Today's market is inundated with 'cool' stuff, requiring ahead-of-the curve consumers to develop greater levels of discrimination to help sort through the noise. Enter Michael Tchong.
Motivational speaking is one thing. But Michael Tchong’s forté is being both a catalyst and pointing audiences in the right direction. His contagious enthusiasm combined with an intuitive insight into emerging market trends, will lift the morale of any audience.
Michael achieves this feat by taking attendees on a breathtaking tour of the consumer landscape, all the while contextualizing a host of trends that a casual observer might miss. By organizing consumer lifestyle waves in major “Ubertrends,” Michael makes his audiences adept at decoding the future.
Ubertrends are “super trends” that are reshaping society in significant ways. For example, Michael shows how his trademark “Time Compression” Ubertrend has turned society into an $87-billion coffee and energy drinks culture. His thought-provoking exploration of the “Digital Lifestyle” shows how the rules of social engagement are being rewritten.
To help attendees strategically rethink the future, Michael serves up “thought starters” that provide ready points of idea departure. And he accomplishes all of this in a motivational style that’s laced with humor and deft analysis designed to make audiences sit up and take notice.
To see how Michael leveraged his life experiences to become an accomplished speaker, please read his bio on the Ubercool “About” page.
Testimonials
Michael honed his speaking skills delivering some 170 presentations over the past 10 years for audiences that ranged in size from intimate gatherings that have included the likes of Dunkin Donuts Chairman and CEO Jon Luther and Bonneville International CEO Bruce Reese to large 1,400-plus-attendee conferences organized by outfits such as the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), Carlson Group (Radisson, Regent Hotels, TGIF Restaurants, etc.) or the National Association of Realtors (NAR).
For a complete list of his speaking engagements, consult the Speaking Calendar below, but here are just a few choice observations about his presentations.
- Insightful -
“Michael’s research writing is data-based, intuitive and persuasive.”
- Scott Cooke, Founder, Intuit
- Eye-opening -
“Michael, your presentation today at VIC L.A. reminded me of Eleanor Roosevelt’s words: ‘Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, small minds discuss people.’ You are definitely in the category of great ‘concentrated’ minds.”
- Sheilah Rosen, Yahoo!
- Addictive -
“You are still my god! You reign as the ONLY pure information source that I NEVER delete among the 500 e-mails I get every day.”
- Gordon Paddison, Vice President Marketing, New Line Cinema
“Michael, you created a buzz that reverberated throughout the Symposium. You not only are an expert extraordinaire on trends but you deliver your message in a fun, engaging, mind-expanding style. Many simply stated: WOW!”
- Tom Costello, Director, Hospitality Industry Management Program, Univ. of San Francisco
- Motivational -
“Everyone really enjoyed your presentation. You really energized everyone.”
- Stephanie Atkins, Marketing Director, The Marshall News Messenger, NAA Newspapers 2005 Moderator
“Your enthusiasm combined with your unprecedented knowledge of our industry delivers a compelling and memorable message that captivated even our most sophisticated attendees. It is rare that any speaker can move such a large percentage of the audience, particularly a group that crafts messages and advertising strategy for a living!”
- Allie Shaw, Co-Founder, Launch
- Candid -
“Thanks very much for your participation in the Dotcom Roundtable during our Congressional Technology Tour. Members of Congress were very impressed by your excellent presentation. Your willingness to engage in frank and open discussion made the tour exceptional.”
- Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives
- Persuasive -
“On behalf of the Minister of Tourism, the Aruba Tourism Authority, Aruba’s private and public sector, we would like to thank you for the excellent presentation you gave. As one of my colleagues put it, we ALL found religion.”
- Lourdes Rouse, Director, Aruba Tourism Authority
- Humorous -
“You have a growing cult among e-commerce lobbyists and lawyers. [Your newsletter] is witty, salient and appropriately humorous.”
- Robb Watters, President, Madison Group
Download this testimonial letter (PDF; 141KB) from San Diego North County Convention & Visitors Bureau CEO Cami Mattson:
Ubertrends play a significant role in the transformation of the consumer culture. To gain a better understanding of how trends are connected to Ubertrends, please download this Ubertrends Map (PDF; 883KB), which will give you a sense for some of the type of topics Michael covers in his presentations.
