National Speakers Association
The National Speakers Association is a US based association that supports motivational and other public speakers. It is the oldest and largest of 13 international associations comprising the Global Speakers Federation.
History
NSA was founded in 1973 by Cavett Robert. Even though Robert suffered from stage fright in his younger years, he joined Toastmasters International and went on to receive his first paid speech at the age of 61. Cavett's idea for NSA began with 35 attendees of the Phoenix Summer Sales Seminar in 1969. He incorporated the National Speakers Association on 12 July 1973. In July 1979, Robert was honored with NSA's first Member of the Year Award, later renamed “The Cavett Award.” In honor of Robert's birthday, NSA celebrates the "Spirit of NSA" day every 14 November.The association launched the Academy for Professional Speaking in January 2004 to teach those exploring a career in professional speaking. The academy consists of eLearning and the one-day Cavett Institute.
Organizational structure and operations
In January 1991, the NSA moved into a new headquarters building at 1500 South Priest Drive in Tempe, Arizona. Following the COVID pandemic in 2020, NSA went fully remote and currently has its national office in Minneapolis, MN and 35 regional chapters throughout the United States. NSA's professional competencies were adopted in June 1985. They are known as the four E's: Eloquence, Expertise, Enterprise and Ethics.Membership
NSA membership is available to paid professional speakers, entrepreneurs, authors, coaches and podcasters. Membership criteria include documented experience in professional speaking, such as earning a minimum income from speaking engagements, delivering a certain number of paid speeches annually, or combining paid speaking with other income-generating services like coaching or training. NSA also offers student memberships and affiliate opportunities for those aspiring to develop their speaking careers. Members are required to adhere to NSA's code of ethics and demonstrate a commitment to professional development and excellence in public speaking.Events
NSA holds an annual national convention every summer featuring speakers in the industry. NSA's first Convention was held 1 June 1975 with 62 attendees gathered at the Scottsdale Camelback Inn.NSA holds labs throughout the year. NSA's first lab was held 30 April 1994 at the International Center for Professional Speaking.