The Speaker Summit
The #1 Conference For Professional Speakers
July 3rd, 2026 – London
Leonardo Royal London St Paul’s
10 Godliman St, London EC4V 5AJ, United Kingdom
The place where professional speakers come to see what’s really working.
One day. Exclusive access. The Community YOU belong to.
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Watch the replay of the Speaker Summit 2026 Opening Party
Discover what we have prepared for you this year, the speakers & panelists and our best offer on tickets in 2026.
At the Speaker Summit you will find out:
- What industry insiders actually look for when they work with speakers
- Which topics are booking for 2026 and which ones are done
- What speakers are really charging and what clients are paying
- Where speaking is going next (before most people know)
You will spend the day with speakers who love this work like you do. Who think about it all the time. Who care as much as you care.
And honestly? It’s going to be fun.
Why Attend
Most Speakers Are Guessing. But not here.
Speakers who stay booked know what works because they talk to the right people.
At the Speaker Summit, you will be talking to those people too.
These are the kind of people who you can expect to meet at the Speaker Summit:
Bureaus
Will tell you what they look for.
Website Designers
Will show you what converts.
Publishers
Will tell you what sells books.
AI Experts
Will share what's possible.
PR Pros
Will explain how to get media attention.
Speakers
Who are fully booked will share what's working for them right now.
All the people who understand the speaking business—all in one room. With really good coffee.
What is The Speaker Summit?
One day where you get three things:
Behind-the-Scenes Info
How the industry really works. What bookers want. What technology is changing. What’s happening with fees. What’s coming next.
Face Time with People
Who Know
Meet bureaus, event planners, website experts, AI specialists, media pros, publishers, and operations wizards in person. Have real conversations. Maybe laugh a little.
Your People
Connect with speakers who get it. Who pour their hearts into this. Who want you to win. Who’ll text you later to see how that talk went.
“I’d been wondering what bureaus really want for two years. One session at the Summit answered everything. I changed three things and got signed the next month. Plus I made two friends who text me dad jokes now.”
— 2025 Speaker
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Who is The Speaker Summit for?
For speakers who are all in on this work.
If you are making 4 or 5 figures per talk:
- Meet the people who can fill your calendar and help every part of your business grow
- Learn what’s working right now across speaking, media, books, and digital
- Hear where the industry is going before other people figure it out
- Connect with speakers who care about being brilliant at this
If you are speaking regularly but making less:
- See what speakers ahead of you know
- Learn what it takes to go from booked to fully booked
- Meet people who’ll remember you when opportunities come up
- Understand where the industry is going so you can get there first
This is for speakers who think about their talks in the shower. Who rehearse lines while doing dishes. Who want to be around other people who get why this matters so much.
What will you learn?
What’s Really Happening in Speaking
You will find out:
- Which topics bureaus and event planners want for 2026
- What fees make sense for different types of talks
- How AI is changing how speakers create content (in good ways)
- What makes a speaker’s website actually convert visitors to bookings
- How to get media attention that leads to real opportunities
- What’s changing in how clients find and book speakers
- Where virtual, hybrid, and in-person formats are heading
This is the stuff that usually stays in private conversations. You will know it by the end of the day.
Real Conversations with Real People
Bureaus. Event planners. Website designers. AI experts. PR pros. Publishers. Podcast producers. Operations experts. The people who make the speaking industry actually work.
They will answer your questions honestly. Tell you what works (and what doesn’t). Remember your face. Probably swap stories over lunch.
People Who Get It
You will meet speakers who:
- Care about this work as much as you do
- Know the hard parts and celebrate the good parts
- Want you to do well because they know how hard you’re working
- Think of you when someone asks “who else is brilliant at this?”
Last year, speakers left knowing things that changed how they price their work, redesigned their websites, started podcasts, pitched to media, and talked to bookers. They made friends who are still cheering them on.
You don’t have to figure this out by yourself anymore. (And honestly, why would you want to?)
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The 2026 Summit - “Future Ready”
This year’s summit theme is “Become Future Ready”
The agenda is designed for speakers who intend to stay relevant, visible and in demand for beyond the current trending topic.
As the geopolitical landscape changes, as do clients
- requirements
- buying behaviours
- expectations
- preceptions of value
And the gap between those who adapt… and those who don’t… is widening.
The 2026 Speaker line-up will be sharing how to leverage the changing landscape rather than become one of its casualties.
Learn from the people who understand
every part of the speaking business
→ Keynote Speakers
Maria Franzoni
Session: Future Ready: How to Stay Bookable, Whatever Comes Next
Former international bureau owner. Best-selling author of The Bookability Formula. In the industry since 1998.
