Planners increasingly deliver celebrity speakers to support subject matter experts who provide deeper value at a lower cost. This is a shift change bureau that is carefully tracking.
Mike Taubleb, founder of the Promenade Spokesperson Bureau, said his company not only has experienced a high-profile speaker transformation, but also has high fees, and has fewer queries overall and has longer decision-making.
“Some customers simply cannot promise a premium,” Taubleb said.
Demand for celebrity speakers falls
Ken Holsinger, senior vice president of strategy at global events firm Freeman, said once a major attraction, and big-name motivational speakers are no longer a priority. “The attendees want material things, not celebrities,” he said.
According to Freeman’s participants survey, only 1% of event participants want to hear from celebrity speakers, while 37% want to hear from industry experts.
“Celebrity speakers won’t promote registration. Celebrity won’t promote behavior unless they are experts in relevant verticals,” Holsinger said.
Freeman’s data reflects what incident consultant Lea Vorth has witnessed firsthand. Last year, she surveyed a meeting of 1,500 people to ask what type of speaker they want for their next event.
“Celebrity speakers are at the last place,” she said. I’m now signing with a conference company that has no celebrity spokespersons for policies because they are too expensive and don’t have enough ROI. ”
Internal expertise is preferred
As expectations change, companies increasingly turn to internal talent and senior leaders who can speak realistically about business reality and challenges.
“While celebrity speakers can still ignite initial interest, today’s audiences, especially in B2B and healthcare spaces, are eager for real, actionable insights from people living in their business every day,” Monique Rochard-Marine, head of global business services at Cordis, leads the company’s global conferences. “The panel and fireside chat feel like candid conversations, which resonates more than a polished keynote monologue.”
Some planners see value in a mixed approach. “The value of celebrity speakers has not yet disappeared, just a purposeful alignment with the information and audience. If they can connect with the industry or provide a deep human story that supports commercial narrative, it will still land. But today, relevance and relevance often outweigh the power of the stars,” said Rochard-Marine.
Ira Ozer, founder of Innovation Conference, suggested using two talents to maximize impact. “A speaker who is named by people who know that your industry works within is preferred,” Ozel said.
Even confirmed participation was cancelled. Futurist and keynote speaker Jim Carroll, who has been around for more than 30 years, said his recent engagement in San Diego was cancelled due to fund cuts.
“They use people inside,” Carroll said. “It’s becoming more common, but it’s usually a mistake because they end up listening to the same old ID,” he said.
To browse the ever-changing landscape, Taubleb encourages planners to work closely with their bureaus.
“It still has great value to bring in professional spokespersons,” he said. “But we now advocate for cost-effective talent.”
To keep costs low, he recommends looking for speakers within driving or train distance and negotiating lower fees. Another tip he offers is to book a “new star” without national name recognition.
