Budgets Shrink for High-Priced Speakers

Steven Barclay, a lecture agent in Petaluma, Calif., who represents literary figures like Billy Collins, Michael Chabon and Adrienne Rich, as well as up-and-coming authors like the Iranian-American memoirist Firoozeh Dumas, said he was starting to have conversations with universities and others about adjusting their plans.

“Instead of having eyes bigger than your stomach, you should look at this range rather than this range,” he said. “So you gently lead them to suggestions that may fit and cost them less money.” He said fees could range from $5,000 to $50,000.

Mr. Barclay added, though, that the biggest names, like his client David Sedaris, were “recession proof.” He said Mr. Sedaris, whose latest book, “When You Are Engulfed in Flames,” was published in June, just completed a 34-city tour in 34 days, selling 65,000 tickets. “We’re planning his fall 2009 tour, and I have way more offers than I know what to do with,” Mr. Barclay said.

Still, several agencies say that bookings for the coming year are down, as some former customers have canceled meetings or curtailed the use of outside speakers. Mr. Walker said bookings had declined slightly from last year. Bernie Swain, chairman of Washington Speakers Bureau, which exclusively represents 187 clients, including Colin L. Powell, Alan Greenspan and Madeleine Albright, said bookings from financial institutions had dropped in the past two months to about 20 percent below the same period last year.

“The traditional buyers that have been in the marketplace for the last 8 to 10 years have cut back,” said Don Epstein, chief executive of Greater Talent Network, which represents Campbell Brown, Tom Wolfe and P. J. O’Rourke. “Especially Wall Streeters and the real estate market and the insurance companies. Certain financial institutions aren’t even there, and these were all great customers of ours for a long time.”