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	<title>Corporate Magician, Infotainer, Professional Speaker &amp; Event Entertainer : Marcel</title>
	
	<link>http://www.corporatemagician.co.za</link>
	<description>Unforgettable Presentations &amp; Captivate Audiences For Corporate Events</description>
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		<title>Magic at the “Bobs For Good” Spring Ball!</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CorporateMagician/~3/GH2g-A00gHs/magic-at-the-bobs-for-good-spring-ball.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.corporatemagician.co.za/blog/news/magic-at-the-bobs-for-good-spring-ball.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:20:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Marcel Oudejans</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bobs For Good Foundation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[charity ball]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[entertainment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Groot Constantia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[magic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spring Ball]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[I&#8217;ll be one of the guest performers at the Bobs For Good Foundation Spring Ball! About the Spring Ball: It started with Bob and Ron’s idea to bring friends and colleagues together in Johannesburg to have a small charity ball and to tell their guests about the Bobs for Good dream: To provide shoes for [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>I&#8217;ll be one of the guest performers at the <a id="aptureLink_HUzHEL8o4b" href="http://www.bobsforgoodfoundation.org/">Bobs For Good Foundation</a> <a id="aptureLink_1llCbJAlLe" href="http://www.springball.co.za/">Spring Ball</a>!</strong></p>
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<p><a href="http://www.springball.co.za"><img style=' float: left; padding: 4px; margin: 0 7px 2px 0;'  class="size-medium wp-image-3761 alignleft" title="Bobs For Good Foundation" src="http://www.corporatemagician.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/logo1-300x285.png" alt="Bobs For Good Foundation" width="300" height="285" /></a><span style="text-decoration: underline;">About the Spring Ball:</span></p>
<p>It started with <a id="aptureLink_l3Vq1qn9ZA" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby%20Skinstad">Bob</a> and Ron’s idea to bring friends and colleagues  together in Johannesburg to have a  	small charity ball and to tell  their guests about the Bobs for Good dream: <strong>To provide shoes for  every child  	in South Africa who has to endure physical and social  torment because their families cannot afford this luxury</strong>.  	The event, of course, went down in history and helped spread the word of  	<a href="http://www.bobsforgoodfoundation.org/" target="_blank">Bobs for Good</a>.  	It also inspired guests to get out there and do more good for people less fortunate.</p>
<p>A year later, Bobs for Good has a  	<a href="http://www.bobsforgoodfoundation.org/about-us/meet-the-team" target="_blank">dedicated team</a>,   	a new office for 6 passionate staff, a successful fundraising  campaign under its belt and importantly,  	there are nearly 7000  children walking proud in their new shoes, thanks to Bobs for Good.</p>
<p>With all the achievements and amazing people we’ve met on our  journey, we’ve decided to celebrate in style  	by hosting our 2nd annual  charity Spring Ball. This year, Bobs for Good is bringing the Ball home  to  	Cape Town &#8211; <a id="aptureLink_7jBdi8sWzz" href="http://www.simons.co.za/">Simon’s at Groot Constantia</a> was the undoubted  	choice to host the glitzy occasion, set in the lush  Constantia Wine Valley and surrounded by the mountain and vineyards,  	 the perfect setting to welcome in Spring.</p>
<p>Bobs for Good has named this year’s edition &#8216;<em>Welcome Back Blue Skies</em>&#8216;  to promote our new brand look and feel –  	a bright, fresh, sky blue  set on a new cleaner, more playful logo and neutral background to  represent the earth  	of Africa that children walk barefoot on. And of  course, let’s celebrate the fact the suns shines a whole lot  	more in  September!</p>
<p>The Bobs for Good Charity Spring Ball is one not to be missed. The  team are working around the clock to  	ensure you are treated to a night  of special guests, top live performances, relaxing on the  	rooftop  balcony with delicious welcome drinks and meet amazing people who have  helped make our achievements happen.  	Enjoy gorgeous food,  complimentary wine all evening, win fabulous prizes in our small  auction,  	delight in the detail of spectacular decor and let the good  times flow. We won&#8217;t mention everything just  	now, we want to get a few  surprises in!<em><strong><a href="http://www.corporatemagician.co.za/section-corporate-event-services/section-performance-options/interactive-magic-entertainment">(Spoiler Alert: I&#8217;ll be performing magic for all the guests throughout the evening!)</a></strong></em></p>
<p>The celebration kick starts at 6.30pm so come hang out with us on the  rooftop balcony  	overlooking the mountains and vines, get your photo  taken with our team and browse the small  	exhibition we’ve made to  showcase our work so far.</p>
<p>So get your dancing shoes ready and your &#8216;touch of blue&#8217; and <a href="http://www.springball.co.za/tickets/">book your ticket</a> now! All funds raised  	from ticket sales, donations and the auction  will be used to put shoes on the feet of children across South Africa in   	our national campaign (tour), <strong>Shoesholoza</strong>, next February 2011. The Shoesholoza campaign  	is a national equivalent of  	<a href="http://www.bobsforgoodfoundation.org/2010/02/walk-this-way-campaign/" target="_blank">Walk This Way</a>,   	a provincial campaign held in February this year, that put over 5000  pairs of brand new school shoes on children  	from all over the Western  Cape.</p>
<p>Join the Bobs for Good team and help continue their rewarding work by  celebrating the doing of good at  	their charity Spring Ball: Welcome  Back Blue Skies. Grab your friends or bring a date or buy a table to  entertain  	your clients. The more the merrier and its all for good.</p>
<p><em><strong>Originally posted on <a href="http://www.bobsforgoodfoundation.org/2010/06/bobs-for-good-annual-spring-ball/" target="_blank">http://www.bobsforgoodfoundation.org/2010/06/bobs-for-good-annual-spring-ball/</a></strong></em></p>
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<div id="_mcePaste" style="position: absolute; left: -10000px; top: 0px; width: 1px; height: 1px; overflow: hidden;">It started with Bob and Ron’s idea to bring friends and colleagues together in Johannesburg to have a small charity ball and to tell their guests about the Bobs for Good dream: To provide shoes for every child in South Africa who has to endure physical and social torment because their families cannot afford this luxury. The event, of course, went down in history and helped spread the word of Bobs for Good. It also inspired guests to get out there and do more good for people less fortunate.</p>
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<p>A year later, Bobs for Good has a dedicated team, a new office for 6 passionate staff, a successful fundraising campaign under its belt and importantly, there are nearly 7000 children walking proud in their new shoes, thanks to Bobs for Good.</p>
<p>With all the achievements and amazing people we’ve met on our journey, we’ve decided to celebrate in style by hosting our 2nd annual charity Spring Ball. This year, Bobs for Good is bringing the Ball home to Cape Town &#8211; Simon’s at Groot Constantia was the undoubted choice to host the glitzy occasion, set in the lush Constantia Wine Valley and surrounded by the mountain and vineyards, the perfect setting to welcome in Spring.</p>
<p>Bobs for Good has named this year’s edition &#8216;Welcome Back Blue Skies&#8217; to promote our new brand look and feel – a bright, fresh, sky blue set on a new cleaner, more playful logo and neutral background to represent the earth of Africa that children walk barefoot on. And of course, let’s celebrate the fact the suns shines a whole lot more in September!</p>
<p>The Bobs for Good Charity Spring Ball is one not to be missed. The team are working around the clock to ensure you are treated to a night of special guests, top live performances, relaxing on the rooftop balcony with delicious welcome drinks and meet amazing people who have helped make our achievements happen. Enjoy gorgeous food, complimentary wine all evening, win fabulous prizes in our small auction, delight in the detail of spectacular decor and let the good times flow. We won&#8217;t mention everything just now, we want to get a few surprises in!</p>
<p>The celebration kick starts at 6.30pm so come hang out with us on the rooftop balcony overlooking the mountains and vines, get your photo taken with our team and browse the small exhibition we’ve made to showcase our work so far.</p>
<p>So get your dancing shoes ready and your &#8216;touch of blue&#8217; and book your ticket now! All funds raised from ticket sales, donations and the auction will be used to put shoes on the feet of children across South Africa in our national campaign (tour), Shoesholoza, next February 2011. The Shoesholoza campaign is a national equivalent of Walk This Way, a provincial campaign held in February this year, that put over 5000 pairs of brand new school shoes on children from all over the Western Cape.</p>
<p>Join the Bobs for Good team and help continue their rewarding work by celebrating the doing of good at their charity Spring Ball: Welcome Back Blue Skies. Grab your friends or bring a date or buy a table to entertain your clients. The more the merrier and its all for good.</p>
</div>
