APB Weekly: A Newsletter Featuring Industry Insights, Speaker Spotlights & More! (October 5)
05 Oct 2026
After a late summer hiatus, we are back with APB Weekly. Here’s what’s shaping conversations this week...
Industry Insight
Current trends, expert insights, and best practices across the speaking industry.
Why Moderated Discussions Have Gained More Ground
For years, the keynote was the default format for paid speaking engagements, while moderated discussions were more commonly associated with celebrities or speakers who preferred a conversational setting. COVID changed that. As events moved online, traditional keynotes became harder to sustain virtually, and planners saw that audiences often stayed more engaged when they were listening to a conversation rather than a long presentation.
That experience helped broaden the way planners think about the format. A moderated discussion allows an organization to explore a speaker’s full portfolio of work and ideas rather than being limited to a single keynote topic. It also gives planners the opportunity to shape questions in advance so organizational priorities, brand pillars, industry challenges, and audience needs can be built directly into the conversation.
The format can also create a more intentional kind of customization. Instead of relying solely on the speaker to adapt a keynote, the planner, moderator, and speaker can work together to determine what matters most for that audience. A strong moderator can then follow interesting ideas, ask for greater depth, and connect the conversation back to the goals of the event in real time.
Takeaway:
Moderated discussions are no longer simply an alternative to the keynote. When the questions are thoughtfully developed and tied to the goals of the event, they can create a highly customized, engaging, and relevant experience for the audience.
Speaker Spotlight
Timely highlights, notable achievements, and impactful voices shaping today’s conversations.
APB Lists: Top Sales, Future of Work, and Resilience Keynote Speakers
APB Lists continues with three new resources designed to help event planners discover speakers addressing some of the most important challenges facing organizations today. Each list offers a curated look at voices bringing practical expertise, fresh perspectives, and real-world experience to corporate and association audiences.
This edition features the Top 10 Sales Keynote Speakers, Top 10 Future of Work Keynote Speakers, and Top 10 Resilience Keynote Speakers for Corporate Events and Conferences. Together, these lists spotlight experts helping organizations strengthen sales performance, prepare their people and cultures for the future of work, and build the resilience needed to navigate change and uncertainty.
+ Learn more about APB's Top 10 Sales Keynote Speakers for Corporate Events and Conferences
+ Learn more about APB's Top 10 Future of Work Keynote Speakers for Corporate Events and Conferences
+ Learn more about APB's Top 10 Resilience Keynote Speakers for Corporate Events and Conferences
Stephen Witt Examines AI Safety and Oversight in The New York Times
In a new guest essay for The New York Times, Stephen Witt examines growing concerns around AI safety and whether oversight is keeping pace with increasingly powerful systems. From autonomous AI agents and safeguards to incident reporting and independent oversight, Witt explores the questions emerging as AI capabilities accelerate, offering business, policy, and technology audiences a timely perspective on the growing importance of governance, accountability, and risk alongside innovation.
+ Learn more about Stephen Witt
Rebekah Taussig Co-Writes Being Heumann, a Film About Disability Rights Activist Judy Heumann
Disability advocate and storyteller Rebekah Taussig co-wrote Being Heumann with Academy Award-winning CODA director Siân Heder, bringing the story of pioneering disability rights activist Judy Heumann to the screen. Centered on the historic 1977 Section 504 sit-in, the film explores activism, community, and the fight for disability rights while capturing the humor and humanity behind a movement that helped reshape civil rights in America.
+ Learn more about Rebekah Taussig
Rave Reviews
Event feedback, audience reactions, and memorable moments from the stage.
Jane Seymour shared her remarkable career and inspirational personal journey with more than 1,000 women at a regional chamber of commerce event. Her warmth and authenticity resonated both on and off the stage, generating overwhelmingly positive feedback and leaving the client equally impressed by the experience of working with her.
For more than 500 leaders in the public power industry, David Pogue opened a national electric utilities association conference with a timely and engaging look at AI and its rapidly evolving impact. His humor, valuable insights, and ability to make a complex topic accessible resonated throughout the audience, making him the perfect speaker to kick off the event.
Ashley Campbell delivered a deeply personal keynote for nearly 1,000 residents and guests at a senior living community’s annual health and fitness expo. Through I’ll Do the Remembering: A Daughter’s Journey Through Alzheimer’s and her reflections on the healing power of music, Ashley created a meaningful connection with the audience and continued that connection by spending time with residents after her presentation.