee and the event sponsors, may I thank you for a stunning performance which was both apt and witty.  It was no mean feat keeping such a large and well oiled audience engaged but your stories and memory skills certainly did the trick.  Bron Cottrell, Jasper PR Ltd, for the Chartered Institute of Building Surveyors

Following dinner for 400 Banking and Finance personnel, February 2008:
The evening was a huge success - thank you so much for such a fine presentation – to hear a pin drop in an audience of that size takes some doing!
Sophie Grove, Commercial Director, Business Money Ltd.

From letter to booking agent: November 2007
John was exceptionally good the other evening.  He requested an extensive brief on the audience and the industry at large.  His grasp of that brief and his recall never ceases to amaze me. The dinner was the first of its type in this particular conference and it was important therefore to ensure that all went well.  We went for John as he is not only a safe pair of hands (we used him in 2000 at the Belfry as well) but can also connect with his audience really well.  There is no doubt John helped to get our two day conference off to a great start and I would have no hesitation is recommending him to anyone.     John Cessford, Marketing Manager, BOCM Pauls

Just wanted to say thank you for a great speech and presentation yesterday, we had a number of people comment on how informative and entertaining it was and we all really enjoyed it!    Natalie Tomprefa, Marketing Executive, MetLife

John - really good to meet you today and thanks for your excellent session, that rounded off a really good day for us in Sales.     John Power, Business Director, MetLife

Thanks for your efforts at our pre IMA lunch on the Thames. It went really well and feedback on your talk was fantastic - some clients came up to me and said it was the best thing they had seen.
Neil Bridge, Head of UK Retail Sales, Schroder Investment Management Ltd

I just wanted to say how very much I enjoyed your presentation at the Securities and Investments Institute dinner in Bournemouth, and our time together at the table. You were simply outstanding, and you will long live in my memory for your great humour, wit and talent.  Lee Bailey, Williams de Broe Stockbrokers

Thank you very much for entertaining our guests in such a refreshingly different and unique way last Wednesday evening! You really brought the evening together for us and helped to make it such a success.
Camilla Barrett, Marketing Executive, Bales Worldwide Travel

Just a quick line to thank you for last night - you went down a storm and were thoroughly enjoyed by all! If we can use you again somehow, we most certainly will!      Carol Michaelides, Gist Ltd

John: Just a quick note to thank you for your stunning performance at the British Universities Finance Directors Group conference in Manchester last night. The Gala dinner is the high point of the whole conference and I knew, from hearing you previously, that you would be a great success. In the event, you exceeded my expectations and I am extremely grateful.  It seemed every single one of my Finance Director Colleagues said to me afterwards how much they enjoyed listening to you! Good luck for the future and thanks again.
Geoff Hope-Terry, Conference Host and Organiser, BUFDG

John – many many thanks from me too! You were absolutely stunning and people were talking about you all night!
Alison Holt, PA to Geoff Hope-Terry, Finance Director, Manchester University

John: Thank you again for a majestic performance at The Grove last week. We had a fantastic two days of which your contribution was the centrepiece. Yours is a unique talent and I look forward to making use of it again!  
James Charrington, Head of Retail, EMEA, Merrill Lynch Investment Managers

The party seemed to be going so well, and the atmosphere so relaxed, that I wondered if we were about to gild the lily............  But the lily has never been better gilded! You were everything we hoped, and the do certainly ended on a mountainous high. People were unanimously full of praise; apart from your humour, they were flabbergasted at your memory.      Well done indeed - and many thanks for making the trip!
Victor Segal, Director, Singer and Friedlander Merchant Bank

Just a quick note to thank you for a fabulous performance on the evening of our Sales Conference a couple of weeks ago. I said to you on the evening, and I have no embarrassment in repeating in writing, that you are the best “after-dinner speaker” I have seen (and I've seen a lot). You combined humour, memory and audience observation, delivered in a most articulate and impressive way. I haven't laughed so much in a long time. We ask for feedback on the conference from all attendees, and having trawled through all 106 returns today I can confirm that my own praise is fully supported by the comments from my sales teams. Thank you again for an excellent evening.
Ken Donaldson, National Sales Manager AXA Direct Commercial

I would like to thank you on behalf of myself and my Partners and Colleagues for your excellent performance at our client dinner on Thursday evening. Even though it was your second visit to us it was extremely well received and most enjoyable. I have had quite a number of people ring me to ask for your details because they would like to book you for events of their own. It was a pleasure to meet you again and thank you for assisting in making the evening such a success.
Helen Lusby, Partner, George Davies Solicitors, Manchester

Hi John – thank you for your keynote speech in the “graveyard slot” at our senior managers’ conference! We have had fantastic feedback about your presentation. You went down a storm - I haven’t heard our team laugh so loud as a group before – so many thanks for that!
Amanda Watts, Head of Human Resources, Kent Messenger Group

