Speakers Bureaus to Planners: Stop Wasting Our Time

Twice in the past month, Jaki Baskow, CEO of Las Vegas Speakers Bureau, was strung along by planners who couldn’t make a final decision about booking a speaker and an entertainer.

“They confirm, tell you to send a contract, then they keep it going for two months. Then, after they have reconfirmed, they send an email: 

‘Oh sorry, we need to cancel. We’re going in a different direction.’” 

Not only had the speaker and entertainer turned down other jobs, but the client refused to pay a cancellation fee. “It’s not right,” she said.

Not only is it bad business, but there’s a hard cost for speakers who turn down other gigs, and the closer a cancellation happens to the event date, the less likely the speaker will be able to fill it with another opportunity.

“If there’s a delay in payment, that’s a big red flag,” said Andrea Gold, president and CEO, Gold Stars Speakers Bureau. “I will ask when (a specific date) I can expect the payment to arrive. If they can’t give me a real answer, that’s very telling. Them saying it will be done in the next two weeks once AP works on it is not acceptable. Accountability, commitment, and respect come into play here.”

Put It On Hold

Baskow, Gold, and other speakers bureau representatives are seeing more companies putting off speaker decisions until the last minute, which then forces everyone to scramble to make things happen.

Booking windows are “as tight as I’ve ever seen,” said one planner from a major insurance company. It’s like the saying, ‘Hurry up just to wait.’ Then I can’t get the go-ahead, and then when I do it’s a mad rush.”

Lisa Warren, partner at SpeakInc, says her contract calls for a 50% nonrefundable deposit, due within two weeks. The remainder is due if the client cancels within 60 days. 

“For many long-term clients, there is definitely flexibility,” she said. “But usually after a one-week grace period, we check in with the client. If a reasonable ETA on monies is not offered, or if the speaker is high-profile, we let the client know we need to put the date back on hold until the deposit is received.”

If the speaker receives another offer in the interim, then the initial client has 24 hours to produce the deposit. “In all cases, I let the speaker know if the deposit is late and give them the option to extend the deadline.”

Professional speaker and author of “Website Wealth: A Business Leader’s Guide to Driving Real Value from your Analytics” Philippa Gamse has presented in nine countries and more than 30 U.S. states. She doesn’t consider herself booked until there’s a signed contract and a deposit.

“Until then, it’s a hold. If I’m offered other work, I’d contact the initial company and give them first refusal — but they need to pay.”

That doesn’t mean she won’t try to be flexible with meeting organizers. “My contract includes clear cancellation terms. If there’s a good reason for the cancellation, we can work around it and find a mutually good alternative, but there’s an agreement there that needs to be respected.”