Why work with a speakers bureau? We'll tell you why! 📣
/
Hopefully by landing on our website you know what a speakers bureau is, but, just in case, let’s backtrack and set the scene! A speakers bureau is an agency that connects event hosts with professional speakers for conferences, internal meetings, university lecture series, and other events of all sizes and audience types. Bureaus act as intermediaries between the event hosts and the speakers, handling all the logistics and coordination involved in booking a speaker. That’s us! 👋
Our primary function is to help event hosts find the right speaker for their event. Bureaus maintain a roster of seasoned and burgeoning speakers, each with a unique area of expertise and speaking style. Now, some bureaus have a catalog of speakers on their website with thousands of speakers listed as options for the taking. But, like Outspoken, some are more boutique and curated to represent a smaller number of speakers—likely meaning they work very closely with these experts and can provide very curated and specialized pitches and topics for your unique needs. By working closely with the event host to understand their needs and goals, we can recommend the best-suited speaker for the event.
Once a speaker is selected, we handle all the details of the booking, including contracts, invoicing, travel arrangements, and any other logistical considerations. We also provide support and guidance to both the speaker and the event host to ensure a successful event!
There are several ways in which Outspoken Agency can be helpful to event hosts:
Expert guidance: We have extensive experience in the industry (a combined almost 50 years!) and can provide expert guidance on the selection of speakers, negotiation of fees, and other logistical considerations. We can save event hosts significant time and effort by creating a proposal of speaker ideas that check all of the boxes, including working with our speakers to build out a curated topic for an event theme. And we have inside knowledge on the real fees for speakers and steering clear of trouble speakers from prior bookings to save you from an unpleasant programming experience.
Time-saving: We save event hosts significant time and effort by handling all the logistics of booking a speaker—from fine-tuning contract language to coordinating all travel bookings to handling the minor details of tech and rider needs. This allows the event host to focus on other aspects of the event, such as promotion and overall onsite logistics.
Access to professional speakers: We have access to a wide network of incredible professional speakers, many of whom may not be easily accessible to event hosts. We can hunt down fees for those impossible-to-find speakers through our network of contacts or connect the dots to insider information for our own roster. This allows event hosts to select from a diverse range of speakers and find the perfect fit for their event.
Peace of mind: 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 intermediary for the speaker honorarium to ensure all contractual obligations are met and ensures that the speaker will be properly prepared and arrive on time for the event.
Outspoken Agency plays a crucial role in connecting our event hosts with incredible thought-leaders, powerful speakers, and award-winning authors for their events. By handling all the logistics of the booking, we streamline the experience of booking speakers to ensure a more seamless and enjoyable experience.
Here’s a sample of just a few of the many clients we’ve work with over our past 6+ years in business:
Ready to work with Outspoken or interested in exploring more about the process? Please get in touch!
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.