Aaron Rehberg, CCSB President

02/26/26 | Speaker Showcase

What Meeting Planners Learned from Seeing 18 Keynote Speakers Live in One Day
Capitol City Speakers Bureau Showcase

2026  Showcase Format

We gave each speaker 18 minutes to present a sample of their signature keynote. This boils down to maybe 3 or 4 stories, which is just enough to really gauge a speaker’s presence, their depth of topic, their ability to transition, and their ability to read the room and engage the audience. Eight to ten minute timeslots, we find, are not enough time for the speaker to really showcase what they can do.

For this year’s showcase, we chose to experiment with a higher number of keynote speakers than in years past. We landed on 18 speakers who covered a variety of topics our meeting planning partners told us are important to them right now. Everything from AI to experiential, leadership to longevity.

Throughout the day, Katheryne and I tried to spend time with every planner in attendance, gathering feedback, learning about their upcoming events, and seeing which speakers resonated most with them. The room looked so good, and so did our audience and speakers that day.

Efficiency

Everyone knows our most precious commodity is time. Why is a speaker showcase an incredibly productive tool for a speaker buyer? I’ve worked with planners who are willing to fly across the country, miss multiple days of work, to view one single keynote speaker prior to booking them for their event. Not 18 speakers. One speaker. That might sound crazy, but that’s how important the speaker selection decision is to some planners.

Investing a day to attend a showcase will almost certainly give you and your team viable speaker options on a number of topics for the next several years. When you leave the showcase, you know fairly certain that A.) This speaker is perfect for our audience or B.) This speaker is not a fit for our audience.

Another key efficiency to attending a showcase event is your headspace is fully locked in on speaker selection. In the day to day setting, a planner might review a few speakers in a day or spend a few minutes looking at speakers, but rarely is this kind of focused time allowed to really hone in on the keynote speaker.

Human Connection

Zoom discovery calls, or “vibe checks” as we like to call them, are ever more present than in years past. Planners want a quick pulse check that they got the speaker selection correct, and meeting with the speaker before signing a contract is a good way to do that.

What our event offered was something far more powerful. Full access to all 18 speakers throughout the day. At breaks, over lunch, during coffee, and in the hallway during a session that might not be as relevant to the planner. I enjoyed watching all the discussions take place and brainstorming about how the speakers could play a role at an upcoming client event. Planners seemed to start conversations about future events immediately. “We’re all booked for 2026, but I’d definitely consider them for 2027 or 2028.”

Trust and Confidence

One of the pressure points of being a meeting planner is your decision making judgment being put to the test regularly. Many planners I work with may not be the end decision maker. They have boards, CEOs, and larger teams to gain buy-in from before selecting a speaker. When you have the ability to say no, but not yes, your recommendation is something that must carry weight.

Seeing speakers live at a showcase helps build confidence to get other stakeholders bought in. For instance, after attending our showcase, a planner could report back to their team with this:

“I saw Ray McElroy at this year’s CCSB speaker showcase. He presented for 18 minutes, had the audience up on stage, did a fun skit with a football, and discussed how his 13 year NFL career has set him up to help others in the future. I then spoke with him in the hall after his presentation. What a great guy. He definitely passes the dinner and drinks interest level test for me.”

One thing we remind ourselves each time we host the showcase is that videos show content, but live showcases reveal true connection. Meeting planners are not just booking content. They are in search of experience, energy, and most of all, trust.

2026 Showcase Speaker Highlights

Here are just a few of our amazing speakers who presented throughout the day and what planners learned:

Janine Stange – The National Anthem Girl has sung the National Anthem in all 50 states and paired a beautiful rendition of our nation’s song with a preview of her signature keynote, “Choose to Rise.” #Purpose

Planner Testimonial: “Love her energy, her accent, her story, her intention with the national anthem, and the pace of her presentation.”

Gene Marks – What was once thought of as impossible, a CPA can be dynamic, funny, and entertaining. Gene’s AI content was current, helpful, and eye opening to any planner in the room who hasn’t been knee deep in ChatGPT for the past year. #PracticalTakeaways

Planner Testimonial: “High energy. Much to learn for business and personal application.”

Michelle Cederberg’s skit on how to achieve success in 2026 was relatable, true, engaging, and hilarious. She shared with us how science based strategies are used to eliminate burnout. #Energy

Planner Testimonial: “Thought she was fantastic and would like information on her for our future women’s conference. I believe she could really help our audience strategize and energize them. Her energy is contagious.”

Danny Bader – The audience couldn’t get enough of Danny’s story. As I watched from the back of the room, eyeballs were glued on the stage. This man died for 6 minutes, left his body, returned to life, and lives to tell audiences a powerful story about living. #Inspiration

Planner Testimonial: “Fantastic. Thank you for challenging me. I WILL show up for others and me.” “Perfect. Had everyone in the room.”