Maria has seen every version of this industry – from analogue to digital, from gatekeepers to global platform and understands what continues to work even in a changing landscape.
This keynote will focus on understanding what makes a speaker consistently bookable, regardless of the environment around them.
Elliot Kay
Session: Watch Me
Elliot Kay is a speaker, entrepreneur, and CEO of The Speaker Awards & Summit, where he champions excellence and elevates speakers and industry peers. He supports speakers, leaders, Olympians, and experts to grow their influence, secure more opportunities, and build credible, profitable careers. Elliot is the author of six books, two of them bestsellers.
A grounded, honest look at what it takes to build something meaningful in a landscape that refuses to stand still.
This also marks the official launch of his new book, Watch Me, released exclusively at The Speaker Summit.
Jim Steele
Session: Momentum Multipliers: How to Be Better, Smarter, Stronger
Winner of Speaker of the Year and recipient of three awards last year, Jim Steele has secured an average of 100 paid speaking engagements a year for more than 30 years.
Through his work helping leaders thrive in high-pressure environments and constant change, Jim has developed a deep understanding of what helps people stay effective, adaptable, and resilient over the long term.
In this session, he’ll explore the mindset and behaviours that help individuals maintain momentum when industries evolve, expectations shift, and challenges increase.
With the speaking industry changing rapidly, this session will encourage you to think differently about longevity, relevance, and how to continue thriving in an increasingly competitive landscape.
→ Special Feature: In Conversation
with Penny Mallory
Interviewed live by Maria Franzoni
Penny Mallory went from teenage homelessness to World Rally Championship driver to renowned keynote speaker on Mental Toughness – turning pressure into performance.
Penny has lived experience of reinvention and resilience. She has been a boxer, mountaineer, marathon runner, Triathlete, TV Presenter and is currently training to row the Atlantic in December 2026.
Running a speaking business can challenge the best of us and have you question if it’s worth continuing. This conversation will explore tactical ways to navigate challenging landscapes and come out on top – especially in high pressure unpredictable environments.
Penny speaks 80 times a year internationally and has been a professional speaker for 20 years, a business she has been focused on refining for the last 8 years.
The Bookers & Agents Panel
Understand How Decisions Are Made Now
The way speakers get booked is evolving.
What worked five years ago doesn’t always work now.
And what works now won’t stay the same forever.
This session gives you direct access to the people making those decisions today.
This conversation will be moderated by Lovelda Vincenzi, who will also be taking questions from you in the audience.
Think of this as your chance to understand what matters now and what’s changing next.
Diana Stoney
Founder of Behind the Mic
Behind the Mic is a speaker management and consulting agency that operates across the US and UK. They are sales enablers, focused on preparing professional speakers with the skills, processes and context needed to create raving fans. Diana works with content-rich, business speakers and has represented Former Heads of State, astronauts, Olympians, rockstars, entrepreneurs and innovators.
Claire Young
Founder of School Speakers
School Speakers is the UK’s number 1 speaker agency, dedicated to providing inspirational speakers to enthuse, motivate and raise aspirations amongst today’s students. Alongside working in education they also provide speakers to corporate & business events, public sector and charities. Claire Young was a finalist on the Apprentice UK and has gone on to found School Speakers and is known for her straight talking approach.
Damian Hutt
Executive Director at Association of Association Executives & Fellow at the Institute of Event Management
Damian Hutt was the Awards Director at the Association of Association Executives for 12.5years before being promoted to Executive Director. He has been a Fellow at the Institute of Event Management for over 4 years. As such Damian has seen the needs of event organisers change with changing times. He represents the voice of the clients that book us.
Steve Lindsey
Event Director at National Sales Conference
The National Sales Conference is Europe’s leading event for revenue leaders and sales teams. Steve Lindsay has over 20 years of event directing experience 12.5 years of which have been spent as Event Director at the National Sales Conference. In this role he has worked with a vast number of speakers and seen the changing trends in audience demand.
Replace Guesswork With Clarity
Expert Sessions
Discover | Discuss | Do
Events should be about more than just gathering information.
Our expert sessions are deeper dives, designed to move from discussion to practical implementation.
These sessions will run concurrently, so you’ll need to pick the one you’d like to join.
AI for Speakers - Tools You Can Use Today
Hosted by: Ben Gold
AI Strategist | Founder, AI Academy 4 All
AI Strategist | Founder, AI Academy 4 All
Still typing every LinkedIn post from scratch? Still spending hours prepping proposals? There’s a better way.
