Once you have answered the six questions everyone should ask before booking a professional speaker, it’s time to contact a speaker bureau with your request.
What is a speaker bureau?
A speaker bureau is a company that maintains a database of professional speakers with a wide array of expertise and who speak on many topics. A speaker bureau acts as a liaison between you and the speakers you’re interested in booking. The bureau contacts speakers on your behalf, finds out their availabilities and fees, helps with logistics and negotiates contracts. Generally there is no extra cost to you for booking a speaker through a speaker bureau, as any bureau fees are charged to the speaker as a commission.
Selecting a speaker bureau
There are many speaker bureaus out there and it can be difficult to know how to choose the right one for you. You may want to work with a local speaker bureau whose staff may best understand the specific needs of your community. Or you may want to go with a national bureau that has wider access to speakers and resources. The decision is yours to make.
Founded in 1997, Inspiring Speakers Bureau is home to some of the world’s best motivational speakers. We maintain an international database with the most up-to-date information about our professional speakers and their presentation topics. Our goal is to put your needs first and to help you select the speakers who best match the style and substance of your event. Whether the purpose of your conference or event is to entertain, inspire or inform, our professional speakers are committed to uplifting your organization.
No matter the type of speaker you’re looking for, we will design a proposal package that is tailor-made to your event program. Because we present more than one speaker option for your consideration, you always get to choose the most ideal candidate from a relevant short list. Plus, once you have selected and booked a speaker, we assign you a personal event coordinator to ensure that your event – and the rest of the process – goes smoothly.
But enough about us! There’s more you should know.
Selecting a speaker
If you have a specific speaker in mind, be sure to let your speaker bureau know. Even if the speaker is not on your bureau’s roster, the bureau will likely be able to provide you with more information on his or her fees and current presentation topics, as well as help you make booking arrangements. Plus, if the speaker you’re interested in is unavailable, the bureau will certainly be able to recommend other speakers who have similar messages or areas of expertise, and who may even better suit your event and its objectives.
Once a speaker bureau has presented you with a list of speaker candidates, it’s important that you do more research on each potential speaker to see if he or she meets your needs. Most bureaus will provide you with all the information they can about the speakers you’re interested in, from promotional brochures and videos to referrals from other clients.
At Inspiring Speakers Bureau, you can learn more about all of our speakers right on our website. In addition to our list of featured speakers, we have a drop-down menu that lists our entire roster of speakers alphabetically by last name. Here you can locate the speakers we’ve recommended or that you are interested in and visit their profile pages to learn more about them. You’ll find information on their areas of expertise and fees, as well as links to their websites, video clips of their presentations, and testimonials and recommendations.
It’s extremely important that you do your research to ensure you’re booking the right speaker for your event. A good speaker bureau will take the guesswork and confusion out of selecting a speaker and help you make truly informed decisions.
Check back tomorrow for more information on selecting a speaker. Till next time!
