Speaker Booking & Advisory FAQs
Straight answers for event planners, corporate decision-makers, HR and learning leaders, and teams building executive and board programs.
Secure an expertWho we are
How the Stellant Group works and what a speakers bureau actually does for you.
A speakers bureau connects organizations with the experts best suited to their audience, objectives and budget. We handle expert identification and vetting, availability and fee expectations, contracting, travel and logistics, and pre-event preparation with your team. Instead of managing a dozen separate conversations, you work with one advisor who represents your interests from first inquiry through the day of the event.
All of the thought leaders we work with are represented exclusively by the Stellant Group, so we are the direct route to working with them for speaking and advisory engagements. As their exclusive agents, you are getting the real cost of working with our clients, not a mark up from another intermediary. We also manage contracting, expenses, travel, technical requirements and content customization, so your team is not absorbing the coordination work. Our team knows each expert's current research, delivery style and audience fit, which means faster shortlists and fewer mismatches.
We represent a deliberately curated roster of more than 200 globally recognized thinkers: bestselling authors, former CEOs, economists, technologists, scientists, policymakers and leading academics. These are practitioners and researchers whose ideas shape executive agendas. Every expert is selected for original thinking, credibility with senior audiences and the ability to translate research into decisions your organization can act on.
Yes. Stern Strategy Group is now the Stellant Group. The name is new; the team, the roster of exclusively represented experts and the client relationships are unchanged. Existing agreements, contacts and engagements continue exactly as before under the Stellant name.
Matching expertise to your objectives
How we help you narrow the field and make a confident decision.
We start with a short discovery conversation about your audience, business objectives, program theme, format and budget. From there we build a curated shortlist, typically three to six experts, with positioning notes explaining why each one fits. You receive videos, sample topics, books and past audience feedback, and we stay involved through the decision so you can compare options side by side.
Absolutely, and this is one of the most common ways clients engage us. Describe the challenge, whether it is AI adoption, leadership transition, growth strategy, organizational change or economic uncertainty, and we will frame the possible angles and recommend experts for each. Many clients arrive with a problem statement rather than a topic and leave with both a sharper theme and a speaker who can address it. Stellant should be seen as a partner to solve your most complex and vexing business problems.
Yes. Each speaker's profile page showcases speaking footage, current keynote and workshop topics, published work and references or feedback from comparable audiences.
Keynotes, workshops and advisory work
Choosing the right format, and the flexibility behind each one.
A keynote is a 30 to 60 minute framing talk for a large audience, sometimes with a moderated Q&A, designed to set a theme and shift perspective. A workshop is a smaller, interactive working session, often 90 minutes to a full day, where participants apply a framework to their own challenges. An advisory engagement is an ongoing relationship in which an expert works with your leadership team, board or program over weeks or months.
Yes, and customization is standard rather than an add-on. Before the event, the expert reviews your objectives, audience profile, industry context and any relevant internal material, and most will join a preparation call with your team. Examples, data and recommendations are then tailored to your sector and the decisions your audience is facing.
Yes. Our experts present virtually, in hybrid formats and at events worldwide, and many maintain regular speaking schedules across North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Virtual engagements are often available on shorter notice and at lower cost.
Budget, timing and next steps
What shapes a fee, what is included and how the booking process runs.
Fees reflect the expert's profile and demand, the format and length of the engagement, travel time and destination, whether the event is in person or virtual, and any additional elements such as workshops, private meetings, book copies or recording rights. Because fees vary widely across our roster, we ask about your budget early so we can shortlist experts who fit it rather than send options you cannot use.
Typically the speaking fee and travel expenses are separate. Expenses generally cover flights, ground transportation, accommodation and meals, and are either billed at cost or set as a flat travel fee agreed in advance. Virtual engagements carry no travel expenses. Every cost is confirmed in writing before you sign, so there are no surprises after the event.
Three to six months is ideal for a major in person keynote, and six to twelve months for the most in demand experts or for events tied to a fixed conference date. That said, we regularly place speakers on shorter timelines, and virtual sessions can often be arranged within a few weeks. If your date is close, contact us anyway and we will tell you quickly what is realistic.
We confirm the hold, finalize the fee and expense terms, and issue an agreement for signature. Your account executive then coordinates the preparation call, collects logistical details such as run of show, A/V requirements and travel, and stays as your single point of contact through the event. After the engagement we follow up for feedback and, when useful, discuss continued work with the same expert.
On the ground and on the day
The details we manage so your team can focus on the audience.
We manage contracting, and we facilitate communications around travel booking and itineraries, accommodation, ground transportation, A/V and technical requirements, run of show coordination, speaker bios and headshots for your promotion, and the preparation call with your team. Your account executive is reachable throughout the process to ensure that your team has everything necessary to have a successful event.
Often yes, with permission agreed in advance. Recording and livestreaming rights, internal distribution windows and any usage limits are negotiated as part of the contract, and some experts include limited internal replay while others license it separately. Tell us your intended use early and we will secure the right terms.
Yes. Moderated Q&A can be included in keynotes and other engagements, and many experts will also join an executive roundtable, board session, VIP reception, book signing or media interview while on site. These additions are arranged when the engagement is contracted so that the speaker's travel arrangements can accommodate.
We plan ahead for it. Our team monitors travel for in-person engagements, builds in buffer where schedules are tight, and works quickly if weather, illness, or a flight disruption puts a date at risk. Depending on the situation, we'll do our best to arrange alternative travel, shift to a virtual delivery, or identify a comparable replacement expert from our roster. Cancellation and postponement terms are set out in every contract in advance.
Secure an expert
Tell us about your audience and objectives, and we’ll come back with a curated shortlist.