This article focuses mainly on making smarter buying decisions when booking conference speakers and facilitators, although it equally applies to those booking entertainers.
In any industry, talent and expertise is made available through a variety of different channels. Some of these channels are more effective or less-expensive than others. Speaker fees can represent a sizeable proportion of an event budget. Large sums of money can be saved when you have a full understanding of how the speaking business is organised. And when you know WHO you’re doing business with. I’ve heard even highly experienced event organisers and conference producers use the words ‘agent’ and ‘bureau’ incorrectly. Here are the basics;
Managers, Agents and Speaker Bureaux
Managers and agents work for the artiste. They are responsible for the strategic direction of the artistes’ career, find work for their artistes, negotiate fees and handle most, if not all elements of each booking they receive for those artistes. Agents normally represent a number of artistes. Managers usually work more closely with a much smaller number of artistes. Managers and agents are almost always paid on a commission-only basis.
Important point:
Agents and managers receive commission deducted from the artistes’ fees.
Speaker Bureaux are different. They work for their clients, NOT the speaker. Speakers/facilitators are merely the products they sell to their clients. Bureaux are usually very well-connected; with artistes, agents, managers and their clients. Their address books positively bulge with available talent.
In most cases, bureaux do not represent the artistes they feature on their websites. Some of the larger bureaux do have sole representation agreements with some of the artistes and can earn more from those artistes.
However …….if you are a client looking for a speaker, such an arrangement is not always good for you because the bureau is more likely to push a speaker who is ‘solely represented’, even if they are not perfectly suited to your brief.
I remember vividly a situation which illustrates this perfectly. Working as a conference facilitator for a global publicly-quoted manufacturing company, I was asked to help them source a speaker in the US, where we were staging their global conference. I sent a detailed brief to a high profile US Speaker Bureau. Their eventual response (after repeated and increasingly desperate emails from me) included the line “Our favorite motivational speaker is…..” They then waxed lyrical about someone who had endured years in a Vietnam concentration camp. This was nothing at all to do with the brief that specifically stated the client wanted someone who was involved in a business ‘turnaround’. My response was along the lines of “I don’t care who your ‘favorite’ speaker is, please supply someone who fits the needs of my client.” A terse reply came back. “We are unable to help you.”
This happened only one day before a scheduled meeting with the CEO who wanted to know how the search was progressing. I was stressed. So I contacted Amanda Gore, an outstanding Australian speaker who was wowing audiences in the US at the time (http://amandagore.com ). She instantly put me in touch with Brian Palmer at the National Speaker Bureau http://www.nationalspeakers.com/). Within hours Brian took the brief, found the perfect speaker who was on-topic, within budget and available. The speaker was contracted for the meeting and went on to do an excellent job.
Important point:
In North America bureaux charge the same fee you’d pay if you contacted a speaker direct. Their fees, like with agents and managers are deducted from the artistes’ fee. For an artiste, they negotiate the level of commission they are prepared to pay the bureau based on how much business is directed their way.
By contrast, when you hire a speaker via a UK or European speaker bureau, their fee is almost always added on top of the artistes’ fee. Commissions of 20-25% are standard. Unscrupulous bureaux have been known to charge their clients double or even triple what they will pay the speaker.
UK and European bureaux are therefore a more expensive way to hire on-stage talent. Does that mean you should avoid working with UK/European Speaker Bureaux?
Absolutely not.
The good ones provide their clients with a massive choice of high-quality speakers. And guide their choices by offering outstanding advice based on many years experience in the industry. And charge about 20-25% in commission.
Also be aware that if you are working with a creative agency (production, AV, PR or communications) they may offer to source speakers for you. Some will also add a mark up to the speaker fee. This means that in some cases a speakers’ fee will be subject to two commissions; the first by a bureau, and then by the creative agency. Also consider that the artiste may be represented by an agent who will deduct their own commission of say, 20%.
Speakers don’t always receive what you have to pay them!
Options to Consider
If budget is not a consideration, or you don’t have time to do your own research, contact a trusted speaker bureau so they can source who you need.
Alternatively, if you know the name of the speaker you wish to book, find their personal website, Twitter account, Facebook page or LinkedIn profile and contact them direct.
If you can’t find their personal contact details, search for their agent or business manager. However, make sure you’re not misled into thinking you’re contacting someone direct, when in fact you’re being directed elsewhere. For example, if you search for my name “Roy Sheppard” you may find a Google Ad that looks as though it links to me, because it states “Author & Conference Moderator Direct…”. I have no connection with that company. Nor do I want to if that’s how they conduct their business!
Experienced producers and event managers tell me when they have some idea of the type of speaker or topic you’re looking for but don’t know who to choose, they will often visit speaker bureaux sites, create a shortlist of potential speakers and then try to find their direct contact details or shop around to different bureaux to get the best deal.
Alternatively, you could adopt Sarah Prior’s approach; many years ago she contacted me via email. I did not know her. She simply asked “Are you available to speak at the annual conference for the Law Society of Scotland? Are you available on this date? If so, what is your fee?” I responded telling her I was available and quoted my fee. Within moments she wrote back to say something along the lines of “You’re booked.”
Intrigued, I had to call to ask “Bookings never get confirmed that quickly, how come?” She said “I knew what I wanted, so I reached out to my extensive LinkedIn network and asked if anyone could recommend someone who fitted my criteria. Four people came back to me with just one name – yours. That’s good enough for me.”
I recall this incident because only two weeks ago she booked me to speak and facilitate that conference for the fourth time. Because she was about to move on to another job, she also introduced me via email to the colleague who is taking over from her.
Copy Sarah’s approach by using your LinkedIn network. Join relevant online and offline groups for event professionals and conference producers. The Delegate Wranglers group on Facebook is brilliant for this.
Share your own speaker recommendations and seek recommendations from people you trust.
Previous speakers you have worked with often have extensive contacts within the industry and are often prepared to recommend high-calibre ‘non-celebrity’ and therefore, more affordable speakers. If you’d like recommendations of speakers, get in touch with me. I can’t guarantee anything, but happy to help if I can.
Roy Sheppard is a specialist conference facilitator and host/facilitator for virtual meetings. www.RoySheppard.co.uk
He is a former BBC news anchorman and reporter and a radio talk show host. Today he facilitates large and small international conferences.