25 August 2026 · Essential Speakers
Should your team read The Leading Edge before Holly Ransom speaks?
What Holly Ransom's book covers, whether to bundle copies with your booking, and how to hand them out so people actually read them.
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Welcome to the Essential Speakers blog - your home for news on our speakers, as well as insights and trends in public speaking & event entertainment.
24 August 2026 · Essential Speakers
Best Speakers for a Room That's Had a Hard Year
A relentlessly upbeat session in front of people who watched colleagues leave in March will land as management not paying attention. Here's what works instead.
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23 August 2026 · Essential Speakers
Why New Zealand speakers land so well with Australian audiences
New Zealand speakers consistently outperform in Australian rooms. Here is why the trans-Tasman booking works, and what to sort out before you make it.
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23 August 2026 · Essential Speakers
Ingrid Maynard: Your Sales Team Isn't Underperforming
Your sales managers were promoted for being good at selling. Nobody taught them to lead. That's usually the actual problem.
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22 August 2026 · Essential Speakers
Lonely Planet Watched Its Market Disappear. Gus Balbontin Was in the Building.
From the inside, disruption doesn't feel like disruption. It feels like a series of reasonable decisions. Gus Balbontin was making them at Lonely Planet.
Read more21 August 2026 · Essential Speakers
How to Pick a Conference Theme a Speaker Can Actually Work With
If your theme could be pasted onto any other conference in the country, your speakers have nothing to work with.
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20 August 2026 · Essential Speakers
Mark Inglis: The Decisions, Not the Summit
Thirteen days in an ice cave at 23. Everest at 47, on a leg that snapped at 6,400 metres.
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19 August 2026 · Essential Speakers
What does Jimmy Spithill speak about now that he's stopped racing?
Jimmy Spithill stopped racing in October 2024 and now runs a SailGP team. What that changed in his keynote, and how to check whether a sports speaker's material is current.
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18 August 2026 · Essential Speakers
What Actually Works on R U OK? Day
R U OK? Day 2026 is Thursday 10 September. The barrier isn't awareness, it's hesitation: 1 in 4 people don't ask even when they suspect something's wrong. What a good session actually covers, what belongs in the brief, and when to book.
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17 August 2026 · Essential Speakers
What 30 Years of Body Language Research Says About Your Next Video Call
Video calls didn't kill body language. They cropped it at the collarbone, broke eye contact, and nobody was ever taught to compensate.
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16 August 2026 · Essential Speakers
What Coaches Know That Athletes Don't
An athlete can tell you what the peak felt like. A coach has to explain how it was built and rebuilt after it broke. Bennett's 21 seasons, Henry's reappointment after 2007, Hansen's exit after 2019 and why the loss is the useful part.
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15 August 2026 · Essential Speakers
Why Sir John Key Still Draws an Australian Room
Australia has no shortage of former prime ministers available to speak. What makes Sir John Key different is that he spent two decades pricing risk in financial markets, including years in Sydney, before he ever had to make a decision about one.
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28 April 2025 · Essential Speakers
The Speaker You Really Need Might Not Be on Anyone’s Website (Yet)
The most powerful speaker for your event might not be listed online. Here's why fresh, real-world voices often deliver the most impact — and how to find them.
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21 April 2025 · Essential Speakers
The Real Cost of Booking the Wrong Speaker (And How to Avoid It)
Booking the wrong speaker can drain energy, budget, and credibility. Here’s what it really costs – and how to make sure you get it right next time.
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14 April 2025 · Essential Speakers
Not Every Great Speaker Belongs on Your Stage — Here’s Why
A great speaker isn’t always the right speaker. Here’s why audience fit matters more than fame — and how to make the right call for your next event.
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7 April 2025 · Essential Speakers
The 3 Questions Every Aussie Event Organiser Should Ask Before Booking a Speaker
Before you book a keynote speaker for your Aussie event, ask these 3 smart questions. Save your time, your budget — and your reputation. No fluff. Just real advice.
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31 March 2025 · Essential Speakers
Why Australia Doesn’t Need Another Speaker Agency (But We Launched Essential Speakers Anyway)
Australia has plenty of speaker agencies. So why launch another? Because we’re doing it differently – with honest advice, handpicked speakers, and zero fluff.
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10 September 2024 · Essential Speakers
Congratulations to Sam Bloom: Four-Time World Para Surfing Champion!
We are beyond excited to congratulate Sam Bloom on her recent fourth World Para Surfing Championship.
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1 August 2024 · Essential Speakers
Olympic Gold Medalist Kerri Pottharst Chats with NZ Broadcaster Trudi Nelson
We're thrilled to share an exclusive interview featuring two of our esteemed speakers, Kerri Pottharst and Trudi Nelson.
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1 July 2024 · Essential Speakers
Essential Speakers: Now Delivering Inspiration Across Australia
We're excited to announce the expansion of Essential Speakers into Australia!
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