Frequently Asked Questions

For over 30 years, The Lavin Agency speakers bureau has helped a diverse range of clients find the perfect speakers for conferences, keynotes, workshops, and more. We represent authors, scientists, business leaders, humanitarians, politicians, economists, and other remarkable people making the world a smarter, and better, place. For keynotes on technology, education, the arts, social justice, science, and any other topic or industry, we are North America’s premier intellectual speakers bureau.

We’re not your typical speakers bureau. That means we’re in the business of anticipating the zeitgeist—we need to know who is hot next year, and why. And that means we work with the best speakers in the industry. Genuinely world-changing, headline-making thinkers, writers, and doers. If that doesn’t convince you, we’re also a full service agency. This means you have a dedicated agent and an experienced event coordinator to assist you, freeing up your time and eliminating stress throughout the planning process. We know the ins and outs of events and are happy to help!

Call us at 1-800-265-4870! Our agents are more than happy to walk you through the booking process. You can also email us at [email protected] and one of our agents will get back to you. 

The Lavin Agency handles paid speaking requests only.

The Lavin Agency has been in the business for over 30 years, and we have an extensive, constantly refreshed database of keynote speakers. If you can’t find the speaker you’re looking on our site, send us an email or give us a call, and one of our agents will simply find the speaker you’re looking for.

We maintain a close relationship with our exclusive speakers, know their work intimately, and have chosen to highlight them for a reason—they’re some of the most interesting, articulate, and gifted leaders in their fields. So think of our exclusive speakers as a curated list of the best of the best. We also list a select number of non-exclusive speakers on our website: people we work with regularly and are pleased to recommend. But, as mentioned, we can help you find any speaker you’re looking for, regardless of whether they’re on our site.

Our agents love helping their clients curate an outstanding event, and can help you determine what you’re looking for—even if you don’t know it yet. By establishing your goals, audience, topics, and interests, we can find the perfect speaker (or speakers).

There are no ‘hidden’ fees—our costs are included in the speaker’s fee. There are usually expenses to cover transportation and accommodations, but your agent will clearly outline these throughout the booking process.

Every speaker has different preferences. Many are comfortable with 45 minutes. A few might speak for 75–90 minutes. It all depends. Your agent will tell you how long each speaker is willing to speak.

This all depends on the speaker, and their availability. Your agent will let you know your speaker’s preferences. If you do have additional requests, be sure to communicate them early in the process so that the speaker is properly prepared.

We are here to help in the event of any problem. Call our 24-hour assistance line outside of normal business hours, and we’ll do everything we can to get your event back on track.

We’ll let you know when the paperwork is finished, at which point you’re free to start promoting your event. We can provide you with official speaker-related marketing materials, including head shots, bios, stage introductions and more for posting, programs, save-the-dates, and so forth. It’s up to each individual speaker whether they want to promote your event, but we can ask them on your behalf.

We provide our speakers with background information on you, your event, your audience, and why they’ve been booked. Whether you’re holding a company retreat, a conference, a fundraiser, a workshop, or a fireside chat, our speakers will know all about you—and most will take such things into account as they design and customize their keynotes and presentations.

Yes—each speaker will have unique needs for their keynote involving audio-visual equipment, lighting, microphones, refreshments, lecterns, screens, and other components of a great presentation. As mentioned above, you will be provided with an event itinerary containing all pertinent information and requests from the speaker long before the event itself.

Yes. We are happy to liaise with your speaker’s publisher in order to make books available at your event.