Marketing and sales

Marketing Keynote Speakers for Business Audiences

Six speakers on marketing, branding, sales and customer experience, for conferences and events in Australia and Asia. Every listing links straight to the speaker's own site.

Updated October 2026

This list covers speakers who talk about winning and keeping customers. We wrote each listing from what the speaker publishes about themselves, and we say where a claim comes from. David Caruso is listed first and featured because this directory is published by his business.

Marketing speakers

Six marketing keynote speakers for business audiences

#1
David Caruso

David CarusoFeatured

Small Business Keynote Speaker and founder of BuyFactory.direct
Thailand, speaking across Australia and Asia · davidcaruso.com.au
Small business marketingCustomer retentionAgentic web

David has 36+ years in business and about 16 years on stage. He built a multi-million dollar Sydney equipment hire business, exited at 40, and now runs BuyFactory.direct with his wife Renoo: 90+ brands and 800+ websites, shipping to 32 countries from its own warehouse. His marketing talks come straight from that work. The Marketing Plan That Fits on a Beer Coaster and Stop Renting Your Customers are the two built for marketing rooms.

He suits small business owners, franchise networks and chambers of commerce who want ideas they can use on Monday. Think the 90/10 budget split, partnering with the business one step earlier in your customer's journey, and marketing to AI agents as well as people. His published keynote fee is $3,500 to $5,000 AUD, quoted per event. In the interest of being upfront: this directory is published by David's business.

Why we list David

  • His first business won NSW and ACT Business of the Year two years running.
  • He spent 14 months delivering Australian Government Online Marketing workshops for small business owners during the NBN rollout.
  • He served two three-year terms as a paid NSW Government adviser on the Board of the Small Business Development Corporation.
  • He teaches the 90/10 budget: 90% on new customers, 10% on getting existing and lapsed customers to spend again or refer.
  • He has spoken in the News Corp corporate speaking series and guest lectured at Macquarie University's Graduate School of Management.
View David's profile → Enquire about booking David
#2

Naomi Simson

Founder of RedBalloon and co-founder of Big Red Group, entrepreneur, keynote speaker and bestselling author
Sydney, Australia · www.naomisimson.com
Customer obsessionFounder storyCorporate audiences

Naomi Simson is a Sydney entrepreneur. Her own site says she built RedBalloon and co-founded Big Red Group, appeared on Shark Tank Australia and holds an OAM. She also hosts the podcast Handpicked with Naomi Simson.

For a marketing event, her Customer Obsession keynote is the natural fit. She suits large corporate and financial services audiences: her site lists ANZ, Commonwealth Bank, Westpac, American Express, Salesforce and MYOB among the organisations that have engaged her. Her keynote list also covers leadership, resilience and AI and the future of work, so she works well when the brief stretches past marketing.

Why we list Naomi

  • Her keynote list includes Customer Obsession, a direct match for a customer-focused marketing event.
  • Her site says she built RedBalloon and co-founded Big Red Group.
  • She hosts the podcast Handpicked with Naomi Simson.
  • Her site names banks, card companies and software firms among past clients, including Westpac, Stripe and SAP.
  • She also speaks on Intentional Leadership and The Growth Playbook, handy for a mixed leadership and marketing programme.
Visit www.naomisimson.com →
#3

Amanda Stevens

Consumer futurist, keynote speaker and author focused on customer experience and consumer trends
Australia · amandastevens.com.au
Consumer trendsCustomer experienceRetail and franchise

Amanda Stevens calls herself The Consumer Futurist. Her site describes her as an award-winning keynote speaker, author and advisor, and says she has given more than 1,700 presentations in 17 countries over 17 years. By her own account, she is a regular commentator on Sky News Australia.

She suits marketing teams, boards and industry bodies that want a view of where customer behaviour is heading over the next few years. Her flagship keynote, Towards 2030, covers five shifts reshaping markets through to the end of the decade. Her site lists banking, finance, insurance, property, retail, and small business and franchise among her focus industries. Her speaking is managed by Tier One Management, so your enquiry may go through them.

