18 based in Melbourne
Speaker bureaus in Melbourne
Who is actually based here, and who else covers Melbourne from elsewhere.
Melbourne is the centre of gravity for Australian speaking, and it isn't close. Eighteen of the seventy organisations in this directory are based here, against fourteen in Sydney.
Saxton is the reason. Running since 1965 from Melbourne, it's the country's largest bureau with more than a thousand speakers, MCs and entertainers. ICMI sits in Prahran as part of the Launchd Group with one of the broadest topic lists anywhere, and Keynote Entertainment works out of Surrey Hills with a database of more than 2,000 presenters. Platinum Speakers is the independent in that group and one of the few Australian bureaus publishing a fee band at all.
Below the big four the city gets specialised fast. Booked Out and Speaking Out are sister agencies in South Yarra splitting schools and community work from corporate. Token manages comedians as keynote speakers. CMC Talent handles broadcasters and presenters. Artist Bookings, AES and Bandshop are music-led agencies with a speakers section attached.
Two things here serve the whole country rather than the city. Professional Speakers Australia, the national industry body, runs from Melbourne, and so does the Melbourne Convention Bureau partnership programme.
Based in Melbourne 18
Saxton Speakers
Australia's largest bureau, running since 1965, with more than 1,000 speakers, MCs and entertainers across business, innovation, sport and politics.
Platinum Speakers and Entertainers
Independent Melbourne bureau and IASB member covering business, AI, sales and marketing, with published fee bands that start at the lower end of the market.
ICMI Speakers & Entertainers
A 35 year old family business, now part of the Launchd Group, with one of the broadest topic lists in the country including advertising, marketing and AI.
Keynote Entertainment
Melbourne bureau with a large open database of more than 2,000 presenters across 44 categories, including branding and marketing, AI and entrepreneurship.
The Booker Bureau
Boutique Melbourne bureau and entertainment agency founded in 2013, with explicit marketing and business sales categories.
Speakers Solutions
Small bureau operating since 1997 with a free online speaker application, covering business leadership, health and wellbeing, and social issues.
Blue Planet Entertainment
Melbourne music and entertainment agency with a speaker division that leans to sport and celebrity names.
Speaking Out
Boutique Melbourne agency of about 350 speakers built around social justice, personal development and education, serving schools, councils and universities.
Artist Bookings
Melbourne entertainment agency with a strong First Nations MCs, comedians and presenters roster.
CMC Talent (Creative Media Careers)
Melbourne talent management for broadcasters, hosts, presenters and experts, relevant to MC and host bookings.
Instinct Music (Instinct Events & Entertainment)
Large Melbourne corporate entertainment agency with a keynote speaker and MC section, and a published keynote guide from $10,000.
Australian Entertainment Services (AES)
Melbourne music-led agency of more than 30 years with a small MCs and professional speakers section.
Bandshop
Melbourne music-led agency whose comedians, MCs and speakers section is dominated by comedians.
Booked Out Speakers Agency
Established in 1994, the schools, libraries and communities arm of the same business as Speaking Out.
Token (Token Artists)
Melbourne comedy artist management company that markets its own comedians as keynote speakers and MCs.
Professional Speakers Australia (PSA) - Find a Speaker
The national industry body for speakers. Its Find a Speaker listing is a Professional Member benefit with a verified speaking income requirement.
Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB) - Partnership Program
Paid partnership programme with more than 250 private enterprise partners chasing conferences and incentive groups.
Speaker Advisor
Curated best-speaker lists by topic and free matching advice, run by a working speaker in Melbourne.
Also covering Melbourne 45
These work nationally or internationally, so they book Melbourne events from elsewhere. Full details are on the country page.
