ESSAE & MPI UNY Members Can Now Source Speakers With Data, Not Guesswork

If you have ever tried to book a speaker and felt like you were staring into a black box, you are not alone. You see polished websites, bold claims, and highlight reels. What you do not see is the one thing that actually predicts whether a keynote will land, real audience outcomes.

That is the gap Talkadot was built to close, and ESSAE & MPI UNY members now get access at no cost.

What Talkadot Is, and Why It Matters Right Now

Talkadot is an AI-powered speaker sourcing platform designed for event organizers who want less risk and more certainty. Instead of relying on sales copy, it uses a feedback engine built across a database of 12,000+ speakers, with typical audience response rates in the 60 to 80 percent range.

Translation, it is not just who a speaker is, it is what actually happened in the room.

Through ESSAE’s partnership with Talkadot, ESSAE & MPI UNY members can use the platform to find speakers using performance data, without adding cost beyond the speaker budget you already have.

The Key Difference: Outcomes, Not Opinions

Most sourcing processes focus on inputs: topic, bio, and brand. Talkadot focuses on outputs:

• What did attendees say they learned

• What changed in their thinking or behavior

• What the audience rated, and why

• Which outcomes show up repeatedly across different rooms and buyer types

The platform’s AI analyzes audience feedback and testimonials to extract consistent themes and measurable outcomes, then pairs that with expert human review before recommendations are delivered.

How the Process Works

Talkadot is built for speed, clarity, and apples-to-apples comparisons.

1. Submit a request form
   Share your event details, budget, audience, and the outcomes you want, in plain English.

2. AI matching, then expert review
   The platform analyzes the database, then a human expert reviews the matches to ensure they fit your context and constraints.

3. Get a shortlist of 3 speakers within budget
   You receive a curated set of options that match your goals and your financial range.

4. Compare speakers without the spreadsheet chaos
   Each speaker is presented with practical details that make decision-making easier:

• Videos

• Ratings and feedback highlights

• Travel and location considerations

• Past venues and client testimonials

• Outcomes based on actual audience feedback

If the first set does not feel right, you can request a different direction and keep iterating until it does.

5. Full service support through booking and logistics
   Talkadot supports you through the process, not just the handoff.

“Free Access” Really Means Free Access

For ESSAE & MPI UNY members, there is no platform fee added to your event budget.

Talkadot’s fee is taken from the speaker’s payment, rather than being layered on top of what you pay as the client. In other words, you keep your current budget framework, and you gain a data-backed sourcing process inside it.

What Makes the Database Different

Talkadot’s speaker profiles go beyond the usual marketing assets. They are built around performance signals:

• 12,000+ speakers with quantitative and qualitative feedback data

• AI analysis across testimonials to surface true audience outcomes

• Price elasticity insight, speakers may accept lower fees than their listed rates depending on fit and timing

• Geographic flexibility insight, the data often shows speakers will travel farther than you would assume for the right match

• Detailed history, including past venues and client experiences where available

The goal is simple, reduce the risk of a mismatch and increase confidence that your speaker will deliver what your audience needs.

Common Questions, Answered

Do I need to create an account?
No. Planners can submit a request without a signup step.

Can I share a range instead of a single number for budget?
Yes. You can submit something like “$5K ideal, could stretch to $7.5K.”

What if I am planning early and do not have firm dates yet?
That is fine. You can browse and explore options before everything is locked.

What if I do not know what type of speaker I need?
Talkadot can provide categories and guidance, and you can request help narrowing the lane.

What if my event is complex, or the stakeholder group is… spirited?
One-on-one consultation calls are available when you want a more hands-on approach.

Try It Now

If you are ready to find your next speaker with less guesswork and more proof, start here:

https://www.talkadot.com/partnerships/essae

Missed the webinar on January 14, 2026? Watch is here now: https://youtu.be/KrRxmZL9ap8    

For years, through Healthy by Association, we’ve talked openly about wellbeing in the association and hospitality communities — movement, nutrition, rest, boundaries, community. But over time, I’ve noticed something deeper happening in conversations with colleagues, clients, and friends: Leadership is taking a heavy toll on people. Not because they’re doing anything wrong — but because the role itself has changed.

