From Canada to Costa Rica and from New York to Los Angeles, Craig Karges’ appearances blanketed North America in 2009. While the economy may have been experiencing a slowdown, Craig’s travel schedule remained extraordinarily busy. For example, in September, the extraordinist filled three engagements in 24 hours in Indiana. On a Thursday evening, he was onstage for a return appearance at the Red Skelton Performing Arts Center in Vincennes with an 8:00 p.m. curtain. The following morning, he was in Indianapolis presenting a two-hour combined session of Experience the Extraordinary and Ignite Your Intuition for doctors and staff—all members of the KeyPoint Study Club. The event took place in Pepsi Square at the Conseco Fieldhouse, home to the Indiana Pacers and also home during Craig’s visit to the Greatest Show on Earth, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. While Craig was entertaining and educating the docs and their staff in Pepsi Square, the elephants and tigers were going through their rehearsals on the main floor of the arena. Immediately afterward, it was back to “The Red” for another performance, this time with a 7:00 p.m. curtain, which meant the extraordinist squeezed three presentations into 24 hours.

Then there was that week in October which started in San Francisco with an appearance at the Qualys User Conference Dinner held on the 15th floor of The Merchants Exchange Building in the Julia Morgan Ballroom. From California, it was on to Las Vegas and the Encore for an appearance as the Opening General Session speaker for Fusion Financial Network’s Advisors Conference. A red-eye flight took the extraordinist to New York City and the Metropolitan Club overlooking Central Park where he presented after-dinner entertainment for Essex Woodlands Health Ventures Annual Meeting. Craig immediately headed back west, this time to Hollywood, to present a keynote presentation at the Pacific Coast APPA: Association of Higher Education Facilities Officers awards ceremony held at Universal Studios’ Globe Theatre. After this presentation, another red-eye flight took him back east for a Homecoming Week show at Westminster College in Pennsylvania where he appeared before an SRO crowd. The show was a bit of a homecoming for Craig as well since it was his 16th appearance at the school. The week consisted of five, back-to-back, coast-to-coast-to-coast-to-coast appearances and 10,000 miles of air travel.

Craig finished the year back in Sin City and The Big Apple with December appearances for the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists at the Venetian Resort/Sands Expo Center and the Building Owners and Managers Association holiday event at the Grand Hyatt in Manhattan.

From Barbie Dolls to Nuclear Weapons and it’s not Rocket Science

Craig Karges’ presentation is a mysterious concoction of illusion, psychology and intuition but it isn’t exactly rocket science, however, that was the forte of one of his ’09 clients. In September, the extraordinist appeared at the Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville for NASA and the Marshall Space Flight Center Reusable Solid Rocket Booster business meeting. The extraordinist presented the opening session to a gathering of NASA engineers, contractors and managers.

This wasn’t Craig’s only high tech audience in ’09. He also closed the show at the PTC/User World Event in Orlando in June. PTC/User serves approximately 15,000 members on six continents. The members are engineers who use PTC software and utilize PTC/USER as a way to solve technical challenges. The membership is an eclectic mix of software engineers who work on everything from toys (Barbie Dolls) to nuclear weapons!

After the PTC event, Craig filled a return engagement for Bridgestone/Firestone at the world renowned Firestone Country Club for Bridgestone Golf. The next day, he was on a plane to Costa Rica to meet his destiny! Destiny 1 actually, the inaugural event offered by LifePath Unlimited was sold-out. Destiny 1 was billed as “an event that will amaze and astound you with unimaginable personal epiphanies, unparalleled presenters and trainers and many unexpected discoveries.” Craig fit right in providing the closing evening’s entertainment during this five-day transformational event held at the brand new, oceanfront JW Marriott Guanacaste Resort and Spa located on the breathtaking Pacific Coast of Costa Rica.

