At Speakers.com we understand the impact that a speech can have on an individual, a group, an organization, a culture, and even a generation. The right speaker connecting to an audience with the right message can create the knowledge and insight needed to improve both personally and professionally.
Searching for a speaker and finding the perfect agency partner can be a time-consuming and difficult task. That is why so many organizations rely on Speakers.com’s extensive knowledge of the broad range of speakers and corporate talent available, coupled with our professional, dedicated staff.
What Does a Speakers Bureau Do?
The bureau’s job is to help you find the right speaker for your event, send you materials to review, schedule conference calls, contract the speaker and facilitate financial arrangements. If you were to research and try to book your own speakers, you’d spend hours gathering information that may or may not get you somewhere. Sometimes finding the contact information is the easy part, but you never really know a speaker’s presence like a bureau does.
The Bureau’s primary function is to help event hosts find the right speaker for their event. Finding the right speakers who meets both your programming needs and budget is the bureau’s objective. Many speakers only work with Bureaus. Our advisory services are completely free for event professionals. Our clients don’t pay any fees to us, our speakers contract us to represent them which includes event logistics, marketing, and professional development.
Bureaus guarantee quality. An experienced, trustworthy bureau like Speakers.com acts as a close partner for researching speakers and finding the perfect match for your event. Speakers.com works exclusively with vetted, professional speakers who are seasoned experts. Bureaus generally represent a large roster of speakers (ranging from local business experts to worldwide celebrities) but can also book speakers they don’t exclusively represent.
By handling all the details of the booking and using a standard industry contract, we provide event hosts with peace of mind, covering our bases with all of the potential unknown variables and the unpredictable. Working with an agency provides a safeguard to ensure all contractual obligations are met and ensures that the speaker will be properly prepared and arrive on time for the event.
Working With a Speakers Bureau
A Speaker Bureau partner will ask you about the goals and objectives for your event and about your organization. It is important in this initial contact that you have a range of acceptable speaking fees in mind to help an agent match your program objectives and budget.
Next, your bureau agent will research the large pool of available speakers to develop a short list of the top candidates for your event. They will send information about the speakers you find most interesting (videos, profiles, program outlines, etc.). Finally, they will confirm availability for the speaker(s) you have chosen and will arrange all contracting, finances and presentation and travel requirements.
Speaker bureaus save you time. Instead of having to contact the speaker’s agents, assistants, etc., you will work with one team member throughout the entire process. They will make you aware of any meetings, changes in details or updates. They are responsible for making your choice of speaker for your event a success.
Why Not Go Direct?
If you already know who you would like to speak, it is often possible to contact a speaker directly online. However, as mentioned before, many high-profile Speakers work exclusively with Bureaus, and, in addition, their fees are often the same whether you work with an agency or not. As a side note, another reason to work with a Bureau is that, depending on the speaker you seek, speakers bureaus with a long-standing relationship with the speaker can assist in negotiating fees and potentially saving you money.
Online Scams
With the proliferation of online scams, you have to be very careful with whom you deal. An example of this was when one of our client’s recently went to a scam website to contact someone who they thought was the speaker online, and then ended up losing many thousands of dollars with a no-show at their event. A primary reason working with a trusted, experienced speaker’s bureau like Speakers.com is to avoid these false representations.
Event Security
You are not on your own. If there is a cancellation, a speaker’s bureau can be counted on to work with the client to find an appropriate solution. Often bureaus guarantee a suitable replacement or the ability to reschedule if an issue arises for a client or a speaker that necessitates an adjustment to the schedule or the event itself.
Communication is the Key
Bureau agents work hard to help meeting planners book the perfect speaker. So it’s important to clearly communicate throughout the speaker search process. Give your bureau agent as much information about your goals and your chosen event theme as you can. Provide clear and quick feedback on speakers they may suggest and keep them informed about your selection process.
The event planning process is fast paced, especially when committees run the selection processes. Your bureau agent knows this, so express any concerns or challenges you are facing, even if it means letting them know the budget has been cut this year or that you need help convincing a committee of the right speaker choice.
Multiple Bureaus
If you are using other sources, it is always a good policy to let your bureau(s) know if you are considering booking a speaker from another source. This way, multiple bureaus won’t continue contacting the same speaker trying to secure “holds” for the same event date.
Smoother Selection Process
Working with bureaus is a time saving and rewarding experience. We know what speakers do well in what situations and on what topics. Speakers Bureaus take the time to learn about your event and provide you the best speakers for your event and in your budget. Their job is to take the selection process, hiring, contracting, updating, and billing off of your hands.
Bureaus take care of many of the details for booking speakers — from locating the perfect speakers available for your event to contracting negotiations and programming details — which ultimately saves you time and money. And, at the same time, provides you the peace of mind.
Consider Working With Speakers.com
Our speaker agents have almost 30 years of experience working with multinational companies, trade associations, universities, fundraisers and global conference planners on their speaker and entertainment requirements. Our reputation for outstanding service has been earned through years of booking standing ovation speakers for our client’s events in every state in the US and over 70 countries around the world.
Need a celebrity name, business thought-leader, economist, media personality or “clean” corporate entertainer? We have long-established relationships with hundreds of speakers and entertainers, as well as many unique programming ideas, developed exclusively for Speakers.com.
Choosing Speakers.com means working with an organization that exemplifies quality service. Our lecture consultants and event coordinators are consistently praised for providing our clients with personal service and individualized care unsurpassed in the industry! We handle all the details of your speaker selection, so you can focus on the other details of your event.
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