Outspoken does IASB! What's that, you say?
/
Last week, we attended our second International Association of Speakers Bureaus ENGAGE Convention. Yes, there is an association of speaking agencies and management companies just like us! It is the industry event of the year, and we are so grateful to have joined this community. At the very least, it’s nice to be around more people who actually know and understand what we do for a living! But in all seriousness, this group of people is so smart, kind, and supportive. We learn so much from them at the event and throughout the year.
Among the various sessions, we took time to learn how sales and event logistics/operations can work more collaboratively together as well as gain a better understanding of what’s to come with industry marketing best practices and the heavy influence AI will have on our future strategy. Many notes and insights will be implemented in the near future on how to run Outspoken better for our speakers and our event hosts.
But at the top of the list for the conference, we had the privilege of bringing one of our own speakers, Paula Stone Williams, to the stage as an IASBTalks Showcase presenter on Saturday. We couldn't be more thrilled by the response from those in attendance of her talk: "I’ve Lived as a Man, I’ve Lived as a Woman, Here Is What I’ve Learned." Beyond the instant standing ovation, the one-on-one moments shared between many of our industry colleagues and Paula were especially heartfelt and cherished by Paula. Her ability to use her story to relate to your own personal journey is what makes her so relatable and loved.
The positive responses have continued past the convention, and we continue to be pleasantly surprised by just how deeply her messaging was felt by others. Because we so rarely get to attend our speakers’ events, it’s that much more validating that we are working with some amazing humans who are able to transcend labels and stereotypes and personal doubts and make a real impact with their messages on stages all over the world. Paula is so great at doing exactly that.
We miss our industry colleagues already, but we can’t wait to use what we learned last week and see how everyone grows their businesses in collaboration with their own amazing event planners. Until next year, IASB ENGAGE!
-Caitie, Tara & Tori
Outspoken Agency is a women-owned speaking agency representing leaders, founders, public intellectuals, authors and entertainers for paid keynotes, workshops and panels at in-person and virtual events. Learn more about our female founders here.