Speaker Agreement Template (Free, With Plain-English Notes)

A speaker agreement, sometimes called a speaker contract or a speaking engagement contract, is the short agreement between you, the organizer, and a speaker: what they will deliver, what you will pay or provide in exchange, and what you can do with the recording and their slides. A clear one helps both sides by settling the awkward questions before the week of the event: the fee, the deadlines, and who owns the video.

This page gives you the template, a plain-English note on each section that needs a real decision, and how to use it. One caveat before you copy it: this is a starting point, not legal advice. Laws differ by country, so adapt it to your jurisdiction and have a lawyer review anything with a real fee, travel, or IP attached. For the wider job of managing speakers, see the guide on how to manage conference speakers. The agreement is the easy part; collecting it back signed, with the bio, headshot, and slides, is the part Submitto handles.

The speaker agreement template

Copy this into a document and fill in the brackets. Keep it to one page where you can.

Speaker Agreement

1. Parties. This agreement is between [Organizer name], "the Organizer," and [Speaker name], "the Speaker."
2. The event and session. Event: [name], on [date], at [venue or platform]. Session: [title], [length] minutes, starting at [time and time zone].
3. What the Speaker will provide. The session above, plus a [word count]-word bio, a high-resolution headshot, and the final slides, sent to [where] by [deadline].
4. Fee and expenses. The Organizer will pay [a fee of X / no fee / an honorarium of X], on these terms: [for example, half on signing, the balance within 30 days of the event]. The Organizer will cover [travel, lodging, meals], reimbursed against receipts.
5. Recording and use. The Organizer may record the session and may use the recording, the Speaker's name, bio, headshot, and session description, and, where agreed, the Speaker's slides, to run and promote the event and to share afterward [where, and for how long]. The Speaker keeps ownership of their own slides and materials and confirms they have the right to use everything in the session.
6. Cancellation. If the Speaker cancels, they will give [notice] and may propose a substitute the Organizer approves. If the Organizer cancels, or the event cannot go ahead for reasons outside either side's control, then [what happens to the fee and expenses].
7. Conduct. The Speaker agrees to follow the event code of conduct [link or attach it].
8. Independent contractor and tax. The Speaker is an independent contractor, not an employee, and is responsible for their own taxes. [Add the tax paperwork your country requires, for example a W9 in the US.]
9. Governing law. This agreement is governed by the laws of [your jurisdiction].
10. Entire agreement. This document is the whole agreement between the parties and can be changed only in writing.
11. Signatures. Name, signature, and date, for both the Organizer and the Speaker.

The sections that need a real decision

Most of the template is fill-in-the-blank. A few sections are where organizers get caught, so decide them on purpose.

• Recording and use. This is the section to get right, because a vague one limits how you can share the session afterward. Be specific about where the recording can go and for how long, for example "on the event website and app for two years." Not every event records, so if you plan to send out the slides or a PDF afterward, cover that here too. The speaker keeps ownership of their own materials; you are asking for permission to record and share, not to take their content.
• Fee and expenses. Vague payment terms cause most of the friction. Name the amount, when it is paid, which expenses you cover, and that they are reimbursed against receipts.
• Cancellation. Say what happens to any deposit and booked expenses if either side pulls out, allow an approved substitute, and cover the case where the event cannot run for reasons outside anyone's control.
• Governing law and tax. These are country-specific. A W9 is US-only, and the right tax form and governing law depend on where the speaker and the event sit, so confirm both before you send the agreement.

How to use it

A few habits make the agreement do its job:

• Send it with your first ask, not after. When the deadlines and recording consent are agreed before the speaker starts preparing, you avoid the awkward renegotiation later.
• Fill the brackets and keep one version as the source of truth, rather than emailing slightly different copies around.
• Have it reviewed by someone with legal authority on your side before it goes out, especially once a fee or travel is involved.
• Collect the signed copy back in one place, alongside the bio, headshot, and slides, so nothing is buried in a thread when you need it. You can collect every signed agreement and file through one link and see who has not returned theirs at a glance. Request beta access to Submitto, self-serve, no sales call, no setup fee.