It is with great pleasure I am able to extend my thanks for an absolutely first class performance from our recent charity evening in Spalding.  We had 331 people attend on the night itself and prior to the event, I was constantly questioned to "who's this John Simonett character?" After the event all I have heard is "What a fabulous choice"!  Not only did you capture the mood of the evening, I believe you made it! You also completely captured the audience as well, mesmerising them with your ability and skill to recall individuals from memory. 
In my opinion you had a very difficult task by following our surprise the "three waiters", but not only did you manage to follow them successfully you became the main conversation point for days afterwards.  Speaking from personal experience I know how difficult it can be to please my customers, so on that basis you have clearly over achieved! I will be recommending your services to all and sundry as easily the best after-dinner speaker I have seen in all the years I have been involved in organising or attending functions, with a very refreshing and uniquely delivered performance. 
Once again I sincerely thank you for a first class performance and look forward to meeting you again in the not too distant future.
 Chris Mizen,  Profit Centre Manager, Edmundson Electrical Ltd

I'm writing on behalf of the President to pass on his thanks and also to pass on the numerous accolades that I have received about your performance at our Heads of Faculties conference - you were truly terrific! Not only did you manage to strike exactly the right tone (admittedly not always easy with a large group of senior academics!) but the message whilst pertinent was delivered in an imaginative  and humorous manner - which made it all the more enjoyable.
 Dr Jacqueline Henshaw, Office of the President & Vice-Chancellor, Manchester University

Thank you so much for all the hard work and preparation you put into your session at our senior management away day.  Feedback so far has been very positive - a wide variety of words have been used to describe you - all very good! 
 Lynne Milne, North Lanarkshire Council

From note pushed under hotel room door at 2 a.m. (!):
Simo - feedback at the bar after your speech was absolutely phenomenal!! Everyone loved you!! Well done and MANY MANY thanks!
David Chapman, Head of Operations, Civil Aviation Authority Safety Regulation Group

John - more feedback from last night - absolutely outstanding!!! No-one had less praise than that for you - I was in awe of you!!!!!  You must be very pleased. Robert Webb stated that he wants to book you for a BA Board meeting!! (I hope my 10% is in the post!!!!!!)  Well done and thanks again - simply brilliant!! 
David Chapman, Head of Operations, Civil Aviation Authority Safety Regulation Group

We were very pleased to have your excellent services and I can assure you that the feedback from our managers has been first class.  Mike was immensely pleased with your speech and the only problem for us now, is what are we going to do next time!! 
Tom Hamilton, Head of External Relations, Civil Aviation Authority Safety Regulation Group

Many, many thanks John for your excellent after dinner speech at our annual dinner. Lots of 'stories/jokes' that I have not heard before, brilliant memory recall and well presented audience participation!   You certainly lived up to my (high) expectations, and were the right person for 'my' dinner.  All the feedback I have received about the dinner has been complimentary, and it wasn't my speech they were referring to!
What will I do for next year.......!!
Andrew Dawson, Chairman, Bournemouth Insurance Institute

Thank you so much for your contribution to our sales conference. What can I say? We have had many speakers over the years but nobody has received the ovation you did. Everyone is still talking about you and will continue to do so. 
Brett Williams, Marketing Director, Sandvik Coromant

following fourth appearance at 3663 Foodservice golf dinner in 6 years (July 2006):
Well, well - another brilliant performance yet again to an enthralled audience at The Welcombe on Thursday last topped off a great day for all our guests. Thanks for really pulling it out of the bag John - even with the lateness of the hour, your performance was as polished as ever. (OK enough of the luvvies bullshit - great to see you again and v. well done in finishing off a smashing day for us all!!)
Andrew Murray, Golf Day Organiser, 3663 Foodservice

We are still basking in the glory of what many reckon was the best dinner in a good many years, and it doesn't take a genius to work out this was largely due to you. John, you were absolutely superb. Through all the years I have seen after-dinner speakers I don't think I have seen anyone with such sharp humour, and who was so original, so topical and so thoroughly professional.
David Ross, Hon Dinner Secretary, Leeds Insurance Institute

What can I say - you were fantastic - so much so I have been telling everyone if they need an after dinner speaker then I will be more than happy to pass on your details - hope you don’t mind!   I have emailed out to all the guys for feedback and you have had such excellent feedback - 10 out of 10, excellent, fantastic, the best speaker we have ever had etc.
 Kind regards - and thanks again for so many laughs on the evening – my mascara was running!
Lee Nicholson, Axa Insurance plc

Many thanks for your input to our annual partner dinner at the Honourable Artillery Company. Initial response suggests it has been the best received to date and I hope that you felt that the guests greatly appreciated your offerings. I will have no hesitation in making further recommendations and have already passed your details on in this respect.
Ewan M. Cresswell, Partner, Integra Loss Adjusters

