The Alumni Education and Travel (AET) team collaborates with regional associations, affinity groups, and classes to facilitate connections with faculty, administrators, and athletic coaches. Each group is entitled to one in-person University speaker per academic year.

Recent Speakers Bureau events include:

• Rudresh Mahanthappa, Senior Lecturer in Music. Director, Program in Jazz Studies. Director, Program in Jazz Studies, spoke to the Princeton Club of Michigan. October 2023 
• Alan Patten, Howard Harrison and Gabrielle Snyder Beck Professor of Politics, spoke to the Princeton Alumni Association of Canada’s Toronto Chapter. November, 2023
• Abby Brethauer, Head Coach, Women's Swimming & Diving, gave a talk to the Princeton Club of Austin. April 2024 
• Carlos Brody, Wilbur H. Gantz III '59 Professor of Neuroscience gave a talk to the Princeton Alumni Association of Rhode Island. May 2024 
• Arvind Narayanan, Professor of Computer Science. Director, Center for Information Technology Policy. Professor Narayanan spoke to regional Princeton alumni at the 4th Annual Multi-City Virtual Speaker Event sponsored by the Princeton Alumni Association of Essex and Hudson Counties, New Jersey in collaboration with the Princeton Club of Northern California, Princeton Alumni Association of New York City, Princeton Club of Washington, D.C., Princeton Alumni Association of Northern New Jersey, Princeton Area Alumni Association, Princeton Club of Philadelphia, Princeton Club of Austin, Princeton Club of Georgia, Princeton Association of New England, Princeton Club of Chicago, Princeton Club of St. Louis, Princeton Alumni Association of Houston, and the Princeton Club of Southwest Florida. May 2024

Q: How do I request a University speaker for my event?
A: Submit a Speakers Bureau Request Form. Requests for in-person speakers must be submitted four months in advance and requests for virtual speakers must be submitted two months in advance.

Q: What are the steps to plan a Speakers Bureau event?
A: Step One: Provide the following information when submitting the Speakers Bureau Request Form: 

• Proposed location for your event and type of venue (home, restaurant, lecture hall, country club)
• 2-3 possible dates for your event
• Topic or field of study of greatest interest to your group.
• The anticipated number of attendees for your event.

Step Two: Receive an email from Alumni Education and Travel confirming receipt of your request. 

Step Three: The AET team will reach out via email to gather additional event details and provide potential speaker options. 

Step Four: Once AET confirms a speaker for your event, they will notify you via email and provide additional resources for event promotion. AET will manage the speaker's travel arrangements and will cover all trip-related expenses.  

Step Five: Alumni groups are responsible for promoting the event on their website, sending event invitations, processing event ticket payments, and covering all event-related costs, including venue, food, and beverages.

Q: Who are the participants in the Speakers Bureau available to speak to my alumni gathering?
A: Various faculty, librarians, university administrators and athletic coaches are invited to participate as keynote speakers for alumni-led events through the Speakers Bureau Program, unless they are on leave. Specific speaker requests are not guaranteed. As our faculty and coaches are in high demand, groups are encouraged to submit a topic of interest rather than the name of a preferred speaker. 

Q: What should target attendance be for a Speakers Bureau event?
A: For small and medium-sized associations, an attendance goal of 30-50 guests is ideal. Large associations should aim for 80 guests.

Q: If I have questions about the Speakers Bureau whom should I contact?
A: Please contact Ann Healy Guarnaccia at annbg@princeton.edu or 609-258-7305.