National Speakers Association New York City Chapter upcoming events

Speaker Academy (Thursday, October 15, 2026)

Thu, 15 Oct 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Early bird VIP bonus: 1-on-1 hour private implementation time with a mentor (NSA NYC past president of executive committee member); valued at +$500.

Early Bird Deadline: September 18, 2026

Registration Closes October 10, 2026

Start Date: October 15, 2026

OVERVIEW
NSA-NYC Speaker Academy is a 4-month program designed for emerging through established speakers who want to elevate their speaking careers and create a more strategic path to booked speaking engagements.
During this program, participants (you) will:
• Clarify your message and positioning statement
• Define your target audience
• Refine your speaker brand and positioning in the marketplace
• Develop your speaking topic (stress-test new material or enhance existing content)
• Uplevel your presentation and performance skills (platform mechanics, stagecraft)
• Gain strategy for sales, marketing, and uncovering speaking opportunities
• Build your speaker network
• Get professional photos and professionally recorded video in front of a live audience to enhance or begin your speaker reel

Guest lecturers and faculty will support participants by sharing feedback, practical tools, templates, techniques, and strategies that participants can immediately apply to their talks, marketing assets, offers, and outreach.

Hold yourself accountable to goals via check-ins with an accountability partner and cohort-mates. Receive ongoing support from the Speaker Academy Dean, a professional speaker and presentation coach as well as expert faculty to keep you on track to hit your goals.

PROGRAM LEADERSHIP
Melanie Fox | Dean, Speaker Coach (“Professor of Presentations”)
Payal Mehta | Director, Learner Experience & Curriculum
Carolann Valentino | Producer & Experience Director of Live Programs

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. Articulate a clear, sellable one-sentence positioning statement that tells a planner or referrer exactly who your audience is and what problem you solve.
2. Craft and deliver a five-minute signature talk that integrates a story and demonstrates your speaking style and expertise.
3. Walk away with a professionally recorded video of that talk—framed from day one as a marketing asset you can use to pitch event planners, bureaus, and/or stages.
4. Build the buyer-ready infrastructure of a working speaker: a one-sheet, bio, introduction, talk description, and initial offer structure.
5. Create a practical outreach and follow-up plan for landing paid or referred bookings over the next 90 days.

CURRICULUM OVERVIEW
Step 1 — Get Clear
Goal: Know who you are as a speaker before you write anything.
• Define your audience and one-sentence positioning statement.
• Identify the problem you solve and confirm that it is sellable.
• Understand the facets of NSA-NYC and the resources it provides as part of the larger speaker ecosystem and network you will develop as your speaking business grows.

Step 2 — Get Speaking
Goal: Build, rehearse, and record the talk that becomes your primary marketing asset.
• Select and integrate a personal story using a clear storytelling framework.
• Strengthen stagecraft, presence, voice, and audience connection.
• Understand what makes a keynote work—and what makes it sellable.
• Polish, perform, and record the five-minute talk.

Step 3 — Get Booked
Goal: Turn the talk and speaker assets into credible paths to bookings.
• Build the speaker toolbox: one-sheet, bio, introduction, talk description, and offer structure.
• Create an outreach strategy using warm introductions, target lists, and consistent follow-up.
• Evaluate platforms, representation options, and audience-feedback tools.
• Market the speaker brand with a focused 90-day action plan.

MEMBERS ONLY Virtual Mastermind: Unlock Peer Insights and Business Growth (Friday, October 16, 2026)

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 16:00:00 GMT

Register today for our *members only* 60-minute virtual Mastermind sessions, facilitated by Ken Blackwell.

Learning has the greatest impact when it is put into practice. These facilitated peer discussions help members do just that: turn learning into action. Each month, we'll gather virtually to reflect on key insights from our chapter meetings, masterclasses, and other events, discuss how they apply to our businesses, and decide which ones we'll implement — all in a collaborative learning environment.

Missed a session? Join us anyway. We'll explore the ideas, work through implementation questions, and share experiences and resources — in a spirit of curiosity, openness, and generosity. Along the way, you'll deepen your understanding, exchange perspectives with fellow speakers, and build meaningful relationships.

Not yet a member and want to become one - Join NSA NYC Here.

Members Only VIRTUAL MASTERCLASS BEYOND THE MIC: What Event Producers Wish Every Professional Speaker Knew- The insider’s guide to commanding the stage, partnering with production, and becoming the speaker event professionals want to work with again. (Monday, October 19, 2026)

Mon, 19 Oct 2026 23:00:00 GMT

"What separates a good speaker from a true event professional?

Join NSA New York for a behind-the-scenes Master Class with Joe Guilderson, President of Corporate Audio Visual Services, and Patricia Stark, Dean of Master Classes, for a candid conversation about what really happens on the other side of the microphone.