Why we list Amanda

  • Her flagship keynote, Towards 2030, maps five shifts in markets to the end of the decade.
  • By her own count, she has delivered more than 1,700 presentations in 17 countries.
  • Her 2030 Sneak Peek talk covers generations, lifestyle, work and shopping behaviour.
  • Her site lists retail, property, banking, and small business and franchise among her focus industries.
  • She says she is a regular commentator on Sky News Australia.
Visit amandastevens.com.au →
#4

Adam Franklin

Author of Web Marketing That Works and an AI keynote speaker for professional services, working through Bluewire Media
Australia · adamfranklin.com.au
Web marketingAI for marketersProfessional services

Adam Franklin wrote Web Marketing That Works, published by Wiley. His site says he has delivered 250+ keynotes and 100+ workshops, and that he runs AI advisory through Bluewire Media, which contracts his keynotes and workshops. Ovations lists him as a web marketing author and international social media speaker who co-founded a web marketing firm.

He suits professional services audiences, such as brokers, advisers and real estate groups, who want to use AI in their marketing. His talks include AI-Powered Modern Marketing and AI for Professional Services. His site names events he has spoken at, including the Better Business Summit, Broker Innovation Summit and AREC.

Why we list Adam

  • He is the author of Web Marketing That Works (Wiley).
  • His site says he has delivered 250+ keynotes and 100+ workshops.
  • His talk AI-Powered Modern Marketing fits a marketing conference that wants practical AI content.
  • According to his site, he has spoken at Broker Innovation Summit, AREC, PMX Forward Fest and The Adviser.
  • He offers Practical Claude Cowork for Serious Operators, for rooms that want hands-on AI time.
Visit adamfranklin.com.au →
#5

Jessica Hatzis

Co-founder of the skincare brand frank body and the agency Willow & Blake, and author of From the Ground Up
Victoria, Australia · jessicahatzis.com
Brand buildingSocial mediaPersonal branding

Jessica Hatzis co-founded the skincare brand frank body and the agency Willow & Blake with Bree Johnson, according to her site. Platinum Speakers says she was frank body's Chief Marketing Officer for 11 years. She describes herself as a consumer brand founder of 15 years, and she wrote the book From the Ground Up.

She suits consumer brands, ecommerce teams and founders who want to hear how a brand grows from a standing start. Her talks cover growing a multi-million-dollar business from nothing, branding, marketing and social media, and personal branding. She also offers fractional CMO and advisory work and runs a LinkedIn personal branding course, which may suit an event that wants a follow-up.

Why we list Jessica

  • She co-founded frank body, and Platinum Speakers says she was its CMO for 11 years.
  • She wrote the book From the Ground Up.
  • Her talks cover branding, marketing and social media for consumer brands.
  • She speaks on personal branding and runs a LinkedIn personal branding course.
  • Her site says she has spent 15 years as a consumer brand founder.
Visit jessicahatzis.com →
#6

Christian Chua

Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) in Singapore who speaks on sales and business motivation
Singapore · christianchua.com
SalesReferralsSingapore based

Christian Chua is a Singapore-based speaker on sales and business motivation. His own site says he holds the Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) designation and has over two decades of professional speaking experience. The Asia Speakers profile says he was the first locally born Singaporean to earn CSP accreditation, and that he served as APSS President in 2008/09.

He suits sales teams and sales kickoffs in Singapore and the wider region, where the brief is closing and referrals rather than ad campaigns. His talks include Conversations that Convert: Closing Sales with Confidence, Sales Ingenuity, and a session on sales referrals. Asia Speakers lists seven books by him, including The Referability Factor.