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		<title>Amazing Light Show Magic</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CorporateMagician/~3/c9j49iXvAkQ/amazing-light-show-magic.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.corporatemagician.co.za/blog/magic-tricks/amazing-light-show-magic.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 30 Aug 2010 23:22:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Marcel Oudejans</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Magic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Illusion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[magic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[real magic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ukranian light show]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.corporatemagician.co.za/?p=3754</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This has to be the closest thing to real magic that I&#8217;ve ever seen before &#8211; this would be fantastic to see &#8216;live&#8217;! (Just wait until the 0.50 mark for the fun and illusion to begin&#8230;)]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;">This has to be the closest thing to <em>real magic</em> that I&#8217;ve ever seen before &#8211; this would be fantastic to see &#8216;live&#8217;! (Just wait until the 0.50 mark for the fun and illusion to begin&#8230;)</p>
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<div style="margin: 0pt auto; text-align: center; display: block; padding: 0px 6px;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7p9gA0CUIg" target="_blank"></a></div>
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		<title>How I’ve found my Flow in Magic and Business</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CorporateMagician/~3/aci-oke4zow/how-ive-found-my-flow-in-magic-business.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.corporatemagician.co.za/blog/news/how-ive-found-my-flow-in-magic-business.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 26 Aug 2010 17:21:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Marcel Oudejans</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business speaker]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Csikszentmihaly]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[effective marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[finding flow]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marketing seminars]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[seminar speaker]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.corporatemagician.co.za/?p=3728</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Over the past few months I’ve been spending my time starting a new business – something that I’ve been wanting to do for some time but have never found the right opportunity for.  That was until I met my business partner Christoff Oosthuysen last year: he’s a successful business developer and coach who has already [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a rel="lightbox" href="http://www.corporatemagician.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Marcel-Oudejans-presenting-Flow-Marketing-1024x7221.jpg" title="Christoff Oosthuysen"><img style=' float: right; padding: 4px; margin: 0 0 2px 7px;'  class="size-medium wp-image-3729 alignright" title="Marcel Oudejans presenting the Flow Marketing Seminar" src="http://www.corporatemagician.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Marcel-Oudejans-presenting-Flow-Marketing-1024x7221-300x211.jpg" alt="Marcel Oudejans presenting the Flow Marketing Seminar" width="300" height="211" /></a>Over the past few months I’ve been spending my time starting a new business – something that I’ve been wanting to do for  some time but have never  found the right opportunity for.  That was until I met my business partner <a id="aptureLink_4o62Z4hxFt" href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/christoff008">Christoff Oosthuysen</a> last year: he’s a successful business developer and coach who has already started and sold several small companies. We immediately found that we complemented each other&#8217;s personalities and skills, and so decided to take a concept that I’d already been working on much, much further&#8230;</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">That doesn’t mean I’m not performing as a magician anymore!</span> Quite on the contrary: it’s actually a great benefit to this new business <img src='http://www.corporatemagician.co.za/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' title="How Ive found my Flow in Magic and Business" />   The way we see it, I need to continue doing what is in my ‘flow’ (more about this in a minute) and use my talents and skills as a performer and speaker to produce exciting, fun and valuable presentations that will give our clients something that they simply can’t forget. (On that note,<a href="http://www.corporatemagician.co.za/section-corporate-event-services/promotional-information">if you are planning a corporate event that needs to be extra-special and unforgettable, click here to find out how I can work with you&#8230;</a>)</p>
<p>What do I mean by ‘flow’? Well, Christoff and I have become huge advocates of the concept of <a id="aptureLink_xwpkW1XxQJ" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow%20%28psychology%29">flow</a>, as defined by <a id="aptureLink_sSfFeIVCfm" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mihaly%20Csikszentmihalyi">Prof. Mihaly Csikszentmihaly</a>. He’s spent over 30 years researching and <a id="aptureLink_NOK0LIuIh6" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0465024114?tag=apture-20">publishing books</a> on how we can become happier in the work that we do, experiencing a sense of enjoyment and bliss while we are using our skills in a challenging and fulfilling way.  In fact, it’s been found that when we regularly experience this sense of flow that we are able to achieve goals seemingly without much effort, have less stress, and find a greater sense of purpose!</p>
<p>Well, I don’t know about you but that certainly sounds like something for me: in fact, this is what I experience every time I perform magic for an audience.  I have a process, a system, that I&#8217;ve rehearsed to a point of unconscious competency so that every trick I perform seems to work &#8216;auto-magically&#8217;. Every trick is basically a combinations of moves and tools that ‘automatically’ produce a result; it&#8217;s also a good name for a solution that makes everyone go “WOW! How’d you do that?”!</p>
<p>And while you may be very interested to know how a trick is done, it&#8217;s not a very practical skill. I&#8217;m pretty sure that you wish you could &#8216;use magic&#8217; in your business every day &#8230; who wouldn&#8217;t?</p>
<p>That&#8217;s why I&#8217;m now the proud co-founder of <a id="aptureLink_JtULNixuG3" href="http://www.flowfinders.com/">Flow Finders International</a>! We aim to help our customers achieve their goals by doing more of what they love doing, while their teams and systems look after the rest.  While we have the opportunities to apply our knowledge and experience to solve a range of business problems, we&#8217;ve decided to focus on a single issue right now: how to grow your business by getting more customers.</p>
<p>Or, as we like to put it: <strong>&#8220;<em>We help you grow your business by attracting the customers you&#8217;re meant to serve.</em>&#8220;</strong></p>
<p><a rel="lightbox" href="http://www.corporatemagician.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Marcel-Oudejans-presenting-the-Flow-Marketing-Seminar.jpg" title="Flow Marketing"><img class="size-medium wp-image-3741 alignright" style="margin: 10px;;  float: right; padding: 4px; margin: 0 0 2px 7px;" title="Marcel Oudejans presenting the Flow Marketing Seminar" src="http://www.corporatemagician.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Marcel-Oudejans-presenting-the-Flow-Marketing-Seminar-300x283.jpg" alt="Marcel Oudejans presenting the Flow Marketing Seminar" width="300" height="283" /></a>We do that through our product, <a id="aptureLink_m3z11yyHZb" href="http://www.flowfinders.com/what-we-do/flow-marketing">Flow Marketing</a>.  Whether you love marketing your business, or you think of it as something that you simply have to do, Flow Marketing is going make attracting customers so much easier.  That’s because it’s a simple concept that is easy to understand, but more importantly, quick and cost-effective to implement.</p>
<p>The feedback we get when Christoff or I explain Flow Marketing is also a “WOW” moment – it helps you see your marketing activities as a continuous ‘game’, with a set of ‘rules’.  This &#8216;game&#8217; we call the Flow Marketing Cycle and it makes a profound difference when you are a new marketing campaign (or evaluating an existing one).  Put simply, the Flow Marketing Cycle is used to set your objective and check whether you have all milestones in place to meet this goal.</p>
<p>It’s a process that I’m very excited about because it’s a great way to solve most of the marketing ‘problems’ that I’ve been approached to solve!<a href="http://www.flowfinders.com" target="_blank"></a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.flowfinders.com" target="_blank">I invite you to find out more</a> because I know that the concept of ‘flow’ will be beneficial both in your day-to-day work as well as the way that you grow your business by attracting new customers.</p>
<p>So remember, I&#8217;m still South Africa&#8217;s Corporate Magician &#8211; but now I can use my skill and expertise to help you grow your business &#8216;by magic&#8217;!</p>
<p>
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		<title>My Favourite Magicians</title>