Ben Gold is an AI strategist who helps speakers and consultants cut their admin time in half while sounding more like themselves, not less.
In this session Ben will live-demo the tools that are quietly transforming how the smartest speakers run their businesses, from content creation and client research to hyper-personalised outreach.
You’ll walk out knowing exactly which tools to use, how to set them up, and how to make AI sound like you.
No technical background needed.
Websites that convert
Hosted by: Jude Wharton and Chris Wharton
Co-Founders of Ready Steady Websites
Gone are the days when you could treat your website like a brochure.
Chris and Jude Wharton from Ready Steady Websites® will be delivering a practical session focusing on the layout and content you need on a speaker website to make sure you get booked.
They’ll be diving into the things you can be doing to help you get found online by potential bookers and the processes you should have in place to ensure you are turning leads into clients.
This session is platform agnostic and no technical background is needed to attend.
If you wish to bring your laptop with you on the day to review your current website as part of the session you can but it isn’t necessary as they will be using relevant examples and tools to demonstrate the learning and help you get your online presence and processes on point to get more speaking opportunities.
Turn Strategic Connections into Real Opportunities
Hosted by: Hannah Cary and Jenna Owen
from Ambition PR
Collaboration is at the heart of growth.
The Speaker Summit community is a treasure trove of untapped connections. From podcast interviews and media platforms to potential referrals, partnerships and introductions, there are opportunities all around you when you invest in these mutually-beneficial relationships.
This interactive session is designed to identify collaboration opportunities & refine your positioning.
Through structured small-group conversations, with regular rotation between groups, you’ll build new relationships and connections that bring tangible results extending beyond the conference.
These are working professionals who know what it takes to build a speaking business that lasts.
They’ll share real numbers, real tips, and real talk. (And probably some funny stories too.)
Stay Relevant. Stay Bookable.
When an industry changes, you either shift with it
Or get left behind.
The Speaker Summit is curated to keep you ahead of the curve
To help you see clearly what’s changed,
what still works,
and what you need to do differently moving forward.
The industry will keep moving.
The question is whether you move with it.
Celebrating Speakers Who Do Beautiful Work
Once a year, we stop and celebrate the speakers who are doing work that matters. The ones who pour their hearts into their craft. The ones who inspire change and leave audiences different than they found them.
The Speaker Awards is our way of saying: we see you. Your work matters. And we’re so glad you’re here.
What happens:
- We recognize speakers across different categories
- We celebrate the craft of speaking itself
- We honor the impact speakers are making in the world
- We bring the whole community together for a beautiful evening
It’s a night of good food, great wine, real conversations, and being around people who understand what this work means to you.
And yes, some of the best connections happen over dinner and drinks. Last year, three speakers signed with bureaus during cocktails. A website designer started working with five speakers. A publisher found their next author. Others started friendships that turned into business partnerships and are still going strong.
It’s the kind of night you’ll remember for years.
What Speakers Are Saying
“Finding out what fees people are really charging helped so much. I’d been leaving money on the table. Fixed it immediately.”
— 2025 Speaker
“I met a website designer who gets speaker sites. She showed me exactly what wasn’t working. Three months later, my inquiry rate doubled. Worth every penny.”
— 2025 Speaker
“The AI session changed my life. I learned how to create a month of content in a day without losing my voice or my mind. Absolute game changer.”
— 2025 Speaker
“I met someone from a bureau over coffee. We talked for 20 minutes. Two weeks later, they sent me three opportunities. That one conversation changed my year.”
— 2025 Speaker
“Being around other speakers who care this much reminded me I’m not weird for obsessing over this work. I left feeling less alone and way more sure about where I’m going. Also, I laughed a lot.”
— 2025 Speaker
“As a sponsor, we met speakers who are building serious businesses. These aren’t hobby speakers. The conversations were valuable and the people were genuinely lovely.”
— 2025 Speaker
Past Events
We’ve been doing this since 2021. It sells out every year.
Speakers come back because they learn things they can’t find anywhere else. Because they meet people who help them grow. Because they find their people. And because it’s honestly just a really good time.
Our Sponsors & Partners
Partners who help speakers do their best work
Headline Sponsor
Sponsors
Partners
Why sponsor?
You’ll spend the day with speakers who are building real speaking businesses, looking for tools and help to grow, and ready to invest in getting better.
Real conversations with people who are serious about what they do (and fun to be around).
Everything You Need
Leonardo Royal London St Paul's
10 Godliman St, London EC4V 5AJ, United Kingdom
Get Your Discounted Ticket Now
Join now. Discounted Ticket prices are available.
We will announce the full roster of speakers and experts, and share the full schedule.