Thanks for your considerable contribution to the success of our recent open day. You were an absolute knock-out with our guests, combining humour with on-message business observations.
John Swain, Group Sales and Marketing Director, Plasmor

It was a delight meeting you and I would like to thank you for coming up to our conference at Lumley Castle. I hope you enjoyed yourself as much as everyone enjoyed your after dinner speech. I must say that your approach of 'the man from the FSA' was fantastic and certainly had them fooled for a good few minutes. Everyone, without exception, felt that you were excellent and especially the "doubting Thomas'" of the group were well and truly won over. I think they were amazed that you joined them in the bar afterwards as well. The feedback was exceptionally positive and they all felt that it was an extremely good end to an unusual evening.
Helen Collins IFA Marketing Manager, Liverpool Victoria Intermediary Division.

I am still getting e-mails from people who enjoyed the evening with you - congratulations on the exceptional performance you gave!  We are looking forward to welcoming you to Zurich again for another Swiss Re event! 
Antoine Kissenpfennig, Swiss Re, Ruschlikon, Zurich

Many thanks for the very fine address you gave us at our luncheon on Thursday.
I always know the pleasure it gives us in the office when we provide our clients with a travel experience beyond their expectations. Well, I would like to say to you that you provided an experience beyond my expectation, and I am almost certain that goes for all those present. Without exception, I received positive responses; and the question "where did you find him"! I appreciate all the detailed hard work and preparation that I could see you put into your presentation. John, I shall say no more. I think you will realise that it goes without saying how grateful I am.
Andrew Drakesford, Chairman, Travel Luncheon Club

Thank YOU! John. Your speech went down SO well. I was watching people's reactions and faces and they were all enthralled! Everyone one I spoke to had enjoyed themselves immensely - and Richard and I are basking in the reflected glory! I don't believe Richard will ever doubt my decisions in the future - something I'm looking forward to capitalising upon! Very best wishes, and thank you for doing such a professional job.
Sylvia James, Property Assistant, Travel Inn

Hi John: You went down an absolute storm at the Xplor Document Handling conference...a bit like a monsoon at the end of the wet season in India....! No I jest, as usual you were terrific, I know you always have a concern about people having seen you before but I have seen you 4 times in past years and I laugh and cry as much now as I did that first experience. I knew you would be a success to the gathering - it just took me 2 years to convince them!
John B Tippett, Business Development Manager, Ventura UK

I just wanted to say thank you for coming to the Island to speak at the dinner last week. Everyone enjoyed themselves and we have received a lot of good comments (really for you). It was as always very professional and completely entertaining. I will let you know if I find any more willing but new audiences.
Lilian Boyle, Manx Insurance Association

Following Scottish Newspaper of the Year Awards Dinner:
Just spoken to Susannah and she is raving about your performance last night. The feedback they have had has been excellent and very positive, so now you know Daniel felt coming through the ordeal!
David Meehan, David John Associates (booking agent)
 
Hi John, Thank you so much for last night. I spoke to David Meehan this morning and asked him to let you know how delighted we were. Both last night and this morning I received lots of positive feedback on your speech and Scottish and Universal newspapers were also asking for your details.   In the meantime, have you any friends as I am already quizzing David on who I can get to follow you for next year?!
Susannah Moore, Organiser, Scottish Newspaper of the Year Awards

Just a quick note to thank you for your efforts on Thursday. Your speech went down extremely well and rounded off the evening perfectly! 
Kate Goodings, Newcastle Law Society

Just a note to say I thoroughly enjoyed your "presentation" - it was fascinating to see a true master at work, someone at the peak of his craft. What I found particularly interesting was how much you seemed to be enjoying it yourself, that seems so important to me and would be the reason I would seriously consider speaking more, I do enjoy doing it. As to the conference itself, you really topped the event off and made it complete and nicely rounded for Tarmac, well done.
Allan Trayes, Consultant and fellow conference speaker,
Tarmac Senior Management Conference

Just a note to say thank you very much for your splendidly outstanding contribution to our conference. It was the talk for the rest of the evening - everyone saying how funny, witty and entertaining you were, and pondering how you knew who everyone was and where they were from, and even what they were thinking. Once again many thanks. I look forward to the pleasure of inviting you to be our guest speaker again in the future.
Glenys Nettleship, RDL Distribution
 
John, just a quick note to thank-you for last night.  I can safely say that you were very well received and I have had nothing but positive feedback this morning.
Janette Jones, Ernst and Young, Scotland

What a triumph! You really wowed them! I have never heard an after-dinner speaker go down so well at any insurance industry event - ever. Many thanks for an absolutely superb performance.
Alan Cleary, Stand and Deliver Speaker Agency

Thank you for your participation at our conference at the Belfry - the feedback we have received so far has been great. 
Carolyn Kelly, Spring Group plc (Recruitment)

from fellow Spring Group plc conference speaker:
Your presentation was by far the best I have ever seen and just my luck to have to follow you!! Your delivery and engagement of the audience were brilliant! 
Neil Laughton, Director, Office Projects Ltd.  

