HOW TO BOOK PERSONAL APPEARANCES BY CELEBRITY AND KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Pro tip: Personal appearances at events by keynote speakers, celebrity presenters and well-known professionals can vary widely, but generally refer to influential individuals attending and presenting at events like conferences, trade shows, corporate functions, awards ceremonies, galas, conventions, and more. Clearly, organizations value such cameos and stop-ins, especially given the level of prominence, prestige and awareness that such well-known individuals often bring in tow and can bestow on any given gathering. But what should you anticipate paying for personal appearances at your programs? Let’s talk typical fees that leading professionals may receive:

Keynote Speakers

• Well-known keynote speakers can earn anywhere from $10,000 to $100,000+ per event stopover depending on their expertise, notoriety, speaking history, and event budget. Even non-celebrity industry experts making personal appearances can command $5,000 to $25,000.

Entertainers & Celebrities

• Celebrity speakers and performers will receive larger appearance fees based on their star power and brand – ranging from tens of thousands for minor celebrities up to $250,000-500,000 for major household names. Musicians and comedians may fall within the wide range too at major corporate events.

Athletes

• Current or former all-star and Hall of Fame athletes doing personal appearances can earn $50,000 to six-figures especially for corporate sponsors/partners events. But even college athletes can earn smaller thousands for appearances.

Industry Professional

• Physicians, scientists, engineers, economists and academics may command $2,000 to $10,000 as keynote or breakout speakers at relevant industry conferences and events. Some will do pro bono personal appearances to boost credentials.

Influencers & Consultants

• Social media influencers and prominent industry consultants/experts can earn $5,000 to $25,000 especially in areas like technology, marketing, business strategy, money management, etc.

The exact personal appearances fee varies based on bargaining, but level of fame, notoriety, relevance to the event, availability and other factors generally drive the rates. Expenses are also often covered.