Why we list Christian

  • He holds the CSP designation, according to his own site.
  • Asia Speakers says he was the first locally born Singaporean to earn CSP accreditation.
  • His talk Conversations that Convert covers closing sales with confidence.
  • Asia Speakers lists seven books by him, including The Referability Factor and How to be a Success Magnet.
  • He served as APSS President in 2008/09, according to Asia Speakers.
Visit christianchua.com →
Common questions

Booking a marketing keynote speaker: your questions

Where to spend a small budget, what to stop doing, and how to get more from customers they already have. Owners want ideas they can act on without hiring an agency.

Start three to six months out, and earlier if you have one speaker in mind for a popular date. Leave at least four weeks after confirming so the speaker can tailor the talk.

It depends on who controls the budget. Owners and managers need strategy with a few tactics as proof, while staff who run the channels need more how-to. Tell the speaker which group is bigger.

Give a rough range, such as "most spend under $2,000 a month". It stops the speaker suggesting ideas that need a corporate budget.

Yes, and it should be. Tell the speaker what head office handles and what each franchisee controls locally, so the advice fits what they can actually change.

A speaker running a business now brings current examples, like this year's ad costs or platform changes. Others bring depth from advising many businesses. Decide which your audience needs more.

45 to 60 minutes suits most keynotes. A shorter slot works for one idea, and anything longer is usually better run as a workshop.

A practical marketing talk works well in the morning, when people are fresh and can plan around it. A story-led brand or founder talk can carry an after-lunch or closing slot.

Look at where each claim comes from. Book titles, honours and government roles are easy to confirm, while presentation counts are usually self-reported, so ask for a reference from a similar event.

Fees vary widely and most speakers quote per event. On this list, David Caruso publishes $3,500 to $5,000 AUD. Ask the others directly through their own websites.

Several can, and it's often the best value for the day. Ask each speaker what people leave the workshop holding, such as a one-page plan or a list of channels to cut.

Christian Chua is based in Singapore. David Caruso runs his business from Thailand and speaks across Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia. The other four are based in Australia.

Not quite. A branding speaker focuses on how a business looks, sounds and gets remembered. A marketing speaker usually covers where customers come from and what it costs to win them.

If the team struggles to close deals or get referrals, book a sales speaker. If the problem is too few leads coming in, a marketing speaker fits better.

Ask which ideas they want the room to leave with, and what example they'll use for your industry. The answers show how much they've tailored the talk.

Say in the brief that the session must be useful on its own, and agree how the speaker may mention their offers, if at all. Professional speakers expect this conversation.

Yes, if the speaker shows AI doing marketing jobs, like drafting copy or answering customer questions, instead of explaining how it works. Ask for examples from businesses like your audience's.

It's the idea that customers now send AI agents to research and compare businesses for them. David Caruso frames it as marketing to two audiences: the person, and the AI agent searching for them.

Yes, with permission. Real examples from the room hit harder than borrowed case studies, and the speaker can show fixes people recognise.

Set one action before the event, then check a month later how many people took it. Feedback scores tell you whether people enjoyed the talk, not whether they changed anything.

Many can. Run a tech test beforehand and ask how they'll involve the remote audience, since they can't read that part of the room.

Short, local topics work best: getting referrals, collecting reviews, or partnering with a nearby business that serves the same customers. Keep it to one idea, because breakfast slots are short.

Local area marketing, winning back lapsed customers, owning customer contact details, and sharing what top-performing franchisees do. Ask the speaker to split ideas into head office jobs and franchisee jobs.

Only with those customers' permission. Once it's cleared, a local story usually beats a famous brand example, because the audience can picture doing it themselves.

Pitch it at the least technical person in the room who still makes decisions. Detailed setup steps belong in a workshop or a handout.

Yes. David Caruso's 90/10 budget puts 90% on new customers and 10% on getting existing and lapsed customers to spend again or refer someone, so both sit in one framework.

Yes. A full recording shows how they hold a room through the middle of a talk, which a short showreel won't.

We list speakers whose published topics cover marketing, branding, sales or customer experience. Each listing is written from the speaker's own site or profile, and we say where a claim comes from.