Michael has written more than a thousand articles in the past 10 years. Here are a few that have written by him or about him: 5 Trends to Watch… or Else! 2006 trends that will change the world (PDF; 176KB) Get ready to eat Spanish, dine on donuts and sip some Cognac in designer jean (PDF; 54KB) Finally, download this report (PDF; 1.3MB) on Time Compression: In March, the HSMAI organization videotaped Michael’s speaking engagement at the 7th Annual Resort Management Conference in Colorado Springs. Here’s a videoclip of that performance (requires Adobe Flash): The video below shows Michael’s August 2005 speaking engagement at a Center for Sales Strategy client meeting for TV broadcasters in Washington, DC: To view this video in Windows Media Player: To view this video in Apple QuickTime: Here’s a six-minute video from Michael’s precedent-setting Web Attack! Internet marketing conference, shot at Roseland Ballroom in June 2000: To view the video in Apple QuickTime only: Need a detailed brochure that describes Michael’s speaking services? Download one now (PDF; 330KB). Below is a complete list of all of Michael’s past and upcoming speaking engagements:
Ubertrends Map
Published Articles
iMediaConnection
The Malaysian Star
The Telegraph
Presentation Videos
Speaking Brochure
Speaking Calendar
| Michael’s Previous (and Future) Speaking Engagements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Event | Date | City |
| Web Advertising | Oct-96 | New York |
| Web Advertising | Apr-97 | Monterey, CA |
| Canon USA | Oct-97 | New York |
| @d:tech | Oct-97 | New York |
| @d:tech | Jan-98 | Los Angeles |
| Web Advertising | Feb-98 | New York |
| Internet World | Mar-98 | Los Angeles |
| Software Publishing Assoc. | Apr-98 | San Jose, CA |
| @d:tech | May-98 | Chicago |
| Mpath | May-98 | San Francisco |
| Ottaway | May-98 | New York |
| InterVU | May-98 | New York |
| Variety Interactive Mktg. Summit | May-98 | Newport Beach, CA |
| InfoSeek | Jun-98 | San Francisco |
| Internet Advertising Bureau | Jun-98 | San Francisco |
| InterVU | Jun-98 | San Francisco |
| AIP S.F. Chapter | Aug-98 | San Francisco |
| Seybold | Sep-98 | San Francisco |
| Toyota Automobile Dealers Meeting | Sep-98 | Las Vegas, NV |
| Streaming Media | Nov-98 | San Francisco |
| Santa Clara University | 27-Jan-99 | Santa Clara, CA |
| Ad Auction | 04-Feb-99 | San Francisco |
| Adweek Agency 2001 | 24-Feb-99 | Scottsdale, AZ |
| Internet World | 14-Apr-99 | San Francisco |
| Adweek Agency 2001 | 24-Feb-99 | Scottsdale, AZ |
| Internet World | 14-Apr-99 | San Francisco |
| IDG Books Conference Meeting | 30-Apr-99 | Los Angeles |
| Ad Auction | 13-May-99 | New York |
| Adweek CLIO Awards | 18-May-99 | New York |
| IAB Conference | 08-Jun-99 | Kansas City, MO |
| iSyndicate | 16-Jun-99 | San Francisco |
| Web Attack! | 17-Jun-99 | Kansas City, MO |
| IIR E-mail Marketing | 21-Jun-99 | New York |
| Canadian Marketing Association | 22-Jun-99 | Toronto, ON |
| Newsweek breakfast | 23-Jun-99 | New York |
| Ad Auction | 30-Jun-99 | Los Angeles |
| Medscape | 16-Jul-99 | Carlsbad, CA |
| GTE Internet Council | 20-Jul-99 | Dallas |
| Internet World | 20-Jul-99 | Chicago |
| ZDNet Brand IQ | 16-Aug-99 | New York |
| Silicon Alley Breakfast Club | 18-Aug-99 | New York |
| Ad Auction | 24-Aug-99 | Seattle, WA |
| Apple Computer | 15-Sep-99 | Paris, France |
| Ad Auction | 22-Sep-99 | Dallas |
| Breakfast@VIC | 28-Sep-99 | Los Angeles |