Today’s leaders are juggling:

• constant travel
• nonstop expectations
• year-end pressures
• organizational change
• shrinking teams and expanding workloads
• culture-building responsibilities
• the emotional labor of supporting everyone else

And while so many leaders are committed to creating healthier workplaces, they often feel they can’t talk about their own burnout, loneliness, or mental health challenges. That gap — that silence — is why The Leadership Wellbeing Series was born.

This new podcast, co-hosted with my friend and colleague Tara Puckey, creates space for honest conversations about what it really takes to lead well without losing yourself in the process. Each episode features leaders who are willing to speak candidly about stress, boundaries, stigma, resilience, and the power of connection.

Season 1 explores six themes we know leaders are craving space to talk about:

State Societies as Bridge-Builders: Strengthening Associations Through Local Anchors 

Across the country, state societies of association executives are some of the most vital — and often under-celebrated — communities in our field. They are not extensions of a national body, nor subsidiaries of ASAE. They are independent, mission-driven organizations that exist to serve association professionals in their own states with a powerful mix of accessibility, intimacy, and relevance.

For early-career professionals and smaller associations, these societies provide an affordable, close-to-home entry point into the larger world of association leadership. For seasoned executives, they are a trusted circle of peers who understand the unique dynamics of a particular state or region. And for all of us, they are laboratories of leadership, places where volunteer opportunities translate into hands-on growth, and where the connections made feel personal and lasting.

At a time when state-level advocacy often outpaces national lobbying in effectiveness, and when local trust and personal networks are more influential than distant messages, state societies stand out as essential anchors for the health of our profession. They remind us that associations are, at their best, built from community up — not headquarters down.

The Local Advantage: Why State Societies Matter

I have the honor of visiting, teaching at, and facilitating for more than a handful of state societies of association executives each year. Step into one of their meetings or events and you immediately see: no two are the same. Each is a dynamic and uniquely impressive community, attuned to its local culture and member needs. That individuality is part of their strength — they reflect the personality and priorities of their state while delivering consistent value to their members.

State societies succeed because they meet people where they are — literally and figuratively. Their strength lies in their proximity, their accessibility, and their ability to tailor value to the specific needs of their members.

- Accessible entry points. Dues and programs are often more affordable, events are closer to home, and the time investment is manageable. For professionals working in smaller associations, or those just starting their careers, this creates a critical on-ramp into the profession. 
- Personalized community. In rooms small enough to learn everyone’s name, peer relationships are easier to form, trust develops quickly, and the sense of belonging runs deep. 
- Leadership development. Volunteer service at the state level is a proving ground — a place where new leaders can build governance experience, test their skills, and gain confidence before stepping into larger roles.

Looking to Advance In Your Career? Start With How Well You Can Write. 

By Frances J. Trelease

Amanda Lea Kaiser: How Tiny Moments Make or Break Engagement

Engagement is built one tiny yes at a time. Learn more by participating in the New Member Engagement Study!

Nonprofits and AI: Managing Legal and Other Risks
by Holly E. Peterson, Esq., Counsel, Tenenbaum Law Group PLLC

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) is ubiquitous. Even those most skeptical of AI almost certainly use AI as matter of routine, whether through the spell-check feature in Microsoft Word, the auto-correct feature in text messages, the auto-complete feature in various applications, web searches, closed-captioning, digital traffic maps, smart home devices, suggested responses on Gmail, Siri, and so forth. At this point in time, it is not realistic to imagine a business where AI is not used in some form. Even so, nonprofit organizations should carefully weigh the benefits of AI against legal and reputational risks. For example, a nonprofit may wish to authorize the use of AI to capture committee or working group notes, but, might there ever be times when such authorization is imprudent, for example, if a committee or working group is discussing sensitive, confidential, or proprietary information? Consider another example where a nonprofit uses AI to assist in the peer review of a journal article. This could be efficient and highly valuable, but it also could prompt legal, reputational, or scholarly concerns.