Gordon Poole Agency

What Gordon Poole Agency does

Gordon Poole Agency Ltd is a privately held, family-owned UK talent agency and speaker bureau founded in 1963 by Gordon Poole in Bristol, where it remains headquartered. The company represents a roster of celebrity speakers, presenters, comedians, broadcasters, athletes, explorers, business leaders, and lifestyle experts, matching them with client demand across corporate events, conferences, awards ceremonies, brand partnerships, publishing deals, and broadcast appearances in the UK, USA, Australia and other markets.

The agency's offering is organised into eight service categories: Motivational Speakers, Keynote Speakers, Sports Speakers, After-Dinner Speakers, Celebrity Experts, Presenters & Hosts, Comedians, and Corporate Entertainment. Pricing is per-engagement unit economics, with disclosed fee tiers ranging from under £3,000 (entry-level speakers and lesser-known personalities) through £3,000-£10,000 (mid-range recognisable names) to over £10,000 and over £20,000 for high-end celebrity and household-name speakers; fees vary with delivery length, travel, and event requirements and are subject to VAT. Distribution is entirely direct: clients engage through the agency's website (featuring advanced speaker search and A-Z listings), email enquiries ([email protected], [email protected]), or telephone, supported by content marketing via blog, Facebook, Twitter, and an email newsletter.

Revenue is generated on a professional services / commission basis by intermediating between talent and clients. The firm claims to be the UK's longest established talent agency and speaker bureau. There is no proprietary technology, no public API, no AI/ML capability, and no app; the model is relationship-led, with sales handled by a small team (headcount 1-10). Leadership consists of founder Gordon Poole as Chairman and James Poole as Managing Director, who joined in 2014 and represents the second generation of family ownership.

Name

Gordon Poole Agency

Legal name

Gordon Poole Agency Ltd

Website

https://gordonpoole.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Gordon Poole Agency is a family-owned UK speaker bureau and talent agency founded in 1963 and headquartered in Bristol, representing celebrity speakers, presenters, comedians, athletes, and lifestyle experts for live events, broadcasts, and brand partnerships across eight service categories and global markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Speaker Bureau Services

NAICS

Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (711410)

akta.pro primary industry

Talent Agency & Representation Services (HSACAHAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Entertainment Booking & Speaker/Talent Management (HSACAAAI), Speakers, Hosts & MC Talent Management (HSACAHAC), Talent Booking Agencies (Live Performance) (MPAIAGAB), Speaker, Entertainment & Talent Booking (Corporate) (HSACADAK)

Keywords

• Speaker bureau services
• Talent booking agency
• Celebrity speaker representation
• Event entertainment booking
• Motivational speaker agency

Headquarters

HQ city

Bristol

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Speaker and Talent Booking Fees: Gordon Poole Agency acts as an intermediary between talent (speakers, presenters, comedians, celebrities) and clients seeking entertainment for events. The agency earns commission or fees by facilitating bookings for live events, virtual presentations, broadcast appearances, brand partnerships, and media projects. They represent talent for prime-time entertainment TV shows, documentaries, publishing contracts, and celebrity brand partnerships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Gordon Poole Agency is a talent agency and speaker bureau that represents celebrity speakers, presenters, comedians, and entertainers for corporate events, conferences, and brand campaigns. The agency matches client requirements with appropriate talent across motivational, business, sports, after-dinner, celebrity expert, hosting, comedy, and entertainment categories, and manages booking, fee negotiation, and event coordination.

Product overview

Gordon Poole Agency operates as a talent agency and speaker bureau representing celebrity speakers, presenters, and entertainers for live events, broadcast, and brand partnerships. The company offers eight distinct service categories: Motivational Speakers (business leaders, athletes, explorers, military), Keynote Speakers (business and thought leaders across multiple topics), After-Dinner Speakers (entertainment speakers for events), Sports Speakers (Olympic, Paralympic, and professional athletes), Celebrity Experts (TV/radio personalities and influencers), Presenters & Hosts (broadcasters for conferences and awards), Comedians, and Corporate Entertainment. The agency manages talent booking, fee negotiations, and event coordination, with fees ranging from under £3,000 to over £20,000 depending on speaker profile and event requirements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Motivational Speakers

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Mission Spiritus / Columbia Climate SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 January 2025Gordon Poole Agency represents Alan Chambers MBE, who leads Mission Spiritus expeditions in partnership with Columbia Climate School's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. This partnership focuses on science-focused expeditions to gather micro and nano plastic samples from remote locations worldwide. Alan Chambers speaks on leadership, teamwork, risk, and environmental topics, representing the intersection of adventure, research, and education initiatives.
• Guy Bruer PromotionsminorOthersPrior to becoming an agent, GPA Chairman Gordon Poole worked as a DJ at London's famous Marquee club and Bristol's Locarno Ballroom, promoting events with friend Tony Leach under the company name Guy Bruer Promotions. This historical partnership promoted events featuring ground-breaking musicians.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Great British Speakers: UK speaker bureau focused on business, motivational, and celebrity speakers. Overlaps with GPA on roster categories, customer base (corporate event organisers), and sales-led distribution.
• Speakers Corner: UK-based speaker bureau representing business, motivational, and celebrity speakers for corporate events. Closely comparable to GPA in target market, service offering, and fee structure.
• The Speakers Agency: London-based speaker bureau offering keynote, motivational, and celebrity speakers for corporate events. Operates in the same UK market with a comparable sales-led, curated-roster model.
• Champions Speakers: UK speaker bureau with a broad roster of celebrity, motivational, and after-dinner speakers, actively competing with GPA for corporate event bookings across similar price tiers.
• JLA (Jeremy Lee Associates): One of the UK's largest and best-known speaker bureaus, offering a similar roster of motivational, keynote, after-dinner, and celebrity speakers to corporate clients. Direct head-to-head competitor to Gordon Poole Agency in the UK speaker bureau market.
• Booking Agents for Speakers (BASS): UK speaker and entertainment booking agency representing comedians, celebrities, and speakers for live and virtual events. Competes directly with GPA in the corporate entertainment and after-dinner segments.
• Top Banana Speakers: UK-based speaker bureau with a comparable focus on celebrity, motivational, and after-dinner speakers for corporate events. Similar size and positioning to GPA.

Broad incumbents

• Curtis Brown Group: One of the UK's leading literary and talent agencies representing authors, presenters, and public figures. Overlaps with GPA in representing broadcasters and high-profile personalities, but operates across a wider portfolio including publishing and screen rights.
• WME (William Morris Endeavor): Global talent and literary agency representing many of the highest-profile speakers, athletes, and entertainers. Competes for top-tier talent and brand-partnership deals that GPA also targets, but at significantly greater scale.

Emerging players

• YSC (Your Speakers): UK speaker bureau with a curated roster of business, motivational, and lifestyle speakers. Comparable to GPA in customer base and pricing tiers, but with a more modern, digitally-led marketing approach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GordonPooleLtd
• Facebookfacebook.com/GordonPooleAgency
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gordon-poole-agency-limited

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Gordon Poole Agency