I get booked both ways, so I have no particular stake in your answer. That makes this easier to write honestly than most articles on the subject, which tend to be published by bureaus.
Of the speaker's fee, paid by the event organiser. On a $10,000 speaker, that is $2,500 to $3,000 on top of the fee.
When a bureau earns it
You do not know who you want. This is the strongest case. A good bureau takes a brief and returns six names you would never have found, with an informed view on which suits your room. That curation is genuinely hard and genuinely valuable.
The event is high stakes and you need a backstop. If your speaker breaks an ankle nine days out, a bureau has a roster and a motive to fix it. Booking direct, you have a problem.
You are booking several speakers. One contract, one point of contact, one invoice, instead of five of each. On a multi-track conference that is real administrative relief.
Your procurement process demands it. Some organisations simply cannot pay an individual. Fair enough.
When it is a finder's fee for something you already found
You saw someone speak. You know their name. You have watched their reel. You want them, on a specific date, for a specific slot.
At that point the commission is buying you contract administration. That may still be worth 25% to you, and if your time is scarce it might genuinely be. But you should know that is what you are buying, rather than assuming it is the only route.
What direct booking actually gets you
The underrated benefit is not money. It is bandwidth.
When you talk to the speaker directly, the conversation about what your audience needs happens between the two people who will determine whether the session works. Nothing is paraphrased. Questions get answered in an hour rather than a day and a half.
The best keynotes I have delivered came out of a long, slightly rambling first call where the organiser told me what was really going on in the organisation. That call is harder to have through an intermediary, not because bureaus obstruct it, but because it does not look like a necessary step from the outside.
Side by side
| Bureau | Direct | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Fee + 25-30% | Fee |
| Best when | You need a shortlist | You know who you want |
| Speed | Slower, relayed | Usually same day |
| Backup if cancelled | Strong | Your problem |
| Multiple speakers | Much easier | More admin |
| Depth of prep conversation | Good | Usually better |
The thing nobody tells you
Approaching a speaker directly does not burn the bureau route. If I am contracted through a bureau for your region, I will say so and pass you to them, and you have lost one email. Organisers often avoid the direct approach out of a vague sense that it is rude. It is not.
Equally, if you have a bureau you have worked with for years who understands your audience, that relationship is worth more than the commission. Do not blow up something that works to save a percentage.
My own arrangement
I work with bureaus and I take direct enquiries. If you are coming through a bureau, everything on my bureaus page is what they will need. If you would rather just ask me, the availability form reaches me and not an inbox someone else monitors.
Either way, decide what the session needs to do before you decide how to buy it. The route matters much less than the brief.
Frequently asked questions
Does going direct always save money?
No. Some speakers quote the same fee either way, because their bureau relationships depend on not undercutting them. What going direct reliably saves is time, because you are not relaying questions through an intermediary.
Will a speaker be annoyed if I contact them directly?
No. Most speakers list contact details precisely so you can. If they are bureau-exclusive they will tell you and route you, which costs you one email.
What does a bureau actually do for the fee?
At their best: curate a shortlist against your brief, handle contracting and logistics, and carry the risk if a speaker cancels. That last one has real value on a high-stakes event.
Can I use a bureau for one speaker and go direct for another?
Yes, and plenty of organisers do. Just be careful not to approach the same speaker through both routes at once, which creates an awkward conversation about who is owed commission.
Sources: Scott Steinberg - what percentage speakers bureaus take · ProSpeakers - Canadian fee ranges and booking timelines