About Us
Why
We come to work every day inspired to change the world by helping our clients put the right speaker in front of the right audience at the right time.
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Speakers’ Spotlight was started on the belief that a speech can change the world. Today, not only do we still believe this, we believe it is the only reason to give a speech.
Whether it’s at work, at home, or in the community, a great speaker can provide the impetus for action and be the catalyst for change.
How
We hold ourselves accountable to these core values and beliefs, which guide everything we do.
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We are a company made up of passionate and compassionate people.
We value relationships more than transactions.
We respect intelligence, not arrogance.
We do everything with the long term—not the short term—in mind.
We take what we do seriously, but we don’t take ourselves too seriously.
The ability to connect talent with organizations is both an art and a science. It is part knowledge, part intuition. It requires more than just information—it requires experience, perspective, and wisdom.
Each year, Speakers’ Spotlight is approached by over 1,000 speakers seeking representation. Less than one percent of these end up on our roster. Needless to say, we’re very selective. We have to be—we’re the guardians of our clients’ good taste.
When organizing a conference, meeting, or special event, it is critical that the speakers you put in front of your audience exemplify the values of your organization, are relevant and timely, are in line with your objectives, and—of course—fit within your budget.
Today, anyone can go to the internet and find hundreds, if not thousands, of speakers on any given topic. The questions are, how do you know if they are any good? And perhaps more importantly, how do you know if they are right for your event?
By listening intelligently to your needs and objectives, and matching those with our collective knowledge and experience, we can recommend the perfect solutions to help you achieve your event and organizational goals.
What
We've earned our reputation for providing outstanding service and solutions through our ability to connect talent with organizations in four primary ways.
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1. Speakers
We represent a talented roster of many of the world’s most extraordinary speakers, leading thinkers, and inspiring individuals. Their experience is as broad as it is deep, and they are all leaders in their respective fields, which include business, politics, sports, media, academia, science, technology, culture, and entertainment. We also represent outstanding moderators, entertainers, and emcees who can bring your event to life or tie it all together.
2. Celebrity
We connect entertainment, sports, media personalities, and various experts with corporations, charities and brands worldwide. By serving as your talent procurement partner, we leverage our experience and expertise to help you find the perfect fit. We negotiate to secure you the best terms possible and provide counsel and insight on how to most effectively utilize celebrities to achieve your objectives. We assist our clients by providing talent for a wide variety of initiatives including sponsorships, endorsements, public relations campaigns, product launches, personal appearances, television programs and more.
3. Learning & Development
We work closely with a select group of leading practitioners and acknowledged subject-matter experts from a variety of fields and disciplines. They deliver practical workshops, in-depth training programs, facilitation, consulting services, and many other types of customized solutions designed to help our clients achieve their organizational goals and develop their employees.
4. Digital
Speakers’ Spotlight Digital provides leading-edge, innovative, practical, and original digital content created by highly acclaimed leaders from a variety of fields. Our clients now have the opportunity to achieve their organizational and personal skill-building goals through a variety of creative initiatives, including fully-customized projects; interactive e-learning courses, complete with testing and measurable results; and engaging videos that sustain the message from some of our most popular keynote offerings.
Our Story
In 1995, Martin and Farah Perelmuter took an entrepreneurial leap of faith. They started Speakers’ Spotlight with a strong belief that the needs of conference organizers, meeting planners, and speakers could be served in new and better ways, and that a speech can be the catalyst for positive change. They also believed that if they built the business on a foundation of trust, then the strength of relationships with clients and speakers would ultimately determine the company’s success.
Farah and Martin began Speakers’ Spotlight in a little room in their apartment where they shared a phone. Their challenges were many — they had no clients, no experience, no staff, and no money. But these entrepreneurs had a strong vision and a lot of ambition.
Today, Speakers’ Spotlight has grown into one of the world’s largest and most respected speakers’ agencies, with offices in Toronto and Calgary, and the best staff in the industry, and they have raised the bar of professionalism, service, and integrity to a new level.
To date, Speakers’ Spotlight has arranged more than 25,000 speaking engagements in over 30 countries worldwide, and has been fortunate to receive many awards and accolades along the way.
A Few Testimonials From Our Speakers Over The Years…
“I have worked with Martin and Farah Perelmuter for the past three years, during which they have represented me for my public speaking engagements. They run an extremely efficient and effective agency, they have empowered their team and provide truly exceptional service to their clients. Martin and Farah are dynamic entrepreneurs, and caring, compassionate people who exemplify the qualities of integrity and excellence. They are also committed to corporate social responsibility, evidenced by their strong support of organizations such as Free the Children and Kiva.org. As entrepreneurs, they view their responsibility as extending beyond their own company’s bottom-line, and their enthusiastic community service provides an excellent example of how every individual has an opportunity to make a difference.”
