Speaker Engagement Agreement

Summary

This template can be used by a business seeking to engage the services of an individual to speak at an event organized by the entity. This template includes practical guidance and drafting notes. This clause includes terms addressing the specifics of the event (such as timing, location, and rules), compensation, expenses, exclusivity, and intellectual property rights, among other things. It can be adapted to cover trade shows, sales meetings, community gatherings, and other events. Speakers are commonly engaged to entertain and/or educate an event's attendees. In fact, the organizers of conferences, social events, sporting events, and other gatherings rely heavily on a noted individual's agreement to render speaking services to market and promote the event to the public. The speaker's attendance will very often be the primary reason that an individual purchased a ticket and attended. Arranging for a key speaker to work an event is a highly effective marketing strategy. The information being presented, however, must comply with all applicable laws and regulations, including without limitation, those addressing intellectual property rights (such as the Copyright Act of 1976, 17 USCS § 101 et seq., and the Lanham Act, 15 USCS § 1051 et seq.). Violations are costly, and an agreement's terms, including its representations and warranties, indemnifications, limitations on liability, and governing law, will dictate which party must ultimately take responsibility for any proven violation(s). For a full listing of related supply of services content, see Supply of Services Agreements Resource Kit. See also, Supply of Services, Contracts for Goods or Services, and Independent Contractor Agreements: Major Negotiation, Drafting, and Legal Issues.