Motivational Speaker in Australia
Motivation without a method is a fleeting indulgence. I lift a room — and I leave it with something it can use on Monday morning. If you are booking a motivational speaker for a conference, leadership summit or team event anywhere in Australia, let's talk about what you want your audience to do differently.
I spent years cringing at the term motivational speaker. It conjured someone who fills a room with feeling and leaves nothing behind — where the measure of success is the length of the standing ovation. A standing ovation is wonderful for the ego, mine included. It is not a business outcome.
Then two audiences in Cairns changed my mind about the word. Those people were not asking to be entertained. They were asking to be moved enough to do something differently on Monday. That is a serious request, and it deserves a serious answer.
So here is where I have landed after forty years in business and hundreds of stages. Inspiration without action is a vanity. Motivation without a methodology is a fleeting indulgence. I will absolutely lift your room. I will also leave it with a framework it can actually use. I have written about this at length in Motivational Speakers: Beyond the Standing Ovation.
Upcoming engagements
Where I will be next, around the country. If you would like to see me speak before you book me, most of these are open to registration.
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17 October 2026Graduate Management Association of UWAState Reception Centre, Perth
13 November 2026Destination NT ConferenceAlice Springs Convention Centre · Headline speaker
25–26 November 2026The Business Show AustraliaICC Sydney, Halls 5–7 · Tickets
18 March 2027Institute of Learning & Performance SummitBond University, Queen Street, Brisbane
Around Australia and New Zealand
Recent engagements beyond Sydney and Melbourne — capital cities, regional centres, islands, virtual rooms, and across the Tasman. Most recent first.
6 October 2026Ella Baché Franchise ConferenceVirtual · Strategy presentation
2 October 2026Entrepreneurs Summit BrisbaneBrisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre
29 September 2026Entrepreneurs Summit PerthCrown Perth
4 September 2024Mortgage ChoiceHamilton Island Conference Centre · Growth story
3 August 2024Affinity Education Centre Managers ConferenceRACV Royal Pines, Gold Coast · Leadership
28 May 2024Harcourts GroupTakina, Wellington NZ · Making AI a friend to your business
5 March 2024Zango presents — CanberraNational Gallery of Australia · 250+ property professionals
9 August 2023Singleton CouncilSingleton Civic Centre, Hunter Valley · Reimagine Regional Business
28 July 2023CBA and Visa — What It Takes to WinToowoomba City Hall
25 July 2023CBA and Visa — What It Takes to WinMerewether Surfhouse, Newcastle
What Audiences Said
The measure I care about is not the ovation. It is what someone tells me they are going to do differently.
Very unique presentation from a successful entrepreneur and great to hear her experience on building a successful business and the way to bring customers unique experiences.
PeiranTotally engaging keynote speech — made me reflect on my journey in my business.
InsI felt your talk was very relevant for the current economic climate and staying present for customers.
EmmaExcellent education and good value.
AttendeeCustomer feedback gathered at the event via QR code.
Heard across Australia's business and media platforms
If you want to hear how I think before you book me, start here.
How to Hire a Motivational Speaker Who Delivers Real ROI
I have been on both sides of the lectern — as a business leader who hires speakers, and as a speaker who has stood on hundreds of stages. Here is what I have learned about getting value from the decision.
1. Seek a practitioner, not a performer
When I am on stage I am not sharing theories I read in a book, or repeating feel-good platitudes. I am sharing hard-won lessons from forty years in business — building and scaling RedBalloon, co-founding Big Red Group, sitting on boards, and investing my own money into dozens of businesses across four seasons of Shark Tank Australia. Ask any speaker you are considering what they have actually built. The answer tells you most of what you need to know.
2. Define the outcome before you define the topic
The best briefs I receive do not start with a subject. They start with a sentence like "we want our franchisees to stop waiting for head office to solve things." Once I know what you want to change, the content builds itself. Once I only know the theme, we are both guessing.
