The brief comes first
A speaker is a tool for a purpose. If we do not understand the purpose, we cannot pick the tool. That is why we will not send names before a discovery call.
About the company
Founded in Richmond, booking coast to coast.
National Speakers has been matching organizations with professional speakers since 2014. We are independent, owner-operated, and deliberately small.
Ownership
Barbara Williams
Barbara spent twelve years producing association conferences before founding National Speakers. She had watched too many programs fall apart in the last fortnight — a speaker whose material did not match the brief, a rider nobody read, a moderator who let a panel run twenty minutes long.
The company was built to remove those failure points. Every brief is written down. Every speaker is vetted personally. Every quote is itemized. Barbara still takes the first call on most bookings.
- Owner: Barbara Williams
- Registered office: 486 Santa Monica Boulevard, Richmond, Virginia 23219, USA
- Telephone: +1 (949) 245-4679
- Email: contact@nationalspeakers.la
What we believe
Honesty over volume
We turn down roughly one enquiry in six because we are not the right fit, or because the budget will not buy what the client is imagining.
Nothing hidden
Our bureau fee is flat and stated up front. We do not take undisclosed commissions on top of a speaker's fee.
A short history
2014
Barbara Williams registers National Speakers in Richmond, Virginia, working with a roster of nine speakers drawn from her conference-production years.
2016
The workshop and breakout practice launches after clients begin asking for facilitated sessions alongside keynotes.
2019
Roster passes one hundred speakers. The bureau introduces mandatory reference checks with two recent clients for every proposed speaker.
2020
Virtual and hybrid program support is built out, including technical rehearsals and moderated remote Q&A.
2023
Program design becomes a standalone service for annual meetings and multi-day leadership retreats.
2026
Around 180 active speakers, bookings completed in 46 states, and a rebooking rate of 97 percent.
Where to find us
Office
486 Santa Monica BoulevardRichmond, Virginia 23219
United States
Meetings by appointment. Most client work is handled by phone, email and video call, and we travel to venues for events we produce on site.
Hours
Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM Eastern Time. During a live event we are reachable outside those hours on the number given in your run-of-show.
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.