| Silicon Alley Breakfast Club | 13-Oct-99 | San Francisco |
| ERA | 18-Oct-99 | Las Vegas, NV |
| Ad Auction | 21-Oct-99 | Boston, MA |
| TBWA/Chiat/Day | 26-Oct-99 | Venice, CA |
| Third Age | 28-Oct-99 | San Francisco |
| Private Briefing | 10-Dec-99 | San Francisco |
| Aruba Tourism Authority | 10-Jan-00 | Aruba |
| MSN Breakfast Tour | 27-Jan-00 | San Francisco |
| MSN Breakfast Tour | 28-Jan-00 | Santa Monica, CA |
| Simba Online Publishing | 16-Feb-00 | Orlando, FL |
| MSN Breakfast Tour | 17-Feb-00 | New York |
| eBranding 2000 | 24-Feb-00 | San Francisco |
| TAP Pharmaceuticals | 30-Mar-00 | Squaw Valley, CA |
| Ad Auction | 12-Apr-00 | Atlanta, GA |
| Engage | 26-Apr-00 | Nassau, Bahamas |
| Web Attack! | 08-Jun-00 | New York |
| NetCentives | 28-Jun-00 | San Francisco |
| Medscape | 09-Sep-00 | Colorado Springs, CO |
| Online Marketing Int. Summit | 11-Sep-00 | Atlanta |
| MPA | 15-Sep-00 | San Francisco |
| Interactive Marketing Show | 20-Sep-00 | Dallas |
| IABC | 18-Oct-00 | San Francisco |
| Internet World | 25-Oct-00 | New York |
| BOMA | 05-Dec-00 | Los Angeles |
| Internet World | 05-Feb-01 | Toronto, ON |
| Showtime Awards | 08-Feb-01 | New York |
| Alexander Ogilvy | 10-Apr-01 | Atlanta |
| Medscape | 30-Jul-01 | Montreal, PQ |
| ITMAC | 11-Oct-01 | Santa Fe, NM |
| Commission Junction University | 15-Oct-01 | Santa Barbara, CA |
| Marketing SIG | 14-Oct-02 | Santa Clara, CA |
| Audio Alley | 22-Jan-02 | San Francisco |
| Advertising Club | 19-Jun-02 | Toronto, ON |
| Adtech | 20-Nov-02 | New York |
| McKesson | 14-May-03 | Toronto, ON |
| Seybold | 09-Sep-03 | San Francisco |
| Adtech | 04-Nov-03 | New York |
| Future Trends 2003 | 18-Nov-03 | Miami Beach, FL |
| Florida Venture Capital Assoc. | 23-Jan-04 | Orlando, FL |
| Merck | 27-Jan-04 | Philadelphia, PA |
| BorkowskiPR | 02-Feb-04 | London, UK |
| Atlanta Marketing Roundtable/GSU | 19-Mar-04 | Atlanta |
| Infopresse | 27-Mar-04 | Montreal, PQ |
| Sonaecom | 19-May-04 | Lisbon, Portugal |
| Trendwatching | 10-Jun-04 | New York |
| Mediaplaza | 18-Jun-04 | Utrecht, Netherlands |
| Washington Mutual | 12-Aug-04 | Seattle, WA |
| Manatt, Phelps & Phillips | 21-Sep-04 | Los Angeles |
| CMO Summit | 16-Oct-04 | Monterey, CA |
| San Francisco Visitors Bureau | 27-Oct-04 | San Francisco |
| Future Trends 2004 | 09-Nov-04 | Miami Beach, FL |
| Washington Mutual | 07-Dec-04 | Seattle, WA |
| MSN | 14-Dec-04 | Webcast |
| Grey Advertising/Panasonic | 16-Dec-04 | New York |
| RAC | 09-Feb-05 | Chicago |
| Ask Jeeves | 22-Feb-05 | San Francisco |
| San Francisco Conv. & Visitors Bureau | 15-Mar-05 | San Francisco |
| NAA | 21-Mar-05 | Dallas |
| USF Hospitality Symposium | 05-Apr-05 | San Francisco |
| Microsoft Leadership Forum | 05-May-05 | San Francisco |
| Logitech | 09-May-05 | Fremont, CA |
| Yahoo! | 10-May-05 | Sunnyvale, CA |
| Bankrate | 13-May-05 | Palm Beach, FL |
| InnoTown | 24-May-05 | Alesund, Norway |
| Mediserve | 01-Jun-05 | Phoenix, AZ |
| Brunico | 08-Jun-05 | Toronto, ON |
| Ubercool San Francisco | 24-Jun-05 | San Francisco |
| Center for Sales Strategy | 10-Aug-05 | Washington, DC |
| Washington Mutual | 22-Sep-05 | Seattle, WA |
| The Star Malaysia | 26-Sep-05 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
| Leadership Conference | 06-Oct-05 | Amelia Island, FL |
| KSFI FM100 | 13-Oct-05 | Salt Lake City, UT |
| Western Assn. of Convention & Visitors Bureaus | 14-Oct-05 | Oakland, CA |