“Your performance was absolute perfection!”
Patrick Combs, co-founder and Chief Transformational Officer, LifePath Unlimited

“You were awesome!!”
Peter Kinney, PGA Sales Development Manager, Bridgestone Golf

“Awesome job! We were all thrilled with your performance. Thanks again for closing our conference on such a high note. You can’t ask for more than a standing ‘O’. It was a blast meeting you and a pleasure working with you. You are a gentleman and a real pro!”
Ken Lehrhoff, President, Lehrhoff Productions, and Kevin Cummiskey, President, Cummiskey & Company, co-producers, PTC/USER World Event

“On behalf of the entire Woodcraft organization I want to thank you for the amazing performance at our National Sales Meeting. Without any doubt you captured the attention of our attendees from beginning to end and it was the ‘buzz’ throughout the entire four days of our event. This was our 12th annual event and your performance was one of the best ever.”
Gary J. Lombard, VP, Retail/Franchise Development, Woodcraft

“Thank you for your closing presentation during our annual convention. You kept the audience spellbound and sent them away feeling great about our meeting. You could not have done a better job. You were, quite simply, outstanding! I would wholeheartedly recommend you to any organization. You are a true professional.”
Rhonda Van De Wal, Program Development, Independent Bankers Association of New York State

“Your performance at the EWHV annual meeting was exceptional. Within minutes of your program, you had engaged audience participation. Your sense of humor, showmanship, elegant style, modest manner of execution and engaged manner with each audience member on stage as well as in the audience was consistent and powerful. The enthusiastic standing ovations at the end of the performance spoke for themselves.”
Anne B. DeMaret, Investor Relations, Essex Woodlands Health Ventures

“Thank you for the superb job you did speaking to the NASA Reuseable Solid Rocket Booster Project at our 2009 meeting. Your presentation was awesome. The audience was completely enchanted. Your talents, combined with your professionalism completely captivated a room full of NASA and Contractor engineers and business types for several hours.”
Kathy Carleton, Manager, United Space Alliance, Systems Integration and Project Engineering

“As you know, we pride ourselves on planning great meetings and having the right speaker to kick off the event is so critical to setting the tone for the rest of the meeting. Finding a speaker that is entertaining and also delivers a powerful message is not easy. However, your performance achieved exactly that—you amazed the audience and challenged their minds. We have received great feedback on your session including the following comments from attendees: “Kickoff speaker was a conference highlight.” “How do you always manage to find such unique and inspiring speakers?” “Craig Karges truly knew his audience and captured our full attention.” As an organization that plans several meetings throughout the year and has worked with countless speakers, I can honestly say that none were as easy to work with as you were. Your willingness to cooperate with us and to even customize your opening to be fully integrated with our meeting, really showed your commitment to ensuring our conference kick off would be a raving success.”
Stuart Silverman, CEO, Fusion Advisor Network

PTC/User World Event

A Campus Favorite

Xavier University 2009 Orientation © Photos courtesy of Keith Klenowski

Craig Karges continues to play college campuses across the United States. The extraordinist’s appearances in the fall of 2009 included return appearances at Penn State and Florida State as well as his 17th show at the University of Florida.

Xavier University 2009 Orientation © Photos courtesy of Keith Klenowski

The extraordinist is particularly busy during the late August/early September orientation/ back-to-school time period and many schools repeat Craig year after year. For example, 2009 marked the 15th consecutive year Craig has appeared at the University of Akron. He also made his second consecutive appearance at the College of William and Mary (with his third already booked for ’10); his third at Middlebury College (with his fourth already booked for’10); his fourth at Carnegie Mellon University (with his fifth already booked for ’10); his 12th at Michigan Tech (with his 13th already booked for ’10); and his 16th at Xavier University (with his 17th already booked for ’10).

