16 May SPEAKER BOOKING AGENCIES FOR KEYNOTE EVENTS
The best speaker booking agencies are having a moment. The speaking and events industry continues to grow and expand, after all. As we look ahead and think about what’s coming next, it’s obvious that top speaker booking agencies will need to adapt their business models and service offerings to meet changing client demands. Here are five trends that will likely define the future landscape of talent agents and speakers bureaus:
- Virtual/Hybrid Event Integration – The pandemic accelerated the adoption of virtual and hybrid event formats. While in-person gatherings have resumed, online components are here to stay. Bearing all of that in mind, we see that speaker booking agencies must have robust capabilities around booking virtual speaking engagements, managing seamless broadcast technology, and creatively integrating physical and digital audiences.
- Expanded Services Beyond Booking – Talent agents can no longer just serve as speaker matchmakers. Clients expect comprehensive support including contract negotiations, requiring deposits, marketing/PR, speaker coaching, travel management and more. Full-service bureaus handling all facets of the speaker journey will thrive.
- Data-Driven Decision Making – Meeting planners increasingly rely on data insights to shape event strategies and measure ROI. Forward-thinking speaker booking agencies are investing in robust data capture and analytics tools. The ability to track speaker promotion metrics, audience engagement, survey feedback and other KPIs provides a competitive edge.
- Influencer Representation Expansion – The line between speaker and influencer continues blurring. People now build large, dedicated audiences around their personal brand and content – making them viable speaker draws. Bureaus will broaden their rosters by bringing influencers and creators into the speaking realm.
- Prioritizing Diversity and Inclusion – There is a growing mandate across industries and audience segments for more diversity among speakers in areas like gender, race, age, abilities and more. And so the best speaker booking agencies must be intentional about cultivating a diverse range of speaker options that resonate with all attendees.
As these trends take hold, the most successful speakers bureaus will be those that fully transform their service models. Through expanding capabilities, leveraging cutting-edge technology, and aligning with evolving audience expectations, they can firmly establish themselves as indispensable partners in the new era of speaking engagements.