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		<pubDate>Tue, 17 Aug 2010 18:05:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Marcel Oudejans</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Magic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bill Malone]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[David Williamson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[don alan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[favourite magicians]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Greg Wilson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[John Lenahan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mark Wilson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Michael Ammar]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Michael Close]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Paul Daniels]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Richard Osterlind]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tom Mullica]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Videos]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Often after a presentation or a performance, audience members will ask me what I think if David Copperfield/David Blaine/Derren Brown (who I all admire as excellent showmen), or who my favourite magician is. The problem has been that the magicians that I find amazing and who have inspired me are relatively unknown to the lay [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Often after a presentation or a performance, audience members will ask me what I think if David Copperfield/David Blaine/Derren Brown (who I all admire as excellent showmen), or who my favourite magician is.</p>
<p>The problem has been that the magicians that I find amazing and who have inspired me are relatively unknown to the lay public, particularly South African audiences.  South Africans have simply not seen enough world-class magicians to appreciate the talents, skill and techniques that are required to make magic <em>truly amazing</em>.</p>
<p>I&#8217;ve been studying magic since I was 8 years old, mostly from books but more and more from videos and DVDs. Obviously I can&#8217;t share these with my audiences &#8211; until I realized today that I can share videos of my &#8216;mentors&#8217; &amp; &#8216;idols&#8217; on my blog!</p>
<p>So here, in no particular order, are the magicians who have influenced by performances, my &#8216;tricks&#8217; and my love of the Art of Magic. I&#8217;ve also added some comments about how they influenced me, or what I enjoy most about their attitudes toward Magic. I&#8217;ve tried, where possible, to include each magician&#8217;s &#8220;signature&#8221; trick. Enjoy!</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Don Alan<br />
 </span>What I learnt: timing, motivation, being prepared, good clean fun</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><p><a href="http://www.corporatemagician.co.za/blog/magic-tricks/my-favourite-magicians.html"><em>Click here to view the embedded video.</em></a></p></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">David Williamson</span><br />
 What I learnt: Be silly &#8211; naturally, incredible skill can be hidden by hilarity, be the character, have fun!</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><p><a href="http://www.corporatemagician.co.za/blog/magic-tricks/my-favourite-magicians.html"><em>Click here to view the embedded video.</em></a></p></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">John Lenahan<br />
 </span>What I learnt: Who you are off-stage is far more important that who you are on-stage, &amp; never give up on your hopes &amp; aspirations. John is a warm &amp; sincere individual who always has a smile on his face! He spent a month in Cape Town in 2009, we spent many evenings together &amp; I&#8217;m proud to consider John one of my very good friends&#8230;</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><p><a href="http://www.corporatemagician.co.za/blog/magic-tricks/my-favourite-magicians.html"><em>Click here to view the embedded video.</em></a></p></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Michael Close<br />
 </span>What I learnt: Even if you have skill it shouldn&#8217;t be more important than the magic effect.<br />
 (<a href="http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/that-reminds-me-finding-the-funny-in-a-serious-world/2404202">He&#8217;s also a hilarious joke teller&#8230;</a>)</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><p><a href="http://www.corporatemagician.co.za/blog/magic-tricks/my-favourite-magicians.html"><em>Click here to view the embedded video.</em></a></p></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Mark Wilson<br />
 </span>What I learnt: Without Mark&#8217;s book, I would not be a magician today. When I first started performing, 80% of my tricks was from his book. Ironically, <em>right now</em> is the first time I&#8217;ve <span style="text-decoration: underline;">ever</span> seen him perform &#8230;</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><p><a href="http://www.corporatemagician.co.za/blog/magic-tricks/my-favourite-magicians.html"><em>Click here to view the embedded video.</em></a></p></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Bill Malone<br />
 </span>What I learnt: Connecting with your audience is as much a part of the performance as the &#8216;trick&#8217; itself.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><p><a href="http://www.corporatemagician.co.za/blog/magic-tricks/my-favourite-magicians.html"><em>Click here to view the embedded video.</em></a></p></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Richard Osterlind</span><br />
 What I learnt: Magic of the Mind doesn&#8217;t need to be serious to be seriously fun!</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><p><a href="http://www.corporatemagician.co.za/blog/magic-tricks/my-favourite-magicians.html"><em>Click here to view the embedded video.</em></a></p></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Paul Daniels</span><br />
 What I learnt: It&#8217;s called &#8220;Show <em>Business</em>&#8221; for a reason &#8230; (and never work with animals). I met him when I was 20 &amp; even then he was willing to give me such sage business advice.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><p><a href="http://www.corporatemagician.co.za/blog/magic-tricks/my-favourite-magicians.html"><em>Click here to view the embedded video.</em></a></p></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Banachek</span><br />
 What I learnt: Performing with conviction is the secret to belief. When I spent a few days with him, I found him to be very thoughtful &amp; deep &#8230;</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><p><a href="http://www.corporatemagician.co.za/blog/magic-tricks/my-favourite-magicians.html"><em>Click here to view the embedded video.</em></a></p></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Tom Mullica</span><br />
 What I learnt: If you have a unique skill, use it in your performance &#8211; nobody can copy you.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><p><a href="http://www.corporatemagician.co.za/blog/magic-tricks/my-favourite-magicians.html"><em>Click here to view the embedded video.</em></a></p></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Greg Wilson<br />
 </span>What I learnt: Do magic anywhere, anytime. I also had the good fortune to a week with Greg, and he is a wonderful, principled &amp; warm person!</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><p><a href="http://www.corporatemagician.co.za/blog/magic-tricks/my-favourite-magicians.html"><em>Click here to view the embedded video.</em></a></p></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Michael Ammar</span><br />
 What I learnt: The character you see on video is different to the real person. Once again, I had the fortune of spending time with Michael &amp; he&#8217;s such a nice guy!</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><p><a href="http://www.corporatemagician.co.za/blog/magic-tricks/my-favourite-magicians.html"><em>Click here to view the embedded video.</em></a></p></p>
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		<title>Use The Soccer Spirit To Re-Energize Your Staff!</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CorporateMagician/~3/AI0GF1ek9fU/soccer-spirit-re-energize-staff.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.corporatemagician.co.za/blog/promotional-offers/soccer-spirit-re-energize-staff.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 29 Jun 2010 20:56:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Marcel Oudejans</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Promotional Offers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[2010]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[company staff]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[customers for life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[infotainment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[motivational speaker]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[presentations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[productivity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[south africans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[world cup]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Wow!! What a&#160;way for&#160;Bafana Bafana to&#160;go out last week &#8230; By&#160;delivering a&#160;fantastic “WOW!” performance, our soccer team managed to&#160;win the&#160;hearts and&#160;minds of&#160;a&#160;country.  This is even more impressive when you think how many people even bothered to&#160;watch their previous games.  Ask any South African now and&#160;I’m pretty sure that they’ll say they’ll now continue to&#160;support Bafana! [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 210px;  border: 1px solid #dddddd; background-color: #f3f3f3; padding-top: 4px; margin: 10px; text-align:center; float: right;"><a id="aptureLink_1lJGTQtymX" style="float: right; padding: 0px 6px;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/snapeverything/4693052556/"><img style="border: 0px none;" title="Company staff celebrating Bafana Bafana!" src="http://static.flickr.com/4061/4693052556_167f6eddf2.jpg" alt="4693052556 167f6eddf2 Use The Soccer Spirit To Re Energize Your Staff!" width="200px" height="167px" /></a><p style=' padding: 0 4px 5px; margin: 0;'  class="wp-caption-text">Company staff celebrating Bafana Bafana!</p></div>
