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Calgary Climber and Author of 200 Metres From Everest’s Summit, Canadian Halts Climb to Rescue Man.
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Expert On Emotional Intelligence, Dealing With Change, Building Teams & Becoming A Great Leader.
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WHAT OUR CLIENTS ARE SAYING
“After a discussion about our campaign’s theme, Alvin delivered an engaging tailored presentation that helped encompass our theme through the power of storytelling! Alvin’s online presence was electric and folks learned more about both Alvin, and the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion at Shopify, and also outside of Shopify!”
Karina Cotran, Knowledge Management Specialist, Shopify
"This program was a great way to kick off our conference. His passion and energy, combined with his knowledge of EQ in business make him a unique and powerful speaker - our executives were impressed and we are definitely going to invite him back."Concentra Medical Centers
"Awesome presentation! Bill exceeded our expectations - his presentation offers a unique perspective on personal leadership. I like the way Bill brings science to our understanding of human behavior in an accessible and inspiring way. This session helped our people think differently about their personal relationships, their motivation and their performance. Bill's enthusiastic presentation really made a difference for our team."RBC Royal Bank
"I just wanted to thank you for recommending Bill for our teambuilding event. His presentation was interesting, thought provoking and hilarious. I was amazed by the emotion he evoked from the entire room. I think everyone took something important home with them that day. He was the best speaker we've had to date and I hope to work with him again in the near future. The Regional Municipality of York
How to Book a Speaker
- Tell us about your event, or ask us to check availability for a speaker you have in mind. We’ll send back a shareable proposal covering fees, topics, and video clips so your team can compare options easily.
- When you’ve made your choice, we present your offer to the speaker and manage the contract negotiations for you.
- After that, a dedicated logistics manager handles the planning: booking a call between you and the speaker, confirming technical and travel requirements, and making sure everything is set before event day.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What’s the difference between a motivational speaker and an inspirational speaker?
The industry uses them loosely, but a useful distinction exists. Motivational speakers aim at action: energy, goals, and techniques the audience applies Monday morning, often delivered with pace and humour. Inspirational speakers aim at perspective: a life story, frequently involving profound hardship, that shifts how people see their own circumstances. One sends the room out charged; the other sends it out moved. Events wanting momentum, like sales kickoffs, lean motivational; events wanting depth, like galas and milestone gatherings, lean inspirational. Many speakers blend both, but knowing your primary goal sharpens the shortlist.
2. How do we avoid the clichéd, hype-heavy version of this category?
The stereotype exists because that speaker exists, and the tells are consistent. Be wary of anyone whose material is entirely universal slogans that would fit any audience, whose promotional footage shows more crowd reaction than actual content, or whose story of success is mostly about becoming a speaker. What separates the substantial ones: a specific lived story or research base, evident preparation about your organization, and full-length footage they’ll share without hesitation. The roster’s strongest names get rebooked by the same clients for years, which the hype merchants rarely manage.
3. Will the speaker try to sell books or programs from the stage?
Professional corporate speakers don’t, and you’re entitled to make that explicit. Selling from the platform, whether books, courses, or coaching, is standard in the public-seminar world but out of place at a corporate or association event where the audience didn’t come to be pitched. A back-of-room book table, arranged with your agreement, is a different and often welcome thing. Put your expectations in the booking conversation and the contract; established speakers will agree without friction, and hesitation on this point tells you something useful.
4. The speaker has a bestselling book. Should we buy copies for attendees?
It’s often worth it, and there’s usually a mechanism for it. Bulk orders arranged through the speaker typically come at a discount, and a signed book turns a one-hour talk into an object that sits on desks for years, extending the message well past the event. Signing sessions also give attendees a personal moment with the speaker, which audiences consistently rank among their favourite parts of the day. Budget it as part of the engagement rather than an afterthought, and arrange quantities early, since shipping hundreds of books takes lead time.
5. Does a motivational speaker fit an incentive trip or awards celebration?
Yes, with the right calibration. Reward events like sales incentive trips and President’s Club gatherings have a different chemistry than conferences: the audience has already succeeded and came to be celebrated, not developed. The talks that work in these rooms honour the achievement first and keep the tone closer to celebration than challenge, often shorter and lighter than a conference keynote. A speaker who treats a reward trip like a training day misreads the room badly. Name the occasion clearly during booking so the talk is built for it.
6. What’s involved in bringing a US-based speaker to a Canadian event?
More than a flight, though it’s all routine when handled early. US speakers typically quote in American dollars, so the exchange rate belongs in your budget math from the start, and cross-border work involves the proper entry paperwork for paid speaking, which experienced speakers and their agencies handle as standard practice. Build in travel buffer for border and connection delays, and clarify who books flights. None of this should discourage the booking when the right speaker is American; it just belongs in the plan from day one rather than event week.