The professional speaking industry is facing an ethics crisis, according to some professional speakers, with kickbacks, hidden markups, and blurred incentives eroding trust between speakers, bureaus, and clients.
“Kickbacks happen all the time,” speaker Scott Stratten told Skift, following a LinkedIn post and livestream in which he outlined unethical practices that he claims are widespread. Many speakers responded to the post with their own similar experiences.
Speakers bureaus typically take a 25% to 30% commission per booking. That structure is widely accepted, but Stratten and others claim some bureaus inflate fees without telling speakers.
“A bureau may agree on a fee with a speaker, say $5,000, but then quote the client $7,500 without informing the speaker, pocketing the difference,” said Stratten. “If the commission is 20%, they will get the $1,000 plus the extra $2,500, making money on both ends of the deal without being transparent. The speaker will only get $4,000.”
He also claimed that some bureau salespeople request “tips” for bookings. “When a speaker gets confirmation that a keynote is booked, they are told to send roughly $500 to the speaker bureau agent that booked them via PayPal,” he said.
Veteran Speaker: ‘The Industry Needs Transparency’
Scott McKain, a full-time professional speaker for more than 30 years and recipient of the 2024 Cavett Award from the National Speakers Association, also pointed to unethical practices.
“There was a time when bureaus recommended a speaker because they felt that person would be best for the meeting,” said McKain. “Over the years, this has gotten blurred. There are instances when the speaker pays the bureau extra to get the booking.”
McKain said he’s dealt with questionable practices firsthand. One executive who’d previously hired McKain to speak said they wanted to hire him again but had been told he didn’t like to appear at the same company two years in a row.
“That wasn’t true,” McKain said. “They recommended one of their exclusive speakers instead, one that pays an extra SPIF or commission to the bureau.”
McKain also claims he’s been told he’d be booked more often if he made one of those side payments.
He has also seen bureaus pad fees. Early in his career, when his fee was $10,000, he gave a speech and the agreed-upon commission was 25%. McKain claimed that after the speech, an executive said to him, “You’re the best $15,000 speaker we ever had.” McKain added: “The bureau took their $2,500 commission from me, then added $5,000 on top without my knowledge.”
“This behavior scares me for the entire profession,” he said. “The only way we’ll continue to grow is when everybody plays the game ethically and we are of service to the meeting community. The industry needs transparency and full disclosure, in every direction.”
Industry Defends its Ethics
The Global Speakers Federation (GSF), which represents 17 regional speaker associations worldwide, emphasized that the profession’s foundation is built on trust. Each association has its own code of ethics and is responsible for addressing complaints against members, said Shari Bricks, executive director of the GSF.
“At the GSF level, we have not been privy to any current unethical practices,” she said. “The speaking profession is built on trust between speakers and event organizers, between thought leaders and their audiences, and between colleagues across the globe. That trust must be safeguarded by a shared commitment to honesty, transparency, and respect.”
“We call on every member association of the GSF, every professional speaker, speaking bureau, and industry partner to lead by example. By holding ourselves to the highest ethical standards, we strengthen not only our own reputations but also the credibility and future of the entire speaking profession,” said Bricks.
The National Speakers Association, which represents speakers in the U.S., did not respond to a request for comment.
Pandemic’s Ethical Fallout
Ethical standards began to erode after the Covid pandemic, according to one keynote speaker who requested anonymity.
“All of a sudden, people who hadn’t written books or accomplished anything extraordinary decided they wanted to become speakers,” he said. “That’s when ethics started to get blurred. Plus, a lot of money flooded into the industry for training programs, video reels, and websites.”
He added that opportunistic companies quickly moved in to profit from those eager to break into the field. “I’ve heard of speakers sending cash ‘thank-yous’ to agents for bookings and bureaus quietly padding their prices for extra profit,” he said.
The ImpactEleven Shutdown and Its Fallout
The industry’s ethics have faced additional scrutiny following the abrupt shutdown in August of ImpactEleven, a speaker training company that promised to help aspiring speakers launch their careers. Some members say they were left without refunds or access to the network they had invested in.
Josh Linkner, a founding partner of ImpactEleven, said the company has delivered, and continues to deliver, a make-good plan for members at the partners’ expense. This includes in-person workshops, a virtual bootcamp, and one-on-one coaching.
“The team and owners were victims of an elaborate and criminal fraud scheme, yet we’ve poured our hearts into serving others to the best of our ability,” said Linkner.
Linkner and other founding partners have filed a lawsuit that alleges the CEO of the company had embezzled money.
Linkner defended the industry. “Like any industry, unfortunately, there are bad actors. I’m sure there are instances in the professional speaking industry of poor ethical behavior, but spinning it up as if it’s a crooked industry is just not accurate,” he said.
Targeting Aspiring Speakers
Stratten said bureaus often steer aspiring speakers toward training programs without disclosing that they receive a financial incentive for the referral.
“The speaker is told they are not ready for the stage. A speaker training company can help. What the speaker does not know is that the bureau will get a financial cut,” Stratten said.
Video reels are another upsell. “They say the only thing between you and a five-figure keynote is this video,” said Stratten. “They bring in a business audience which is made up of paid actors who will also give testimonials about how great the speaker was.”
“Breaking in can be brutal,” said speaker coach Devin Marks. “That’s why shady models, kickback schemes, and fads flare up again and again.”
AI is adding another layer of deception. “Some companies now use AI tools to create videos of speakers appearing on big stages with large crowds,” said Marks. “From must-have sizzle reels to headshots to one-on-one coaching, optimistic, sometimes desperate, speakers paid add-on fees while this ‘always upselling’ model left them drained,” said Marks.