JUSTIN TRUDEAU
Prime Minister of Canada
“I have known and worked with Farah and Martin for the past few years and find them to be professional and helpful in every way…I have been particularly impressed with Martin and Farah’s commitment to social responsibility initiatives… As entrepreneurs, they are committed to not just building a healthy bottom-line in their business, but also a healthier community, which I feel is an indication of their strong character.”
THE RIGHT HONOURABLE ADRIENNE CLARKSON
Former Governor General of Canada
“I have had the pleasure of knowing and working with Martin and Farah Perelmuter for the past twelve years. During this time, I have seen their business, Speakers’ Spotlight, grow into Canada’s leading bureau, due in large part to their leadership, hard work, integrity and professionalism. They have represented me as a speaker during this time, and I am proud to be associated with them.
While their business success is outstanding, what really stands out for me is their commitment to many charitable and community organizations. They are dynamic individuals who are both passionate about their work and compassionate about people and causes…”
SILKEN LAUMANN
Olympic Hero
“…I have had the opportunity of working with [Farah and Martin] for several years, virtually since they began their company, Speakers’ Spotlight, and am impressed by the freshness and professionalism with which they have built a business which spans our diverse country, and reaches beyond. I commend their commitment to corporate social responsibility, and their clear personal interest in the non-profit organizations with which Speakers’ Spotlight works.
In my judgement, Martin and Farah Perelmuter embody… leadership, integrity and imagination…”
THE RIGHT HONOURABLE JOE CLARK
Former Canadian Prime Minister
“I have worked with Martin and Farah Perelmuter and their team at Speakers’ Spotlight for over a decade. My experience in dealing with them has been excellent – they are passionate about their business, about the people they work with, and about the community in which they live and work. When I began working with Speakers’ Spotlight, they were a relatively new company, operating out of Martin and Farah’s home, and since that time have grown into the largest speakers’ bureau in Canada. Yet, despite their growth, Martin and Farah’s personal commitment to their company and their speakers and clients are as evident today as it was at the beginning. They have also empowered their team to operate with exceptional levels of service and efficiency, which is a tribute to Martin and Farah’s leadership skills.
Martin and Farah’s charitable and community involvement have always impressed me. They have supported many excellent causes including the Children’s Wish Foundation, Special Olympics, Ontario Literacy Coalition, Free The Children and Kiva.org.
The Perelmuters are dynamic leaders who exemplify the qualities of trust, integrity and respect…”
DR. ROBERTA BONDAR
Physician, Scientist, Astronaut & Photographer
“While I have only known and worked with Martin and Farah Perelmuter for a few months, I have been very impressed with how they run their company, Speakers’ Spotlight, and how they treat their clients, staff and speakers: with respect, attentiveness and professionalism. I have also been impressed with their commitment as not only being business leaders but also community leaders…”
GENERAL RICK HILLIER
Former Chief of the Defence Staff for Canadian Forces
“I have known Martin and Farah Perelmuter for the past seven years, as their company Speakers’ Spotlight has represented me for my public speaking engagements.
Martin and Farah are dynamic entrepreneurs who have built their company into the largest speakers’ bureau in Canada by operating with the highest degree of professionalism, integrity, and ethics. They are also committed to corporate social responsibility, and their strong support of various charitable and community organizations exemplify their leadership qualities and strong character…”
THE HON. PRESTON MANNING
Founder of the Reform Party of Canada
“I have known and worked with Martin and Farah Perelmuter for the past ten years. During this time, their company, Speakers’ Spotlight, has been my exclusive Canadian agency.
They run an outstanding organization that adheres to the highest levels of professionalism, integrity and ethics. Thanks to Martin and Farah’s extraordinary leadership, Speakers’ Spotlight has become Canada’s leading bureau – one that boasts an international reputation. I am very proud to have been associated with their enterprise from its early days, and I’m looking forward to many more years of working closely with them.
In addition to their business success, Martin and Farah consistently demonstrate great compassion for and commitment to the broader community. They believe in giving back, and their respect for people and the planet is evident in everything they do…”
DR. THOMAS HOMER-DIXON
Global Visionary
Centre for International Governance Innovation
Balsille School of International Affairs
Professor, Political Science
Centre for Environment and Business
University of Waterloo