<p>Wow!! What a&nbsp;way for&nbsp;<a id="aptureLink_vKg3sc5ZiB" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South%20Africa%20national%20football%20team">Bafana Bafana</a> to&nbsp;go out last week &#8230; By&nbsp;delivering a&nbsp;fantastic “WOW!” performance, our soccer team managed to&nbsp;win the&nbsp;hearts and&nbsp;minds of&nbsp;a&nbsp;country.  This is even more impressive when you think how many people even bothered to&nbsp;watch their previous games.  Ask any South African now and&nbsp;I’m pretty sure that they’ll say they’ll now continue to&nbsp;support Bafana!</p>
<p>That’s what delivering a&nbsp;“WOW!” can do &#8230;</p>
<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800000;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>3 Great Things We Can Learn From South Africa’s Last Game In&nbsp;The&nbsp;2010 World Cup</strong></span></span></h2>
<ul>
<li><strong>United We Stand</strong> – by&nbsp;gathering an&nbsp;entire country and&nbsp;getting them to&nbsp;focus on&nbsp;one goal, you can make the&nbsp;improbable possible. Sure, we didn’t make it through, but can you imagine what could have happened if South Africans had started doing this several years ago? </li>
<li><strong>You Have To&nbsp;Find Your Flow</strong> – when the&nbsp;coach put the&nbsp;right players in&nbsp;the&nbsp;right place, we got more opportunities to&nbsp;score!  How often do you put the&nbsp;wrong players in&nbsp;the&nbsp;right place, or&nbsp;the&nbsp;right players in&nbsp;the&nbsp;wrong place? </li>
<li><strong>You Miss 100% Of&nbsp;the&nbsp;Shots You Don’t Take</strong> – finally we saw the&nbsp;strikers taking opportunities on&nbsp;goal, finding every opportunity to&nbsp;shoot towards goal.  We had 21 shots on&nbsp;goal, compared to&nbsp;France’s 10.  Twice the&nbsp;shots, twice the&nbsp;goals – <nobr>co-incidence</nobr>?</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>But while the&nbsp;World Cup as&nbsp;a&nbsp;sporting event is starting to&nbsp;draw to&nbsp;a&nbsp;close, the&nbsp;World Cup </strong><a id="aptureLink_T8rfQhFg6N" href="http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?click_id=4&amp;art_id=vn20100528125916710C138671&amp;set_id=">‘gees’</a><strong> (spirit) now needs to&nbsp;be converted into productive energy – so that you and&nbsp;your staff can use this energy to&nbsp;create a&nbsp;renewed commitment to&nbsp;making your business better!</strong></p>
<p>Let’s face it:</p>
<p>•    South Africa is hosting a&nbsp;<nobr>super-successful</nobr> tournament – <em>but most local businesses bared the&nbsp;brunt of&nbsp;decreased productivity</em>;</p>
<p>•    Businesses must now try to&nbsp;harness the&nbsp;energy and&nbsp;excitement that everyone experienced <em>and&nbsp;focus it into growing the&nbsp;business, increasing profits and&nbsp;decreasing customer dissatisfaction</em>;</p>
<p>•    Your staff need to&nbsp;use this inspiration to&nbsp;achieve success <em>without losing even more productive time and&nbsp;without spending hundreds and&nbsp;thousands of&nbsp;Rands on&nbsp;training</em>;</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800000;"><strong>What would your company do differently if your staff were inspired by&nbsp;a&nbsp;short (but highly effective) presentation that got everyone together to&nbsp;commit to&nbsp;delivering the&nbsp;“WOW!” service that your customers deserve?</strong></span></p>
<p>In&nbsp;the&nbsp;spirit of&nbsp;maintaining this amazing energy from the&nbsp;World Cup, <strong>I’m offering you a&nbsp;versatile and&nbsp;customizable presentation that is JAM PACKED with advice and&nbsp;tips that is certain to&nbsp;be remembered by&nbsp;you and&nbsp;your colleagues for&nbsp;a&nbsp;long, long time.  You’ll learn practical lessons and&nbsp;sage advice that everyone will be able to&nbsp;implement almost immediately.</strong></p>
<p>
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</p>
<p>Here’s what my&nbsp;previous customers have to&nbsp;say about my&nbsp;presentations:</p>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><p><a href="http://www.corporatemagician.co.za/blog/promotional-offers/soccer-spirit-re-energize-staff.html"><em>Click here to view the embedded video.</em></a></p></p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Andrew Ruddle</strong><br />
 <strong>Head of&nbsp;Product Marketing<br />
 Fairbairn Capital</strong></h3>
</td>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><p><a href="http://www.corporatemagician.co.za/blog/promotional-offers/soccer-spirit-re-energize-staff.html"><em>Click here to view the embedded video.</em></a></p></p>
<h3><strong>Anton Viljoen<br />
 Cape Town Sales Manager<br />
 Kuehne + Nagel</strong></h3>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;">
<p style="text-align: center;"><p><a href="http://www.corporatemagician.co.za/blog/promotional-offers/soccer-spirit-re-energize-staff.html"><em>Click here to view the embedded video.</em></a></p></p>
<h3><strong>Mike Russon<br />
 Managing Director<br />
 CT International</strong></h3>
</td>
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<p><br class="spacer_" /></p>
<p><em> </em></p>
<blockquote><p><span style="color: #000080;"><strong><em>“A&nbsp;huge ‘Thank You’ to&nbsp;Marcel &amp; the&nbsp;team.  I’ve received so many emails to&nbsp;say “Thanks” for&nbsp;such an&nbsp;amazing event &amp; all made possible by&nbsp;you!” – Inger Truter, BAT</em></strong></span></p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #000080;"><em>“Marcel’s  is worth every penny! His programme had our staff in&nbsp;awe, in&nbsp;fits of&nbsp;laughter and&nbsp;inspired them to&nbsp;work as&nbsp;one team &#8230; Thank you so much!” – Annemarie Heydenrych</em></span><br />
 </strong> <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong> </strong></span></p>
</blockquote>
<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800000;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>“Hang on&nbsp;a&nbsp;second Marcel, aren’t you still doing magic for&nbsp;events?”</strong></span></span></h2>
<p>Of&nbsp;course! I&nbsp;still love performing and&nbsp;will always be available for&nbsp;<a href="http://www.corporatemagician.co.za/section-corporate-event-services/section-performance-options/integrated-marketing-magic">product launches, roadshows,</a> <a href="http://www.corporatemagician.co.za/section-corporate-event-services/section-performance-options/corporate-entertainment"><nobr>year-end</nobr> functions and&nbsp;formal dinners</a>.<strong> That’s not important; what’s important here is that I&nbsp;can use my&nbsp;expertise as&nbsp;a&nbsp;dynamic and&nbsp;fun presenter to&nbsp;deliver a&nbsp;compelling message to&nbsp;any audience.<br />
 </strong><br />
 It’s what I&nbsp;call the&nbsp;3Cs: “Create the&nbsp;connection, Convey the&nbsp;compelling message, and&nbsp;Collect the&nbsp;results”. Remember this is what ‘Infotainment’ is all about – delivering a&nbsp;compelling and&nbsp;persuasive message using the&nbsp;art of&nbsp;entertainment.</p>
<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800000;"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">“Ok Marcel, it sounds good – but we simply don’t have the&nbsp;time!”</span></strong></span></h2>
<p>Right, that’s why I’ve kept this talk to&nbsp;a&nbsp;short 45-minutes!  Remember: just because training programmes are several days long doesn’t make them more important. Sometimes it’s the&nbsp;simplest of&nbsp;messages that make all the&nbsp;difference &#8230; don’t you agree?</p>
<p>The&nbsp;fact is, if you can’t get your staff together for&nbsp;a&nbsp;short but valuable session then you either do not have enough clients, or&nbsp;you have more than enough clients to&nbsp;keep you busy.</p>
<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800000;"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">“We’re interested! What next?”</span></strong></span></h2>
<p>Fantastic!</p>
<p>You can read up <a href="http://www.corporatemagician.co.za/section-corporate-event-services/section-performance-options/keynotes-presentations-motivational-speaking">more information about my&nbsp;speaking services here</a>, or<a href="http://www.corporatemagician.co.za/section-corporate-event-services/testimonial-letters">read more comments here</a>.  <a id="aptureLink_RCymLP5pDH" href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/7961056">And&nbsp;if you&#8217;d like a&nbsp;2-page &#8216;flyer&#8217;, I&nbsp;suggest you click here</a>.</p>
<p>We are working to&nbsp;a&nbsp;strict “First Come, First Served” policy.  That means that the&nbsp;longer you wait to&nbsp;confirm a&nbsp;date with me, the&nbsp;less likely you are to&nbsp;actually get your first choice.</p>
<p><a href="#">All you need to&nbsp;do is contact me with a&nbsp;date or&nbsp;two that suit you best.</a>  It’s that simple.  We’ll take it from there to&nbsp;provide you with information about how you confirm and&nbsp;secure your booking.</p>
<p>Isn’t that ridiculously easy?</p>
<p><a href="http://www.corporatemagician.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/inthemomentforthemoment.jpg" rel="lightbox[3283]" title="In The Moment, For The Moment&nbsp;&#8212; Marcel"><img style=' float: right; padding: 4px; margin: 0 0 2px 7px;'  class="alignright size-full wp-image-1983" title="In The Moment, For The Moment&nbsp;&#8212; Marcel" src="http://www.corporatemagician.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/inthemomentforthemoment.jpg" alt="inthemomentforthemoment Use The Soccer Spirit To Re Energize Your Staff!" width="353" height="125" /></a></p>
