In The News

The first African-American model to ever grace the cover of Vogue magazine recently shared the story of her groundbreaking achievement on Vogue’s “Behind the Moment” YouTube series. Supermodel and APB speaker Beverly Johnson was first featured on the cover of Vogue in 1974. At the time, she had no idea she was the first person of color to be published on the cover of the iconic fashion magazine. Johnson went on to appear on more than 500 other covers, including those of Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Essence, Ebony and French Elle.

As the pandemic continues to present business leaders with unprecedented challenges, our experts are here to weigh in on the leading topics keeping CEOs and executives up at night. From supply chain woes to the future of work, DEI and more, these sought-after speakers tell you what to expect, share implementable strategies for success and offer valuable insights into what the future holds.

With the recent outbreak of tornadoes and severe storms, many Midwestern and Southern cities are facing a grim reality—loss of life and homes and businesses flattened. Soon, utilities will be repaired, debris will be collected and taken away and leadership will have to ask the question, “Now what?” Can the residents of these decimated areas deal with the emotional burden? Is it possible for these communities to physically rebuild in a new or smarter way? For former Mayor of Oklahoma City Mick Cornett, the answer is “absolutely yes” because he’s seen his own city rebound from several disasters. 

It's hard to believe we find ourselves kicking off another year. Many of our clients align their speaker needs with important dates throughout the year and have found it helpful to have a listing of such commemorative occurrences. Below please find some of the dates for which speakers get booked the most. It's never too early to begin your event planning and our experienced and talented agents are ready to offer speaker recommendations to fit your needs. Working on something last minute? We can help with that too, as several of our speakers are available to do virtual events.

With deep sadness and great respect, we mourn the passing of Archbishop Desmond Tutu who has been a member of the APB family for decades. An iconic Nobel Laureate and human rights activist, Archbishop Tutu was known for tirelessly spreading peace, justice and democracy. A world leader and beacon of hope for all, he was once described by longtime friend Nelson Mandela as “Sometimes strident, often tender, never afraid and seldom without humor.” APB will forever feel grateful for having known and worked with such an incredible human being.

The Elders, an independent group of global leaders working together for peace, justice and human rights, recently expressed their deep disappointment that world leaders have not yet had the courage to head off the worst impacts of the climate crisis. The group published their feelings in a post on their website following the conclusion of the COP26 United Nations Climate Change Conference held in November in Glasgow, Scotland.   

APB speaker Phil Simon’s latest book has just been named one of the Top Business Books of 2021 by Dropcap. Reimagining Collaboration: Slack, Microsoft Teams, Zoom and the Post COVID World of Work was released in January.

It's hard to believe we are coming to the close of yet another year battling the COVID-19 pandemic. We've never been more grateful to have clients and speakers who have continued to collaborate with us through the chaos of it all. From virtual to in-person events, together we found new ways to continue to do what we love best: provide a way for people to see exciting personalities, world leaders, activists and innovators, unedited and unfiltered by mass media.

We look forward to working with you in 2022.

Nike’s purchase of a virtual sneaker studio earlier this week may be one of the smartest decisions the company has made in years and also a major signal about the future of virtual commerce, says Digital Content Strategist and Gen Z Marketer Sara Wilson. Check out why this APB speaker thinks all brands need to pay attention to this move towards the metaverse.

Sometimes just one small action can change a life. For APB speaker Mickey Rowe, Founder and Artistic Director of National Disability Theatre, it began when he was introduced to Seattle Children’s Theatre by his grandmother. Rowe, who is autistic and legally blind, was told that he could never enter the mainstream world. Acting changed all of that. In his new autobiography, Fearlessly Different: An Autistic Actor's Journey to Broadway's Biggest Stage, which was just called “immensely inspiring” by Publishers Weekly and will be available in March, Rowe tells the story of how he made it to The Great White Way.