The feedback from our customers was that the product launch event at Turnberry was a great success and I'd just like to thank you for your help in making the evening so enjoyable.
Derek Hill, Marketing Services Director, Weir Pumps Limited

from letter to booking agent:
Dear David
I understand you arranged the three speakers for our recent dealer meetings.
All three speakers performed very well and we would certainly recommend them to others. The pick of the three was John Simonett with his very unusual mix of humour and memory. I thought our comments might be useful.
Colin Mustoe, Director, Senator Furniture

Thank you for your excellent contribution to our conference dinner in Malaga on Wednesday. The feed back from the audience has been very positive - you amused and entertained them, and received thumbs up all round.  I hope we have the opportunity to work together again in the future.
Pauline Hill, Head of Marketing, Finning Material Handling

Thank you so much for your fantastic performance in hosting the European Office Products Awards in Frankfurt.  Your unique blend of humour and audience observation was a total hit with our delegates and we have had an overwhelming response to the event. Once again, thank you for making the first awards evening at Paperworld such a great success.
Lisa Rollaston, OPI Conferences
 
Many thanks once again for a super evening at the Belfry. Both on the night and especially the next day I received numerous positive comments about your speech.  You hit just the right tone with great humour. What was particularly pleasing was how you were able to remember and single out so many individuals. Much appreciated. Will certainly be recommending you in the future. Well done.
John Phipps, Managing Director, Dunelm Mill (Soft Furnishings)

John,
Just a quick note to say thanks again for your speech to our Head Office staff in Rotterdam last Thursday.  It was a real pleasure to see you in action again, and hitting all the right hot spots.  It was a very successful evening for EyeOpeners, and also Logistics – clear evidence since that we knocked down some barriers!
Thanks and sincere best wishes.
 Peter Ward,  Director Europe, P & O Nedlloyd Logistics

Thank you for a great performance as our guest presenter at the Graham sales conference in Huddersfield last Thursday afternoon. You left the place absolutely buzzing! The Graham people were very impressed with the amount of Triton detail you put into your presentation (as was I).  We succeeded with our objective to be factual, entertaining and memorable.
Trevor Applegate, Sales Director, Triton Showers

Just a personal line to thank you so much for your contribution to our annual dinner in Southampton last Friday.  The after dinner delivery itself was excellent, and as you know, we were at a new venue for the dinner, with some 100 more than last year.  As a council member, I heard nothing but praise for the event from those who had mastered the combined act of still being able to stand and be coherent (not that many in reality!). In particular, they were all delighted with your own unique contribution.
Ian Ritchie, Dinner Organiser, Southampton Insurance Institute

From letter to Booking Agent who engaged John at the above event:
Alan,
Just to let you know privately what a success John was last Friday.  I had no idea what to expect, and he did a very good ‘after dinner presentation’. The unexpected delight was when he went into, first, the memory routine, even to the extent of noting people who had moved seats!  The audience was absolutely captivated.  It was just brilliant, and I will recommend John to anybody looking for a last man up. As a Council member, I had nothing but positive feedback from members regarding venue, quality of food, service etc, but most importantly, as far as you are concerned, on John’s performance.
Ian M Ritchie ACII   Dinner Organiser,  Southampton Insurance Institute

Many Thanks indeed for a tremendous performance at the Demonstrators
Conference dinner.  Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the evening and commented about your amazing abilities at various times during the Wednesday session.
Jane Kingsbury-Webber, Customer Liaison Manager, Aga Rayburn

From Booking Agency following client dinner for Arco Ltd:
Thank you! It would appear that you had an excellent night!  The phone has been red hot this morning.  The following are a few quotes for you today!
‘Very entertaining’   ‘terrific’    ‘best we have ever had’    ‘Excellent’ !
Thank you so much – your skill to incorporate so many names into the time available, with such humour has drawn great comment.  Greatly appreciated and most important of all, thoroughly enjoyed by all the guests.
 Dianne Hepworth,    Nimbus Solutions International Ltd
 
Hope you are very well, many thanks for all your help on 8th May, it was a
fantastic day, and we've had lots of good feedback from people who really enjoyed your lunch speech especially!
Janine Parry, Conference Organiser, Reed Employment

Cheers John
Great job, well read, certain to work together again.
Sam Goodwin, Kensington Mortgages

Many thanks for your speech at our client dinner - you were terrific!!  The feedback on your performance was outstanding. We really did appreciate your performance which most definitely helped bring about a very successful night.      
Barry Smith, Chief Executive,   Fortis Insurance

Thank you so much for Friday night - the evening went fantastically well and people were very impressed with your memory ability! I don't think anyone was quite expecting what they got! I'll be speaking to Kevin later in the week, and will be sure to pass on our praise!
Natalie Wing,  Exhibition Operations Manager, Faversham House Group Ltd
 