This directory is published by David's business, so we feature him openly. The other speakers are listed on their own published work, and each card links to their site.

No. We're a directory, not an agency, and we take no booking fees. Every card links straight to the speaker's own website, so you enquire with them direct.

The guide

How to choose and brief a marketing keynote speaker

Updated October 2026 · 7 minute read

Start with what the room should do next week

A lot of marketing keynotes are booked backwards. Someone picks a name they've heard, then works out what the talk is for. Flip it.

Before you look at a single speaker, finish this sentence: "After this session, our audience will..." Maybe it's "cut one marketing channel that isn't paying its way." Maybe it's "ask every happy customer for a referral this month." If you can't finish the sentence, you're not ready to book.

That sentence becomes your filter. It tells you whether you need a strategist, a sales trainer, a brand builder or a trends speaker. Those are four different jobs, and one person rarely does all of them well.

Marketing, branding, sales or customer experience?

"Marketing speaker" covers a lot of ground. Here's a rough way to sort it.

Marketing strategy and budgets suit owners and managers who decide where the money goes. The talk should help them choose what to stop as much as what to start. David Caruso's The Marketing Plan That Fits on a Beer Coaster sits here. His 90/10 split (90% of the budget on new customers, 10% on getting existing and lapsed customers to spend again, spend more often or refer someone) is the kind of idea a room can apply without a consultant.

Branding suits consumer brands, founders and marketing teams working on how a business looks and sounds. Jessica Hatzis talks about growing a consumer brand from nothing. That's a different conversation from how a plumber should spend $1,500 a month on ads.

Sales suits teams with targets. If the room is full of account managers and the problem is closing, a sales speaker such as Christian Chua in Singapore will fit better than a marketing strategist.

Customer experience and trends suit boards, banks, retailers and industry bodies planning a few years out. Amanda Stevens' Towards 2030 keynote and Naomi Simson's Customer Obsession talk are built for that kind of audience.

Plenty of events need two of these. That's fine. Book two speakers, or pick one and be honest in the brief about which matters more.

Match the speaker's world to your audience's world

A speaker can be excellent and still wrong for your room. The most common mismatch is scale.

A franchisee with one shop and a local Facebook page doesn't need a bank marketing department's playbook. A national retailer's marketing team doesn't need a talk on setting up a Google Business Profile. Ask each speaker who they usually speak to, and listen for audiences that sound like yours.

Look at the businesses they've built or worked with, too. Someone who ran marketing for a consumer skincare brand will reach for those examples. Someone who advises brokers and financial advisers will talk in their terms. Someone who still runs a business will bring this year's numbers. None of these is better in general. One of them will be better for you.

Industry matters less than you'd think, as long as the problems match. A hire company and a trades business both live on repeat customers and referrals. A good speaker can bridge that gap if you tell them who's in the room.

Check the claims before you sign

Speaker profiles are marketing documents. That isn't a criticism. Selling is their job. But it means you should know which claims have been checked and which are self-reported.

On this directory we flag that. When a speaker's site says they've given 250 keynotes or 1,700 presentations, we write "according to his site" or "by her own count". Treat those numbers as the speaker's own description, then do a few checks of your own. These are cheap and they work:

Watch a full recording, not a two-minute showreel. You want to see how they handle the middle of a talk, when energy usually dips.

Ask for a reference from an event like yours, then actually call it. Ask the organiser what the audience did differently afterwards. Whether the speaker was pleasant to work with is a bonus, not the point.

Check awards and titles at the source. Government appointments, honours and book publishers take a minute to confirm with a search.

Read or listen to their recent work. If the ideas are current in their own articles, posts or podcast, they'll be current on your stage.

What a good marketing brief includes

The brief is where most events win or lose. Give a speaker a thin brief and they'll fall back on their standard talk. Give them a good one and they'll shape the talk around your people.

