To Whom It May Concern:
In June, I booked Marti MacGibbon to be the keynote speaker at the Junior League of Cincinnati’s inaugural Sustainer Forum. On October 6, she held the sold-out audience in the palm of her hand as she shared her story as a survivor of human trafficking.
The attendees ranged in age from mid-30s to late 70s and her message was relevant to all. The Q&A segment – in which she and a FBI Special Agent shared the podium – demonstrated that there was something for everyone in Marti’s story. Some were asking questions because they’re grandmothers, others because they have adolescent children, still others because they’re volunteers and they heard Marti’s call to action.
During the four months between booking Marti and welcoming her to Cincinnati, I found her to be amazingly responsive to my requests for information, promotional materials, etc. I could tell before she arrived that she would be an engaged presenter.
And, she was! From the moment she arrived, she was ‘working the crowd.’ In fact, she was every bit the hostess the twelve members wearing “Hostess” ribbons were! The attendees commented on her accessibility and vibrant personality. After her remarks, I noticed that she was huddled with one of the venue’s servers who obviously had sought her counsel. (Interestingly, all of the
venue’s staff – male and female – sat down for the program!)
In the three days since Marti’s presentation, I have received scores of emails from appreciative attendees. Some excerpts from a few of those messages: “The speaker was amazing.” “The speaker shed important light on a very difficult issue.” “The presentation was heart rending, but gratifying to see her leading a new life helping others out of her former hell.” “The guests were most interested in the topic which was certainly evidenced by the number of questions. In fact, we would have been there another hour with questions had you not called it a night when you did.” “What an incredible speaker and event!!!!”
Marti MacGibbon’s message is one everyone should hear. We were honored to feature her as our inaugural presenter – we could not have made a better selection.