Artistes of the Month

Also featured: Tracy Edwards, Stuart Turner

Previous months

David Domoney

David is a familiar face on TV. He is the resident garden designer on ITV1's This Morning, was a regular on Carol Vorderman's Better Homes, and is a regular guest on House of Horrors, House Auction and Gardeners from Hell.

However, his passionate energy goes beyond his television appearances to captivate audiences worldwide as a celebrated Awards Host and Guest Speaker at corporate conferences and events.

The former Procurement Controller at blue-chip companies including Texas Home Care and Boots Do It All, David Domoney is one of the very few professional speakers who can combine the glamour and presence of a television personality with being a distinguished corporate presenter who can deliver commercial acumen. From research right through to delivery on stage, he is entertaining and inspiring, setting an upbeat and perfect tone for any occasion.

Conference Speaker
As a conference speaker, David interweaves entertainment with a motivating and inspiring message that will not only educate your delegates, but also stimulate them into action. His subject include:

• focussing on how developments and hot issues in the media affect your business
• the changing retail landscape
• the customer of the future
• body language

Clients have included HSBC, Dupont, Aggregate Industries, British Hardware & Houseware Manufacturers' Association and Government bodies around the world.

Awards Host
As an awards host, David takes charge of any audience with his charismatic stage presence peppered with his humorous points of observations relating to the event. Not only is he entertaining, he will add a special sparkle of showbiz glamour to your awards dinner.

Away from the limelight he runs a successful garden design business in Warwickshire and lists motorbikes, and gardening as interests.

Click here to see David's online Video Showreel

Previous months

Tracy Edwards

Tracy wrote the story of her record-breaking Whitbread voyage, and the book Maiden was published in 1994 and remained at number one in the book chart for 19 weeks.

Tracy Edwards came into sailing by an unconventional route. Her father died when she was young and her mother travelled the world as a ballet dancer. She was expelled from school at 15 and began sailing as an on-board cook. Tracy overcame chronic sea-sickness to become a professional Sailor in 1980 and embarked on her first Whitbread Round The World Race 1985-86 as a crewmember on "Atlantic Privateer" which came 1st on the Cape Town - Auckland leg.

Following her success with Maiden, Tracy set to consolidate her position as one of the world's top sailors by entering Trophy Jules Verne in 1998 again with an all female crew.
This yachting trophy is for the fastest circumnavigation around the world with no stopping and no outside assistance. She was well on course for the record for more than half of their route, but was thwarted by treacherous seas off coast of Chile and her mast snapped in two. During the attempt Tracy and her team broke 7 world records.

Tracy retired from round-the-world sailing two years later when pregnant with daughter MacKenna, and published her second book "Living Every Second". She then decided to turn her attention to organising round the world sailing events, and the development of a formal governing body for Multihulls with championship tables and rules.

In 2003 she set up Quest International Sports Events and signed a £6million sponsorship deal with the Crown Prince of Qatar to create two round-the-world races and a marina complex. HSBC sponsored the first event to the tune of £3million. The Oryx Quest 2005 was a huge success and created $46m worth of press coverage for the gulf state. However, Qatar refused to pay Tracy the £8million she had borrowed to facilitate the event and pay the teams to enter. Qatar also refused to pay the $1million prize money. Quest consequently went into receivership and Tracy was forced into bankruptcy in September 2005.

Having been discharged in September 2006, Tracy is now rebuilding her life, consulting for companies doing business in the Middle East, doing motivational and teambuilding presentations and pursuing legal action against Qatar. She won her first case in Qatar in 2006.

She regularly gives her time for charity work and is Patron of The Ahoy Centre, Ambassador to the NSPCC working with CEOP (Child Exploitation and Online Protection) and Ambassador of One Parent Families. Tracy also supports The Lady Taverners and The Prince's Trust.

Tracy is a unique speaker having experienced not only the upsides of winning but also the devastation of taking a calculated risk that resulted in financial ruin. She speaks eloquently and is disarmingly open about success and failure. The biggest lessons in life are learnt when things go wrong and Tracy's story of battling against the odds to survive is poignant and truly revealing.

Possibly the most extraordinary and horrifying part of 2005 for Tracy and her family were the 28 days that Tracy was held against her will in Qatar whilst the authorities tried to force her to sign a waiver exonerating them from the sponsorship. Tracy refused to sign, exhibiting the strength of character, fearlessness and tenacity that have characterised her sailing projects. Her refusal to sign and her fighting spirit ensured that legal action against Qatar could commence in the hope that she, her team and event suppliers can one day be compensated.

There are many lessons to be learned from Tracy's experiences of massive successes and devastating failure. In addition, Tracy has lost none of the sparkle and humour that audiences warm to and make her one of the most inspirational speakers of today.

Previous months

Stuart Turner

He also headed a special Ford Factory marking performance cars before becoming Director of Public affairs. He was later given responsibility for Ford's race and rally programmes across Europe, working with senior executives from many business disciplines in every country in Europe. He took Ford to European and World Championships.

Stuart also worked for two years with Castrol as Publicity Manager. So as well as team building he is well qualified with wide practical experience to talk about both quality and customer service.

He is still heavily involved in the sport as a Council member of the governing body in the UK, and as chief executive of the Motorsport Safety Fund, a registered charity working the keep the sport sage.

He is the author of over twenty books on motorsport and business, which have been publicised in several languages, including The Public Speaker's companion, Public Speaking in Business, Practical Sponsorship, A Guide to Public Relations and Planning and Organising Business Functions.

Stuart is well qualified to talk about teambuilding because of his practical experience in building world-beating teams for not one but tow manufacturers - and in one of the most fiercely competitive arenas there is: Motorsport. Stuart is able to lecture about teamwork during a daytime conference with a leavening of humour or build relevant teambuilding points into an entertain after-dinner speech and winner of the coveted Benedictine After Dinner Speaker Award
Press comments on his team building abilities include:

Stuart has addressed audiences ranging from a dozen to over 2000 and has worked for many international groups - his record to date is 27 different nationalities in an audience of 48!

"Your sense of humour was greatly appreciated by everyone, but within this humour you managed to instil some very important points which were well noted by everyone present."

"Stuart Turner's professionalism and organising ability have wielded a group into the world's most feared and formidable team."
Daily Telegraph
"The top team manager regarded with awe by competitors abroad."
Sunday Telegraph

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Further Information

For further information or for a copy of our latest speaker booklet please phone one of our consultants whose expert advice will help you find the right personality for your event.