My keynotes start from $10,000 plus GST. Conference breakouts start from $8,000 plus GST, workshops are priced on the format, half day or full day, and travel and accommodation sit on top. Virtual sessions over Zoom or Teams are quoted separately. Those numbers are on my site, and they have been for a while, because a program chair working on a budget usually wants the number early.
But a number on its own does not tell your committee what it buys, or what moves it up or down. So this is the longer version, the same way I wrote the longer version of the futurist or practical question a couple of weeks ago.
What does the keynote fee actually cover?
Most of what you are paying for happens before I walk on stage.
It starts with a briefing call, before I write a word of the session. I ask where your members actually are with AI right now, what the one thing is you would want them to leave with, what their biggest challenges are, whether there is an elephant in the room, and what you as the organiser are most looking for from a speaker like me.
Then I build the session for your profession, with the examples and the language your members already use, and the compliance world they work in.
You see the deck before the day, and I ask one question with it. Does anything in here clash with another speaker, or with something your board has ruled out?
And the room takes something home. Every attendee leaves with an AI resources pack, guardrails and workflows included, tailored to their profession, that they can use the same week. I share it with them as a gift to the audience, with your permission, and it is the reason the session keeps working after the conference is over.
And underneath all of that, I have been standing in front of professional services rooms for 16 years, with more than 250 keynotes and 100 workshops behind me.
What is the fee really buying?
When I ask organisers what they are most looking for in a keynote speaker, the answer I hear most often is some version of this. "We cannot have the audience tune out and doze off to sleep, so you cannot be boring."
Practical does not mean boring. So that is what the fee is really buying. It is the hour where the room is on the edge of their seat going, "Wow, the pennies are dropping. I can see this. This is exciting. I just want to go away and implement this stuff."
The fee covers the session and everything that goes into building it for your profession. Travel and accommodation are quoted alongside it.
What moves the price up or down?
It's the format, mostly. There are four formats, and they do different jobs.
A keynote is the main-stage plenary, 45 to 60 minutes, and starts from $10,000 plus GST. A breakout is a concurrent session at the same conference, shorter and in a smaller room with the same practical punch, and starts from $8,000 plus GST. A workshop is hands-on, half a day or a full day, and is priced on the format, because the room leaves with AI installed and running. A virtual session is the same talk delivered over Zoom or Teams, and I quote it separately.
Many organisers book a keynote plus a workshop, the same day or the day after. The keynote plants the idea and the workshop does the installation, so the room installs the thing while it is in front of them. If that pairing suits your program, ask for it as one quote.
Travel is the other variable. I am based on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland and I speak nationally and internationally, so travel and accommodation are factored into the booking on top of the fee.
Does booking through a bureau cost more?
You can book me through a speaker bureau or directly, and I work with both.
A bureau takes its commission from my side of the fee, so the number you pay is generally the same either way. What changes is who does the paperwork. Through a bureau, the bureau handles the contract and the admin. Directly, you deal with me on the call, and my office raises the invoice.
If you have a bureau relationship already, use it. If you found me through a search or a referral, get in touch directly and we will sort it from there.
How far ahead should a committee book, and will the date hold?
Most events book around six months ahead, with one to two months the practical minimum, so it is always worth asking.
I will definitely hold your date while the committee decides. Most lost keynotes are date clashes rather than fee objections, so the date is the thing worth locking early.
The quote itself comes as a written email. It has the fee, what is included, my availability for your date, and any conditions such as travel. Your written acceptance and the invoice secure the booking, and from there it moves into the brief and the deck.
How do you get a quote?
Tell me about the event. The name, the date and the city, who is in the room, so the profession and how senior they are, and the format you have in mind. If you know roughly where your members are with AI, say so, and if you do not, that is fine, it is the first thing we will work out on the call.
I will come back to you directly and ask for a quick call before I quote, because a short conversation about your audience makes the quote more useful and the session better. If your sector is not on my industries list, get in touch and the session can be shaped to suit.
Working on a budget for next year's program? Tell Adam about your event and date and he will respond directly with a written quote. Keynotes, breakouts, workshops and virtual sessions for professional services conferences.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an AI keynote speaker cost in Australia?
I can only speak for my own fees, and they are published. Keynotes start from $10,000 plus GST, conference breakouts start from $8,000 plus GST, and workshops are priced on the format, half day or full day. Travel and accommodation sit on top, and virtual sessions over Zoom or Teams are quoted separately.
What is included in the keynote fee?
A briefing call before the session is written, a talk built for your profession and its compliance world, the deck for you to see before the day, and an AI resources pack, guardrails and workflows included, that every attendee takes away and can use the same week. Underneath that, I have been doing this for 16 years, with more than 250 keynotes and 100 workshops behind me.
Is a conference breakout cheaper than a keynote?
Breakouts start from $8,000 plus GST against $10,000 plus GST for a keynote. A breakout is a concurrent session in a smaller room, shorter, with the same practical punch. Many organisers book a keynote plus a workshop the same day or the day after, and that pairing can be quoted as one.
Does booking through a speaker bureau change the price?
A bureau takes its commission from my side of the fee, so the number you pay is generally the same either way. What changes is who does the paperwork. Through a bureau, the bureau handles the contract and the admin. Directly, you deal with me on the call and my office raises the invoice. I work with both.
How far ahead should we book, and will you hold the date?
Most events book around six months ahead, with one to two months the practical minimum, so it is always worth asking. I will hold your date while the committee decides. Most lost keynotes are date clashes rather than fee objections, so check availability early.
What do we need to send to get a quote?
The event name, the date and the city, who is in the room, so the profession and how senior they are, and the format you have in mind. I will ask for a quick call before quoting, and the quote comes as a written email with the fee, what is included, my availability and any conditions such as travel. Your written acceptance and the invoice secure the booking.