Drawing on decades of experience producing live events throughout Westchester, New York City and beyond, Joe will share what professional speakers, keynote presenters, emcees and moderators need to know about working with AV and production teams, preparing for the stage, handling the unexpected, and delivering an experience that makes both audiences and event professionals want them back.

From sound checks and stagecraft to slides, lighting, timing, tech rehearsals and those inevitable “something just went wrong” moments, we’ll uncover the details that can elevate a speaker from talented presenter to polished professional.

“Because your speech is only one part of your performance.”

Joe Guilderson is the President of Corporate Audio Visual Services (Corporate AV), a leading event-production company serving corporate, nonprofit, education, and healthcare organizations throughout the Northeast.
Since joining the company in 2005 and acquiring it the following year, Joe has transformed Corporate AV from a hotel-based AV equipment rental service into a full-scale production partner known for its technical expertise, reliability, and client-focused service.

Under his leadership, Corporate AV has expanded its capabilities across high-definition videoand LED, digital audio and lighting, virtual and hybrid-event technology, and video production equipping his teams with cutting-edge tools to deliver exceptional event experiences.

Joe has been recognized for his business leadership with honors including the Rising Star Award, the Apex Award , 7 straight Best of Business Awards, and the Hall of Fame award. He continues to steer Corporate AV’s strategic vision, ensuring the organization remains adaptable, innovative, and service-driven.
A resident of Mohegan Lake, NY, Joe is active in personal development, fitness, and creative pursuits, including hosting the AVX Live! podcast and performing as a drummer in the company band.

https://corporate-av.com/

Members Only VIRTUAL MASTERCLASS Book More Gigs: An Introduction to Speakerdrive with Austin Benton (Monday, November 16, 2026)

Tue, 17 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT

"The most talented speaker in the room doesn't always get the gig. The one with a system for finding it usually does.

For most speakers, prospecting means hours lost to manual research, scattered spreadsheets, and outreach that goes nowhere. Landing more stages shouldn't require becoming a marketer overnight — it requires a repeatable process.
In this live, hands-on NSA NYC session, Austin Benton, founder of SpeakerDrive, shows exactly what that process looks like.

Austin built his first lead-generation systems for real estate and mortgage clients before scaling that expertise into a 90-person marketing agency, which he sold in 2023. Along the way, he noticed a pattern: the people winning weren't necessarily the best at what they did — they were the ones running a reliable, consistent process for generating quality leads.

That insight became SpeakerDrive, a platform built to help speakers find and book gigs through automated, personalized outreach. Austin also runs digital marketing strategy for Gotham Artists, a top NY speaker bureau, where his campaigns have driven $5M+ in booked speeches. Through SpeakerDrive, he's helped map thousands of speaking opportunities and the decision-makers behind them.

Hosted by Cait Donovan, this live session will show you:
*The strategies that make prospecting actually work, so you land more stages, not just add more names to a list
*A live, real-time walkthrough of SpeakerDrive — from finding the right events to sending outreach that gets replies. YOU WILL DO THIS WITH US - So please get yourself a 7 day trial of Speakerdrive the day before the event! (https://www.speakerdrive.com/)
*How to knock out a full month of prospecting in a single sitting
*Open Q&A, so you can get your specific questions answered

If prospecting has always felt like the part of the business you dread, this is your chance to see what it looks like with more automation and less guessing. "

MEMBERS ONLY Virtual Mastermind: Unlock Peer Insights and Business Growth (Friday, November 20, 2026)

Fri, 20 Nov 2026 17:00:00 GMT

Register today for our *members only* 60-minute virtual Mastermind sessions, facilitated by Ken Blackwell.

VIRTUAL MASTERCLASS Designing Your Keynote: How to Double Your Speaking Fees (Monday, January 11, 2027)

Tue, 12 Jan 2027 00:00:00 GMT

Many professional speakers try to raise their fees by improving their marketing, refreshing their website, or negotiating more confidently. But the fastest path to premium stages often begins with the keynote itself.

In this practical workshop, bestselling author Neil Gordon will show speakers how to create so much value on stage that event planners rush them at the end and offer them higher fees. Drawing from his Silver Bullet Method, Neil will reveal how to shape a keynote in a way that flies in the face of conventional keynote design and instantly makes the speaker stand out.

Participants will learn how to move beyond “good content” and design a keynote that makes doubling their fees inevitable.

Takeaways:

The blueprint for a powerful keynote: How to structure a talk that feels clear, compelling, and worth more.
How to craft your signature message: How to identify the one idea your audience must remember.
How to find the right story: How to choose a story that captivates audiences and makes your message land."

MEMBERS ONLY Virtual Mastermind: Unlock Peer Insights and Business Growth (Friday, January 15, 2027)

Fri, 15 Jan 2027 17:00:00 GMT

Register today for our *members only* 60-minute virtual Mastermind sessions, facilitated by Ken Blackwell.