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		<title>Interviewed by "Izimvo" blog, adding my South African voice</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CorporateMagician/~3/GDe7hhoh3So/interviewed-by-izimvo-blog-adding-my-south-african-voice.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.corporatemagician.co.za/blog/in-the-media/interviewed-by-izimvo-blog-adding-my-south-african-voice.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 24 Mar 2010 10:36:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Marcel Oudejans</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[In the Media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[interview]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Izimvo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[personal profile]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[South African personality]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.corporatemagician.co.za/?p=3166</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Izimvo, the&#160;Zulu word for  ”our voices”, is a&#160;new blog focusing on&#160;every-day South African life. Founded by&#160;two proud South Africans, Shaun Trennery and&#160;Marc Forrest, Izimvo shares interviews with people from every walk of&#160;life. Questions asked of&#160;those featured on&#160;the&#160;site try and&#160;provide some insight to&#160;what life is like within this great country of&#160;ours. Marcel was kind enough to&#160;answer [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.izimvo.com/" target="_blank"><img style=' float: right; padding: 4px; margin: 0 0 2px 7px;'  class="alignright size-full wp-image-3167" title="izimvo_small" src="http://www.corporatemagician.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/izimvo_small.jpg" alt="izimvo small Interviewed by &quot;Izimvo&quot; blog, adding my South African voice" width="100" height="100" /></a>Izimvo, the&nbsp;Zulu word for  ”our voices”, is a&nbsp;new blog focusing on&nbsp;<nobr>every-day</nobr> South African life. Founded by&nbsp;two proud South Africans, <a id="aptureLink_dJGxpfr28S" href="http://twitter.com/shauntrennery">Shaun Trennery</a> and&nbsp;<a id="aptureLink_EMHduW1sbb" href="http://twitter.com/marcforrest">Marc Forrest</a>, <a id="aptureLink_JRHqfq99wP" href="http://www.izimvo.com/">Izimvo</a> shares interviews with people from every walk of&nbsp;life. Questions asked of&nbsp;those featured on&nbsp;the&nbsp;site try and&nbsp;provide some insight to&nbsp;what life is like within this great country of&nbsp;ours.</p>
<blockquote><p>Marcel was kind enough to&nbsp;answer the&nbsp;following questions:</p>
<p><strong>Q: The&nbsp;all important personal profile. How would a&nbsp;close friend introduce you at&nbsp;a&nbsp;social event? i.e. Name, age, company, interesting fact etc.</strong></p>
<p>A: Marcel, Corporate Magician &amp; Infotainer. “Marcel” is my&nbsp;real name: you’d be surprised how regularly people ask if it’s a&nbsp;“stage name”. I&nbsp;tend not to&nbsp;use my&nbsp;surname because either people don’t know how to&nbsp;pronounce it or&nbsp;they can’t spell it.</p>
<p><strong>Q: Tell us something that not many others know about you. This could be anything from a&nbsp;phobia to&nbsp;your favorite movie.</strong></p>
<p>A: I’m a&nbsp;qualified Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer &amp; worked in&nbsp;the&nbsp;IT industry as&nbsp;a&nbsp;technical support manager for&nbsp;3 years before going <nobr>full-time</nobr>. For&nbsp;the&nbsp;last 18 months of&nbsp;that job, I&nbsp;worked from 9 till 5 and&nbsp;performed in&nbsp;the&nbsp;evening at&nbsp;a&nbsp;restaurant from 9 till 12. I’ve been <nobr>self-employed</nobr> for&nbsp;just over 6 years now.</p>
<p>I&nbsp;hate thrillers, horrors and&nbsp;medical dramas – I&nbsp;can’t understand why people would watch stuff that makes you afraid! I&nbsp;reckon that since you only have limited time to&nbsp;watch TV or&nbsp;movies, you may as&nbsp;well watch something funny, educational or&nbsp;positive.</p>
<p><strong>Q: What do you enjoy doing when you want to&nbsp;get away from it all?</strong></p>
<p>A: Travelling with my&nbsp;family to&nbsp;the&nbsp;Garden Route, switching off all communications devices and&nbsp;doing as&nbsp;little as&nbsp;possible!</p>
<p><strong>Continue to&nbsp;read the&nbsp;rest of&nbsp;the&nbsp;interview at<br />
 <a href="http://www.izimvo.com/marcel-oudejans/" target="_blank">http://www.izimvo.com/<nobr>marcel-oudejans</nobr>/</a></strong></p>
</blockquote>
<p>Read more interviews with South African personalities such as&nbsp;<a href="http://www.izimvo.com/barry-hilton/" target="_blank">Barry Hilton</a>, <a href="http://www.izimvo.com/gary-player/" target="_blank">Gary Player</a>, <a href="http://www.izimvo.com/sasha-martinengo/" target="_parent">Sasha Martinengo</a> and&nbsp;<a href="http://www.izimvo.com/rob-vember/" target="_parent">Rob Vember</a> at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.izimvo.com/" target="_blank">http://www.izimvo.com/</a></p>
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		<title>Advice for Hiring Live Entertainment For Your Corporate Event Or Party</title>
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		<pubDate>Sun, 21 Mar 2010 11:52:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Marcel Oudejans</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Event Planning Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[In the Media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[corporate event planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[entertainment advice]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hiring live entertainment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[south african entertainment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[South African event resources]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.corporatemagician.co.za/?p=3141</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[How can you get the&#160;most out of&#160;your corporate event by&#160;using live entertainment? And&#160;what&#8217;s the&#160;best way to&#160;find a&#160;corporate event entertainer in&#160;South Africa? Here is an&#160;article I&#160;wrote that was published in&#160;the&#160;March/April 2010 edition of&#8221;Meetings SA&#8221; magazine that should help you answer these questions.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>How can you get the&nbsp;most out of&nbsp;your corporate event by&nbsp;using live entertainment?</p>
<p>And&nbsp;what&#8217;s the&nbsp;best way to&nbsp;find a&nbsp;corporate event entertainer in&nbsp;South Africa?</p>
<p>Here is an&nbsp;article I&nbsp;wrote that was published in&nbsp;the&nbsp;March/April 2010 edition of&#8221;<a href="http://www.3smedia.co.za/index.php?id=26">Meetings SA</a>&#8221; magazine that should help you answer these questions.</p>
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		<title>Sheraton Hotel Pretoria security left lacking &amp; service fails to satisfy</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CorporateMagician/~3/9MZXPokRXSc/sheraton-hotel-pretoria-security-left-lacking-service-fails-to-satisfy.html</link>
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		<pubDate>Thu, 18 Mar 2010 16:54:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Marcel Oudejans</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[crime]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hotel theft]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[insufficient security]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[poor service]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pretoria hotels]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sheraton Pretoria Hotel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sheraton South Africa]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[On Friday 5th March 2010, my laptop bag containing my laptop, BlackBerry, wallet, mobile office devices, iPod &#38; several other items was stolen from the Jacaranda Ballroom at the Sheraton Pretoria Hotel &#38; Towers.  The bag was stolen from a supposedly &#8220;safe&#8221; location: I made this (mistaken) assumption based on the reputation of the hotel and from seeing several security guards placed around the hotel lobby.  I found out the hard way [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a id="aptureLink_q4Z5jEvzXw" style="padding: 0px 6px; float: right;" href="http://www.south-african-hotels.com/images/sheratonpretoria/main.jpg" rel="lightbox[3112]" title="Sheraton Pretoria Hotel &amp; Towers"><img style="border: 0px none;" title=" ... Sheraton Pretoria bespeaks" src="http://www.south-african-hotels.com/images/sheratonpretoria/main.jpg" alt="main Sheraton Hotel Pretoria security left lacking &amp; service fails to satisfy" width="199px" height="160px" /></a>On Friday 5th March 2010, my laptop bag containing my laptop, BlackBerry, wallet, mobile office devices, iPod &amp; several other items was stolen from the Jacaranda Ballroom at the <a id="aptureLink_pWPeY5rinZ" href="http://www.starwoodhotels.com/sheraton/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=1136">Sheraton Pretoria Hotel &amp; Towers</a>.  The bag was stolen from a supposedly &#8220;safe&#8221; location: I made this (mistaken) assumption based on the reputation of the hotel and from seeing several security guards placed around the hotel lobby.  I found out the hard way that the assumption was wrong — the Sheraton Pretoria Hotel&#8217;s inability to respond in a satisfactory manner to a minor crime on their premises shows that they are not only unable to protect the belongings of guests &amp; delegates on their premises, but that they also refuse to accept the responsibility of keeping their property free of crime.</p>
<p>My objectives in this post:</p>
<ol>
<li>To express my anger and disappointment at how I was treated;</li>
<li>To get Sheraton Pretoria to change how it treats guests in similar situations in future;</li>
<li>To expose conference attendees to these dangers in ALL hotels;</li>
<li>To engage public debate in finding ways to combat crime in hotels, and in dealing with poor guest treatment by hotels in general and the Sheraton Pretoria in particular; </li>
<li>To ask Sheraton Pretoria to take responsibility for their side of this situation; and</li>
<li>To engage <a href="http://www.starwoodhotels.com/sheraton/index.html" target="_blank">Sheraton </a>and <a href="http://www.starwoodhotels.com/" target="_blank">Starwood Hotels</a> in a constructive discussion about how they can improve their service if and when such incidents occur in the future.</li>
</ol>
<p>I post below the email that was sent to the Sheraton Pretoria:</p>
<blockquote><p>To:</p>
<ul>
<li>General Manager of Sheraton Pretoria, Mr Joerg Limper</li>
<li>Head of Security, Sheraton Pretoria, Mr Brett Winter</li>
<li>Starwood Hotels &amp; Resorts (via website complaints form)</li>
