How to Choose the Right Oil And Gas Speaker

Updated June 2026 · By Matthew Bertram, CEO, ModalPoint (with Mark LaCour)

To choose the right oil & gas speaker, match four things to your event before you look at names: your goal, your budget, your audience make-up, and your format. Get those right and the shortlist writes itself. Speaker fees in oil & gas run from $0 for an up-and-comer to $20,000–$30,000 for a marquee name, so the cost of a wrong pick is real. This guide walks the selection process step by step — and ends with two Houston-based speakers who meet every criterion.

Finding the right Oil and Gas Speaker can be a challenge, so we decided to help.

Oil and gas speaker, how do you choose the right one? If you’re going to hire an oil and gas speaker for your event, conference, expo or meeting, you need to make sure you’re hiring the right person. You have a lot of people dependent on you making the right decisions, and we are going to give you some guidelines to help. 

We will talk to you about the things that you need to look for when you’re hiring an oil and gas speaker. The first one? What is the goal of the event that you’re putting on? Is this being a team building exercise? Are you trying to educate an audience? Is this a conference where you’re trying to highlight a new product or a new idea? Until you understand what the goal of the event is, you really can’t even begin to start choosing the speaker. 

What is Your Oil and Gas Speaker Budget 

Then, this is a big one. What is your oil and gas speaker budget? The range that you pay for people to speak at oil and gas events can go from literally zero for somebody who’s just getting started to maybe $20,000 or $30,000. Without knowing your budget, you don’t know how to be able to narrow that field of people that can help you carry out your goals. 

 Then, what type of speaker will make your event successful? An industry expert. Or an oil and gas industry expert speaker, such as me. A celebrity speaker, such as Mark Zuckerberg or an athlete speaker, such as George Foreman. There are professional speakers, or internal speakers. Without understanding what type of speaker, you need to make the event successful, you won’t be able to figure out who you need. And each one of those types of speakers brings a different strength and a different purpose to your event. 

Next what is the message you’re trying to convey? So, if you’re talking about product launch, that’s one type of message. If you’re talking about some changes that your company is going through, that’s another type of message. Or if you’re trying to motivate a part of your company or a team, that’s another type of message and certain speakers are better off at delivering certain types of messages. So, if you want an oil and gas speaker, what is the message that you’re trying to convey? 

What is the Make-Up of Your Audience 

And then what is the make-up of your audience? So, in a conference or expo you have a bunch of people of all ages from all diverse backgrounds walking the floor. Are you trying to capture their attention? Or are you trying to educate them? Is this an internal audience? Or is this a bunch of your senior leadership? Are they new hires? Or a bunch of young professionals? Maybe even a bunch of Oil and Gas entrepreneurs? Without understanding the make-up of your audience, you can’t find the right person who can help you communicate the message you’re trying to convey to that audience. 

Next what type of event is it? The type of speaker that’s successful in a live outdoor event is radically different than a type of speaker that’s successful in a small 10-to-12-person internal event. One of them is exceptionally good at pumping up an audience, reading the energy and getting everything going. The other one is good at connecting one-on-one with those individuals out there. So, you must understand what type of event it is. 

Shortlist your Oil and Gas Speakers

Once you have all these figured out because we live in 2017, you should be at the point be able to shortlist your potential speakers. Go check them out online. Every professional speaker I know, including us, has at least a YouTube channel if not a website. And usually everything is published on all types of social media. Go pay attention, go watch them speak, listen to them, watch their body language. Is this the type of person that clicks with you and what you’re trying to do? Take that shortlist, go online, and check them out. This will help you narrow everything down. 

You Should be Talking to the Oil and Gas Speaker Themselves 

Then once you have it narrowed down, ask for contract terms upfront. Read the contract. If you don’t understand, reach out to them. And at this point, you should have gotten past speaking to the assistant of the speaker. And you should be talking to the oil and gas speakers themselves. Or at least to have a phone conversation with the actual speaker. 

What is the travel and entertainment part of their contract like? Do you have to pay upfront? What about timelines and commitments? Are they able to meet your timelines for your oil and gas event, or do you have to try to work your event around them? All that should help you narrow it down to the one Oil and Gas Speaker that will do the best job for you. And make sure you achieve your goals. 

So, once you have all this stuff done, take a breath, relax, enjoy. You have now hired an oil and gas speaker that’s going to make you look good, that’s going to make your event successful and make the audience incredibly happy. 

Can you do me a favor? If you like this, can you share this? There are some buttons to the left-up top with all those social channels. Just click a couple of shares, this helps us get our message out to more people so that we can do better for the world. 

Two Houston oil & gas speakers who meet every criterion

Apply the checklist above to real candidates. Two Houston-based speakers map cleanly onto it for energy and B2B events — and we know their work firsthand through ModalPoint and OGGN.

Mark LaCour — for an operator or oilfield audience

Goal & message: industry insight, energy-market trends, the state of oil & gas. Audience fit: operators and energy executives — Mark founded OGGN, the world’s largest oil & gas podcast network (2.6M+ listeners across 195 countries), and has sold over $305 million into the industry across 2,200+ meetings, so a technical room trusts him on sight. Format: keynote, panel moderator, or emcee, with oilfield humor that works on a big live stage.

Matthew Bertram — for AI, marketing & board audiences

Goal & message: how AI changes the way companies are found, trusted, and chosen, and how leaders keep decision integrity. Audience fit: boards, marketing and sales teams, and innovation tracks — Matthew has 25+ years of operating experience, is CEO of EWR Digital (est. 1999) and founder of ModalPoint, and recently spoke on the OTC 2026 Ericsson AI panel. Format: keynote, board briefing, or workshop.

Ready to shortlist them? See full profiles, a side-by-side comparison, and booking details on our guide to the best business & energy keynote speakers in Houston, or request availability.

Oil & gas speaker FAQs

How much does an oil and gas speaker cost?

Oil & gas speaker fees range from $0 for someone just starting out to $20,000–$30,000 for a marquee name. Industry experts and active podcast hosts typically fall in between. Booking a local speaker reduces travel cost.

Who are the best oil and gas speakers?

For energy audiences, two of the most-booked Houston-based speakers are Mark LaCour, founder of the OGGN oil & gas podcast network, and Matthew Bertram, a 25+ year marketing operator and AI-governance advisor and CEO of EWR Digital.

What should I look for in an oil and gas speaker?

Match the speaker to your event goal, budget, audience make-up, and format, and prioritize lived industry experience — energy audiences quickly tell whether a speaker has actually worked in the sector.

Should I talk to the speaker directly before booking?

Yes. Move past assistant communications and confirm travel, fees, payment timing, and scheduling directly with the speaker, and review contract terms upfront.

What’s the difference between an industry expert and a celebrity speaker?

An industry expert brings credibility and sector-specific insight; a celebrity or athlete brings draw and energy but may not connect with a technical oil & gas audience. Match the type to your goal.