Alumni Engagement works with the regional associations to help connect them with faculty, administrators and athletic coaches for speaking engagements that keep Princeton alumni connected to the intellectual life of the University. You may request a University speaker for your regional association event through the Alumni Engagement Speakers Bureau Program.

In general, we send one in-person University speaker per academic year to each regional association, affinity group and class. We base decisions on many factors, including the size and activity level of the requesting associations, affinity groups and classes.

Recent Speakers Bureaus events include:

• Gabe Vecchi, Professor of Geosciences and the High Meadows Environmental Institute, attended The Princeton Club of Northern California’s Princeton in the Sierras Camp and spoke about how climate change is affecting California. October 2021
• John Mack, Ford Family Director of Athletics, spoke virtually in conversation with the Princeton Alumni Association of New Hampshire, the Princeton Association of Vermont and the Princeton Association of New England. November 2021
• Sigrid Adriaenssens, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, visited the Princeton Club of South Florida where she spoke about building forms that adapt to the natural environment. April, 2022
• Jeffrey Whetstone, Professor of Visual Arts in the Lewis Center for the Arts, visited the Princeton Club of Austin where he delivered “Rural America through the Lenses of Anthropology and Mythology: Exploring the complicated bond between people and the landscape.” May, 2022
• Jacob Shapiro, Professor of Politics and International Affairs, Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, spoke in-person to the Princeton Club of San Diego about his book, Small Wars, Big Data: The Information Revolution in Modern Conflict. June, 2022
• Cara Morey, Head Coach of Women's Ice Hockey, spoke in-person to the Princeton Club of Wisconsin about the changed culture of Princeton Women’s Hockey that resulted in the successful team we have today. June, 2022

Q: How do I request a University speaker for my event?
A: You will need to submit a Speakers Bureau Request Form. Please note that we ask for four months’ advance notice to allow for time to secure a speaker for you.

Q: What are the steps to plan a Speakers Bureau event?
A: When you submit the Speakers Bureau Request Form, you will provide the following information:

• Proposed location for your event and type of venue (home, restaurant, lecture hall, country club)
• 2-3 possible dates for your event
• Preferred speaker, topic and/or field
• How many people you anticipate will attend you event

Working through these questions will provide an outline of your event. Once you submit the form, the process is as follows:

• You will receive an email from Alumni Engagement confirming receipt of your request.
• Alumni Engagement will work to secure a speaker for you. Once a speaker has been secured, you will be contacted and asked to provide additional event details.
• Alumni Engagement will make travel arrangements for the University speaker to attend your event.

Q: Who are the participants in the Speakers Bureau available to speak to my alumni gathering?
A: We work with our University speakers to find a time and date that is convenient both for the alumni and the speaker; this is not always possible for a given speaker, and we will work with you to find another outstanding speaker for your event.

Q: Who pays for the Speakers Bureau events?
A: Alumni Engagement pays for all travel expenses for the University speakers. Regional associations send out the invitations, process any ticket payments and pay all costs associated with the event itself, such as payments for the venue, food and beverages.

Q: What should I target for attendance for my Speakers Bureau event?
A: On average, 30-50 guests is a good attendance goal for small and medium-sized associations; large associations should aim for 80 guests.

Q: If I have questions about the Speakers Bureau, or would like to discuss it, whom should I contact?
A: Please contact Ann Healy Guarnaccia at annbg@princeton.edu or 609-258-7305. Additional information is available on the Speakers Bureau Request Form.

The Princeton University Speakers Bureau, under the auspices Alumni Engagement, offers faculty members, administrators and coaches from across the University the opportunity to serve as keynote speakers for our regional alumni associations throughout the country.

Regional association and affiliated group officers may request a speaker by submitting the Speakers Bureau Request Form.