Speakers · MCs & Hosts · Keynotes · Australia-wide

Book speakers and MCs in Australia.

Choose your speaker. We’ll handle everything after that.

Olympians, Paralympians, AFLW and NRL players, adventurers and media personalities. Read who they are, see what they speak about, and tell us the date — we brief them to your theme, your audience and your objective before they walk on stage.

Conferences and corporate events · Schools, clubs and community programs · Brand activations and sponsor events · One point of contact from brief to run sheet

An Agency X speaker mid-delivery in front of a live audience
Featured speakers

Five who consistently deliver the room.

Every speaker here is represented by Agency X, briefed by us before the event, and booked through one point of contact. The full speaking roster follows below.

Shayna Jack OAM OLY — Australian Swimmer
01 Australian Swimmer · OAM · OLY

Shayna Jack OAM OLY

One of Australian sport’s great comeback stories, told without varnish by the person who lived it. Two Olympic gold medals and two world records — with years away from the sport, under a level of public scrutiny few people survive, in between. Book her when the room needs proof that a career can be rebuilt, not a highlight reel.

Unlocking ResilienceIntegrity Under PressureThe Comeback Mindset
Best suited to
Corporate conferences · Schools & academies · Brand events
Formats
Keynote · Panel & Q&A · Workshop
Andrew McCullough — NRL Legend & Media Personality
02 NRL Legend & Media Personality

Andrew McCullough

Three hundred NRL games puts him in a club of four. What makes him worth booking is that he can explain how — the unglamorous, repeatable habits behind fifteen seasons at the top, in language a sales team and a Year 11 cohort both recognise. Now a broadcaster, so he is comfortable in front of a room and reads it as he goes.

Leadership Under PressureTeam Culture & ResilienceLife After the WhistleMental Fitness & Men’s Wellbeing
Best suited to
Schools & junior sport · Corporate events · Sporting lunches
Formats
Keynote · Panel & Q&A · Workshop
Grant ‘Scooter’ Patterson PLY — Australian Paralympic Swimmer
03 Australian Paralympic Swimmer · PLY

Grant ‘Scooter’ Patterson PLY

Four Paralympic medals across three Games and sixteen years in national colours — but the reason broadcasters build coverage around him is the personality. Funny, unfiltered and impossible to tune out, which is exactly why he works with audiences that switch off during a conventional keynote. Book him when the room is young, restless, or has heard it all before.

Finding Ability in DisabilityResilience & PositivityEnergy, Culture & Being Unapologetically Yourself
Best suited to
Schools & community · Inclusion programs · Corporate events
Formats
Keynote · Panel & Q&A · Workshop
Oliver Foran — Australian Mountaineer
04 Australian Mountaineer, Adventurer & Mental Health Advocate

Oliver Foran

The fastest sea-to-summit Everest climb in history buys him about ninety seconds of attention. What he does with it is the point — he turns an experience nobody in the room can relate to into decisions they make every week: when to push, when to turn back, and what to do when the plan stops working. Booked as readily by schools as by boardrooms, and the feedback reads the same from both.

The Everest Record: Resilience at 8,849 MetresThe Climb Back: Youth Mental HealthEndurance & Goal-Setting
Best suited to
Corporate conferences · Schools · Wellbeing & mental health programs
Formats
Keynote · Panel & Q&A · Workshop
Tim Hodge OAM PLY — Australian Paralympic Swimmer
05 Australian Paralympic Swimmer · OAM · PLY

Tim Hodge OAM PLY

Dual Paralympic gold, four world titles and a world record — built alongside a full-time career, not instead of one. That combination is rare and it is why he lands with corporate audiences: he is not asking them to imagine life as a full-time athlete, he is describing how he did both at once. Book him for rooms that are tired of being told to simply work harder.

High Performance Under PressureResilience & AdversityBalancing Elite Sport and a Career
Best suited to
Corporate conferences · Schools & academies · Inclusion programs
Formats
Keynote · Panel & Q&A · Workshop
Speaking topics

What our speakers are booked to talk about.

Themes, not scripts. Every talk is shaped around your audience and your objective before the day — tell us the outcome you want and we’ll match the speaker to it.