3. Insist on a methodology, not just a message
Every session I deliver includes at least one practical framework your audience can apply the following week. If a speaker cannot tell you what their audience will be able to do differently, you are buying entertainment. There is nothing wrong with entertainment — just know which one you are paying for.
4. Ask what happens after the applause
I stay for the networking, always. Some of the most valuable conversations happen after the formal session ends, and plenty of the people who come up to me afterwards are the ones who most needed to hear something. I also work with organisers on what the audience receives in the days following, so the energy has somewhere to go.
What I Speak About
Every session is shaped around your audience and your outcome. These are the themes I am asked for most often.
| Theme | What your audience leaves with |
|---|---|
| Resilience and Reinvention | How to keep going when the plan falls apart — and the difference between persistence and stubbornness |
| Live What You Love | Finding purpose in work without quitting your job to find yourself. Drawn from my bestselling book |
| Intentional Leadership | Why every conversation, decision and email represents who you are — and how to lead on purpose rather than by accident |
| Customer Obsession | Why the businesses that win long-term are obsessed with the experience they create, not the price they charge |
| AI and the Future of Work | An optimistic, practical view of how AI is reshaping business — and why human connection matters more, not less |
| The Wellbeing Advantage | Why looking after yourself is a business strategy, not an indulgence — for teams carrying the weight of constant change |
There is more on what I cover as an entrepreneur keynote speaker in Australia, and on my keynote topics page.
How Long I Speak For, and How a Booking Runs
Before the content conversation there is a practical one, and organisers deserve a straight answer to it.
I generally speak for between 45 and 60 minutes, and I always want a Q&A with the audience. That exchange is often where the real work happens, because the questions tell me what the room is wrestling with. Workshops, boardroom briefings and longer experiences are shaped around your brief rather than a set running time.
My speakers agent handles the travel, the transfers, the hotel and the briefing paperwork — whether that is a capital city, a regional centre, an island or across the Tasman. Their job is to get me to the right place, at the right time, with the right brief in hand.
We hold a pre-brief. I want to understand how you want the audience to feel walking out, what your intention for the event is, and the one message you need to land. I build the slides straight after that conversation, usually about two weeks out, and send them through early so there is plenty of time to test the deck and the sound.
Who Books Me
I work with organisations and event planners across every sector. Some of the most common include:
- Corporate leadership summits and annual conferences
- Franchise and dealer network conferences
- Industry association events and member gatherings
- Tourism, hospitality and visitor economy events
- Learning and development and capability summits
- Property, construction and financial services networks
- Education and early learning provider conferences
- Local government and regional business networks
- Women in business and leadership events
- Charity and not-for-profit fundraising events
Whether your audience is fifty or five thousand, the approach is the same — understand the room, respect their time, and give them something they can use. I have written about why business conferences matter in 2026 and where I think business events are heading.
Where I Speak
I am based in Sydney and travel to every state and territory, to regional centres, and from time to time across the Tasman to New Zealand. I have dedicated pages for the cities where I speak most often:
| City | Page |
|---|---|
| Sydney | Keynote Speaker in Sydney |
| Melbourne | Keynote Speaker in Melbourne |
| Brisbane | Keynote Speaker in Brisbane |
| Perth | Keynote Speaker in Perth |
If your event is somewhere else entirely — regional Australia, Canberra, Alice Springs, Hobart, Darwin, or New Zealand — get in touch. Some of the most rewarding rooms I have worked in took a flight and a drive to reach.
What Does a Motivational Speaker in Australia Cost?
Organisers ask me this early, and it is a fair question. Fees vary widely depending on a speaker's profile, the format, and how much of the day they are involved in. These are indicative market ranges rather than my own fee:
| Speaker level | Typical fee (AUD) |
|---|---|
| Emerging or niche expert | $3,000 – $7,000 |
| Established professional speaker | $8,000 – $15,000 |
| Premium business leader or recognised author | $15,000 – $30,000+ |
| High-profile headline speaker | $30,000 – $50,000+ |
| Celebrity or global name | $50,000 – $100,000+ |
Travel and accommodation apply for events outside Sydney. I discuss investment openly in our first conversation and tailor the proposal to your event's scope, so you know where you stand before anything is committed.
