This is my first time booking a speaker. What do I need to consider?

We know booking a speaker for the first time can be an overwhelming experience. For that reason, we have compiled the following information that may be of interest to you.

Speaker Fees
The speakers fee generally covers one 30-90 minute presentation. Fees are always subject to change and may vary based upon the length of presentation desired or the location of your event. For that reason, 

Additional Expenses
In addition to the speaker's appearance fee, you will also be responsible for all of the speaker's expenses necessitated by his or her appearance at your event (except in cases where the speaker has a travel-inclusive fee). Specifically, additional expenses may include:

• Ground Transportation (Limousine, taxi, or rental car - to/from departure airport and to/from arrival airport)
• Airfare
• Accommodations
• Meals and Incidental Expenses
• Audio-Visual Equipment (slide projector, projection screen, wireless lavaliere microphone, etc.)

Audio and Video Taping of Appearances
If you plan to capture your speaker's presentation on audio or video, written permission must be obtained prior to the event. Depending on the use of the recording, a surcharge may be involved.

Contracting the Engagement
It is important to clearly outline the activities in which you wish your speaker to participate in the original contract. For example, if you contract a speaker to deliver only a keynote address, the contract fee is for this service only. Requesting an autograph session or participation in a VIP reception after the contract has been signed may result in additional fees.

Payment Terms
A non-refundable deposit is collected at the time a speaker is booked for the event. This deposit guarantees the date will be reserved for you on the speaker's calendar. In the event of a cancellation by your organization, the deposit will be forfeited. If a cancellation occurs within 60 days of the event date, the entire fee and any already-incurred travel/preparation expenses will be due.

Who does Show Foundry represent?

Virtually anyone in whom you would be interested! While we do have a select group of exclusive speakers, our goal is simply to secure the perfect speaker for your event. Whether that entails working directly with the speaker or utilizing our relationships with other agencies around the world, there is hardly anyone we cannot book for you - at no additional cost.

How much do speakers cost?

Speaker fees are impacted greatly by factors such as name recognition, demand for the speaker's services, location of event, length of presentation and many more. Speakers' appearance fees range from Rs. 50,000 to more than Rs 10 lac.

How much time will the speaker spend with our organization?

Because every speaker is unique, circumstances will necessarily vary. However, your speaker will be available to you for the length of time agreed upon in your original contract. One of the tasks of our event solutions specialists is assisting you with the development of a proposed schedule of events so that everyone involved in ensuring the success of your event is working from the same script.

There are so many good speakers, how do we go about choosing the right one for our event?

Our event solution specialists are trained to help you narrow the range of choices. We are already well informed of the relative strengths and abilities of available speakers. So, once we have become familiar with your organization, we can steer you in the right direction, supply you with some preview videos of prospective speakers, provide you with letters of reference, and make some helpful suggestions. In the end of the course, the decision is yours. If you have a clear idea of what your ultimate objectives are, the process can be made immeasurably easier. You may want to start by asking yourself a few key questions:

• Why is this event being held in the first place?
• What do we want the attendees to know, think, or feel after this event?
• What expectations will they bring to the event?
• What special circumstances, issues, or challenges are we facing right now?
• How should this event build upon previous events circumstances?

Your answers will help us to both narrow your search and find just the right speaker to compliment your vision and accomplish your goals.

What services does Show Foundry offer us once we have selected a speaker?

Once a speaker accepts your invitation, we handle all the business details to make absolutely certain there are no misunderstandings or glitches. We issue a contract. We coordinate all communication between you and the speaker to ensure that your specific program requirements are met. We work with you on all the logistics - from travel arrangements and accommodations to schedules and itineraries.

Once we decide to utilize Show Foundry, how do we proceed?

This is perhaps the most frequently asked question by our clients. The process is actually quite straightforward, consisting of the following basic steps..

The Call... First, you place a call to one of our event solutions specialists to discuss your objectives. Your Show Foundry representative will then walk you through the process of selecting possible speakers for your event. We can work with you to schedule virtually any speaker you have in mind, or we can make suggestions based upon your input.

The Confirmation... Once a speaker is agreed upon, we will send to you a Confirmation Sheet. The Confirmation Sheet will include specific details such as the event sponsor, date, fee, location and any other relevant information. Signing and faxing the Confirmation Sheet back to Show Foundry verifies your interest in the speaker and grants Show Foundry permission to present a firm offer to the speaker on your behalf.

The Offer... After an authorized confirmation is received by Show Foundry, we will submit a Firm Offer to the speaker on your behalf. The speaker will then review the terms of the offer. If the speaker is available on the requested date(s) and all other terms are acceptable, the signed offer will be returned to Show Foundry and we will move forward in the process.

The Contract... Upon acceptance of the offer, your representative will issue the necessary paperwork to your organization. This paperwork includes the Contract for the engagement, publicity materials, invoices and instructions for utilizing our online Event Questionnaire. At that point, we are off and running. It is that easy to confirm a speaker for your next event!

Our service does not stop after the speaker is confirmed. We are always available to answer questions, offer ideas or just talk about your event and its progress. As the date of the event approaches, you will be contacted by one of our Event Coordinators to make the final preparations for your speaker's visit.

The Event Questionnaire... One of the tools we use to ensure good communication between you, your speaker and our staff is our Event Questionnaire. This profiles all the technical and logistical aspects of your event and allows you to outline the desired objectives for your event. 

The Event Advance Sheet... The final output of the online Event Questionnaire is the Event Advance Sheet (EAS). It will serve as the final itinerary for your event, including information regarding hotel arrangements, flights, schedule of events, information on your organization and any other vital details. This also includes phone numbers to reach all parties should the need arise to discuss any last minute issues.

Our goal is to make your speaker-scheduling process run as smoothly as possible and to hopefully make it a bit more enjoyable!

What if something happens and my speaker is late or, even worse, cannot make it to my event?

The thought of a speaker's plane being delayed, a traffic jam on the way to the convention center or, even worse, a speaker who cancels at the last minute, haunts meeting planners. Flights do get canceled (our speakers always have back-up flights), roads do get iced and a speaker could get sick.  However, this is when we really shine. All of our resources, our knowledge and our contacts can be put together to find a replacement speaker ASAP.