Performance & mindset

How elite performers prepare, compete and recover — translated into language that works for a commercial audience.

  • Performing under pressure
  • Preparation and routine
  • Handling setbacks and failure
  • Consistency over a long career

Leadership & team culture

Captains, veterans and coaches on what actually builds a team that holds together when results turn.

  • Leading peers, not subordinates
  • Culture under pressure
  • Accountability and standards
  • Succession and transition

Resilience & wellbeing

Delivered with care and framed for the audience in the room — including school and community groups.

  • Managing public scrutiny
  • Identity beyond the sport
  • Mental health in high-performance settings
  • Life after elite competition

Inclusion & accessibility

Paralympians and athletes from diverse backgrounds on inclusion as something you design for, not talk about.

  • Disability and accessibility in practice
  • Women in sport and business
  • Cultural identity and belonging
  • Pathways and access

Youth, schools & pathways

Age-appropriate sessions for students and junior athletes, built around the questions they actually ask.

  • Goal setting that survives contact
  • Balancing sport, study and life
  • Social media and reputation
  • Career pathways in sport

Adventure & endurance

For audiences who need a story from outside their own industry — and the transferable lesson underneath it.

  • Extreme goal-setting
  • Risk and decision-making
  • Endurance and self-management
  • Purpose after achievement
Who we speak to

Three very different rooms. Three different briefs.

The same speaker does not give the same talk to a boardroom, a school hall and a sponsor activation. We brief for the room you actually have.

01

Corporate & conference

Keynotes, conference sessions, leadership offsites, awards nights, sales kick-offs and client events.

What we get right

Translating sport into your language — your strategy, your pressure points, your year. No generic locker-room analogy.

02

Schools & community

School assemblies and year-level sessions, sporting clubs and academies, council and community programs, clinics.

What we get right

Age-appropriate content, sensitive topics handled with care, and speakers who stay for photos and questions afterwards.

03

Brand & sponsor events

Activations, product launches, sponsor hospitality, trade events, retail appearances and content days.

What we get right

Speaking briefs written to a marketing objective, with content, media and rights sorted in the same agreement.

Formats and logistics

Choose the format that suits your program.

Keynote

20–45 min

A structured talk built around your theme. The default for conferences, assemblies and awards nights.

Panel & Q&A

20–60 min

Interview or panel format with a moderator, opened up to audience questions. Often more engaging than a keynote, and the format most speakers are strongest in. We can supply the moderator as well.

Workshop

60–120 min

Interactive session for a smaller group — leadership, team culture, athlete development or wellbeing, worked through rather than presented at.

Virtual

20–45 min

Streamed keynote or Q&A for distributed teams and regional schools. Lower cost, no travel. Available from every speaker on this page.

Where they travel

Most of our roster is based in South East Queensland and books nationally. Interstate and regional bookings are standard — travel and accommodation are quoted with the fee, not added later.

What’s included

Speaker briefing on your audience and objective, run-sheet coordination, AV requirements, travel logistics and one point of contact from enquiry to invoice.

Lead time

Six to eight weeks is comfortable for a keynote. We can often move faster — ask, because availability varies by season and competition schedule.

How booking works

Four steps. One point of contact.

01

Brief

Date, audience, objective and budget. Five minutes on the form below, or a phone call.

02

Options

Already know who you want? We come back with their availability and fee within one business day. Still deciding? We’ll put up two or three who fit the brief.

03

Terms

Deliverables, travel, content rights and fee locked in writing before anything is committed.

04

Deliver

Speaker briefed on your theme, logistics coordinated, and someone from Agency X across it on the day.

What organisers say

The room, described by the people who booked it.

“It is rare that a room of over 200 guests are silent for more than 30 continuous minutes, but from the moment Shayna started sharing her story, you could hear a pin drop! No one moved for the entirety of Shayna’s keynote address, so enthralling and captivating was her presence and delivery of her remarkable story… We have been overwhelmed with glowing feedback for Shayna and her story and would love to welcome Shayna back anytime.”

