By Xavier Smerdon
NOT many people would consider hoaxing people as a major part of their job description, or at least they would not admit it.
But for Sanctuary Lakes resident Leonie Collins being able to trick event goers with her flawless impersonations is not just her hobby, it is her whole career.
Ms Collins is an “eventertainer”, someone who combines absurd theatrics with business conferences.
For the past 20 years she has been attempting to inject humour into the world of sales and marketing.
“Twenty years ago I discovered a niche in business marketing to put a bit of fun in there,” Ms Collins said.
“I try to put the razzamatazz in what are sometimes dry topics.”
Ms Collins’ job requires her to hold informative talks at business conferences and other events while adding her own brand of performance.
Of course sometimes it takes people a little longer to realise that she is not the character she is impersonating.
“I did one conference where I was a bikie mole, a waitress from hell, Joan Collins and Madam Zelda,” she said.
“They didn’t know it was me. They didn’t even know it was only one person.”
Ms Collins, who has several rooms of her house filled with a seemingly endless supply of costumes, said tricking people was all part of the job.
“All you’ve got to do is just a quick thing. You can achieve so much with so little time,” she said. “It’s called a hoax and it makes people remember the event.”
