New Web site helps find UW speakers

News & Information

The UW Speakers Bureau is making it easier for people in the community to find campus speakers and also for faculty and staff to register with the bureau.

This has been accomplished through a new Web site, http://www.uwspeakers.org, which makes it easy for organizations to identify a suitable speaker, or for members of the UW community to sign up as potential speakers.

In the past few years, the number of speaking engagements has averaged about 120 a year, according to Brian Richards, manager of the Speakers Bureau. This is up dramatically from 30 speaking opportunities just four years ago.

“But with our new Web site, we plan to target different organizations, particularly in schools — teachers, principals and PTSAs,” he says, “and with more people registered, we hope to increase the number of requests substantially.”

A variety of civic organizations, community groups, clubs and schools have been mainstays of the bureau. Some provide speakers with honoraria, although most do not. The Speakers Bureau does not charge a fee to an organization that wishes to use the service. The new database of speakers provides very flexible search options.

Any UW faculty or staff member can use his or her NetID to register as a speaker or to add to information about them that is already in the database, such as an updated resume, a list of publications, or even a photo. Currently, about 600 people have registered as speakers, but there is always room for more, Richards says, so that the needs of different groups can be met.