Establish a local speakers bureau

Submitted by Chris Hardie in Education

Businesses, schools, social clubs, non-profits and communities of faith are always on the lookout for people who can come speak to their group knowledgably about a given topic or theme. Richmond has a rich and diverse collection of people who are experts on a wide variety of topics - between our educational institutions, consultants, hobbyists and others, there's surely a great wealth of knowledge that we can help each other share more effectively.

A local speakers bureau could be as simple as a spreadsheet that contains contact information for those who can speak to groups/organizations in the area, along with their areas of expertise. A more fancy version might be a website where speakers can maintain their own information, event organizers can search for speakers by given criteria, and contact can be made to organize the speaking event. There may even be existing software out there to power this kind of resource!