- Australian Speakers Bureau (operated by SpeakIn) Singapore
- Ovations Speakers Bureau Leichhardt (Sydney)
- ODE Management Sydney
- Corporate Speakers Australia (LUKE Corporate Speakers International)
- Inspire Speakers Yaroomba
- Encore Speakers
- Great Expectation Speakers and Trainers Brisbane
- Speakers Corner London
- Talent Corp Crows Nest (Sydney)
- Claxton Speakers International Crows Nest (Sydney)
- Elite Speakers Perth
- Australian Network Entertainment (ANE) Avalon Beach (Sydney)
- Celebrity Speakers Bureau (Celebrity Speakers Australia) Sydney
- BigSpeak Speakers Bureau Santa Barbara, California
- Essential Speakers (Essential Talent)
- London Speaker Bureau Asia North Sydney
- Speakers Connect Hong Kong
- Leading Voice Speaker Management
- Apples & Pears Entertainment Sydney
- Enhance Entertainment Leichhardt (Sydney)
- Onstage Entertainment Brisbane
- Corporate Comedians Brisbane
- Fane Australia Sydney
- Agency X Brisbane
- Blaklist Agency Sydney (Gadigal Country)
- Speakers Ink
- Paper Bird Speakers Agency Fremantle
- TalentINK Group Pyrmont (Sydney)
- The Fordham Company Darlinghurst (Sydney)
- EntertainOz
- Talks.co
- Professional Conference Organisers Association (PCOA) - Associate Partner Program
- AuSAE (Australasian Society of Association Executives) - Supplier Directory Hendra (Brisbane)
- Australian Business Events Association (ABEA) - Services Directory
- Consult Clarity - Australian keynote speaker lists Brisbane
- Sessionize - Speakers Directory
- Bark.com (Australia) - Motivational Speakers
- Business Events Adelaide (Adelaide Convention Bureau) - Membership Adelaide
- Business Events Perth - Membership Perth
- Business Events Sydney (BESydney) - Supplier Search Sydney
- SpeakerHUB
- SpeakerLinq
- Gold Coast Speakers Gold Coast
- Pickstar Adelaide
- eSpeakers Marketplace
Questions about booking a speaker in Melbourne
Why is Melbourne the biggest speaking market in Australia?
Mostly history. Saxton started here in 1965 and is still the largest bureau in the country. ICMI, Keynote Entertainment and Platinum all grew up in the same city, and the industry body sits here too.
Sydney has more corporate headquarters, but Melbourne has more of the agencies that book the speakers.
Which Melbourne bureau should I try first?
Depends on your budget and your topic. Saxton has the deepest roster by a distance. ICMI has the widest topic list including advertising, marketing and AI. Keynote Entertainment carries over 2,000 presenters across 44 categories.
If cost is the constraint, start with Platinum Speakers: it's one of the few publishing a fee band, and it starts lower than most.
Are there Melbourne agencies for non-corporate events?
Yes, and they're distinct businesses. Booked Out handles schools, libraries and community work from South Yarra. Speaking Out, its sister agency at the same address, takes the corporate side with a social justice and personal development focus.
For entertainment-led events, Instinct Music, Bandshop, AES and Artist Bookings all book speakers alongside bands and comedians.
Does being Melbourne-based mean they only book Melbourne events?
No. Almost every Melbourne bureau here works nationally, and several work internationally. Saxton also has offices in Sydney and Auckland.
Being based in Melbourne mainly means the account managers are here, which matters for briefing meetings more than for where your event is.
What does Professional Speakers Australia do?
PSA is the national industry body, headquartered in Melbourne. It isn't an agency and doesn't book speakers.
Its Find a Speaker directory is a Professional Member benefit, and that tier requires verified speaking income of $50,000 in the past twelve months plus a five-minute unedited live recording.
How hard is it to get onto a Melbourne bureau's roster?
The large ones gate hard. Saxton and ICMI both want five or more paid bookings in the past year, on-stage video and client references. Saxton takes up to twelve weeks and only replies if it plans to proceed.
The smaller Melbourne agencies are more open. Speakers Solutions runs a free online application, and The Booker Bureau is a boutique with a thin speaker roster and explicit marketing and business categories.
Can I book a comedian as a keynote speaker in Melbourne?
Token Artists markets its own comedians as keynote speakers and MCs, and it manages some of the best-known names in Australian comedy. It doesn't represent outside speakers.
Several Melbourne entertainment agencies also carry comedians alongside their speaker lists, which is often the easier route if you need both for the same event.
How far ahead should I book a Melbourne speaker?
Six to twelve months for a conference keynote, and earlier around the spring conference season when Melbourne's calendar is busiest.
The depth here helps at short notice more than in smaller cities. With four large bureaus in one city, someone usually has availability.
In summary
18 speaker bureaus and speaking agencies are headquartered in Melbourne, and a further 45 organisations cover Melbourne from elsewhere in Australia. Each was verified on its own website. Speakers Bureaus Directory is independent: nobody pays to appear, and a listing is not an endorsement.
Listings last verified 17 September 2026. Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we will fix it.