Thank you so much for your speech at our Awards dinner at Enginuity on Thursday night. I have received nothing but excellent feedback from everyone involved.  
Maxine Burgess, Aga Rayburn

John, Thanks for the great job on Monday evening in Lisbon.  I have had many positive comments all day today.  
Jamie Cooper, Conference Organiser, Pro Clarity plc

John, I really enjoyed your after dinner appearance at the University of the Highlands and Islands IT Conference in Nairn earlier this year. Possibly the finest after-dinner experience yet!  Thank you. One of my business interests is Chairmanship of a "family" of four hotels near Glencoe, West Scotland.  It would be wonderful to invite you to a management "think tank" event . . . please contact me to discuss your availability.
Laurence Young, Chairman, Freedom of the Glen Hotels
 
John: Let me first thank you for your great contribution to our Worldwide Managers Conference in Geneva - all feedback received from your five workshops on Staff Motivation has been excellent!  You added a lot of value and I am thankful that I was able to convince you to come and join us and to lead the workshops.  
Daniel Dannenmann, Vice President Global Training, Quality Assurance & Standards, Ramada International Hotels & Resorts

Thank you for your presentations at our recent conference in Malaga. From the feedback forms both the conference keynote on creativity and your after-dinner speech went down very well.   Once gain thank you for a truly wonderful couple of presentations.
Jeff Whiteway, Managing Director, Oyez Straker Office Supplies

Hi John: Thank YOU for your speech at our supplier dinner at Chewton Glen - you certainly added to the success of the evening. Everyone was amazed at the way you remembered the names at each table!  It was truly a great performance - thanks again.
Sue Gregory, Administration Officer, Westland Transmissions Limited

Hello John
Just wanted to extend my thanks again for your presentation on Creative thinking at our away day yesterday.  Business Directorate colleagues thought you were brilliant!  Everyone had a great day and most suggest it was the best away day ever.  Hopefully, you will get repeat business from it too!
Louise Holliday, Bioscience Cluster Lead, Yorkshire Forward

Just a note to say a huge thank you for yesterday!  It was fantastic and just what we wanted - I think you could gather from the applause that everyone thoroughly enjoyed it; you don't often get that sort of response at a service provider’s conference I can tell you!!! The whole day was thoroughly successful, very very positive and we had so many positive outcomes from it we were practically overwhelmed. Thank you!
Val Lewis, Community ICT Advisor, Switch on Shropshire

Thank you for your help in hosting the Nucare conference and for all the work you put into making our event run as smoothly as it did. Your gluing techniques worked well. All our members enjoyed the whole weekend - let's hope they can put some of the ideas we floated into good practice. 
Alan Turner, Conference Organiser, Nucare Pharmacies

From note by audience member to her manager (copied to John):
I attended a dinner last night and the after dinner speaker was excellent. I was extremely impressed by his professionalism and by the way he engaged the audience and kept our attention in an original and entertaining manner, while also delivering the key messages on behalf of the organisation. He reminded me of the effective presentation style of the Red Arrows team that Prudential used at the BT event at Gleneagles, as they also delivered the important messages, in a captivating manner. He would be ideal for any of our future conferences.
Katharine Nicholson, Business Transformation, Prudential
Following Electronics Scotland conference at Gleneagles (attended by Scottish First Minister)

Thank you for an absolutely splendid job at Gleneagles last night. The feedback was tremendous, and people thoroughly enjoyed your performance.   
Ashley Evans, Conference Organiser, Electronics Scotland

On behalf of our President Caroline and our Institute I would like to say thank you for your excellent speech at our annual dinner. A good speaker treats the audience as friends in his living room, and that was just how it seemed last night. This being your third appearance those of us who have 'experienced' you before thought we knew what to expect, but I think it is right to say that you excelled and surpassed previous occasions. If I have any influence, you will one day be invited to come down again to Exeter to provide us with more laughter, intrigue and friendship.
Nigel Hook, Secretary, The Insurance Institute of Exeter

John, many thanks for your speech at our sales conference. Everybody is still talking about it, and the whole thing worked better than we could ever have expected - all credit to you!   Keep well and good luck in the future.    
Simon McPherson, Sales Director, Kronos Systems Ltd

John - May I add my thanks from Kronos for your contribution to our sales conference to those expressed by Simon McPherson earlier. The whole event was a huge success - here is a quote from one of the team who really wasn't keen on attending at all and had to be talked into it by Laura: 
"I think the highlight which so many people have talked about was the after dinner speaker. That was a real novelty and superbly executed!"
Your attention to detail and preparation was obvious and everyone was totally surprised. Our MD was very nervous about the prospect of having an after dinner speaker - but as it turned out he was thrilled. Many thanks again.      
Kate Westaway, EMEA Marketing Manager, Kronos Systems Ltd

