German Speakers Association
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.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersMunich, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
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.
German Speakers Association firmographics
Firmographics- 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
German Speakers Association industry classification
Industry- 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
Where German Speakers Association is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Munich
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
German Speakers Association business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Fees: Annual membership fees from approximately 700 members including professional speakers, consultants, trainers, coaches, and corporate members across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
- 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.
- 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).
- 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
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | GSA Member Academy Rate |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Non-Member Academy Rate |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | GSA Convention Tickets |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Global Speakers Summit 2028 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Regional Event Tickets |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | GSA Publications |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels10 records
German Speakers Association product offering
Product offeringCore 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
Companies that use German Speakers Association
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
German Speakers Association technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
German Speakers Association partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Global Speakers Federation (GSF)coreThe 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)coreDedicated chapter representing the GSA in Austria, organizing local events and networking for Austrian professional speakers.
- Chapter Schweiz (GSA Switzerland)coreDedicated chapter representing the GSA in Switzerland, organizing local events and networking for Swiss professional speakers.
- Institute für PersönlichkeitminorPartner providing the Reiss Motivation Profile assessment for GSA Academy participants, at no additional cost to participants.
- Gabal VerlagminorMajor 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
German Speakers Association competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect 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
German Speakers Association social profiles
Digital presenceGerman Speakers Association financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
German Speakers Association leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
German Speakers Association funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
German Speakers Association M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about German Speakers Association
What does German Speakers Association do?
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.
Is German Speakers Association a public or private company?
German Speakers Association is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was German Speakers Association founded?
German Speakers Association was founded in 2010. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is German Speakers Association based?
German Speakers Association is headquartered in Munich, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does German Speakers Association make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Membership Fees are the primary driver. The others are academy Certification Course, event Tickets and Conferences and books and Publications.
Who are German Speakers Association's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Toastmasters International, Canadian Association of Professional Speakers (CAPS), Global Speakers Federation and Professional Speakers Association (PSA UK & Ireland). Regional players are National Speakers Association of Australia (NSAA) and EventBranche Verband (EVVC / associations of the German MICE industry). International Association of Speakers Bureaus (IASB) is listed as an others. National Speakers Association (NSA) is listed as a broad incumbent. Emerging players are Greator / Greator Speakers & Events and Speakers Excellence.
Does German Speakers Association have an API?
No public API is recorded for German Speakers Association.
What industry is German Speakers Association in?
German Speakers Association's product category is Professional Speaking Training and Association Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGAGAB, Professional & Association Conferences, with a secondary code of THAHACAE, Academic & Education Conference Organizers. Its NAICS code is 813920 and its SIC code is 8600.