German Speakers Association

What German Speakers Association does

The German Speakers Association e.V. (GSA) is a registered non-profit professional association (eingetragener Verein) headquartered in Munich, Germany, serving approximately 700 professional speakers, moderators, consultants, trainers, coaches, and corporate members across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Founded as an association in 2005 with the educational Akademie division launching in 2010, the GSA is governed by an elected board (President Rainer Petek, term 2025-2027; Vice President Ralf Schmitt) and managed by Managing Director Hanna-Sophie Welker, supported by a team of 47 employees.

The GSA operates a community-led, event-driven business model centered on the GSA Akademie, which delivers a flagship 360-degree 'Zertifikatslehrgang Professional Speaking' certification program over 11 months with 9 in-person weekends and 2 online weekends, taught by 40 industry experts. The association complements the Akademie with over 150 annual events including the International GSA Convention (September, €999-€1,539), Winter Conference, Moderatorentag, GSA goes BOE trade fair appearance, regional group meetings across DACH, and specialized chapters (Chapter Österreich, Chapter Schweiz). Additional offerings include a 1:1 mentoring program, the Club7 member benefits program, the Women of GSA networking group, Professional Expert Groups, awards (Deutscher Rednerpreis, Newcomer Award, Global Award, Innovation Award, Hall of Fame), the international CSP certification via Global Speakers Federation, and published books. The association is connected globally to 6,000 speakers through the Global Speakers Federation.

Revenue is generated through four primary streams: recurring membership fees from ~700 members, premium Academy certification tuition (€14,500-€18,550 net depending on member status), event ticket sales (conventions, regional events, specialty events like the Global Speakers Summit 2028), and book/publication sales. The GTM motion is hybrid — community-led growth supplemented by event-driven acquisition, distributed across direct channels (e-commerce ticket shop, member portal, academy application) and chapter-based regional resellers in Austria and Switzerland. Pricing discriminates sharply between members and non-members, with members receiving ~22% discount on Academy tuition.

Name

German Speakers Association

Legal name

German Speakers Association e.V.

Website

https://germanspeakers.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The German Speakers Association e.V. (GSA) is a Munich-headquartered non-profit professional association serving ~700 speakers, moderators, and consultants across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. It delivers the flagship 'Professional Speaking' Akademie certification, over 150 annual events, awards, mentoring, and is connected to 6,000 global speakers via the Global Speakers Federation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Speaking Training and Association Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (813920), Professional Organizations (81392), Business Associations (813910), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Professional & Association Conferences (MPAGAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Academic & Education Conference Organizers (THAHACAE), Professional & Certification Expos Organizers (THAHABAD)

Keywords

• Professional speaking training
• Speaker certification
• Professional association services
• Moderator training
• Keynote education

Headquarters

HQ city

Munich

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees from approximately 700 members including professional speakers, consultants, trainers, coaches, and corporate members across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
2. Academy Certification Course: The GSA Academy offers the 'Professional Speaking' certification program - a 360-degree training covering 11 months with 9 in-person weekends and 2 online weekends. Tuition is €14,500 net (€17,255 gross) for members and €18,550 net (€22,074.50 gross) for non-members, with flexible installment options over 12 or 24 months.
3. Event Tickets and Conferences: Revenue from ticket sales for the annual GSA Convention (€999-€1,539 plus VAT), regional group events, and specialty events. Also includes Global Speakers Summit 2028 early bird tickets (€1,099 plus VAT).
4. Books and Publications: Sale of GSA publications including 'Erfolgreich Events moderieren' (€24.90 incl. VAT) and 'Puzzlesteine der Inspiration für Speaker' (€13.75 incl. VAT).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

German Speakers Association e.V. is a non-profit professional membership association that delivers speaker and moderator training, certification, networking, events, and awards for approximately 700 members across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Its flagship is the GSA Zertifikatslehrgang "Professional Speaking," an 11-month, 360° certification taught by 40 industry experts over 9 in-person and 2 online weekends. The association supplements this with more than 150 annual events (Convention, Winter Conference, Moderatorentag, GSA goes BOE), industry awards (Deutscher Rednerpreis, Newcomer Award, Global Award, Innovation Award, Hall of Fame), regional chapters and groups, a 1:1 mentoring program, CSP certification, and co-authored publications.

