2021 Guide To Australian Conference Speaker Fees (updated for hybrid events)

David Staughton

GUIDE to the VALUE of Professional Conference Speakers, Online Presenters and their Speaker Fees

  • Want to know the Speaker fees that people charge for a conference or event?
  • Are you a Speaker who wants to know whether to put your price up?
  • Need to find out tips & hints about career progression for Speakers?

This blog reveals the common pricing structure for speakers in Australia and the value you are likely to get for their live event speaking fee.

Virtual Speaker Fees Update for Corona Crisis

Now that nearly ALL speakers and presenters are being hired for Hybrid Online Events and Virtual Conferences, speaker pricing has been significantly affected.

Some speakers and speakers bureaus are offering a 25-50% reduction for a virtual stage presentation compared with a LIVE EVENT presentation. There is a saving in travel & expenses for the event organiser and also less travel time involved for the speaker. Many Speakers are reporting that it is MUCH HARDER to present Virtually without a live audience – speakers must manage their studio AV as well as deliver a great presentation.

Delivering to a HYBRID Conference Event – a Live Audience and Online Audience at the same time – is an even bigger challenge and a skillset mastered by some live audience TV Presenters.

Online Presenters are also offering a range of ONLINE TRAINING PROGRAMS in a variety of modalities – live, recorded, long and short versions, licensed or one-off – each presenter prices these differently. See the blog listing some of the BEST online and virtual presenters here.

Speaker Fees

What are the Speaker Fees for an Australian Conference Speaker?

Every conference organiser wants to know about SPEAKER FEES and usually has a set BUDGET to spend on speakers and entertainment.

This Blog discusses the VALUE, PRICE RANGE and COSTS of hiring an Australian conference speaker in 2020.

Newbie conference organisers are usually shocked that someone famous like Richard Branson won’t come to their event for just $1,000.

Speakers Fees in Australia range widely from FREE to an APPEARANCE FEE of AUD$100k+ depending on several key factors. Most professional conference speakers are in the AUD$5k to AUD$15k range (ex GST) for a keynote presentation. (see below for full detail).

How do Australian keynote speakers determine their speaker fees?

Fees for a Speaker are impacted greatly by things such as their fame & their Brand name recognition, availability & demand for the speaker’s services, the location of event, number and length of presentations and  other factors.

Most Professional Speakers have set a Fee Schedule for Local, Interstate, Overseas presentations. Different fees for different types of presentation – Keynote, Workshops, half or full day or MC work. Obviously, you pay MORE for longer sessions and distant locations.

The TIME of busy Celebrities is scarce & valuable so some can also charge more for extras like book signings, photo opportunities, VIP meet & greet, lunch or dinner.

How do Conference Speakers determine what to charge?

A keynote speaker can ask for ANY amount they feel their time is worth – making an allowance for time taken on travel, briefings, preparation, admin, attendance as well as delivering the presentation itself.

Some celebrities, CEOs and wealthy business owners will NOT speak at all at ANY price because their time is too valuable. Many famous speakers and sportspeople also have very limited availability due to training, competing or corporate commitments.

How do you VALUE a Professional Conference Speaker?

You are NOT paying JUST for the short time of the speaking presentation itself, you are paying for ALL the years of experience and preparation that has gone into it.

ALL the preparatory work, research and effort that has enabled them to be skilled enough to deliver a consistently great presentation every time to entertain and engage the audience.

A great presentation that is truly transformational and adds significant value to the attendees and the organisation.

They are being remunerated for ALL the hours of speaking skills development, storytelling, humour, learning, coaching and practice. Delivering a GREAT presentation takes WORK.

So when you pay more than AUD$7k for a GREAT Professional Content Speaker they will usually have some proprietary cutting-edge intellectual property that is highly relevant to the marketplace and probably has published a book and appeared in the media.