Xavier University 2009 Orientation © Photos courtesy of Keith Klenowski

“Once again, Craig far exceeded our expectations. The visiting students were stunned and amazed.”
Stacy Pearson, Office of Undergraduate Admissions, Washington University in St. Louis

“The families RAVED about Craig all weekend, I knew Craig would be a sure thing for CAB’s first performance in our new performing arts center. Wonderful... thank you so much!”
Alisa Mauk Lively, Director of Campus Life, West Virginia Wesleyan College

“Craig never ceases to amaze an audience. He was superb! Many rave reviews!”
Ron Witt, Alumni Director, West Liberty University

“Craig is the best act in the market. His performance was amazing and he was easy to work with. My first choice when it comes to entertainers.”
Doris Jackson, Director Student Activities, Methodist University

“Craig is the best! The students love him!”
Kendra Regehr, Director Student Activities, University of Central Arkansas

“As usual, Craig put on a great, energetic and interactive show that ended in a standing ovation. Craig is really great to work with.”
Steve Pagios, Residence Life Coordinator, University of Akron

“Great teaser! Standing ovation at the end. A real crowd favorite.”
Jim Hughes, Comedy Chair, Campus Activities Board, Salve Regina University

“The Family Weekend response was overwhelming! Craig put on a great show.”
Heather Diehl, Assistant Director Student Involvement and Leadership, Daniel Webster College

A Capitol Idea

In September, Craig Karges appeared at the Capitol Theatre in his hometown of Wheeling, West Virginia. This was a very special night, celebrating the “grand re-opening” of the 1920s-era Beaux Arts theatre listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The evening was billed as “A New Beginning” after the theatre had been shuttered for more than two years.

Photos courtesy of Wheeling Convention and Visitors Bureau

The sold-out show drew 2400 patrons who enjoyed an eclectic bill ranging from country music to rap and from comedians to a repertory theatre company and, of course, one extraordinist! Craig was honored to be asked to be on the show and sandwiched the appearance between a charity event in Toronto the day before and a college appearance in Denver the day after.

The last time Craig set foot on the Capitol’s stage was in 2004 when he presented his full evening theatre show, Experience The Extraordinary, as a benefit for his high school alma mater. That was a special night as well as that performance raised over $40,000 in ticket sales and donations for Central Catholic High School.

Craig played another historic venue the month prior to his Capitol appearance when he visited Lakeside, the Chautauqua on Lake Erie in August and drew 1100 people to Hoover Auditorium and worked to a standing ovation. Lakeside has been celebrating mind, body and spirit for over 135 years in the best tradition of the Chautauqua movement.

Also in his role as “touring performing artist” (in addition to his roles as award-winning college entertainer, acclaimed corporate speaker/entertainer and author) Craig made his third appearance at Ohio’s Fitton Center for Creative Arts in November before a sold-out crowd.

“Your third visit to the Fitton Center—as expected—was a sellout and an incredible experience! Since we first booked you back in the mid-90s, you’ve just gotten better and, somehow, weirder, I only mean that from a Wow! perspective. You’re not only the consummate entertainer, but about the easiest we’ve ever worked with from a technical, professional and just plain nice person aspect. You were such a great hit we may be talking a return for next season.”
Rick H. Jones, Executive Director, Fitton Center for Creative Arts

Extraordinary Tales

We are very excited to announce that in November, Craig Karges’ third book, Extraordinary Tales—Stories from the Road was published. The book is a celebration of 30 years of life on the road. To give you a better idea:

Craig Karges takes you on a tour around the world visiting extraordinary places and encountering extraordinary people in the process. Extraordinary Tales is one part travel memoir and one part encyclopedia of the paranormal and the extraordinary. Travel the world with Craig as you:

• Solve the mystery of Atlantis in Greece.
• Search for King Solomon’s Mines in Saudi Arabia and the Ark of the Covenant in Jordan.
• Discover the Father of Modern Magic in France.
• Take a walk with Jack the Ripper in England.
• Learn the secrets of the pyramids in Egypt.
• Come face-to-face with Bigfoot in the Pacific Northwest.
• Meet the White Witch of Jamaica and explore the Bermuda Triangle in the Caribbean.

From Sardinia to Singapore, Extraordinary Tales is a collection of stories gathered from around the world. You’ll visit London, Paris, Cairo, Tokyo, San Francisco and Las Vegas as well as the tiny town of Point Pleasant, West Virginia, home of the Mothman! It’s a fun-filled world tour filled with ghost stories, vampires and crystal skulls!

Get your copy today!