Speaker fees feel arbitrary until you understand the five levers behind every quote. Once you do, negotiation stops being a haggle and becomes a conversation about which levers you're pulling. And don't worry too much, this is what our team does for a living so we'll take care of it all.
The five levers
1. Profile. What someone will pay to have the speaker on the poster. A name that fills a room is, fairly, paid more than one that doesn't. This is the lever you can't move, it's set by the market.
2. Travel and time away. Half a day in central London is not the same booking as two days in Singapore. Speakers price the door-to-door, not the time on stage. A 40-minute talk that requires a Sunday flight and a Tuesday return can sometimes be a three-day booking. We'll navigate this for you.
3. Exclusivity. "We need you to not appear at any competing event for 60 days either side" doubles the fee, easily. If you don't need exclusivity, don't ask for it.
4. Format. Keynote is the baseline. Add a Q&A panel afterwards, a VIP dinner, a private breakfast for sponsors, a video to camera, a podcast recording, each of those is a separate deliverable and is priced as one. "While you're here" is best avoided.
5. Prep time. A generic keynote they've given 30 times is cheap and very easy to deliver. A bespoke talk built around your key messaging, your customer interviews and your CEO's strategy is a week of work. Custom content is worth paying for, but be honest about whether you actually need it.
Where the negotiation actually happens
We will always give you an indicative costs but for most speakers, context is key.
Clarity of brief.
The quality of fit between the event
Its purpose and the speaker.
Chemistry with the event organiser.
Diary and location fit.
Level of personalisation and prep work.
Filming and recording rights.
One off or several bookings in one.
These are all factors that can be used to shape the right engagement, format and fees and the best speakers work with you to achieve a great result.
We know the best ones...and...the not so best ones and will give you a good steer.
Need a speaker for an event you're planning?
We'll come back with a hand-picked shortlist within hours.
Browse speakers