</ul>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Regarding Hotel Security &amp; Service After Theft of Laptop Bag from Jacaranda Ballroom on Friday 5 March 2010.</span></p>
<p>On 5<sup>th</sup> March 2010, I was one of the speakers from the Momentum <nobr>Short-term</nobr> Insurance roadshow, which was hosted in the Jacaranda ballroom of the Sheraton Hotel, Pretoria.</p>
<p>After the presentation (at approximately 11h45), the delegates and speakers (including myself) moved from the ballroom to the courtyard immediately outside, for lunch.</p>
<p>Once lunch was completed, I went back to the ballroom to discover that my laptop bag was gone.</p>
<p>After reporting the incident to a staff member cleaning the room, it took approximately 15 minutes for a manager to arrive and ask if I needed help, or give me any explanation of what was going on. After explaining what happened, he promptly disappeared.</p>
<p>The sound engineer for our event, Jay from Jaykay Sound, who doesn&#8217;t even work for the hotel, seemed to know more about what was going on and helped me find the security control room to show me what was filmed by your security cameras.</p>
<p>Watching the security video was very revealing: the thief simply walked out with my bag at approximately 12h14. Not a single security officer or manager approached him as he was walking into the hotel, or out with my bag — a bag that he <span style="text-decoration: underline;">clearly</span> did not walk in with.</p>
<p>On the video, it was also plain and simple to see that the thief was completely out of place – by that, I mean that he was dressed far too casual to be a delegate, or even a guest of the hotel. He was quite clearly not supposed to be there, dressed in a bright red “Liverpool” <nobr>t-shirt</nobr> and khaki trousers.</p>
<p>My colleague spotted the thief during lunch and was suspicious of this character, but was unable to do anything as he was busy working with the delegates. He says he saw the perpetrator quite plainly walk up to the tables, dish up food, and eat with the delegates. This means he not only walked around the hotel past several security guards, but also several waiters and managers.</p>
<p>The contents of my bag included a laptop, BlackBerry, camera, electronic equipment and personal effects worth over R25 000,00. Fortunately for me, most of these items will be covered by my insurance, although I will need to pay in several thousand Rands in excess, and the time lost in replacing all these items. As the owner of my own business, which relies on access to my computer, my business is now also on hold until the items are replaced.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s one thing if this bag was stolen from a room – I can agree that room security is a guest&#8217;s responsibility. But this happened in a public area, and this is entirely your hotel&#8217;s responsibility. I&#8217;m looking for you and your hotel to accept this responsibility, to resolve this situation of my loss, and to make your security effective for future guests.</p>
<p>If it is not yet clear from this letter, let me express my extreme disappointment with the staff and service of your hotel:</p>
<ul>
<li>
<p>It took over 15 minutes for any 	manager to approach me.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>None of the staff bothered to take 	me to the control room to see the video, or into any office for that matter.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>It was only when I started taking 	the initiative and demanding assistance that any action was taken.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>In a matter like this, where time 	is clearly of the essence, it took my insistence to get the staff to 	call the police to report the incident and give a description. This 	took over 30 minutes from when we notified the staff. (We&#8217;re now 45 	minutes after the bag was stolen)</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>The only apology I received was by 	one of the managers. It was short and sincere, but I could tell 	that he was personally apologizing, and not on behalf of the hotel.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><nobr>No-one</nobr> bothered to take my contact 	details, or even ask my name for that matter. It was as if <nobr>no-one</nobr> 	cared at all, or had any intention of contacting me with further 	news. At no point did I feel confident that this issue was a priority for your staff.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>My wallet, containing all my cash, 	cards and drivers license, and my rental car keys were stolen. I 	therefore had no way of leaving the hotel, or could I purchase 	anything. I was very lucky that I could borrow money from a 	colleague, because at no point was that considered by your staff; I 	was not offered anything to eat, drink, or even given a phone to 	make any calls to cancel my cards, cancel my mobile phone SIM card, 	or call the vehicle rental company to request a new car.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>By now, I&#8217;m sure you&#8217;ll agree that 	the security staff – even with their smart uniforms, even with 	their fancy communication earpieces, even though they are placed 	around the hotel, were completely and utterly ineffective.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>Had this incident happened at a small and less expensive hotel, I could have blamed the lack of security measures. But the Sheraton is a <nobr>five-star</nobr> establishment, complete with “high tech security”. Well, quite frankly, the thief could have walked in with a concealed weapon and <nobr>no-one</nobr> would have noticed because security did not stop him once — either coming in or going out.</p>
<p>Based on the service I experienced as a guest, I think that you seriously need to look at how you respond to crimes. As a South African, I&#8217;m familiar with the challenges we as a country face with crime, but even I was extremely disappointed by just how ineffective your staff was to responding to this incident. I think this is a major lesson to your management and security staff before the start of the World Cup. Based on this incident, I can report that your staff are completely unprepared for any security issues, from the fact that the perpetrator even entered the hotel, to the lack of service I received as a guest of the hotel.</p>
<p>This is not what I expect from a hotel of your reputation.</p>
<p>What I am expecting now is:</p>
<ul>
<li>
<p>a formal apology letter</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>compensation for my loss of 	belongings and time (limited to the value of my unspecified items, 	ie R 10 000)</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>a promise that you will <nobr>re-assess</nobr> 	your security details and the process that must be taken should such 	an issue be reported by a guest</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>refreshment training for your 	security staff to be done before the arrival of World Cup guests</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>remedial training for your staff, 	including management, on how to deal with an incident of criminal 	activity and how to treat a guest during such an incident.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>As a professional speaker and author on the topics of marketing and customer service, I believe a company should not necessary be judged on when things go well, but rather how they resolve problems. That is why this letter and your response will be accessible to the public domain, and your hotel will be assessed and rated on this experience. This letter and its response will be posted to several websites, including blogs, social networks, customer service rating websites, travel advisor websites, and local printed media (including newspapers and magazines).</p>
<p>It would be advised that your response not only resolves my concerns, but should also address the public as to what you are doing to minimize this kind of incident in the future.</p>
<p>I look forward to your positive response.</p>
<p>Yours sincerely.<br />
 — Marcel Oudejans</p>
</blockquote>
<p>To which I received this response:</p>
<blockquote><p>Dear Mr. Oudejans,</p>
<p>Our customer service center has forwarded your complaint regarding the alleged theft of your laptop bag from our premises.</p>
<p>Please accept my sincere apologies for the inconvenience encountered in our hotel.</p>
<p>May I point out that our Banquet supervisor was standing right next to the event organizer when you reported your missing lap top bag.</p>
<p>The same Banquet supervisor advised you that he would alert our Security department.</p>
<p>Our Security Department initiated the call to the local Police.</p>
<p>It took the Police 30 minutes to arrive at the hotel.</p>
<p>In the meantime our Security Supervisor, Banquet supervisor &amp; Front Office Manager assisted you in providing a telephone at the Front Desk and access to the internet since your Blackberry and computer had tracking devices.</p>
<p>You established contact with both devices and eventually send an SMS to your service provider to disable both devices.</p>
<p>In reference to your comment about security in the hotel and the dress code please be advised that the front of house areas are publicly accessible and that we can not stop any guest who wears a <nobr>T-shirt</nobr> or any other casual clothing.</p>
<p>Access control to the Momentum event was provided by the Organizer, thus any uninvited person should have been denied access to the venue by aforementioned.</p>
<p>Based on your allegation that a colleague spotted the perpetrator and did not do anything to alert anyone and the fact that access control to the meeting room was handled by the organizer the hotel denies any liability.</p>
<p>Again, please accept my apologies for any inconvenience, however, the matter is of a criminal nature and a docket was opened with the South African Police Service by yourself and we kindly advise you to revert all further enquiries to the South African Police Service.</p>
<p>Warm regards</p>
<p>Joerg U.Limper</p>
<p>General Manager, Sheraton Pretoria Hotel</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Here is my open response:</p>
