The Speaking Business Summit 2020, the PSA’s annual convention and the European Speaking Convention 2020 takes place at Warwick University, 9-11 October 2020. This will be one of the largest ever gatherings of Professional Speakers in Europe and the only place to get all the advice, inspiration and updates you need to grow and develop your speaking business – after all, the theme for the Summit is ‘Speak More, Speak Better’.

PSA President Steve Bustin and the Board of the PSA are now inviting submissions from those interested in speaking at the event. We are looking for speakers on specific topics, listed below. Please only apply if you are a specialist in these areas or have highly pertinent experience in the topics listed. Please don’t try to ‘crowbar’ your expertise (or desire to speak) into one of the listed topics!

Topics

The programme is deliberately very focused on what speakers want and need to know to run a successful speaking business.

We are looking for speakers who are experts in one or two of these specific topics.

The topics are listed under four headings. We have given examples to help clarify what we are looking for.

Managing Your Business

• Business models for speakers: what works for you, not ‘one size fits all’. Is your current business model fit for purpose?
• Running a portfolio business: Managing diverse income streams
• Getting help in your business without taking on staff: Sub-contracting elements of your business. Finding and managing virtual staff
• Investing in your business: What memberships, tools, subscriptions, accreditations, organisations etc are worth investing in?
• Don’t be scared of your numbers: Understanding the important numbers in your business, how to read a spreadsheet/cashflow/P+L, taking the emotion out of talking about money
• Getting out of selling your time for money: Measuring your productive hours, days and months. What percentage of your working hours should you monetise?
• Being successful with tenders/procurement processes
• Running a professional business, what do I need to know?: Legal requirements and other important things you should consider for your business

Growing Your Business

• Niching: developing niche topics, researching markets and sectors to differentiate and define your offering.
• Moving from one-off gigs to long term clients: relationships and generating more income from existing clients
• Entrepreneurial mindset: spotting and monetising ideas without falling into ‘shiny thing’ syndrome.
• Marketing your Motivational/Inspirational speaker business
• Marketing your Education (schools, colleges and universities) speaker business
• Marketing your entertainment/compere/after dinner business
• Marketing your Business content speaker business
• Market research: finding out if your market and topic are viable
• Moving into corporates: how to get into big companies
• How to get in front of prospective clients/customers: Using showcasing to grow your business
• 2 minute money spotlight: 120 seconds to give us your top tip to earn £10k

Develop Your Content

• Finding and using (credible) data: using data and research when speaking. Monetising your own data
• Making money from social media content: build ROI from Facebook, LI, YouTube etc
• Gamification: It’s a huge trend in the learning & development market so how can speakers gamify their content to keep audiences engaged and bookers happy?
• Is the keynote dead?: New delivery methods and formats, uses of technology when speaking, the rise of interactivity, employing AR and VR when speaking. What will speaking look like in 2030?
• Additional income from your content and expertise: What extra income can you bring into your business by re-purposing your content, creating products etc
• Embracing accessibility and diversity in your content: Slides, terminology, venues, representation etc.
• How hard is your content working?: Finding new ways of delivering your existing content. Re-purposing it.
• Could your content work without you?: Selling or licensing your IP, allowing others to deliver your content
• Using your content to develop a ‘passive income’: Is the idea of a passive income a pipedream? Can a speaker really make money in their sleep?

You, The Speaker

• CPD for the professional speaker: How are you developing yourself, your skills and your content? How should speakers develop themselves as professionals?
• Building a support network around you: Masterminding, networking, mentors, coaches, accountability buddies etc.
• Being a more robust speaker: Vocal health, mental health, physical health. Dealing with working and travelling alone. The importance of down-time and taking leave/holidays. Spotting and addressing the signs of burn out and overwhelm.
• Life after speaking: How should speakers look to exit their business? Can they sell their IP or content to others? How should they be preparing for retirement (from the beginning of their careers)? How do you plan for a pension when your income is variable? Or is speaking a career that can be carried on way beyond the traditional retirement age?

Formats

These topics will be delivered in a range of formats – workshops, deep dives, 10 minute ‘bite size’ sessions, panel discussions and (very few) keynotes. Applicants are invited to indicate their preferred format – please note that there are only a couple of keynote slots to be filled so those only selecting keynote are less likely to be selected.

Selection Criteria

You can apply to speak on one or two topics. If selected, you will only be booked to speak for one session.

The speakers will be chosen on the following criteria:

• A focused response to the listed topic
• Proven credibility and expertise in this area
• Clear, practical, specific takeaways for delegates
• Innovative and creative approaches to delivery, especially those harnessing new formats, use of technology and innovative audience engagement tools.
• Video (ideally a YouTube channel) that proves their stage skills
• Two proposers who can vouch for your expertise, stage skills and professionalism as a speaker

Application form