Hi John, Thanks for a great night at our dealer conference. We all found you fascinating and very much enjoyed your speech. I've never had so many 'pats on the back' for choosing a good after dinner speaker! Thank you!        
Keith Child, Isuzu Truck

Dear John, Wow! We could not have wished for a better finish to our golf day at Hanbury Manor last week.  Top Job...thank you!!     
Angus Taylor, Technology Desking

Dear John, Thank you for a tremendous couple of performances on Friday. The morning session on Presentation Skills for our regional Presidents was extremely well received and the participants have said that we should continue our relationship with you so that we can have similar sessions in the future. The evening session for 350 diners has gone down with everyone as the best after-dinner speech that they have attended. Well deserved. When I met you in Aberdeen I was of the same view and it’s always good when a recommendation works in a different situation. The amount of work you put into each presentation is impressive and certainly yielded great benefit for all.
Richard Glenister, Director General, Pipeline Industries Guild

Dear John, Just a brief line to thank you for speaking at our annual dinner on the 14th October 2005. As you may expect, we always seek feed-back from the guests after the event and we are delighted to confirm that this was all very positive with regard to your own participation. The room was extremely warm, the wine was freely flowing and yet you managed to keep the attention of your audience until almost midnight - no mean feat.  I just wanted to add my personal thanks for playing such an important role in what was a thoroughly successful evening.
Chris Clarke ACII, President, BIIBA South West

Thanks again for an excellent performance last Friday - you never cease to amaze me with that memory of yours. It’s always a great help to the organiser to have a true professional such as yourself as the main speaker.
Barry Blakely, Dinner Organiser, BIIBA South West

Thank you for the wonderful ‘Business Address’ you gave at our client dinner last Friday. You caught the mood of the evening exactly right with a wonderful blend of humour and audience participation. Everyone left on a high and the evening has created immense value in promoting the name of Nat West in the local business community.    David Russell  Corporate Director, Nat West

Thanks for your excellent presentation during our Sales conference last week. Your professionalism, delivery and sense of humour caught the mood of our conference exactly and made a big contribution to our overall success.
Paul Harris, Sales Director, Hays Chemical Distribution

We all enjoyed your contribution to our sales conference. I would specifically like to thank you for the motivational and business related aspects of your performance which were very relevant.
 Bob Parsons, Revenue Sales Manager, Arjo Mecanaids

Thank you for another wonderful performance last night. It must have been a difficult audience with different nationalities who didn’t all know each other. I thought you pitched it perfectly and my overseas colleagues all told me that their customers had a thoroughly enjoyable evening.
Nick Rawlings, European Marketing Manager, 3M Healthcare

We were subjected to some “real magic” by our mystery guest speaker John Simonett, who cleverly wove our project vision into his talk.  It was very entertaining and emphasised the important messages we were trying to get over far more memorably than anything else we could have done!
Editorial,  Shearwater Project Newsletter, Shell Exploration

I have been to a number of dinners and have never seen any after-dinner speaker receive a standing ovation. It really was a most memorable evening for which I thank you enormously.
Nigel Hayden, Chairman, British Insurance and Investment Brokers Association

Your performance at our Senior Management dinner party was quite outstanding. The best bit for me was watching their faces drop when I introduced you as the after-dinner expert on the Maastricht Social Chapter. Priceless!
Andrew Cosslettt, Managing Director, Cadbury Schweppes Ltd

 Absolutely magic! Your performance at our Annual Dinner in Harrogate last week was the story of the conference and congratulations poured in from all our guests afterwards.
Chris Law, Classified Advertisements Manager,  Daily Mail

A huge thank-you for the part you played in hosting this year’s sales conference which was the most successful to date. Feedback has been very positive and everyone was impressed by your enthusiasm and professionalism.           
Denise Howden, Conference Organiser, Scottish Power

The speaker at our Sales Conference last year was good, but your performance at St. Pierre last night was simply brilliant. Your ‘presentation’ was one of the most professional and accomplished I have ever seen.
Peter Hannett, Sales Promotion Manager, Armitage Shanks Ltd

“We have used many showbiz ‘names’ at our various conferences and I can honestly say that in my 15 years with the company I don’t think anybody has entertained us more effectively or humorously than yourself”
Ian Pritchard, Trade Marketing Manager, Elida Faberge

 Thank you for your splendid contribution to the Database Marketing Seminar. The day was just beginning to drift into that familiar conference tedium when you stepped out to smack the audience between the eyes – it transformed the day. The whole lunchtime atmosphere bubbled when it could have been quiet.
 Russell Logan, Conference Chairman, British Direct Marketing Association

Just a note to thank you for your excellent after-dinner ‘speech’ last week. I was well aware of your skills as an entertainer and was most pleased at your ability to come ‘in disguise’ as a speaker on marketing services.
David Rice,   Marketing Manager, Schindler Lifts Ltd.

