Keynote booking
Opening and closing keynotes for conferences of 100 to 6,000 attendees, matched to your theme and budget band.
Details
Richmond, Virginia · Booking nationwide
The right speaker changes what a room does next.
National Speakers is an independent bureau. We shortlist, vet and manage keynote speakers, workshop facilitators and moderators for conferences, sales kick-offs, association meetings and leadership retreats across the United States.
- Three matched candidates within one business day
- Flat booking fee, quoted in writing before you commit
- Contracting, travel and run-of-show handled for you
0
Events staffed since 2014
0
Speakers in our active roster
0
States we have booked in
0
% of clients who rebook
What we do
A bureau built around the outcome, not the roster
Most bureaus sell you whoever is on their list. We start from the brief: who is in the room, what they believe today, and what you need them to believe on Monday morning. Only then do we pull names.
Barbara Williams founded National Speakers in Richmond after twelve years producing association conferences, and the company still runs the way a producer would run it — tight timelines, written confirmations, and a person who answers the phone during the event itself.
- Discovery call and written brief before any names are sent
- Reference checks with two recent clients of every speaker we propose
- Contracting, riders, travel logistics and AV requirements coordinated
- On-site or on-call producer support on the day of the event
Services
Five ways organizations work with us
Workshops & breakouts
Half-day and full-day facilitated sessions on leadership, communication, change and team performance.
DetailsPanel moderation
Experienced moderators who prepare the panel, control the clock and keep the conversation useful.
DetailsVirtual & hybrid programs
Camera-ready speakers, tech rehearsal, backup connection plan and moderated Q&A for remote audiences.
DetailsProgram design
Multi-session agendas, speaker sequencing and theme development for annual meetings and retreats.
DetailsNot sure what you need?
Send us the date, the audience and the budget range. We will tell you honestly what will work — even if that means a smaller booking.
Talk to usHow it works
Four steps, roughly three weeks
- 1
Brief
A 25-minute call. Audience, objective, date, format, budget band. We write it up and send it back to you.
- 2
Shortlist
Three matched speakers with video, topic outlines, references and all-in pricing. No pressure, no upsell.
- 3
Contract
We issue the agreement, collect the rider, book travel and confirm AV needs with your venue.
- 4
Event day
Run-of-show, rehearsal, and a producer reachable by phone from load-in to closing remarks.
Why clients stay
Small enough to care, organized enough to trust
We deliberately cap the number of events we take each quarter. That is why the same person who took your brief is the person answering the phone during load-in.
Transparent fees
Speaker fee, travel and our flat bureau fee are itemized in every quote.
Written everything
Briefs, confirmations, riders and changes go out in writing the same day.
Vetted roster
Every speaker is seen live or on unedited full-length video before we represent them.
Backup planning
Named substitute speaker and contingency plan on every signed contract.
Client feedback
What event teams tell us afterwards
“We had eleven weeks to fill a closing keynote after a cancellation. National Speakers sent three names in a day and the one we picked got the highest session score of the whole conference.”
Director of Meetings, regional trade association
“The pricing was itemized down to the airfare. After two bureaus that quoted round numbers and added fees later, that alone won them the contract.”
VP of Sales Enablement, logistics company
“Barbara sat in on our rehearsal at 7 a.m. and fixed the run-of-show before anyone else arrived. That is not normal bureau behaviour.”
Conference Chair, healthcare nonprofit
Planning an event? Let's find the right voice for it.
Tell us the date, audience and outcome you need. We reply to every enquiry within one business day with three matched speakers and clear pricing.