<blockquote><p>Mr Limper,</p>
<p>I informed you in my initial email that this discussion would take place in a public forum once I received your response.</p>
<p>Let me also make it clear that the reason it has taken me this long to respond to your email is not because I accepted your answers; rather, it is because the event at your hotel was part of a national roadshow and I have only now returned to the office and have access to my computer.  It has been almost two weeks since the incident and my disappointment at the service I received has not decreased.</p>
<p><strong>I know, in retrospect, that I <em>shouldn&#8217;t</em> have left my bag unattended. At the same time, I had good reason to believe that the Sheraton Pretoria&#8217;s security was <nobr>world-class</nobr>, and that they had systems in place to deal with intrusions. </strong>When the ambiance, décor and staff of a hotel are designed to give the guest the <nobr>peace-of-mind</nobr> that they are in a comfortable, safe and secure environment, you expect that to be the case.</p>
<p>Here is my rebuttal to your <nobr>luke-warm</nobr> response:</p>
<ul>
<li><em>&#8220;May I point out that our Banquet supervisor was standing right next to the event organizer when you reported your missing lap top bag.&#8221;</em><br />
 May I point out that he did not introduce himself at that time, nor did he give me any indication or assurance that he was in charge of the situation. </p>
</li>
<li><em>&#8220;The same Banquet supervisor advised you that he would alert our Security department.&#8221;<br />
 </em>Surely the recommended procedure would be to take the guest to the Security department immediately? It required an outside contractor to show me where the security department was!</p>
</li>
<li><em>&#8220;It took the Police 30 minutes to arrive at the hotel.&#8221;</em><br />
 This is simply not possible.  According to the video which I watched (once I was taken by the contractor to the security department), the theft took place at approximately 12h15. I discovered the bag was missing at 12h30.  The SAPS did not arrive to take my statement until approximately 13h30, and this can be verified by my client. </p>
</li>
<li><em>&#8220;In the meantime our Security Supervisor, Banquet supervisor &amp; Front Office Manager assisted you in providing a telephone at the Front Desk and access to the internet &#8230;&#8221;</em><br />
 As noted in my initial email, this only happened once I demanded access. When I first went to that particular desk, the relations manager who was sitting there <span style="text-decoration: underline;">refused to offer internet access unless I bought a voucher first</span>.  Let me make this clear: there was no <strong>offer</strong> to use the internet, or a telephone. Rather, it was because I was insisting &amp; was prepared to make a fuss! </p>
</li>
<li><em>&#8220;In reference to your comment about security in the hotel and the dress code please be advised that the front of house areas are publicly accessible and that we can not stop any guest who wears a <nobr>T-shirt</nobr> or any other casual clothing.&#8221;</em><br />
 Your <span style="text-decoration: underline;">front of house</span> areas are publically accessible — should this include your conference facilities? It is not the fact that the perpetrator was wearing casual clothing, but rather that compared to the rest of your guests, he was dressed in a manner that made him look out of place and worthy of being watched. Even a greeting from your staff would, in all likelihood, have persuaded him to leave the premises. </p>
</li>
<li><em>&#8220;Access control to the Momentum event was provided by the Organizer, thus any uninvited person should have been denied access to the venue by aforementioned.&#8221;</em><br />
 The Organizer selected your venue on the basis that the hotel would be able to provide adequate protection to the delegates and their belongings. Uninvited people were not given any access to the venue before the presentation without a name tag; the perpetrator gained access to the room after the presentation. Any reasonable person could expect that a hotel of your reputation would be expected to prevent access to suspicious and/or &#8221;out of place&#8221; characters.  <span style="text-decoration: underline;">In fact, of all 11 hotels and guest houses we stayed at, the Sheraton Pretoria was the most &#8220;exclusive&#8221; yet allowed the most unrestricted access to the general public.</span> </p>
</li>
<li><em>&#8220;Based on your allegation that a colleague spotted the perpetrator and did not do anything to alert anyone and the fact that access control to the meeting room was handled by the organizer the hotel denies any liability.&#8221;</em><br />
 This is not an allegation, this is a fact.  My colleague is not a trained security guard, nor is he part of your security detail.  He was a incidental witness who was also working at the time of the incident.  Access control is, at best, a shared responsibility due to the fact that the perpetrator needed to pass at least 2 of your security <nobr>check-points</nobr> (at the entrance &amp; the foyer) before reaching the conference area. </li>
</ul>
<p>Mr Limper, may I also point out that you have not yet fulfilled my expectations of the service I expect.</p>
<ul>
<li>You have not apologized for the lack of attention &amp; service I received, particularly for the fact that I was not requested to give my name &amp; contact information; </li>
<li>You have not given any indication that this incident will be used to improve your security;</li>
<li>You have not committed that the safety &amp; security of your guests is a priority; and</li>
<li>You have not even acknowledged that, given that an incident of crime happened on your premises, that there is indeed a hole in your security.</li>
</ul>
<p>While you are legally permitted to deny liability, morally it is in your interest to protect your guests &amp; visitors, to acknowledge that your security was inadequate, and to accept — even in part — responsibility for this incident.</p>
<p>How would I expect this incident to be resolved? I refer to an article posted on Times Live website, &#8220;Thousands stolen from hotel safes&#8221; (7 March 2010, <a href="http://www.timeslive.co.za/sundaytimes/article341475.ece" target="_blank">http://www.timeslive.co.za/sundaytimes/article341475.ece</a>) .  This particular hotel&#8217;s guests experienced theft from <span style="text-decoration: underline;">locked safes in their rooms</span>, and even these guests were reimbursed of their stolen money (and cash is not normally covered by insurance).  It is therefore not unheard of that a South African hotel would be prepared to reimburse their guests after a theft on their premises!</p>
<p>Unfortunately, it is a worldwide phenomenon that hotels do not have financial incentives to provide good security — rather they provide &#8220;just enough&#8221; security so that they do not receive complaints.  I&#8217;m hope you realize that this complaint should be the incentive to <nobr>re-assess</nobr> your security procedures: particularly before thousands of foreign guests arrive for the World Cup.</p>
<p>I would also like to bring to your attention a comment written to me by a professional speaker &amp; colleague, Kelee Arrowsmith, owner of <a href="http://www.advancedconflict.com/">Advanced Conflict Training</a>:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>&#8220;I agree about the security (and lack of responsibility). We have just launched a product based on improving safety policies and procedures for hotels and restaurants and I am horrified to find that 95% of them do not have any! If they have a <nobr>hold-up</nobr>, <nobr>no-one</nobr> has a clue about what to do which is really dangerous for their customers.&#8221;</em></p>
<p>Does the Sheraton Pretoria Hotel consider itself, as I personally experienced, to be like 95% of hotels who do not adequately deal with incidents of crime? Or would are you prepared to be part of the 5% that takes the safety of their guests and their belongings as the highest priority of the hotel?</p>
<p>The comments of support I have received from my clients, colleagues, friends &amp; public when I have discussed this service issue online has given me the confidence to discuss this issue in the public domain.What is clear is that the level of service I received was not acceptable, and while you have the legal right to deny liability, it does little to enhance the image of a hotel.</p>
<p>It is therefore only fair that I warn potential future guests of your hotel that the security offered is below expectations, they cannot expect any sympathy or recourse that would prevent this kind of issue in the future.</p>
<p>Should you wish to respond, I would hope that you are willing to respond here on this public forum.</p>
<p>Yours sincerely,</p>
<p>- Marcel Oudejans</p>
</blockquote>
<p>I would love to hear what others have experienced in similar situations:</p>
<ul>
<li>How have South African hotels (or even international hotels) responded to incidents of crime?</li>
<li>Do you trust hotel security to do their job?</li>
<li>To what extent should hotels be held responsible for the safety of their guests and guests&#8217; property on the premises?</li>
<li>If this had happened to you, or a delegate of your event, what would you expect to be the service you receive?</li>
</ul>
<p>(A special thanks to <a href="http://twitter.com/royblumenthal" target="_blank">@royblumenthal</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/clivesimpkins">@clivesimpkins</a> for your help and support with this issue.</p>
<p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">UPDATE: Received via email on&nbsp;Friday 2nd April 2010:</span></strong></p>
<table border="0" cellpadding="5" align="center">
<tbody>
<tr style="background-color: #e0e0e0;">
<td>
