5 Best Speaker Bureaus to Find a Corporate Event Speaker

17 April 2025

5 Best Speaker Bureaus to Find a Corporate Event Speaker

Finding the right motivational speaker can elevate your corporate event from a standard gathering to an unforgettable experience. The key to success is collaborating with the top speakers bureaus to motivate your team and strengthen your company’s vision. The following information can help you make an informed choice.

What to Look for When Using a Speaker Bureau

It’s important to consider a number of factors when choosing a speaker bureau. Look our for several key features that can make a difference to both your choice of motivational speaker, and the success of your event.

Reputation and Client Reviews

When you pick a speaker bureau, it’s important to see how respected they are and what former clients say about them. A company with a history of success and returning clients is one you can trust. Look for reviews and stories from past clients, particularly from industries like yours. These can offer valuable insights into the bureau’s skills and reliability.

Speaker Network

Check if the bureau has a wide variety of speakers with different backgrounds and experiences. A diverse speaker network means they can provide experts for different topics and audiences. Having a mix of well-known industry leaders, up-and-coming talents, and niche experts gives you the flexibility to find the best speaker for your event.

Customization and Support

Select a bureau that can customize a speech specifically for your event and offers strong support throughout the process. They should be able to create programs that align with your event’s goals and audience. Make sure they help with planning, organizing details, and following up after the event to ensure everything goes smoothly and stress-free.

Digital Experience

Look for bureaus with good online tools that let you sort speakers by availability, cost, and expertise. An easy-to-use digital platform saves you time and hassle. Also, check if they have reliable virtual event options, like live-streaming, to manage online or hybrid audiences effectively.

Geographic Reach

If you need speakers who can operate internationally, verify that the bureau has the capability to manage such logistics. This means having speakers comfortable with global presentations, considering languages, cultural adaptability, and understanding diverse audiences. This ensures your event is cohesive and impactful, no matter where it is held.

The Top 5 Speaker Bureaus

These agencies have a strong track record of serving Fortune 500 businesses, international organizations and major conferences.

1. Leading Authorities

Best for: Curated speaker recommendations and end-to-end event support

Leading Authorities, Inc. is the best speaker bureau to book a motivational speaker for an event. It is a renowned and trusted partner seeking impactful motivational speakers for conferences, leadership summits and internal team-building events. With a curated speaker roster that includes former CEOs, military leaders, elite athletes and innovation experts, this entity takes a customized approach to every booking.

Key Features:

• Dedicated account managers who learn your goals and recommend suitable speakers
• Representing speakers for lectures, keynotes, board meetings, and major conferences across America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. 
• Access to exclusive keynote talent not listed elsewhere
• Strong support for virtual, hybrid and in-person events
• Customised video previews to help evaluate speakers before booking

Leading Authorities, Inc. provides a collaborative, white-glove experience for clients. The firm has three divisions that work together to create and deliver unique experiences, including speeches, events and digital campaigns. It uses video and social media to tell the story of a brand, cause, mission, vision or industry, ensuring each division goes above and beyond for every client or project.

2. BigSpeak Speakers Bureau

Best for: Large corporations and enterprise-level keynotes

BigSpeak is one of North America’s largest and most well-known bureaus. It has a portfolio of corporate leaders, TED speakers and bestselling authors. Their enterprise expertise makes this organization a go-to for global companies planning annual summits or high-profile meetings.

Key Features:

• Strong focus on innovation, leadership and business transformation
• Full-service support, from speaker selection to logistics
• Online speaker portal with filters by topic, fee and availability
• Speaker replacement if the one you selected can no longer attend
• Speakers available in many locations throughout the country

BigSpeak’s global network and experience handling high-volume corporate requests give it an edge. The enterprise supports you in every step of the process if you need it, from inception and theme development to contracting.

3. The Harry Walker Agency

Best for: Political, economic and global affairs events

The Harry Walker Agency is a top speaker bureau with clients like the World Economic Forum and major financial institutions. It specializes in high-level thought leaders, from former heads of state and Nobel laureates to Fortune 100 executives.

Key Features:

• Exclusive representation of high-profile speakers
• Emphasis on economic, political and global trend insights
• Strong focus on strategic messaging and audience alignment
• Deep understanding of protocol and security for high-level speakers
• Long-standing and exclusive relationships with many of their speakers, like Former President Bill Clinton for 16 years 

Since 1946, the brand has connected customers with some of the world’s most important voices. Its goal is to become a creative partner who can help you at every step of the process. It is an excellent choice if you want to impress a C-suite or international audience with elite thought leadership.

4. GDA Speakers

Best for: midsized companies and motivational-focused events

GDA Speakers brings a boutique approach to speaker bookings, with a personal touch many clients value. Its strength lies in motivational speakers, corporate resilience experts and change agents who captivate audiences.

Key Features:

• A wide array of motivational and wellness-focused speakers, whose topics include business, culture, fitness, society and health care
• Experienced event planners and detailed pre-event briefings
• Transparent pricing and quick turnaround
• Great fit for HR conferences and sales kick-offs
• Certification as a Women’s Business Enterprise through the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council

GDA’s team is known for helping clients book energizing, authentic voices with strong audience appeal, especially for events focusing on mindset and performance. An advanced automated system backs the process to enhance efficiency while fostering a genuine partnership throughout.

5. AAE Speakers Bureau

Best for: Budget-conscious bookings and online browsing

All American Entertainment (AAE) offers a self-service model that appeals to event planners who prefer to browse independently. The platform includes thousands of speaker profiles, and internal agents help facilitate bookings for a flat fee.

Key Features:

• Transparent pricing and a user-friendly site to find the best speaker for your event
• More than 14,000 motivational, business, sports and entertainment speakers available online
• In-person and virtual events
• Provides comprehensive booking agency services
• More than 20 years of experience 

AAE’s search-friendly website and accessible team make it a top choice for quick, efficient bookings without compromising speaker quality. With a 5-star review on Google, this is one of the top speakers’ bureaus available. 

Top Speakers Bureaus Comparison Table

To find the speaker bureau that best fits your requirements, this is a summary of the essential features of each organization.

Time to Choose the Top Speakers Bureaus for Your Needs

Whether you’re organizing a leadership retreat, a firm-wide gathering or a keynote address for clients, collaborating with a reliable speakers bureau can help you find the perfect speaker to inspire change and motivation. The next time you are wondering what are the best speaker bureaus to book a motivational speaker for an event from, keep in mind factors like availability, budget and tailored options to ensure your event is truly memorable.

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