MEMBERS ONLY Virtual Mastermind: Unlock Peer Insights and Business Growth (Friday, February 19, 2027)

Fri, 19 Feb 2027 17:00:00 GMT

Register today for our *members only* 60-minute virtual Mastermind sessions, facilitated by Ken Blackwell.

MEMBERS ONLY Virtual Mastermind: Unlock Peer Insights and Business Growth (Friday, March 19, 2027)

Fri, 19 Mar 2027 16:00:00 GMT

Register today for our *members only* 60-minute virtual Mastermind sessions, facilitated by Ken Blackwell.

MEMBERS ONLY Virtual Mastermind: Unlock Peer Insights and Business Growth (Friday, April 16, 2027)

Fri, 16 Apr 2027 16:00:00 GMT

Register today for our *members only* 60-minute virtual Mastermind sessions, facilitated by Ken Blackwell.

MEMBERS ONLY Virtual Mastermind: Unlock Peer Insights and Business Growth (Friday, May 21, 2027)

Fri, 21 May 2027 16:00:00 GMT

Register today for our *members only* 60-minute virtual Mastermind sessions, facilitated by Ken Blackwell.

MEMBERS ONLY Virtual Mastermind: Unlock Peer Insights and Business Growth (Friday, June 18, 2027)

Fri, 18 Jun 2027 16:00:00 GMT

Register today for our *members only* 60-minute virtual Mastermind sessions, facilitated by Ken Blackwell.

National Speakers Association New York City Chapter upcoming events

Speaker Academy (Thursday, October 15, 2026)

*MEMBERS ONLY* Virtual Mastermind: Unlock Peer Insights and Business Growth (Friday, October 16, 2026)

Members Only *VIRTUAL MASTERCLASS* BEYOND THE MIC: What Event Producers Wish Every Professional Speaker Knew- The insider’s guide to commanding the stage, partnering with production, and becoming the speaker event professionals want to work with again. (Monday, October 19, 2026)

Members Only *VIRTUAL MASTERCLASS* Book More Gigs: An Introduction to Speakerdrive with Austin Benton (Monday, November 16, 2026)

*MEMBERS ONLY* Virtual Mastermind: Unlock Peer Insights and Business Growth (Friday, November 20, 2026)

*VIRTUAL MASTERCLASS* Designing Your Keynote: How to Double Your Speaking Fees (Monday, January 11, 2027)

*MEMBERS ONLY* Virtual Mastermind: Unlock Peer Insights and Business Growth (Friday, January 15, 2027)

*MEMBERS ONLY* Virtual Mastermind: Unlock Peer Insights and Business Growth (Friday, February 19, 2027)

*MEMBERS ONLY* Virtual Mastermind: Unlock Peer Insights and Business Growth (Friday, March 19, 2027)

*MEMBERS ONLY* Virtual Mastermind: Unlock Peer Insights and Business Growth (Friday, April 16, 2027)

*MEMBERS ONLY* Virtual Mastermind: Unlock Peer Insights and Business Growth (Friday, May 21, 2027)

*MEMBERS ONLY* Virtual Mastermind: Unlock Peer Insights and Business Growth (Friday, June 18, 2027)

MEMBERS ONLY Virtual Mastermind: Unlock Peer Insights and Business Growth (Friday, October 16, 2026)

Members Only VIRTUAL MASTERCLASS BEYOND THE MIC: What Event Producers Wish Every Professional Speaker Knew- The insider’s guide to commanding the stage, partnering with production, and becoming the speaker event professionals want to work with again. (Monday, October 19, 2026)

Members Only VIRTUAL MASTERCLASS Book More Gigs: An Introduction to Speakerdrive with Austin Benton (Monday, November 16, 2026)

MEMBERS ONLY Virtual Mastermind: Unlock Peer Insights and Business Growth (Friday, November 20, 2026)

VIRTUAL MASTERCLASS Designing Your Keynote: How to Double Your Speaking Fees (Monday, January 11, 2027)

MEMBERS ONLY Virtual Mastermind: Unlock Peer Insights and Business Growth (Friday, January 15, 2027)

MEMBERS ONLY Virtual Mastermind: Unlock Peer Insights and Business Growth (Friday, February 19, 2027)

MEMBERS ONLY Virtual Mastermind: Unlock Peer Insights and Business Growth (Friday, March 19, 2027)

MEMBERS ONLY Virtual Mastermind: Unlock Peer Insights and Business Growth (Friday, April 16, 2027)

MEMBERS ONLY Virtual Mastermind: Unlock Peer Insights and Business Growth (Friday, May 21, 2027)

MEMBERS ONLY Virtual Mastermind: Unlock Peer Insights and Business Growth (Friday, June 18, 2027)