National Speakers Association of the United States of America

The National Speakers Association is the leading organization in the United States for professional speakers. Since 1973, NSA has provided resources and education designed to advance the skills, integrity and value of its members and speaking profession.

NSA’s thousands of members include experts in a variety of industries and disciplines, who reach audiences as trainers, educators, humorists, motivators, consultants, authors and more. NSA has 39 state and regional independently-run chapters throughout the country.

In 1972, NSA’s founder,  Cavett Robert, CSP, CPAE, came to the realization that he was spending more to get bookings than he was earning from them. He wanted to create a forum for speakers to improve their skills, increase their business and network with their peers.

Cavett had a vision for an organization where professional speakers could convene to improve their presentations, exchange ideas and share experiences. He felt that everyone involved in the speaking profession would benefit from growing the number and quality of professional speakers. He referred to it as “making a bigger pie.”

Here are some significant points in NSA’s history:

• Our first newsletter, Speak Out (the predecessor to Speaker magazine) was created in 1974. 
• Voices of Experience (VOE) audio magazine (initially called “Cassette of the Month”) started in 1976.
• The CPAE Speaker Hall of Fame was created in 1977 with 39 speakers being inducted. CPAE originally stood for Continuare Professus Articulatus Excellere, eventually being changed to Council of Peers Award for Excellence and then to CPAE Speaker Hall of Fame.
• The Cavett Award was first given in 1979.
• Meet the Pros (formerly called the Mentor/Mentee Program) started at the 1979 Convention.
• Winter Workshops started in 1977 at the Lincolnshire Resort in Illinois.
• The first Certified Speaking Professionals were presented in 1981.
• The first chapters were chartered in 1981.
• The first two Conventions (1975—attendance of 60—and 1976—attendance of 200) were held at the Camelback Inn in Scottsdale, Ariz. The third Convention was held at the Biltmore Hotel in Phoenix. Our first “out of Arizona” convention was held in Louisville in 1978.
• Membership grew rapidly from 1975 to 1980, with very little promotion or solicitation, mostly from speakers telling other speakers. We went from 100 members in 1974 to more than 1,000 in 1980. The rest is ongoing history!

Since it was established in 1973, the National Speakers Association’s strength has sprung from its Founder Cavett Robert, CSP, CPAE. His love, encouragement, generosity and wisdom embody the spirit of NSA today and continue to guide the Association as it grows in number and diversity. We can never forget where our inspiration came from. That’s why we’ve incorporated a little bit of Cavett in everything we do and everything we’ve created at NSA—from our mission statement, Code of Ethics, Conventions, Workshops and Professional Experts Groups (PEGs). Cavett displayed an uncanny ability to inspire others and share his wisdom and expertise. “A desire to help others is our most noble attribute; it gives immortal momentum to life and is our only certain path to heaven,” he would say.

Awards and Recognition at NSA   

NSA is proud to recognize the men and women who have made a difference in the lives of their audiences and other professional speakers. NSA’s Co-Founder Robert Cavett, CSP, CPAE, was known to say, “It’s amazing how much people can do when they divorce themselves from concern over who gets the credit.”

From guiding and inspiring other members to defining excellence on the platform, from exemplifying ethical behavior to selflessly devoting time to make NSA the great organization it is, these members and non-members stand out as extraordinary and deserve a big standing ovation!

• The Cavett Award
• CPAE Speaker Hall of Fame
• President’s Award for Distinguished Service
• Lifetime Members
• Master of Influence Award
• Professional Meeting Partner of the Year Award
• International Ambassador Award
• Philanthropist of the Year Award

The Core of our Culture

The culture and spirit of this organization’s foundation is our shared agreement to adhere to NSA’s code of professional ethics. NSA members live and profit by the unique expertise, stories and delivery styles they have learned and created. As part of the NSA culture, members share the processes they went through to develop their uniqueness. No member is allowed to plagiarize or copy another’s uniqueness. Some material is public domain but much is not. NSA is successful because members learn and respect the difference.

Our agreement to a common code of ethics provides the framework for our members to share and care about our mutual success.  We expand the opportunities for all when we take the practice of our ethics into the marketplace and raise the credibility and value for all professional speakers.

NSA’s Vision and Mission

Vision: NSA is the recognized community for developing the content expertise, platform excellence and business knowledge of those who speak professionally.

Mission: NSA is dedicated to advancing the art and value of those who speak professionally.

The National Speakers Association Experience
NSA is all about connection and learning: on your home turf, on the road and at NSA meetings around the country.

Local Connection:
With NSA, you are never in business alone. Join other speakers in your area for networking, education and comradeship at NSA chapter meetings throughout the country. Each of NSA’s 39 chapters has its own personality and offers a variety of programming such as speaker’s schools, mentor programs, showcase presentations and educational meetings. Other chapter activities include holiday parties, networking cruises and events designed to introduce members to other players in the meetings industry.

Chapters are the heart of NSA- Check us out!