<p><span style="font-size: small;">Dear Mr. Oudejans,</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: small;">Thank you for&nbsp;your email in&nbsp;regards to&nbsp;your experience at&nbsp;the&nbsp;Sheraton Pretoria Hotel.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: small;">I&nbsp;have reviewed the&nbsp;information you have provided and&nbsp;do apologize for&nbsp;any frustration you may have experienced during this situation. I&nbsp;wanted to&nbsp;take a&nbsp;moment to&nbsp;thank you for&nbsp;your feedback and&nbsp;make you aware that all the&nbsp;information you have provided has been forwarded to&nbsp;the&nbsp;hotel directly. The&nbsp;hotel is fully aware of&nbsp;the&nbsp;information you have provided and&nbsp;is using this to&nbsp;ensure that situations like this do not happen again. Thank you for&nbsp;taking the&nbsp;time to&nbsp;provide this feedback as&nbsp;it is valuable to&nbsp;ensuring that our service is nothing short of&nbsp;exceptional. I&nbsp;apologize for&nbsp;any inconvenience you may have experienced as&nbsp;a&nbsp;result of&nbsp;this.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: small;">Best regards,</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: small;">John Hart</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: small;">Consumer Affairs Executive Division</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: small;">Starwood Hotels and&nbsp;Resorts Worldwide, Inc.</span></p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
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		<title>“Three Of A Kind” Enjoyed By All!</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CorporateMagician/~3/X22mM5GeNNw/three-of-a-kind-enjoyed-by-all.html</link>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 26 Feb 2010 19:33:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Marcel Oudejans</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Feedback]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Photographs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Stand-Up Performance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Three Of A Kind]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Upliftment Programme]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.corporatemagician.co.za/?p=3090</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[On Saturday 20th February 2010 I performed a , together with my friends and colleagues  and Andrew &#8220;Magic Man&#8221; Eland, for the Upliftment Programme&#8217;s benefit show, &#8220;Three Of A Kind&#8221;. Although we were unable to raise the R50 000 we were aiming for, we still managed to raise R10 000. This is an incredible achievement considering that the idea to host a benefit evening was only thought about in January, and that the entire event [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>On Saturday 20th February 2010 I performed a <a href="http://www.corporatemagician.co.za/section-corporate-event-services/section-performance-options/corporate-entertainment"><nobr>stand-up</nobr> show</a>, together with my friends and colleagues <a href="http://www.corporatemagician.co.za/section-corporate-event-services/section-performance-options/synergetic-duo">Jacques le Sueur</a> and Andrew &#8220;Magic Man&#8221; Eland, for the <a href="http://www.corporatemagician.co.za/blog/news/raise-r50-000-charity-public-show-tickets.html">Upliftment Programme&#8217;s benefit show, &#8220;Three Of A Kind&#8221;</a>.</p>
<p>Although we were unable to raise the R50 000 we were aiming for, we still managed to raise R10 000. This is an incredible achievement considering that the idea to host a benefit evening was only thought about in January, and that the entire event was planned within 4 weeks.</p>
<p>During this past week, I&#8217;ve received wonderful feedback emails and telephone calls from people who attended, telling me how much everyone was amazed, and enjoyed a fun and memorable evening.  One gentleman had approached me immediately after the show and said he couldn&#8217;t remember the last time he laughed so much! <img src='http://www.corporatemagician.co.za/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' title="Three Of A Kind Enjoyed By All!" /> </p>
<p>Thank you to everyone who supported this special event — your contribution to the <a href="http://www.sharingjoy.co.za/" target="_blank">Upliftment Programme</a> will help make a real difference to many South African children&#8217;s lives.</p>
<p>Once again, a big thank you to the primary sponsors: <a href="http://www.suninternational.com/Destinations/Casinos/Grandwest/Pages/newdefault.aspx" target="_blank">Grand West Casino</a>, <a href="http://enterstage.co.za/" target="_blank">Enterstage SA</a>, <a href="http://www.nomu.co.za/" target="_blank">Nomu</a> and <a href="http://www.hirtandcarter.com/" target="_blank">Hirt &amp; Carter</a>.</p>
<p>Here are a few photographs of my performance:</p>

<a href='http://www.corporatemagician.co.za/blog/news/three-of-a-kind-enjoyed-by-all.html/attachment/dsc00017_2' title='DSC00017_2'><img width="150" height="150" src="http://www.corporatemagician.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/DSC00017_2-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail" alt="DSC00017 2 150x150 Three Of A Kind Enjoyed By All!" title="DSC00017_2" /></a>
<a href='http://www.corporatemagician.co.za/blog/news/three-of-a-kind-enjoyed-by-all.html/attachment/dsc00022_2' title='DSC00022_2'><img width="150" height="150" src="http://www.corporatemagician.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/DSC00022_2-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail" alt="DSC00022 2 150x150 Three Of A Kind Enjoyed By All!" title="DSC00022_2" /></a>
<a href='http://www.corporatemagician.co.za/blog/news/three-of-a-kind-enjoyed-by-all.html/attachment/dsc00023' title='DSC00023'><img width="150" height="150" src="http://www.corporatemagician.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/DSC00023-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail" alt="DSC00023 150x150 Three Of A Kind Enjoyed By All!" title="DSC00023" /></a>
<a href='http://www.corporatemagician.co.za/blog/news/three-of-a-kind-enjoyed-by-all.html/attachment/dsc00025_2' title='DSC00025_2'><img width="150" height="150" src="http://www.corporatemagician.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/DSC00025_2-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail" alt="DSC00025 2 150x150 Three Of A Kind Enjoyed By All!" title="DSC00025_2" /></a>
<a href='http://www.corporatemagician.co.za/blog/news/three-of-a-kind-enjoyed-by-all.html/attachment/dsc00028_2' title='DSC00028_2'><img width="150" height="150" src="http://www.corporatemagician.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/DSC00028_2-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail" alt="DSC00028 2 150x150 Three Of A Kind Enjoyed By All!" title="DSC00028_2" /></a>
<a href='http://www.corporatemagician.co.za/blog/news/three-of-a-kind-enjoyed-by-all.html/attachment/dsc00038_2' title='DSC00038_2'><img width="150" height="150" src="http://www.corporatemagician.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/DSC00038_2-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail" alt="DSC00038 2 150x150 Three Of A Kind Enjoyed By All!" title="DSC00038_2" /></a>
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		<title>Interview in which I reveal my "secret spaces" in Cape Town</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CorporateMagician/~3/WO49n9eK-Y4/interview-in-which-i-reveal-my-secret-spaces-in-cape-town.html</link>
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		<pubDate>Sat, 20 Feb 2010 13:21:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Marcel Oudejans</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[In the Media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bianca Coleman]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cape Hangouts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cape Town]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[In the Press]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Good Weekend]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Weekend Argus]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.corporatemagician.co.za/?p=3065</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The&#8221;Good Hangouts&#8221; section in the &#8221;Weekend Argus&#8221; is where local Capetonian celebrities share what they love best about Cape Town. Click to view full image Newspaper: Weekend Argus Section: The Good Weekend Page: 7 Date: 20th February 2010 Writer: Bianca Coleman]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The&#8221;Good Hangouts&#8221; section in the &#8221;<a id="aptureLink_8xiDNzDc7x" href="http://www.capeargus.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=3241">Weekend Argus</a>&#8221; is where local <a id="aptureLink_oypAktOQzU" href="http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Capetonians">Capetonian</a> celebrities share what they love best about <a id="aptureLink_YbGmPmITqI" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape%20Town">Cape Town</a>.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a rel="lightbox" href="http://www.corporatemagician.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Good-Hangouts-Weekend-Argus.jpg"><a rel="lightbox" href="http://www.corporatemagician.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Good-Hangouts-Weekend-Argus.jpg" title="Marcel in Good Hangouts, Weekend Argus"><img style=' display: block; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto;'  class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-3064" title="Marcel in Good Hangouts, Weekend Argus" src="http://www.corporatemagician.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Good-Hangouts-Weekend-Argus-281x300.jpg" alt="Marcel in Good Hangouts, Weekend Argus" width="281" height="300" /></a><br />
Click to view full image</a></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><a rel="lightbox" href="http://www.corporatemagician.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Good-Hangouts-Weekend-Argus.jpg"></a><span style="font-size: x-small;">Newspaper: Weekend Argus<br />
 Section: The Good Weekend<br />
 Page: 7<br />
 Date: 20th February 2010<br />
 Writer: Bianca Coleman</span></p>
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