Booking a Speaker From Interstate
- Travel and timing — For interstate and regional events I generally travel the day before, so a delayed flight never becomes your problem. My speakers agent arranges all of it
- Costs — Travel and accommodation are additional to the speaking fee for events outside Sydney, and set out in the proposal in writing
- Make the most of the trip — If I am already flying to you, many organisers add a workshop, a board session, a media appearance or a sponsor breakfast. Far better value than booking each separately
- Virtual sessions — Not every engagement needs a flight. I deliver strategy sessions and conference presentations remotely where that suits the format and the budget — most recently for the Ella Baché franchise network
- New Zealand and international — Happy to discuss. Lead time matters more here, so the earlier the conversation the better
You can learn more about my story and career, read my latest thinking, or tune in to the Handpicked with Naomi Simson podcast.
Motivational speaker in Australia — FAQs
What does a motivational speaker in Australia cost?
Fees in the Australian market range from roughly $3,000 to $7,000 for an emerging or niche expert, $8,000 to $15,000 for an established professional speaker, $15,000 to $30,000 or more for a premium business leader or recognised author, and $30,000 to $100,000 or more for high-profile headline and celebrity speakers. Travel and accommodation are additional for events outside Sydney.
How long does Naomi Simson speak for?
Generally between 45 and 60 minutes, and I always want a Q&A with the audience built into the session — the questions are often where the real work happens. Workshops, boardroom briefings and longer experiences are scoped to your brief rather than a standard running time.
Who arranges travel, transfers and accommodation?
My speakers agent does. They handle the flights, the transfers, the hotel and the briefing paperwork — capital cities, regional centres, islands and New Zealand alike — so your team is not managing my logistics on top of running an event. Travel and accommodation costs are additional for events outside Sydney and set out in the proposal in writing.
What happens before the event?
We hold a pre-brief. I want to understand how you want the audience to feel when they walk out, what your intention for the event is, and the message you need to land. I prepare the slides straight after that conversation, usually around two weeks before the event, and deliver them early so your AV team has plenty of time to test the deck and the sound.
What is the difference between a motivational speaker and a keynote speaker?
In practice the terms overlap, and most organisers use them interchangeably. The distinction that matters is not the label but the method. A motivational session that leaves people feeling good and changes nothing is entertainment. What I deliver is designed to lift the room and leave it with at least one framework it can apply the following week.
How do I brief a motivational speaker properly?
Start with the outcome rather than the topic. Tell me what you want your audience to do differently after the event, who is in the room, what they are worried about, and what has already been tried. The more detail in the brief, the more research I can do, and the more the session will feel built for your audience rather than borrowed from someone else's.
Do you speak outside the capital cities?
Yes, and some of my favourite rooms have been regional. I am headlining the Destination NT Conference in Alice Springs in November 2026, and I have spoken at Singleton Civic Centre in the Hunter Valley, Toowoomba City Hall, Merewether Surfhouse in Newcastle, GMHBA Stadium in Geelong, the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra, RACV Royal Pines on the Gold Coast and the Hamilton Island Conference Centre.
Do you travel to New Zealand?
Yes. I delivered the keynote for the Harcourts Group conference at Takina in Wellington in 2024, on making AI a friend to your business. Big Red Group operates across Australia and New Zealand, so the market is one I know well.
Do you deliver virtual presentations?
Yes. Not every engagement needs a flight. I delivered a virtual strategy presentation for the Ella Baché franchise conference in October 2026, and I regularly present remotely where that suits the format, the audience and the budget — particularly for franchise networks with people spread across the country.
How far in advance should I book?
For major conferences and annual events, three to six months ahead is ideal. For smaller corporate events, four to eight weeks is usually enough. For regional, interstate and New Zealand events, earlier is better because of travel logistics.
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