What Speakers Spotlight does

Speakers Spotlight is a privately held Canadian speakers bureau founded in 1995 by Martin and Farah Perelmuter and headquartered in Toronto, with a second office in Calgary. The company curates and represents a highly selective roster of roughly 250-300 keynote speakers across categories including business leaders, Olympians, athletes, astronauts, political figures, media personalities, comedians, and TED speakers, accepting less than 1% of the 1,000+ speakers who approach the firm annually. Its core service connects event organizers with vetted keynote speakers for in-person and virtual events, with the company earning a commission on speaker fees (no incremental cost to the client).

The firm operates a consultative, non-commission sales model in which client services agents are incentivized to recommend the best-fit speaker rather than the most expensive option, and provides full-service event coordination from booking through execution, including travel, logistics, and contingency handling. Since 2009, Speakers Spotlight has offered virtual event delivery, an offering it scaled during the pandemic to 3,500+ virtual engagements delivered by 400+ speakers across Zoom, Microsoft Teams, GoToMeeting, and Cisco Webex integrations, supplemented by partnerships with digital event producers for immersive virtual production. A client portal supports multi-event planning, and content products such as the Ask the Expert video series and Virtual Speaker Series drive ongoing client engagement.

Speakers Spotlight serves a horizontal mix of corporate enterprises, professional associations, federal/provincial/municipal government agencies, educational institutions, healthcare organizations, and non-profits in Canada, the US, and 50+ countries, with named clients including Canadian Tire, PepsiCo, AT&T, Intel, TD Bank, and Event Spectrum. Pricing is per engagement, with Canadian keynote fees typically ranging $7,500-$25,000 and US fees $10,000-$100,000+, generating commission-based revenue that is not publicly disclosed.

Name

Speakers Spotlight

Legal name

Speakers Spotlight

Website

https://speakers.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Speakers Spotlight is a privately held Canadian speakers bureau, founded in 1995 and headquartered in Toronto, that curates a selective roster of 250+ keynote speakers and books them for corporate, association, government, and education events in-person and virtually across 50+ countries, earning commission on speaker fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Speakers Bureau Services

NAICS

Other Performing Arts Companies (711190)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Entertainment Booking & Speaker/Talent Management (HSACAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Executive Summits & Invitation-Only Forums (MPAGAGAK), Public Lectures & Speaker Series (MPAGACAI), Motivational/Inspirational Talks (MPAGACAL), Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

Keywords

• Keynote speaker booking
• Speakers bureau services
• Virtual event speakers
• Corporate event talent
• Motivational speaker agency

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Speaker Booking Commission: The company earns commission on speaker fees. There is no extra cost for their service - the fee comes out of the speaker's fees. This aligns their success with finding the right speaker for each event.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Speakers Spotlight is a speakers bureau that connects event organizers with a curated roster of 250+ vetted keynote speakers for in-person and virtual events across topics including leadership, mental health, AI, geopolitics, and diversity. The bureau earns commission on speaker fees, with no extra cost to the client, and provides end-to-end event management including logistics, travel, and contingency handling. A Virtual Events Platform (since 2009) and a Client Portal for multi-event planning round out the offering.

Product overview

Speakers Spotlight operates as a speakers bureau offering a unified service for booking keynote speakers for events. Its core product is the Keynote Speaker Booking Service, which provides access to a curated roster of over 250 vetted speakers across categories including Olympians, business leaders, celebrities, political figures, and thought leaders. The service is delivered through a combination of in-person keynote presentations and a Virtual Events Platform (offered since 2009), which supports multiple formats such as keynotes, fireside chats, panel discussions, workshops, and webinars via integrated video-conferencing tools. A Client Portal serves as an add-on planning hub for managing speaker selections and multi-event planning. Additional content products include the Ask the Expert video series and a client-exclusive Virtual Speaker Series.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Keynote Speaker Booking Services Core bureau service that connects event organizers with a curated roster of 250+ vetted keynote speakers for in-person events, matching speakers to client needs, event objectives, audience profile, and budget. Serves corporate enterprises, associations, government agencies, educational institutions, healthcare organizations, and non-profits across North America and globally.
• Virtual Events Platform Virtual keynote and event delivery service supporting keynotes, fireside chats, panel discussions, Q&As, workshops, webinars, and town halls with integration to Zoom, Microsoft Teams, GoToMeeting, and Cisco Webex. Speakers are equipped with in-home studios or theatre setups and use interactive tools such as surveys and live chat.
• Client Portal

Quantifiable outcome

• Less than 1% of speaker applications are accepted to the roster
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• World-class Digital Event ProducerssupportingTechnology or IntegrationSpeakers Spotlight has partnered with professional digital event producers who offer small and large-scale virtual events solutions. These partners provide platforms that integrate with popular webinar and streaming options, enhancing virtual events with customized graphics to fit event themes and brand needs.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Harry Walker Agency: Long-standing US speakers bureau representing high-profile political, business, and celebrity talent. Direct competitor in the keynote booking space with comparable commission economics and enterprise client base.
• Leading Authorities: US speakers bureau focused on business, technology, and policy speakers for corporate keynotes. Directly comparable in customer base, speaker categories, and virtual event delivery model.
• All American Speakers Bureau: US speakers bureau offering keynote booking across business, motivational, and celebrity categories. Direct peer in commission-based booking model and corporate event customer base.
• Keppler Speakers: Long-established speakers bureau serving corporate and association clients with a curated roster. Directly comparable on business model, customer segments, and consultative selling approach.
• Greater Talent Network: Speakers bureau specializing in business, motivational, and entertainment talent for corporate events. Comparable in curated roster approach, fee structure, and enterprise client focus.
• Washington Speakers Bureau: One of the largest US-based speakers bureaus, directly comparable to Speakers Spotlight in business model (commission-based speaker booking), target customer base (corporate events, associations), and roster curation approach.
• Ovations International: Canadian speakers bureau (now part of a larger group) historically competing directly with Speakers Spotlight in the Canadian enterprise and association market with similar roster and fee structure.

Emerging players

• Big Speak Speakers Bureau: Tech-forward speakers bureau with strong self-service booking platform. Overlaps with Speakers Spotlight in keynote booking but differentiates via technology-enabled buyer experience.

Broad incumbents

• CAA Speakers (Creative Artists Agency): Global talent agency with a speakers division representing high-profile celebrity, business, and political talent. Overlaps in speaker booking but operates across a far broader entertainment talent portfolio.
• ICM Partners Speakers Bureau: Major talent agency (now part of CAA) with a speakers division handling high-profile keynote bookings. Comparable on commission economics and elite talent representation, though operating across broader entertainment categories.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Speakersdotca
• Facebookfacebook.com/speakersspotlight
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/speakers-spotlight

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Speakers Spotlight