There is a large gap between booking a speaker and booking the right speaker, and everyone in the room can tell which one you got.
That is the part that makes this feel harder than it is. The process itself is short. You describe your event, someone who knows the speakers puts the right names in front of you, availability is confirmed, and a contract follows. The difficult bit is the judgement in the middle, and that is the part you do not have to do alone.
Here is how it works, what to have ready, and the one step most organisers underestimate.
How do I book a keynote speaker, step by step?
Four steps. You only do the first one.
One. Tell us about your event. The date, the audience, the slot and what you need the session to achieve. A phone call does it. You do not need a shortlist, a budget sign off or a firm date to start this conversation.
Two. We put the right names in front of you. Not everyone who is available. A short, considered list with an honest reason attached to each name, including who we would rule out for your particular room and why.
Three. We confirm availability and handle the negotiation. We manage our speakers and hold their diaries, so when you ask whether someone is free on your date you get the answer in the conversation rather than a promise to check. Because we represent them, we are also in a position to put your case to them properly.
Four. We handle the contracting and the logistics. One agreement, one point of contact, flights and accommodation and transfers arranged, and the speaker briefed properly before they walk on stage.
Tell us about your event and we will come back with a shortlist.
What if I do not know who I want yet?
That is the normal starting point, not a problem, and it is the conversation we are best at.
Most organisers arrive with a brief rather than a name. Someone senior wants the conference to land a particular message, or the room needs lifting after a hard year, or there is a subject the board wants tackled properly. Tell us that and we will do the thinking.
What you will not get from us is a directory. Handing you forty profiles and leaving you to sort them is not a service, it is a filing cabinet, and it puts the hardest part of the job back on the person with the least time. We would rather send you three names with a reason attached to each one.
We manage a small roster exclusively, which is why we can talk about those speakers from real knowledge rather than from a listing. We know how each of them works, what they need in a brief and which rooms they are strongest in. Michael McQueen, Alan Kohler, Tracey Spicer, Adam Spencer, Dr Emily Heath, Melissa Clark-Reynolds, Dominic Thurbon, James O'Loghlin, Adam Ferrier, Brad Twynham and John Bell are all managed by us, and you can browse the full roster here.
Where the right person for your event is not one of ours, we will find them for you. The size of our roster is never the limit on what we can put in front of you.
Can I book several speakers for the same event?
Yes, and you do not need to split the event across several parties to do it.
We can handle every speaker on your programme under one contract with one point of contact and one set of travel arrangements, including speakers we do not manage ourselves. For a multi day conference with a keynote, a closing session and an MC, that is the difference between one conversation and five.
What if I already work with a speaker bureau?
Then keep working with them. Bureaus book our speakers regularly and they are welcome to.
Plenty of organisers have a bureau they trust, or negotiated terms, or a procurement arrangement that makes going through them the sensible route. None of that is a reason to come to us instead. If your bureau has not put our speakers in front of you, ask them to, and we will work with them to make it happen.
One practical note whichever way you go. Avoid having two parties approach the same speaker for the same date. It creates confusion about who holds the booking and it slows your answer down.
How far ahead do I need to book a keynote speaker?
Further ahead is easier, and there is no minimum. We would much rather you asked than assumed you had left it too late.
The honest answer is that it depends entirely on that speaker's diary. If the person you want is free next month and the brief suits them, that booking can happen next month. If they are not free, no amount of notice changes it. So do not guess at a lead time. Ask us for the date you actually want, because we hold the diaries and can tell you on the spot.
What is worth knowing is that March, September and October are consistently the busiest months for events in Australia. If your event falls in one of those, move earlier rather than later, because the best known names are committed first.
Ask us about your date and we will tell you straight away.
What do I need before I enquire?
Five things. Bring them and you will get a firm answer and a real shortlist rather than a vague one and a catalogue.
- The date, city and venue, and whether the date is locked or still moving
- Your audience. Who they are, how many, how senior, what industry
- The slot and the format. Opening keynote, closing session, workshop, panel or MC duties. These need very different people
- The outcome. What you want the room thinking, feeling or doing afterwards
- Your budget range
That last one is the one people hold back, and it is the one that helps most. Withholding your budget feels like protecting your position. In practice it produces a scattergun list and costs you a fortnight. Naming it produces a short list that fits, and it means nobody's time goes into a speaker who was never going to work. Our guide to budgeting for a keynote speaker in Australia covers what belongs in that number.
What happens after I enquire?
Your enquiry goes straight to the people holding the diary, so availability is confirmed or a hold is placed on your date.
You then receive a quote. Ask for an all in figure and we will give you one, covering the fee and everything that sits alongside it rather than a fee with surprises attached later. If you proceed, a written agreement follows, and ahead of the event the speaker is briefed.
What should be in the speaker agreement?
Whichever route you book through, the agreement should cover the fee and payment terms, who is responsible for travel and accommodation, the session length and format, cancellation and postponement terms on both sides, AV and technical requirements, and what happens if the speaker cannot make it.
Read the cancellation terms properly before you sign. They are the clauses nobody looks at and the ones that matter if your dates move.
How do I brief a keynote speaker properly?
This is the step that matters more than the choice, and it is the one most organisers underestimate.
The difference between a good keynote and one people are still quoting at the Christmas party is almost never the speaker. It is how well they were briefed. A speaker who understands your audience, your year and what you need landed will tailor the whole session around it. A speaker handed a date and a venue will give you their standard hour.
A proper brief includes the run sheet and where they sit in it, an honest description of the audience, the two or three things you want landed, what has been happening in your organisation or your industry lately, anything to steer away from, and who is introducing them. A short call a fortnight out is worth more than any amount of emailed material.
This is where managing our speakers rather than listing them earns its keep. We know what each of them needs in order to tailor properly, and we make sure they get it.
Is booking an MC different from booking a keynote speaker?
Very, and treating them as the same job is a common and expensive mistake.
A keynote speaker owns one session. An MC owns the day. That means scripting, rehearsal, being across the run sheet, handling the moments when things run late or go wrong, and holding the energy of a room across hours rather than minutes. It is a different skill and it is priced as a day rather than as an appearance.
Some speakers do both superbly and some do not, and we will tell you honestly which is which.
Talk to ODE Management
ODE Management is a speaker management office. We manage our speakers exclusively and hold their diaries, which means we can confirm availability straight away, quote a firm all in figure, and tell you honestly whether a speaker suits your audience before you commit. If they do not, we will say so, and we will tell you who does.
Event organisers are welcome to book with us direct, and speaker bureaus can book on behalf of their clients. There is no obligation in an enquiry and no pressure at the end of one.
Tell us about your event and we will come back with a shortlist and a quote. Contact ODE Management, or call +61 2 9818 5199 in Asia Pacific or +1 877 950 5633 in the USA.