They will have numerous testimonials confirming the quality of their presentation, their ability to connect, engage and entertain an audience, and provide useful tools and information that has a real impact on the audience and the organisation.

What is the RANGE of Speaker Fees in Australia?

Speaker fees are rarely discussed openly and are a mostly a well-kept secret discussed between clients, bureaus, agents and the speaker. They are rarely made public.

For smaller events, charities or not for profit events, a more modest fee is acceptable, especially if travel is covered.  If the speaker really wants to speak if front of that audience or attend that event – the fee may be reduced significantly.

Speaker prices will usually vary depending on Location, Type of Event, Duration, Value added and any extras required. Well known or famous Speakers can draw a bigger crowd and charge more for that.

Big Dave’s GUIDE to Australian Speaker Fees

Here is speaker price range in Australia from FREE to BIG FEE.

  1. Newbie, industry and academic speakers MAY speak for FREE or just “Exposure” (hahaha), or a Charity Donation, Book Sales or for their Travel Costs only
  2. Basic Content Speakers and Trainers charge around $1k to $4k+GST for a keynote or breakout workshop
  3. Good Professional Content Speakers & “B Grade Celebs” start around AUD$5k+GST for a keynote
  4. Great Professional Content Speakers start around AUD$7k-$9k for a keynote
  5. Awesome Speakers with valuable content and Better-Known Celebrity Speakers start at AUD$10k+GST for a keynote and can add value as a conference headliner
  6. Really Famous “A Grade” Celebrity Speakers and content speakers offering significant value-add before and after the event start at AUD$20k+GST and can attract MORE attendees
  7. Really Big Name Celebrities can charge around $50k+GST or more just for an appearance at an event. This can attract more A-Listers to your event.
  8. Guru Speakers that do “Selling from the Stage” style public events to big audiences can earn fees of well in excess of $50k+ each presentation from their own product and membership program sales but are rarely found speaking at conferences.

Some Professional Conference Organisers (PCO) may also add on or ‘mark up’ a speakers fee and some bureaus also charge a booking or admin fee.

Can you negotiate a Speakers Fee?

Yes you can! – In a competitive marketplace Speaker Fees can occasionally be negotiated directly with the speaker, their agent or through a speakers bureau.

Many professional speakers DO have ‘price integrity’ and offer the same price to all parties through all distribution channels. But you might get a special deal or an added extra like signed books.

You can ALWAYS ASK for a lower speaking fee and give a REASON for asking for a better price – like making multiple event bookings, offering a great holiday destination, a charitable cause or selling the benefits of speaking at your event.

The speaker can always say NO.

Who pays for TRAVEL COSTS for the speaker?

Many professional speakers charge additional travel costs that can include airfare, accommodation, ground transport and/or meals. (Some may also ask you to fund travel for a nanny or support person if they bring their baby or small child).

Some speakers also charge extra travel time for international work while others just charge a higher keynote fee.

Some famous speakers and entertainers have specific “riders” or expectations and insist on things like business class travel, higher quality hotel rooms or other special conditions like red skittles or special foods/drinks.

(see blog on the Ethics for Speakers and the section on Travel Expenses)

Should I hire a NEWBIE speaker at a lower cost for my conference?

Probably NOT on the BIG stage. The problem with speakers < AUD$5k +GST is that they are generally NOT well known or NOT very experienced speakers and sometimes get inconsistent results with different or difficult audiences.

Free speakers may also be unreliable, cancel at the last minute or NOT turn up at all.

The biggest conference talking point will be the speaker that “Bombed”. Caveat Emptor – Buyer beware.

How much do Conference Speakers charge in the USA?

USA Speaker Fees can be two or three times what you would pay in Australia for a similar speaker and US Speakers are used to speaking to much bigger audiences. i.e. a $AUD5k speaker in Australia is $US10-15k in USA

You can find many professional speaker prices on the speaker directory E-Speakers – These are usually in US Dollars and this may be the higher USA speaking fee (to cover travel) for an Australian-based Speaker NOT their usual Australian speaking fee.

