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ABOUT BILL CLENNAN, THE DEAN OF SPEAKERS

Why do they call Bill Clennan - The Dean of Speakers?

Since 1969 more than 10,000 audiences have been captivated by the high energy, brilliant insights, and contagious humor of the man who has become known as THE DEAN OF SPEAKERS, Hall of Fame inductee Bill Clennan.   The Hall of Fame, a lifetime achievement award, is the highest awarded designation of the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers (CAPS), primarily recognizing excellence on the platform; it also considers success, longevity, ethics, and contribution to the industry and community at large.  In 1998 Bill was a founding member of BC Chapter of CAPS and in the same year served as a member of the CAPS National Board of Directors.

Bill’s signature topic is Memory and he believes that, “Inside all of us lies unlimited potential.”  A professional speaker for more than 35 years, Bill has traveled the world, compelling people to commit time, energy and resources to improve the performance of the most immediate of all business, social and intellectual skills.  He has addressed over 10,000 audiences in Canada, the United States, New Zealand, Ireland, the French Riviera, and Portugal as well as aboard cruise ships.  In any given year, Bill likes to play 200 rounds of Golf, give 200 speeches and believes that if you can remember how it felt on the best day of your life, you can feel that way anytime. 

This remarkable career began in 1968, while studying philosophy at The University of Calgary.   Bill Clennan wrote a term paper on Remembering Names and Faces. His professor wanted proof that these techniques would actually work before giving Bill the honours grade he needed to receive to continue his studies. Bill proved it would work by speaking at a local Rotary Club, thinking that if he could remember the names of 20 or 25 of the members of the Rotary it would substantiate his claim that the techniques were valid, Bill amazed himself, the Rotarians, and sufficiently impressed his professor that he got an honours grade on the paper and in the class. One of the Rotarians was so impressed he asked Bill to teach his entire sales and public contact staff how to boost their skills for remembering names and faces of their customers. This seminar was so successful, and so much fun that soon demands from other businesses and associations began taking much of Bill’s time. He stayed at the University of Calgary for one more semester, and wrote another paper on how to remember information.  This technique is now called Instant Memory. Here are just a few highlights of his memorable career on the road to The Speakers Hall of Fame:

1975  NATIONAL SPEAKERS ASSOCIATION - Inaugural Convention:  the president Dr. Carl Winters gave up fifteen minutes of his presidential address because he felt, the young speakers attending would be motivated by Bill’s example of how to secure a record number of speaking engagements through enthusiasm, persistence, and having exceptional speaking skills.

1978  SEMINARS INTERNATIONAL:   Larry Darling, President;  hired Bill Clennan, already regarded as Canada’s most prolific speaker, to share the platform with Earl Nightingale, and Dr. Norman Vincent Peale. There were more than 2,500 people in attendance, and they rated Bill’s seminar as the most effective take home tools, and his style as “the most fun and captivating.”

1988 NATIONAL AUTOMOBILE DEALER’S ASSOCIATION:  Convention with 27,000 delegates and 78 speakers. Only one speaker had a higher ranking than Bill Clennan and only one seminar was rated as more valuable than Instant Memory.

1992  CANADIAN SOCIETY OF ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVES: Delegates at the Annual Convention gave Bill Clennan the highest rating of any of their speakers.

1995  NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF PRINTERS AND LITHOGRAPHERS:  President Joe Truncale wrote to say “Wow, another record  setting performance by Bill Clennan The Memory Man.”

1996  CANADIAN RESTAURANT AND FOOD SERVICES ASSOCIATION:   “Couldn’t have been any better… you scored a perfect rating from all the attendees.”

1999  AMCEA:  “What can I say? You put on a hell of a show at the 46^th annual AMCEA  conference in Cleveland.” Robert C. Riggleman, CCE, President

2000  BC ARBITRATION & MEDIATION INSTITUTE:  “OOPS - I Forgot, was an outstanding  success… very valuable for new and seasoned practitioners.”

2001   BC ASSESSMENT EDUCATIONAL SEMINAR:  “Your session Instant Memory received a good or excellent rating from 99% of attendees”.

2003  PRUDENTIAL REALTY, …”presentation… effective and entertaining.  It’s obvious why they call you, The Dean of  Speakers.”

2004 EMPIRE LIFE ANNUAL CONFERENCE, Lisbon 2004  “I would happily refer you to any organization interested in taking its sales people, its management or its executives to higher levels of performance in these vital areas. You are a class performer and we thoroughly appreciate your style and presence.”

         MILLION DOLLAR ROUND TABLE - Top of the Table,  Naples FL:   Main Platform & Focus Session "I have had the privilege to hear many speakers over the years and Bill ranks right up there with the  best.  His message is delivered with passion, knowledge and depth.  I thoroughly enjoy listening to Bill and always find his message inspiring."

2005 CAPITAL HEALTH ALBERTA, EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT DAYS