Speaker bureau vs direct booking

Speaker bureaus and direct booking both work. The right choice depends on how much help you need and how much you want to see before you commit.

The difference at a glance

• Fees: a typical bureau: usually given on request. NXT Speaker: shown on every profile, in rand.
• Who you deal with: a typical bureau: an agent. NXT Speaker: the speaker, through the platform.
• Your payment: a typical bureau: paid to the agency. NXT Speaker: held until the talk is delivered.
• Booking fee for organisers: a typical bureau: set by each agency. NXT Speaker: none.
• Compare options: a typical bureau: one shortlist from one agency. NXT Speaker: every listed speaker, filtered by topic, city, fee and language.

When a bureau makes sense

If you want someone else to run the whole search and negotiation, or you need a speaker who only works through an agency, a bureau is the right call.

When booking direct makes sense

If you know roughly who you want, or you want to compare published fees yourself, booking direct is faster. The usual worry is paying a stranger. On NXT Speaker your payment is held until the talk is delivered, and the speaker is paid 7 days after the event is marked complete.