Tell me more about how (and if) speakers get paid

Dear Innovation Women,

I am new to Innovation Women and have a question about speaker compensation. The conferences listed in the “Speaking Opportunities” section of your latest email typically don’t call out payment on their website. How does this usually work? Do conference speakers who submit proposals generally get paid or is their compensation “The people’s ovation and fame forever” or “bragging rights”?

Laura

Dear Laura,

Speaker compensation is one of the most complex topics we deal with on a daily basis. The short answer is, it depends. And here’s the long (really long but lots of good detail other people don’t tell you) answer.

Who pays speakers?

When we started Innovation Women, we did a survey of event managers and conference organizers. We asked about speaker budgets. Half of the event managers we surveyed had absolutely no budget for speakers. Forty-two percent had some budget for some speakers – whether paying a keynote or money to cover travel for speakers in need of assistance. Only 8 percent paid all or most speakers.

When we dove down further into the data, we could see very little correlation between paying speakers and the general wealth and stature of the organization. Some of the largest, prestigious (and wealthiest) events pay no speakers, and some of the smallest events pay. every. single. speaker.

How do you know if a conference or event has speaker budget?

Ask – we generally recommend starting off the conversation by asking “Do you have budget for speakers?” Since speaking is so highly negotiated, many conferences are deliberately publicly vague on the topic. (Another tip? Ask if they have budget for workshops or education – sometimes it just matters what you call it.)

Want to read the rest of this article, including how speakers get paid, how much they get paid, and what types of speakers get paid? Read the full article at our sister company Innovation Women.

Or, learn more about how to get leads for speaking opportunities with My Speaker Leads.