| Ubercool New York | 25-Oct-05 | New York |
| Sennheiser | 07-Nov-05 | Hamburg, Germany |
| Future Trends 2005 | 14-Nov-05 | Miami Beach, FL |
| CIBC | 30-Nov-05 | Toronto, ON |
| FUSE Forum | 01-Dec-05 | FUSE Forum |
| Bonneville International | 07-Mar-06 | Carlsbad, CA |
| San Diego North County C.V.B. | 16-Mar-06 | San Diego, CA |
| Sennheiser | 21-Mar-06 | Hamburg, Germany |
| Bonneville International | 28-Mar-06 | Park City, UT |
| CSAA | 04-Apr-06 | Eugene, OR |
| HSMAI | 19-Apr-06 | New York |
| Diageo | 25-Apr-06 | New York |
| Adtech | 27-Apr-06 | San Francisco |
| Harrah’s | 17-May-06 | Scottsdale, AZ |
| Crystal Radio | 18-May-06 | Boca Raton, FL |
| ICSC | 23-May-06 | Las Vegas, NV |
| MBS | 24-May-06 | Long Island, NY |
| TF1 Expression de Tendances | 01-Jun-06 | Paris, France |
| Sun Valley Chamber | 27-Jun-06 | Sun Valley, ID |
| PRA | 04-Aug-06 | San Diego, CA |
| Sequence | 07-Sep-06 | San Francisco |
| ABRASCE | 19-Sep-06 | Sao Paolo, Brazil |
| Euroforum | 21-Sep-06 | Rotterdam, Netherlands |
| SMG United | 29-Sep-06 | New York |
| Washington APA | 04-Oct-06 | Yakima, WA |
| Washington Hotel-Lodging | 09-Oct-06 | Pascoe, WA |
| Inman | 16-Oct-06 | Miami Beach, FL |
| Leadership Roundtable | 20-Oct-06 | Santa Barbara, CA |
| Millward-Brown | 14-Nov-06 | Boca Raton, FL |
| Luxury Home Marketing | 06-Dec-06 | Santa Barbara, CA |
| Barclay’s Bank/Tajima Creative | 11-Dec-06 | New York |
| Tnuva | 17-Jan-07 | Tel Aviv, Israel |
| Promarket Group | 18-Jan-07 | Tel Aviv, Israel |
| GXS | 23-Jan-07 | Washington, DC |
| CalTIA | 11-Mar-07 | Sacramento, CA |
| Not Your Average Joe’s | 13-Mar-07 | Boston, MA |
| Royal Bank of Scotland | 17-Mar-07 | New York |
| THE Conference on Marketing | 21-Mar-07 | Las Vegas, NV |
| HSMAI Resorts | 27-Mar-07 | Colorado Springs, CO |
| Campus Management | 19-Apr-07 | Orlando, FL |
| Omnicom Group | 24-Apr-07 | London, UK |
| BorkowskiPR | 25-Apr-07 | London, UK |
| Carlson Group | 08-May-07 | Paris, France |
| Sta. Barbara Convention & Film Bureau | 17-May-07 | Santa Barbara, CA |
| Neutrogena (Johnson & Johnson) | 22-May-07 | Laguna Beach, CA |
| Aruba Hotel & Tourism Association | 29-May-07 | Aruba |
| Croes Wever | 29-May-07 | Aruba |
| Visa Europe | 21-Jun-07 | Istanbul, Turkey |
| Cadillac/GM | 26-Jun-07 | New York |
| NAR National Leadership | 16-Aug-07 | Chicago |
| Whirlpool Private Briefing | 06-Sep-07 | Chicago |
| The Vail Summit | 08-Sep-07 | Vail, CO |
| Citadel Managers Conference | 12-Sep-07 | Phoenix, AZ |
| Think LA Trends Breakfast | 19-Sep-07 | Los Angeles |
| Online Marketing Deutschland | 25-Sep-07 | Duesseldorf, Germany |
| Harvard Business Club | 09-Oct-07 | New York |
| Ubertrends Colombia | 12-Oct-07 | Bogota, Colombia |
| Sennheiser Private Briefing | 18-Oct-07 | Madrid, Spain |
| NAR Regional Meeting | 23-Oct-07 | Iowa City, IA |
| WIT 2007 | 29-Nov-07 | Singapore |
| CHA Caribbean Sales & Marketing Strategy | 13-Dec-07 | San Juan, PR |
| Tucson Association of Realtors | 09-Jan-08 | Tucson, AZ |
| Pennsylvania Association of Realtors | 14-Jan-08 | Harrisburg, PA |
| Memphis Area Association of Realtors | 30-Jan-08 | Memphis, TN |
| Wyoming Assoc. of Realtors Region 11 Conf. | 02-Feb-08 | Casper, WY |
| Fairfield Assoc. of Realtors | 06-Feb-08 | Fairfield, CT |
| New Haven Assoc. of Realtors | 06-Feb-08 | Fairfield, CT |
| Evian of North America | 12-Feb-08 | San Juan, PR |