APB Weekly: A Newsletter Featuring Industry Insights, Speaker Spotlights & More! (Aug 13)
13 Aug 2026
Industry Insight
Speaker Selection Is Shifting From Topics to Problems
The conversation around speaker selection is becoming much more strategic. Rather than starting with a topic and asking who speaks about it, more organizations are beginning with the challenge their audience is facing and the change they hope the event can help create.
We’re seeing this influence how both speakers and bureau partners approach the selection process. A planner may not know whether they need a leadership, culture, AI, or resilience speaker. They may simply know that employees are burned out, managers are struggling to lead through change, or teams are having difficulty adopting new technology. The strongest recommendations begin by understanding that problem and then identifying the expertise, perspective, and approach that can help address it.
Speakers are adapting as well. Broad topic lists and credentials still matter, but it is becoming increasingly important for speakers to clearly communicate the problems they help organizations solve, the frameworks they bring to those challenges, and what audiences will be able to do differently as a result.
Takeaway:
The best speaker searches increasingly begin with the question, “What needs to change?” When organizations define the challenge first, it becomes easier to identify the speaker who can deliver more than a relevant topic and help move the audience toward a meaningful outcome.
Speaker Spotlight
APB Lists: Top Most-Booked Keynote Speakers and Top Civil Discourse & Constructive Dialogue Speakers
APB Lists continues with two new resources designed to help event planners discover speakers who can address timely audience needs and create meaningful event experiences. Each list offers a curated look at voices bringing expertise, relevance, and powerful perspectives to some of the conversations shaping events today.
This edition features the Top 10 Most-Booked Keynote Speakers for Corporate Events and Conferences and the Top 10 Civil Discourse & Constructive Dialogue Keynote Speakers for Colleges and Universities (featured in Voices On Campus). Together, these lists spotlight proven speakers who connect with audiences across a wide range of topics and thought leaders helping campus communities engage across differences, navigate difficult conversations, and strengthen dialogue.
+ Learn more about APB's Top 10 Most-Booked Keynote Speakers for Corporate Events and Conferences
APB Welcomes Dr. Ashish K. Jha as an Exclusive Managed Speaker
APB is proud to welcome Dr. Ashish K. Jha as our newest exclusive keynote speaker. A leading public health expert whose career spans government, academia, medicine, and health policy, Dr. Jha helps audiences understand the forces reshaping healthcare, from artificial intelligence and rising costs to biosecurity, climate-related health threats, and trust in science.
Drawing on rigorous research and real-world experience, Dr. Jha equips healthcare, business, policy, and association audiences to evaluate emerging challenges, understand their broader impact, and make better decisions in a rapidly changing landscape.
Dr. Jha is also available to bureau partners in a managed capacity. Reach out to Jan Tavitian (jtavitian@apbspeakers.com) to learn how your bureau can partner with APB on Dr. Jha bookings.
+ Learn more about Dr. Ashish K. Jha
Monique Coleman Covers POPSUGAR’s 20th Anniversary Issue
Monique Coleman is featured on the cover of POPSUGAR’s 20th Anniversary issue in “Monique Coleman Is Recasting Herself as the Main Character,” a deeply personal reflection on reinvention, identity, and what it means to begin again. Looking back on two decades since High School Musical, Coleman shares how divorce, advocacy, skating, and a renewed commitment to herself have shaped this next chapter, offering a powerful message about resilience, self-discovery, and pursuing new possibilities at any stage of life.
+ Learn more about Monique Coleman
Rave Reviews
Steve Pemberton delivered an inspiring keynote for more than 700 family service, social work, and human services professionals at a national conference focused on family-centered treatment, drawing from his bestselling book The Lighthouse Effect. His powerful storytelling and message of purpose, connection, and impact resonated deeply with attendees, who described him as an absolutely amazing speaker.
For more than 2,500 educators, administrators, mental health professionals, and education leaders, Dr. Nadine Burke Harris shared a compelling keynote at a statewide education conference focused on improving academic, behavioral, and social-emotional outcomes. Her insights on ACEs and mental health resonated powerfully throughout the room, culminating in a well-deserved standing ovation and an unforgettable response from attendees.
Mike Massimino delivered an engaging keynote for a private equity audience of 200–250 senior institutional allocators and asset managers, sharing Be Ready for the Future: Change is Inevitable, Accept & Embrace It. His storytelling, thoughtful audience interaction, and willingness to connect with attendees after the session made a strong impression and left planners eager to work with him again.
Every week we’re inspired by the ideas, voices, and moments that move audiences forward.
At APB Speakers, we’re proud to help organizations bring those moments to life.
For more than 60 years, APB has been a trusted partner in keynote speaker booking, event strategy, and talent management, helping organizations create impactful experiences that educate, inspire, and drive meaningful results. We work with corporations, colleges and universities, healthcare organizations, associations, nonprofits, and government agencies to connect audiences with world-class speakers, thought leaders, business executives, authors, athletes, entertainers, and changemakers.
Our team provides end-to-end speaker bureau services, including speaker selection, program development, audience engagement strategy, contract negotiation, travel and logistics management, risk mitigation, crisis support, and event consultation. By combining deep industry expertise with a consultative approach, we help clients identify the right speaker, message, and format to achieve their event goals.
Founded in 1965, APB has helped shape the modern speaking industry through a commitment to partnership, service, and exceptional client support. Today, we continue to help organizations navigate a rapidly changing world by delivering keynote speakers and event experiences that spark conversation, strengthen leadership, inspire innovation, drive employee engagement, and create lasting impact.