A speaking bureau’s role is to provide speakers for an event or presentation. The bureaus are a resource for professionals who plan meetings, conventions, conferences, and other events. They have a staff of experts that work to match each event with the best speaker. Most bureaus have their own contracted group of speakers and can supply them for just about any purpose. The bureaus often represent the speakers, too. If you are looking to break into the professional speaking circuit, you’ll want to learn the requirements of bureaus so you can develop your speaking career as a marketing tool for your book and as a revenue generation tool.
It’s a good idea to work at building your brand and your speaking experience and expertise before approaching a speaker’s bureau for professional representation. But when you are ready, there are plenty to choose from. Here are a few examples of speaking bureaus. An Internet search will yield even more.
AEI Speakers Bureau
Total Access Speaker’s Bureau
All-American Speakers Bureau
The American Program Bureau
Speaker bureaus can be hard to break into if you are just getting started as a professional speaker. Each company wants you to be unique in what they offer clients. So make sure you know what each bureau is looking for before applying, and also make sure you understand their fee structure. Then, explore their areas of expertise and look for a match with your own expertise. This will give you an idea of which bureaus might be a good fit for your expertise. Once you’ve built up a following and a portfolio of successful speaking engagements, these bureaus can help you move into the next stage of your speaking career.