January 2004
Cheat Sheet: Hiring celebrity speakers

What every show manager should know before booking and signing a contract with a high-profile speaker

By Linda Chandler

The Pros & Cons of Hiring Celebrity Speakers
Pros
• Draws more general attendance
• Boosts separate ticket sales for banquets/events
• Attracts media attention

Cons
• Higher fee structure
• Higher expectations from audience
• Often less adaptable than professional industry speaker

Are they worth it?
Linda Baysari, Show Manager for the Pacific Coast Builders Conference, says yes.

Past speakers have included Magic Johnson; Seth Gordon, author of best-selling business books such as “Permission Marketing;” and Frank Abagnale, famous con artist and inspiration for the movie, “Catch Me if You Can.”

Baysari says anyone, including her competitors, can get industry speakers, but she sets her show apart by offering keynotes from speakers who are from outside the industry, well-known and have substance. “My speaker sets the personality of my show,” she says.

Although she doesn’t track whether speakers pay for themselves in terms of the sponsorships and attendees they attract, she feels their insight and marketing value are well worth the expense.

Her advice to others: Start early (at least nine months before the show) and aim high. Expect to be told “no” often.

10 Tips for Booking a Celebrity
1. Use your relationships. Ask a speaker’s bureau to help access big names. Most top talent agencies co-broker with other speaker’s bureaus. Ask your board members and primary supporters who they know. Occasionally celebrity speakers are persuaded by personal connections. (But see tip No. 6.)

2. Research the Web. Most speakers bureau Web sites provide speaker bios, topics, travel origin and price ranges. “Inquire” or “contact us” are euphemisms for “very pricey.”

3. Read speaker bios to learn about special interests. You may discover connections to your group’s cause (environmental issues, literacy, health issues, for example) that will help attract a particular big-name speaker and justify the speaker’s appearance at your gathering.

4. Never hire a speaker based on celebrity status. Emmy-winners and best-selling authors don’t necessarily have the platform skills to hold an audience for an hour, and puffed-up egos will turn off the audience. See videotapes or actual presentations to judge a celebrity’s speaking competence.

5.Explore alternative methods for showcasing a celebrity. Interview/talk show scenarios or Q&A sessions may substitute for a keynote address or augment a short presentation.

6. Resist going direct. Some celebs have their own Web sites, and you may reach them directly but doing so usually won’t save you money and it may leave you stranded if there’s a cancellation.

7. Follow your usual preparation plan, and don’t be awed into relinquishing control. Clearly explain your purpose and expectations, and let the speaker know there will be audience evaluations. If you want the speaker to customize the presentation, provide guidance about how you see that happening and give the celebrity speaker organizational background. If the celebrity has just one prepared performance, know what it is, especially if there’s a political or personal agenda involved.

8. Ask for everything you want in writing when you make the initial offer. Include arrangements for appearances at a VIP reception, book signing or press conference. Request rights to videotape or broadcast on your Web site or to excerpt parts of the speech in your magazine.

9. Assume nothing. Ask about transportation, security, suites, food, meet and greet, entourage — everything. Assign a key person to shadow the celebrity on site.

10.Enlist sponsors to help foot the bill.

Web site resources
Many of the top agencies/speaker bureaus represent big names through “exclusive” contracts. These feature star-power clients:
Greater Talent Network Inc., www.greatertalent.com
Harry Walker Agency, www.harrywalker.com
Keppler Associates Inc., www.kepplerassociates.com
Leading Authorities Inc., www.leadingauthorities.com
National Speakers Bureau Inc., www.nationalspeakers.com
Royce Carlton Inc., www.roycecarlton.com
Washington Speakers Bureau, www.washspeakers.com

Sources
Richard Aaron, BizBash.Com, www.bizbash.com;
Betty Garrett, Garrett Speakers International, www.garrettspeakers.com;
Diane Goodman, Goodman Speakers Bureau, www.goodmanspeakersbureau.com;
Jim Montoya, International Association of Speakers Bureaus, www.iasbweb.org;
Brian Palmer, National Speakers Bureau, www.nationalspeakers.com
 
Linda Chandler, a freelance writer based in Dallas, has written for association publications for 15 years. She can be reached at Linda.chandler@earthlink.net.