business

For Roger Boatman, an out-of-work market research professional looking for inspiration, a competitive advantage and a job, a motivational seminar with a star-studded lineup is worth a day of his time and $4.95 out of his pocket.

"If nothing else, maybe it'll give me an opportunity to get out into the real world, stop and take stock of where I'm at and where I want to go, and recharge the batteries," said Boatman, 55, of Apple Valley. "It's cheap enough ... as long as I don't have any interviews that day, I'll take advantage of it."

"Get Motivated!" -- the heavily promoted mega-business seminar that promises to increase productivity and income -- returns to Target Center for the third time on Wednesday. Colin Powell, Rudy Giuliani, Sarah Palin and local sports heroes Brett Favre and Ron Gardenhire are among the list of heavy hitters who will be speaking.

But motivation could quickly turn to frustration on two fronts. Skeptics urge caution about the seminar's possible hidden agendas, asking how organizers can afford to pay so many hefty speaking fees and rent out the Target Center, yet charge so little. Critics say the low cost may be a ploy to get people in the door, where lesser-known speakers "upsell" their services and seminars.

On top of that, the seminar is a notorious traffic clogger in cities nationwide. On Wednesday, the 20,000 expected to attend will descend on downtown Minneapolis during morning rush hour, then leave just as Twins fans are heading to nearby Target Field for a night game against the Yankees. The city of Minneapolis is already ramping up its traffic-control efforts.

Now in its 25th year, "Get Motivated!" seminars are run by the husband-wife team of Peter and Tamara Lowe as part of their self-help business. Hundreds of thousands of people nationwide turn out for all-day events that bring in the best motivational speakers in the business, including Zig Ziglar. Add a few celebrity politicians and athletes, fireworks, dancing and music, and you've got a stage show fit for any rock concert-goer -- all for rock-bottom ticket prices.

"It's a big party, it's inspiring and everybody loves it and has a good time," said Debby Magnuson, director of development services at Career Partners International in Bloomington, when asked for her opinion of the seminar. "Is it useful? That's a whole other question."

As a career consultant and longtime motivational speaker, she says the benefits of such seminars are "minimal and fleeting, because you can't get motivation from someone else. Motivation is an internal drive."

Magnuson, who attended the first Minneapolis "Get Motivated!" seminar in 2003, admits there are still a few good reasons to go, among them, an opportunity for encouragement and time outside the office with co-workers.

"At worst, it's a cynical marketing ploy and possibly a political ploy," she said. "At best, it's an opportunity for a day out and a team builder with a group of people who've had a really hard time over the last couple of years. That's valuable."

The shiny red, white and blue promotional flier is enticing, with 15 exclamation points on the cover alone: Win Huge Door Prizes! $10,000 Cash! And Much, Much More! The Experts Are Coming to You!

On the back side: This is almost free! Registration is $4.95 per person or send your entire office for only $19.

"That's the problem," said Nancy Scott, education director for the Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors. "There's obviously not enough return on the tickets they're selling to pay for this, given the location and caliber of speakers who are going to be there. So you have to wonder if there's a hidden agenda of some kind." But she ordered 200 tickets for area Realtors anyway, saying they might get some good out of it.

The seminar has been regarded among skeptics as having a politically conservative slant laced with religious overtones, accusations the seminar's owners deny.

"We've featured people from every persuasion of political viewpoints, from every faith persuasion, and there's not a religious or political agenda," said Tamara Lowe. "At the same time, we don't shy away from exposing our audiences to a variety of different perspectives."

Tamara Lowe, also one of the featured speakers and author of the best-selling "Get Motivated!" book, often tells audiences how her relationship with God helped her overcome drug addiction. In a phone interview, she talked about her mission to bring help, hope and encouragement to people so they can lead successful, satisfying lives.

At the core of that mission is a business model, however, and how the Lowes make a profit selling seats for just dollars a head remains a mystery. The company is private, and not required to disclose financial details.

Tamara Lowe acknowledges that the seminar is used to drum up business for the Lowe's training company and speaker agency. "There are a lot of elements to what we do that make the whole thing work economically." Other theories abound. Wedged between the Zig Ziglars and Colin Powells of the seminar come the lesser known speakers and sales experts, and a chance for them to make some money.

"The money is made in the back of the room, as they say," with speakers pitching their services and seminars, said John LaRosa, research director for Marketdata Enterprises, a Tampa-based firm that conducts studies on the self-improvement market. "And you can bet there are plenty of chances to drop your business card, win something and contribute to very targeted mailing lists."

Still, the lineup was enough to entice Boatman to order a ticket. He missed the fine print inside the flier: Brett Favre and Sarah Palin "may appear live via satellite" but said it doesn't change his plans.

"If three-fourths of the speakers appeared on satellite, that would be a separate issue, but a couple is fine," he said. "I'm just hoping for an enjoyable day of self-learning."

Aimée Blanchette • 612-673-1715