The Passing Zone

Owen Morse and Jon Wee met at a 1986 juggling convention and instantly knew they were destined to be a team.

Rather than pursue careers in Economics and Psychology, they lit some torches and started throwing stuff into the air. And things clicked. Two weeks after their first performance together, they won the Silver Medal at the International Juggler's Association Teams Competition. The next year they won the Gold. That recognition earned an invitation to appear at the renowned Comedy and Magic Club in Los Angeles, where on their first night they were approached by a Tonight Show talent scout and booked for their first national television appearance in September of 1990. Johnny Carson enjoyed them so much they were asked back less than a year later. Jon and Owen doubled for "Gomez" (Raul Julia) and "Uncle Fester" (Christopher Lloyd) in The Addams Family movie in the climactic Mamushka dagger-passing scene. More recently, they appeared in the award-winning comedy documentary, The Aristocrats.

The Passing Zone's first London appearance was in the “Royal Variety Performance” at the Dominion Theatre, performing for Prince Charles and sharing the bill with Tony Bennett and Riverdance. They expanded their US national television audience by passing clubs over the heads of the Miss America Pageant contestants during the swimsuit competition, demonstrating almost inhuman concentration skills. Most recently, they were finalists on America's Got Talent where they lost a million dollars to an 11-year-old. The highest-rated comedy act, they eventually won the affection of David Hasselhoff who previously claimed to hate all jugglers.

Corporate entertainment and keynote speaking gradually became their primary market. Their act is clean. They appeal to all ages and all walks of life, so whether their audience is a group of mechanical contractors, software engineers, hairdressers, or billionaire business leaders, they are always a hit. Not only do they entertain, but they customize their performances by juggling a company's product, incorporating slogans, and inspiring groups to be better teams.

Their corporate career really took off after a national Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) event in Atlanta, which was quickly followed by other MDRTs in Chicago and Singapore. After main stage appearances at Meeting Professionals International (MPI), the National Speakers Association, YPO, ICPA, and others, the industry took notice, and they've been off and running ever since.

Clients such as eBay, Firestone, Old Navy, Microsoft, IBM, Kodak, and IASB have brought Jon and Owen to their events to motivate their people. The London Business Forum recently enlisted The Passing Zone and it was one of their highest-rated events ever.

Jon and Owen have published articles on teamwork, work-life balance, and taking risks in countless industry periodicals including Business People, Special Events, Smart Meetings, Networking Times, Financial Executives, Successful Meetings, Home Business, and many more. They were chosen as a Best Bet for entertainment by The Wall Street Journal, and Special Events magazine named them among their “Hottest 26 Speakers.”

Jon and Owen are known as much for their comedy as their juggling skills. They were featured twice on the gala stage at the Just for Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal and have opened for comedians Bill Cosby, George Carlin, Bob Newhart, Bob Hope, and Penn & Teller. Television appearances have included Comic Strip Live, An Evening at The Improv, MADtv, Penn & Teller's Sin City Spectacular, Steve Harvey's Big Time, and regular returns to The Today Show. Additionally, the two were commentators on ESPN during coverage of the World Juggling Federation competitions, and a year ago were guest performers at The White House.

The Passing Zone has been awarded five Guinness World Records and 18 Gold Medals from the International Juggler's Association. They were recently presented with that organization's Award of Excellence, for "excellence in the art of juggling through professional performance," which is the most prestigious award in juggling (essentially the Juggling Hall of Fame), given to only 13 acts worldwide.

In addition to their corporate appearances, The Passing Zone can be seen performing their full evening show, "Gravity Attacks!", in theaters and performing arts centers nationwide.

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Topics

Juggle-Nomics: What Comes Down, Must Go Up!

Your people are experiencing challenging times. No matter what the state of your company or organization, your people are worried. They are worried about their job, their spouse's job, their mortgage, their investments, and their future. Everywhere they turn, they are bombarded by messages of fear and uncertainty, and those messages are starting to take a toll, if not on their productivity, then certainly on their mood, outlook and happiness.

Even with serious matters to discuss at your upcoming event, a somber atmosphere is not the answer to your event's success. Your event should infuse your people with energy and enthusiasm. It should help them feel good, creative, and productive.

Let's face it, these difficult times are not going to last forever. Already, people are tired of hearing the bad news, and they are desperate to feel good again. Coincidentally, juggling and economics work on the exact same principle: "What comes down, must go up!" Call it logic. Call it optimism. We call it "juggle-nomics." "What Comes Down, Must Go Up!" is a new presentation by The Passing Zone that will bring joy and happiness to your event, show what is possible when people stay focused, emphasize the importance of relationships and collaboration, and inspire excellence

The Passing Zone on ICE: Innovation, Collaboration, Execution

Jon Wee and Owen Morse, The Passing Zone, are one of the most accomplished comedy duos in the nation, and they've done it by focusing on three success principles. Those same principles can help any group achieve fantastic results, and there is no better way to bring them these key ideas than through The Passing Zone's hilarious, energetic, and inspiring keynote.

Innovation:
You want your company or organization to innovate, to be different, to stand out from the rest. Don't do what everyone else does. Look for ways to be creative, unique, and move the world forward with new ideas. Success demands innovation.

The Passing Zone are innovators. They juggle astronauts (audience members), ride Segways while juggling inflated bags, and juggle chainsaws while dancing in tights and tutus. Their skill is unmatched, and their humor is unequaled, and you've never seen anything like it! These guys innovate each and every day, and they will inspire your people to do the same.

Collaboration:
Nobody accomplishes anything alone. In order to succeed, your people need to understand the importance of working with others around them. Rely on each other's strengths. Collaboration requires trust, communication, cooperation - and practice!

Jon and Owen don't just talk about collaboration, they do it! They rely on each other at every moment, on stage, for their success, and even their safety! Watch two people whose career is based on working together. Your people will see, like never before, that nothing beats effective collaboration.

Execution:
Great ideas and plans mean nothing without execution. Your people need to carry out their vision and their plans, and they need to do it with excellence. Get it done, and do it right! Give your customer the very best you have to offer.

The Passing Zone will execute excellence right in front of your eyes. They need to be flawless, or things go crashing to the stage! Their precision, skill, and success will blow your people away. They present outrageous, complex stunts, and they execute them live, on stage. If mistakes happen (and sometimes they do!), they are handled with precision and professionalism, which is all part of execution. Show your people execution at its best - and most fun!

Teamwork: The Power of Partnership

Many speakers talk about teamwork. Jon and Owen do it. Their success is proven, their talent unique, and nowhere else will you see such an exciting demonstration of the amazing things that can be accomplished when people work together.

The Passing Zone is a comedy duo who not only work together - their safety is in each other's hands! Every moment of this presentation is a clear example of collaboration between two people who have prepared, who rely on each other's strengths, who communicate, trust, and have fun cooperating. Their entertaining and inspiring performance uses big laughs, exciting stunts, and flawless teamwork, creating an unforgettable experience for any industry.

Throwing chainsaws, balancing on each others' shoulders while juggling flaming torches, demonstrating teamwork by getting people from the audience to participate - are all part of Teamwork: The Power of Partnership. Imagine your CEO standing in the middle of flying sickles and blazing torches! They even juggle three people from the audience in their exciting piece - People-Juggling.