Thank you for the excellent performance you gave to our sales team at Coventry. The fact you were fully five minutes into your speech before they began to realise you were not from ‘Head Office’ is a tribute to your professionalism.
John Jackson,  Managing Director, Brooke Bond Foodservice Ltd

Thank you for a splendid and stylish after-dinner performance at Weston Park recently. Our Chief Executive had wanted me to organise something different and memorable and you didn't let me down! Your fine verbal delivery, linked to our company and the individuals present, certainly gave us our money's worth!
Peter Evans, General Marketing Manager, Staffordshire Building Society

The feedback I have had following your after-dinner speech at our conference last week is that your performance was viewed as brilliant. From my point of view we could not have chosen a better entertainer for the occasion, both in terms of the quality of your speech and the way you conveyed our own ‘quality’ theme.
Mike Abrahams,  Logistics Manager,  3M (UK) Ltd

John. You did an excellent job for us last Wednesday evening -  we’ve had some great feedback.  Glad you enjoyed it!
Sam Hunt, Events Manager, National Builders Merchants Society

As I am sure you will have realised we all thoroughly enjoyed the entertainment which you provided on Saturday evening. It made a very welcome change from the 'heavier' type of after-dinner speeches the Institute often arranges!
John Whiting, President, The Institute of Taxation

When the people in the room are your own community you tend to focus all the more on ensuring the meeting achieves all it's objectives. Despite all the conferences and major events I have been involved with, this one bothered me more! However knowing you were closing the event on our behalf was tremendously reassuring, and all of our expectations were exceeded yet again.
Gerard Moore, Executive Director, Human Resources, St Jame's Place (formerly J. Rothschild Assurance plc)

From a letter to booking agent:
Please pass on our thanks and appreciation to John Simonett for his contribution to our development days. He was a great success. The comments have included: 'Brilliant!' ; 'Funny and Informative' ; 'Refreshing and Entertaining' . His contribution was obviously substantial to what I regard as having been some very productive days.
Iain Russell, Director and General Manager, The Assessment Network Ltd

John, thank you for being the core of one of the best ever MPMA annual dinners. You generate an interesting array of reactions - amusement, awe, amazement - and that's without delving any further into the alphabet! We were absolutely delighted with your contribution to the evening and I hope we have the opportunity of working with you again.
Nick Mullen, President,  Metal Packaging Manufacturers Association

At our annual dinner for 450 people, the star was undoubtedly John Simonett who I had not heard speak before. He gave one of the most dazzling displays I have ever witnessed - fluency beyond belief, humourous, attention grabbing and holding, and his ability to memorize dozens of names of people in the audience was astonishing!
Mike Rainey, The Insurance Institute of Southampton (writing to booking agent)

Thank you once again for your first class performance at The National Maritime Museum in Aberdeen last Monday. We were delighted with the response to the launch of our new product and there is no doubt that your presentation was the highlight of the evening for many of our guests.
Emma Hendry, Administration Manager, Nautronix Ltd (Offshore Technology Group)

I cannot begin to congratulate my self for inviting you to speak at Friday's lunch! It was a fantastic success, and you made it! We have had so many calls to-day thanking us for such a brilliant "do" - everyone commenting on your incredible skills.
Alison Cumberland, Overseas and Development Director,
Wood and Pilcher

 It is a great comfort to an event organiser to know that they can rely absolutely on an after-dinner speaker, and you met our expectations to the full. Everyone to whom I have spoken on the subject was greatly impressed and amused, and you clearly hit just the right note.
Peter J. Maskell, Chief Executive, British Health Care Association

Lloyds TSB Feedback:
This section contains feedback from the organiser and delegates following delivery of 10 x 90 minute training seminars entitled “Restless Curiosity” (on Creativity and Innovation) to 800 Lloyds TSB senior management attendees:

Many thanks once again for a brilliant week.  As you know we have had excellent feedback and the event has been another success - a great high to finish the year on!
Sharon Blake, (Conference Organiser)Developing Managers & Leaders, University for Lloyds TSB

Firstly may I take this opportunity to thank you for your excellent presentation at yesterday's LTSB Management workshop.  I found your delivery style and approach very refreshing, and thoroughly enjoyed the session.  I would like to take you up on your offer of sending me a copy of the presentation slides you were using.            Geoff Mifflin, Manager, CCSU, LTSB Asset Finance Division

John: Firstly let me start by saying how much I enjoyed your presentation at the Lloyds TSB Leadership Development Week.  It was both thought provoking and entertaining. I was also wondering if it is possible to have a copy of your slides.
Tracey Williamson, Regulated Sales Development Manager,  LTSB

Hi John: Firstly can I thank you for a terrific presentation last Friday. I find it really valuable to get an external perspective and relate this to the work I do with LTSB. It's refreshing to think there are a number of small changes anyone can make that could have a big impact in the job they do. You also offered to share your slides and I was wondering if this was something that could be emailed to me? I've spoken to my colleagues and I'd be keen to let them see something of what the day was like.   
Chris McNeill, Customer Development Manager, LTSB

