SBP sports

Words from the Winners

Craig Macgregor is one of those fortunate people who has turned his passion into his profession. From a background in the high-pressure world of advertising sales for Network Ten, Craig established Sports Bureau Promotions (SBP) His business has prospered and more recently he acquired Sports Speakers Booking Agency, which has an impressive cross-section of over 40 speakers featuring household names from all sporting codes. The sports celebrities have the depth and flexibility to not just entertain, but to address many specific areas and important issues relevant to your team or workplace. We asked him to tell more about his business.

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Q: How does SBP Sports Speakers differ from a regular speakers bureau?
CM: SBP Sports Speakers differs as we specialise in the sports speaking industry only. Australians love sports heroes and would give up any moment just to hear our sports people perform and listen to their past/present achievements that entertain and inspire us all. These are some of our company core valves:

• Going Beyond Expectations
• Integrity in Everything We Do
• Take Responsibility for Your Outcomes
• Attention to Detail.

Q: How many events do you provide speakers for a year?
CM: My short-term goals this year will be to average of five to 10 presentations a month, mainly targeting the corporate market, sporting events, local sporting clubs/organisation.

Q: What do elite sportsmen or women have to offer the business or association meeting?
CM:
• Our company core values
• SBP Sports Speakers credentials
• Professionalism

Q: How does a sportsman or women come to be represented by your company?
CM: I’m in the process of building more high profile names to the business everyday, I’m working towards a small stable of SBP athletes who will represent the business based on their credentials, the way they engage/entertain the team/ workplace, their professionalism and most importantly supporting our company’s core values.

Q: What are your five top tips for event planners choosing a speaker from SBP Sports Speakers?
CM: My five top tips for events planners are as follows:
1. Theme: What is the purpose of your event?
2. Message: What is the desired message or response you wish to generate to your audience/event?
3. Budget: It’s very important to get a clear understanding on how many dollars they have too spend for the event. Often SBP put forward three options of speakers to choose from
4. Venue: The look/room size/ how many people/ audiovisual or production requirements?
5. Target Audience: What are the demographics of the audience? What’s their age are they a senior management, factory worker etc.

Q: How do your speakers remain fresh and interesting? Do you monitor their performance in anyway?
CM: Every SBP speaker who represents the company will always remain fresh and interesting, they will always add new issues/point of difference to each talk. I like to monitor their performance, as each event reflects on SBP. I always make sure I’m in contact with the event organiser and their choice of SBP speaker pre and post the event.

Q: Is there much interest for para-Olympians?
CM: Not to date, but I do welcome any para-Olympians to contact our company wishing to come onboard in the near future. It’s great to have a broad range of SBP speakers that represent difference in sporting codes.

Q: Who are some of your sports talent available to the meeting planner?
CM: AFL:, Stan Alves, Sam Kekovich, Tom Hafey; Horse racing: Glen Boss, Peter Hutchinson, Roy Higgins, Simon Marshall; Cricket legends: Mark Taylor, Rodney Hogg; MC/Compere: Candice Falzon, Helen Kapalos, Sandra Sully, Tiffany Cherry, and others such as Li Cunxin, author of the top selling Mao’s Last Dancer.

Athlete Profile

Candice Falzon has represented Australia in Iron Woman competition, a gruelling sport that requires mental and physical toughness second to none. The determination Candice needs to push herself through it is breathtaking.

“If you don’t do the hard work and the training, you’re not going to be at the top of your level,” she explains.

“You have to remind yourself of all the early mornings. You don’t get up at that time for nothing.”

When Candice is not competing or training, she is an in-demand model. Her love of life, bubbly personality and stunning good looks has resulted in her becoming ‘The Face’ of Running Bare sportswear, Rival Swimwear and Infiniti Fitness. With her pictures posted all over Australia, Candice has created an awareness of women in professional surf life savings.