PRICING: Bringing speakers to an event can range from a low of about $5,000 to a high of about $100,000, depending on the speaker’s fame and availability. Big newsmakers and A-list celebrities draw the highest fees, of course. Bill Clinton has reportedly banked between $100,000 and $400,000 for speaking engagements around the world, while an entertainer like Ellen DeGeneres brings more than $50,000. A successful but not-super-famous business leader like Barbara Corcoran, founder of the Corcoran Group, commands between $10,000 and $20,000.
The speaker will also expect all expenses to be paid, including round-trip air travel (typically first-class tickets for the speaker plus a guest, although some will demand private planes), ground transportation, hotel accommodations and meals—all billable at face value after the appearance.
The fee itself is typically based on the time commitment required, so bringing guests for a cocktail party meet-and-greet is likely to cost the same amount as asking them to deliver a 45-minute keynote address at a meeting. The number of guests present at an event does not typically affect the speaker's fee. However, if tickets are sold, the speaker might receive 70 to 80 percent of ticket sales after all expenses are subtracted. Of course, speakers may set a price based on their own preferences. They may lower their rate to appear at a cocktail party for a company they have a relationship with, if their role doesn’t require much preparation or if the event is in an attractive locale. It's easier to give a 30-minute speech if you can get a two-hour massage in a five-star resort, right?
TIPPING: Speakers do not receive tips, but gifts are welcome. "A speaker may receive a basket of food or gifts in his hotel room, but that is not expected by any stretch of the imagination," says Greater Talent Network president Don Epstein. Of course some notables are accustomed to certain treatment, and it is not unusual for them to get gifts or big-ticket items from corporate sponsors involved in an event.
HOW TO CUT COSTS: Pick a speaker who lives in the same city as the event, or at least nearby, to cut travel expenses. Many speakers also offer a price break (commonly about 25 percent) for universities and nonprofits.
How They Rank
The following is a list of speakers and their approximate fees:
Barbara Corcoran, real estate entrepreneur: about $15,000
Terry Savage, finance columnist: about $15,000
Roger Blackwell, retailing expert: about $15,000
Susan Lucci, actress: about $20,000
Martin Luther King III, civil rights activist: about $25,000
Kristi Yamaguchi, Olympic ice skater: about $25,000
Scott Adams, Dilbert author and corporate life speaker: about $40,000
Ted Turner, media magnate: about $50,000
Ellen DeGeneres, TV host and comedienne: more than $50,00
George Herbert Walker Bush, former president: more than $80,000
Lance Armstrong, cyclist and cancer survivor: more than $100,000
Bill Clinton, former president: $100,000 to $400,000
—Alesandra Dubin
The speaker will also expect all expenses to be paid, including round-trip air travel (typically first-class tickets for the speaker plus a guest, although some will demand private planes), ground transportation, hotel accommodations and meals—all billable at face value after the appearance.
The fee itself is typically based on the time commitment required, so bringing guests for a cocktail party meet-and-greet is likely to cost the same amount as asking them to deliver a 45-minute keynote address at a meeting. The number of guests present at an event does not typically affect the speaker's fee. However, if tickets are sold, the speaker might receive 70 to 80 percent of ticket sales after all expenses are subtracted. Of course, speakers may set a price based on their own preferences. They may lower their rate to appear at a cocktail party for a company they have a relationship with, if their role doesn’t require much preparation or if the event is in an attractive locale. It's easier to give a 30-minute speech if you can get a two-hour massage in a five-star resort, right?
TIPPING: Speakers do not receive tips, but gifts are welcome. "A speaker may receive a basket of food or gifts in his hotel room, but that is not expected by any stretch of the imagination," says Greater Talent Network president Don Epstein. Of course some notables are accustomed to certain treatment, and it is not unusual for them to get gifts or big-ticket items from corporate sponsors involved in an event.
HOW TO CUT COSTS: Pick a speaker who lives in the same city as the event, or at least nearby, to cut travel expenses. Many speakers also offer a price break (commonly about 25 percent) for universities and nonprofits.
How They Rank
The following is a list of speakers and their approximate fees:
Barbara Corcoran, real estate entrepreneur: about $15,000
Terry Savage, finance columnist: about $15,000
Roger Blackwell, retailing expert: about $15,000
Susan Lucci, actress: about $20,000
Martin Luther King III, civil rights activist: about $25,000
Kristi Yamaguchi, Olympic ice skater: about $25,000
Scott Adams, Dilbert author and corporate life speaker: about $40,000
Ted Turner, media magnate: about $50,000
Ellen DeGeneres, TV host and comedienne: more than $50,00
George Herbert Walker Bush, former president: more than $80,000
Lance Armstrong, cyclist and cancer survivor: more than $100,000
Bill Clinton, former president: $100,000 to $400,000
—Alesandra Dubin