John: I attended last Friday's session at the University for LTSB and was hoping that you could send me the slides that you used.  Thoroughly enjoyable by the way!
Andreas Subryan, Strategic Planning Manager, LloydsTSB autolease

John, Thanks for a great presentation last week - to keep peoples interest for 1¾ hours is pretty skilful! There is quite a bit of your presentation that I would like to revisit, would you please send it to me so that I can read it again.
Hector Young, Smartsourcing Manager, Lloyds TSB Bank plc

John, I was at your Lloyds TSB event on creativity in Leadership last week and wondered if you could forward a copy of your slides? (Thoroughly enjoyed your session by the way!)
Lynne Swash, Manager, Network Communications, Lloyds TSB

Hi John: I attended one of the LTSB seminars at the Solihull management college in June, (very good by the way) would you kindly send me a copy of the presentation?
Kevin Eynon, Delivery Manager, Distribution Customer & Sales, LTSB

Further feedback for keynote presentation “Restless Curiosity” - from 100 senior Managers of the Kent Messenger Group ( a regional Multi media company employing 800 in the South East of England encompassing 20 newspapers, 7 radio stations and an internet portal)

Hi John
As requested please find below feedback comments from your presentation (as
you can see it was very well received!), also attached is the overall feedback summary which will be sent to delegates.
Many thanks again
Melanie Turner, Training Manager, Kent Messenger Group

 <>
John Simonett
Informative - 86%
Interesting - 95%
Worthwhile - 89%
Section left blank - 0%

Collated comments about John Simonett from Delegate Feedback Forms:
"Lively, thought provoking and entertaining"
"Kept everybody interested and made his point actively. It was very enjoyable."
"Excellent! Bring back next year!"
"Inspiring and motivational."
"Challenges thinking."
"Fascinating and mind expanding."
"Excellent presentation."
"Highly enjoyable as well as thought provoking."
"Excellent, thoroughly motivational."
"Excellent and highly motivational."
"Funny, clever and very interesting."
"Re-think all assumptions!"
"Excellent presentation, well done on finding him."
"He made me ask questions of myself and really think about what my  KM's purpose is."
"Excellent! I loved every minute. Proves humour is extremely important in work."
"Made you think and kept the day on a high."
"Super - very thought provoking."
"Excellent, very motivational."
"Good interaction, lively."
"Very different!!"
"Fantastic! Interactive without pressure or embarrassment, time went really quickly."
"Very entertaining."
"Excellent stimulation."
"Off the seat stuff! Brilliant, very absorbing."
"Awesome."
"Highly amusing and thought provoking"
"Good fun but also useful."
"An excellent presentation - enjoyed it!"
"Intelligent delivery."
"Fantastic session - highly amusing, great speaker."
"Great approach, good interaction, very interesting."
"Very entertaining - can he join our monthly team meetings?"
"Entertaining and opens your mind. Challenging status quo."
"Really fun speaker."
"All aspects interesting, relevant – and fun"

 Feedback from conference delegate, following keynote speech with "corporate impostor" introduction as "Compliance Director of the Health and Safety Executive" !  January 2008:

 Dear John, 
 Thank you, Thank you and Thank you again for one of the funniest presentations - for it was a lot more than a speech - that it has been my privilege and pleasure to witness.  It was fantastic!  I was absolutely "hooked" on the wrong line with your opening ......then the relief as you revealed your true self and gave an outstanding performance with amusement and entertainment containing so many core management messages for the assembled audience.  Believe me when I say it takes a lot to keep the SAPCA Crowd quiet and so enthralled as you clearly did on Monday.  It really was mesmerising at times and I would be grateful to know where I can access some of the photographs and other images you used as I just know my colleagues in the office will not believe me if I attempted to tell them about what I had seen!    Roger Davis, SAPCA delegate

September 2008:   John is also particularly proud of the following note - from a former pupil of his who now runs a Pub! John was asked to speak at the village cricket club dinner which was held in the Five Mile House at Duntisboure Abbotts in the Cotswolds (purveyors of fine Ales and excellent food!):

"Anything I say is going to come across as rather an understatement, so please take the following and multiply it by at least 100.  I know I'm speaking for all those there on Saturday, when I say we thoroughly enjoyed your speech. You have a real gift for keeping us all enthralled, entertained and amused, as proved by the lack of heckling!  It's not often any of my locals are kept entertained for more than two minutes, let alone all of them at once for the best part of an hour. Your blend of memory and humour is fantastic, it was as though you've spent the last ten years sat in the bar, and then condensed all the best bits into one long joke. Truly amazing."                 Jo Carrier, Proprietor, Five Mile House, Duntisbourne Abbots