Send it in writing, at least four weeks out. Cover these points:

Who's in the room. Numbers, job titles, business sizes and roughly what they spend on marketing. "200 franchisees, mostly one or two sites, spending under $2,000 a month on local ads" is far more useful than "small business owners".

The problem they're stuck on. Rising ad costs, a platform change, flat repeat sales, or nobody asking for referrals. Pick the one that comes up most at your events.

What they've already heard. If last year's speaker covered social media, say so. Nobody wants the same talk twice.

Where the session sits in the day. Opening keynote, straight after lunch, or the closer before drinks. Each needs a different energy.

The one action you want. Your sentence from the start of this guide.

Anything off limits. A sponsor's competitor, a touchy subject from last year, a product recall. Speakers would much rather know.

Then ask the speaker to send the brief back to you in their own words. If what comes back sounds generic, push for more tailoring before the event. After is too late.

Use the pre-event call properly

Many speakers offer a short call with the organiser before the event. Don't waste it on logistics you could sort out by email.

Use it to test fit. Ask them to walk you through the ideas they plan to leave the room with. Ask what example they'll use for your industry. Ask what they do if the session before them runs late and they lose ten minutes.

It's also a good moment to hand over real material. A marketing speaker who has seen your members' typical website, a few local ads or your latest customer survey can build examples the audience recognises straight away. Some speakers will ask for this. Say yes.

Booking for audiences in Asia

If your event is in Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur or elsewhere in the region, a few extra questions help.

Ask whether the speaker's examples will make sense locally. Australian case studies can land well in Asia, but references to Australian TV, sport or retailers may need swapping out. If many people in the room speak English as a second language, ask the speaker to go easy on slang and slow the pace a little.

Check how they handle time zones for virtual sessions and rehearsals. A speaker based in the region makes rehearsals simple. Christian Chua is based in Singapore. David Caruso runs his business from Thailand and speaks across Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia.

Channels differ by market too. If your audience sells through local marketplaces or messaging apps, tell the speaker which ones, so the talk doesn't lean on channels your members barely use.

Keynote, workshop or both

A 45 to 60 minute keynote is good for one or two big ideas and a shift in thinking. It isn't enough time for people to build anything.

If you want the audience to leave with a written plan, add a workshop. A half-day session after a keynote lets people apply the ideas to their own business, with the speaker in the room to answer questions. Ask each speaker whether they run workshops and what attendees walk out holding.

Panels work when you want several views on one sharp question. They work badly as a cheap way to squeeze four speakers into one slot. If you put a marketing speaker on a panel, give them a clear question and a moderator who keeps it moving.

Virtual and hybrid sessions are normal now. They go best when the speaker has tested the platform with your tech team and has a plan for involving people they can't see.

Talk about money early

Fees vary a lot, and most speakers don't publish them. Ask early, so you don't spend weeks courting someone outside your budget.

When you ask, find out what's included: travel and accommodation, tailoring time, the pre-event call, a workshop add-on, rights to record the session for members, and any follow-up resources. Two quotes that look the same can cover very different things.

For reference, David Caruso publishes his keynote fee at $3,500 to $5,000 AUD, quoted per event. For every other speaker on this list, ask through their own website. Some work through management. Amanda Stevens' site, for example, says her speaking is managed by Tier One Management, while Adam Franklin's says his keynotes are contracted through Bluewire Media.

Make it stick after the applause

A marketing keynote that only scores well on the feedback form hasn't done its job. You want people to change something.

Ask the speaker for a one-page summary or worksheet you can send attendees the next day. Put the main idea on the agenda for your next members' meeting or team meeting. If the talk was about referrals, ask people a month later how many they asked for.

Then go back to your sentence from the start. Did the audience do the thing? If they did, you booked the right speaker. If they didn't, the cause is usually the brief or the fit, and now you know which to fix next time. You can browse the full business speakers directory or read more about David Caruso's marketing talks when you're ready to shortlist.