Australian Speaker Fees are a BARGAIN in comparison to the USA!

How much do USA-based Speakers charge when speaking in Australia?

When speaking in Australia, many USA Professional and Celebrity Speakers want to charge their US Speaking Rates, plus extra days of travel time and business or first class airfares which makes them prohibitively expensive and rarely used in Australia.

Some Overseas celebrities come to Australia for speaking tours and do multiple events in the one trip which reduces their travel time & expenses.

International Celebrities like Bear Grylls, Sir Bob Geldhof, Mark Randolph (Netflix CEO), Verne Harnish and Apple Co-founder Steve Wozniak come to Australia on occasion to speak.

2021 PRICE GUIDE FOR CONFERENCE SPEAKERS IN AUSTRALIA

Here is a speakers fee guide for a Standard Keynote presentation (say 45-75 min) at a Conference – more if you want multiple keynotes, workshops or other services.

  • FREE SPEAKER. You might get a FREE speaker if they are new or inexperienced. Sometimes consultants, service providers or suppliers will speak for FREE to promote their other services. Some might just sell books or products instead of charging a fee. (Some Free speakers ‘make great authors’ and others just cancel at the last minute)
  • AN HONORARIUM or TRAVEL ONLY. Newer speakers, professional service providers and some academics will speak and only charge a fee to cover travel and/or the conference ticket. They usually want to attend the event to network, build their profile or sell other services afterwards. (It’s Pot luck with these speakers)
  • AUD$500 – $2,000. A small fee is charged by newer and inexperienced speakers or trainers to just get on a stage. Usually for smaller or charitable events. (Hit & miss – you pay for what you get)
  • AUD$2,000-$4,000. A modest fee for a competent trainer or new keynote speaker, usually for a less accomplished speaker or trainer. (again, you pay for what you get – keynote speaking is NOT a training session)
  • AUD$5,000 – $10,000. A  typical range for most professional keynote speakers – content experts who have given MANY keynote speeches in the past and/or have serious career accomplishments.
  • AUD$10,000 – $20,000. You will get well-known and famous keynote speakers who will attract more attendees to your major conference. Some content specialists with proven methodologies also charge in this range.
  • AUD$20,000 – $40,000. Many Celebrities that are a well-known household names or alternatively, category experts that are a big drawcard. Think very famous Authors, Sportspeople, Politicians & Movie Stars.
  • AUD$40,000 – $100,000. The TOP celebrity speakers’ fees – World Famous names that can attract and entertain a large crowd.
  • AUD$100,000+. Big Bucks. The biggest name politicians in the world or world-famous celebrities & stars that can fill a stadium.  Check some of them out at Washington Speakers Bureau 

CAVEAT EMPTOR – BE VERY CAREFUL HIRING NEWBIE SPEAKERS

There are MANY newbie speakers with great looking websites who charge higher prices than they are worth because they THINK they are great speakers.  Look for PROOF of their significant speaking experience & abilities or recommendations from PCOs, Speaker Bureaus and people you trust.

Finding Speaker Fees for Individual Speakers

Most speakers do NOT have their fees on their website. You can make enquiries with a friendly speakers bureau to find out the speaking fees for most professional speakers or contact your chosen speaker directly.

Some individual Speaker Fees can also be found online here

When should a Speaker Put Up their Speaker Fee?

Speaker Fees -

  • If your speaking is in DEMAND and presentations numbers & enquiries are going UP – Then consider putting up the Speaker FEE.
  • If you are NOT in demand and your volume of speaking gigs is going DOWN – improve your marketing & sales efforts or reposition & re-invent yourself

For a GREAT Discussion of specific FAQS about Speaker Fees – read PSA speaker Tarran Deane’s Blog Articles on Understanding Speaker Fees and Why Speakers charge speaking fees.

FURTHER READING