KEYNOTE CLIENT — INSURANCE INDUSTRY EVENT

“Oliver delivered a moving and inspiring keynote to our team at Harcourts Property Centre, speaking about resilience, overcoming adversity and finding purpose. The experiences he draws from are incredibly rare, and he was able to turn them into lessons that really resonated with our team. He was genuine, engaging and left a lasting impact on the room.”

SAM DEVLIN — DIRECTOR, HARCOURTS PROPERTY CENTRE

“Andrew McCullough presented a great message to our students and families at our Academy Launch. He was truly professional, contacting prior to the event to ensure that his message was in line with our vision for the night and for the Academy. He engaged the crowd in a keynote presentation, highlighting his career as well as setbacks in sport. Our community loved the message and we are continually hearing about takeaways and discussions that were had around the Dinner Table that night as a result.”

DAN KERR — DIRECTOR OF SPORT, GRACE LUTHERAN COLLEGE

“Oliver’s presentation to our Year 10 students was outstanding. His honesty, energy, and ability to connect with young people was exceptional. Oliver’s story of resilience and finding purpose resonated deeply, sparking genuine conversations among students long after he left. Oliver has a unique gift for inspiring young people to reflect on their own lives and discover their ‘why.’ We would highly recommend him to any school or organisation looking for a speaker who truly makes an impact.”

ERIN HARDY — APRE, CARMEL COLLEGE THORNLANDS

“Grant’s attendance was a major draw card for attendees — families travelled as far as 3 hours away to attend. The All Abilities Gala Day began with Grant sharing his inspiring journey and how he got involved in swimming, including challenges he had to overcome — everyone was on the edge of their seats. Grant’s way of speaking allowed him to connect with all attendees — swimmers, non-swimmers, coaches, parents and all other onlookers. The impact on the children that attended was phenomenal.”

SWIMMING NT — ALL ABILITIES GALA DAY

“Peter held the room well. When he addresses the crowd people listen. He is extremely entertaining — at no point will you be bored with his presence on stage. His ability to extract stories from our speakers, plus stories people haven’t ever heard before, is like no other. I cannot express just how good he is. Wonderfully entertaining.”

SAM INGHAM-MYERS — NORMANBY HOTEL
Questions

Before you send the brief.

How far in advance should we book?

Six to eight weeks is comfortable for a keynote. We can often move faster — ask, because availability varies by season and competition schedule.

Will the speaker tailor the talk to our theme?

Yes. We brief every speaker on your audience, objective and theme before the event. A generic talk is a wasted booking.

Do you handle travel and logistics?

Yes. Travel, timings, AV requirements and run sheet coordination are managed as part of the booking.

How much does a speaker cost?

Fees vary by speaker, format, location and the deliverables attached — a 30-minute keynote in Brisbane and a full-day regional school visit are not the same booking. Tell us the brief and your budget range, and we’ll come back with speakers who fit it. We’d rather shortlist to your budget than send you a rate card you have to work backwards from.

Can you book speakers outside the capital cities?

Yes. Regional and interstate bookings are standard. Travel and accommodation are quoted with the fee up front, so there are no additions after you’ve approved the budget.

Are your speakers suitable for school audiences?

Many are, and several book school and junior sport programs regularly. Sessions are pitched to the year level, and sensitive subject matter is agreed with the school in advance. Tell us the age group and the outcome you want, and we’ll shortlist accordingly.

Can we book more than one speaker for the same event?

Yes — panels with two or three of our speakers are common, and we can supply the moderator as well. It’s booked as one agreement through one point of contact.

Can the speaker also do media, content or social for us?

Yes. Content capture, social posts, media interviews and photography can be built into the booking. Rights, usage and duration are agreed in the same agreement rather than negotiated afterwards.

What if we’re not sure who we want?

That’s the normal starting point. Send the brief without naming anyone and we’ll come back with a shortlist matched to your audience and objective.

Speaker shortlist

Tell us about your event.

We come back within one business day with availability and fees. Know who you want? Name them below. Still deciding? Tell us the brief and we’ll put up two or three who fit.

Prefer to talk? Call 0419 719 792 · hello@agencyx.com.au
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