Product overview

The German Speakers Association (GSA) is a professional association for speakers and moderators operating in the German-speaking region. The organization offers a unified platform centered around its flagship GSA Akademie educational division, which provides the 360-degree 'Zertifikatslehrgang Professional Speaking' certification program — the foundational training for aspiring professional speakers. Beyond the academy, the portfolio includes major events like the annual GSA Convention and Winter Conference, competitive awards (Deutscher Rednerpreis, Newcomer Award, Hall of Fame, Global Award, Innovation Award), the CSP certification, regional chapters in Austria and Switzerland, local Regionalgruppen, specialized networking groups (Women of GSA, Professional Expert Groups), a mentoring program, Club7 member benefits, and published books. The offering combines education, certification, networking, visibility, and professional development for approximately 700 members.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• GSA Zertifikatslehrgang "Professional Speaking" 360° flagship certification program for professional speakers taught over 11 months across 9 in-person weekends and 2 online weekends by 40 top industry experts, covering rhetoric, stage performance, voice, body language, content creation, positioning, marketing, and business management. Priced at €14,500 net (€17,255 gross) for members and €18,550 net (€22,074.50 gross) for non-members with 12- or 24-month installment options.
• GSA Convention

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 150 events and training programs per year
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Global Speakers Federation (GSF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe GSA is connected through the Global Speakers Federation world association, which networks 6,000 speakers on all continents. This provides GSA members with international connections, global certification standards (CSP), and access to speaking opportunities worldwide.
• Chapter Österreich (GSA Austria)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDedicated chapter representing the GSA in Austria, organizing local events and networking for Austrian professional speakers.
• Chapter Schweiz (GSA Switzerland)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDedicated chapter representing the GSA in Switzerland, organizing local events and networking for Swiss professional speakers.
• Institute für PersönlichkeitminorOthersPartner providing the Reiss Motivation Profile assessment for GSA Academy participants, at no additional cost to participants.
• Gabal VerlagminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor German publishing partner for GSA publications, including the 'Erfolgreich Events moderieren' book co-authored by GSA experts.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Toastmasters International: The world's largest non-profit educational organization dedicated to communication and leadership skills, with a global club network. Comparable as a parallel non-profit association model serving speakers and presenters, though its focus is broader (amateur to professional development) and pricing/structure is far more accessible than GSA's premium positioning.
• Canadian Association of Professional Speakers (CAPS): Canada's national professional speaking association and GSF member. Directly comparable in member-driven structure, certification (CSP), annual conventions, and member benefits—serving the same customer persona in a different geography.
• Global Speakers Federation: The international umbrella organization that networks national speaking associations worldwide, including GSA itself. Comparable because it sits at the same level of the professional speaking ecosystem, administers the CSP certification globally, and represents the network of 6,000 speakers that GSA taps into.
• Professional Speakers Association (PSA UK & Ireland): The UK and Ireland's professional association for speakers—directly analogous to GSA in mission, structure (membership + events + awards), and target audience (professional speakers). Regional rather than direct competitor, but operates the same association model in a different geography.

Regional players

• National Speakers Association of Australia (NSAA): Australia's counterpart professional speaking association and GSF affiliate. Comparable in structure (membership, certification, conventions, awards) and audience, serving as a sister organization in a different regional market.
• EventBranche Verband (EVVC / associations of the German MICE industry): A major German trade association for the event and conference industry (Verband der Veranstaltungs- und Kongressbranche). Comparable as a German non-profit professional association serving a related (event/conference) industry, with overlapping audience in corporate event professionals who hire speakers.

Others

• International Association of Speakers Bureaus (IASB): The global trade association for speaker bureaus and agencies. Adjacent to GSA because GSA's members (speakers) interface with bureaus to secure bookings; comparable as a non-profit association serving the same professional speaking ecosystem, but on the buyer side.

Broad incumbents

• National Speakers Association (NSA): The US-based counterpart and largest professional association for professional speakers in the world. Highly comparable as the most established model GSA mirrors—membership-based, certification programs (CSP), annual conventions, awards, and a similar community-of-speakers value proposition, but operating at significantly larger scale in the English-speaking market.

Emerging players

• Greator / Greator Speakers & Events: A German platform for personal development, coaching, and professional speaking events. Comparable because it operates in the German-speaking personal-development-and-speaking ecosystem with both content and event products—emerging as a potential competitor for audience attention, training, and corporate speaking budgets.
• Speakers Excellence: A German-speaking speaker agency (Vermittlung von Rednern) operating in the DACH market. Comparable as a commercial counterpart in the German-speaking professional speaking ecosystem, though on the booking/brokerage side rather than the association side—serving overlapping customers (speakers and event buyers).

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/germanspeakers
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/germanspeakers
• Instagraminstagram.com/germanspeakersassociation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about German Speakers Association