Champions Speakers, the keynote speaker and consultancy agency that describes itself as the leading bureau in the UK, Europe and EMEA, has been named a finalist for The Gerald Edelman Family Business of the Year Award at The Lloyds British Business Excellence Awards 2026.
Founded in 2003 as a family business, and set up by father and son John and Matthew Hayes according to the history pages of its own website, the agency connects organisations with keynote speakers, industry experts, celebrities, influencers and content creators, supporting more than 5,000 events and campaigns a year for blue-chip corporations, government institutions and trade associations, according to its awards entry. Its head office is near Loughborough in Leicestershire, with a second office in Mayfair, London, as listed on the company’s website.
From a team of two to a global operation
The business has grown from a team of two into an organisation of more than 100 agents and support staff, and the company reports that it manages the industry’s most extensive talent network, representing and sourcing over 8,000 speakers, advisors and celebrities across business, leadership, technology, sport, sustainability, diversity and inclusion, economics and artificial intelligence.
Clients are served through 21 dedicated business centres offering sector-specific knowledge and tailored recommendations, while continued investment in technology, research and proprietary AI tools helps the agency respond quickly to market trends, the entry states. International growth has been striking: the company has scaled its trading operations from 45 to 66 countries and says it is on track to reach 75 countries by the end of 2026.
A founding member of the European Association of Speakers Bureaux, Champions Speakers says it has helped shape standards across the international speaking industry.
A record of recognition
The shortlisting adds to a strong record of recognition elsewhere. The company was ranked 57th in The Sunday Times Fast Track 100, recognised in the London Stock Exchange’s 1,000 Companies to Inspire Britain and named among JP Morgan’s Top 200 Female-Powered Businesses. It was also named Entertainment Agents’ Association Booking Agency of the Year in both 2025 and 2026, took the Department for Business and Trade’s Made in the UK, Sold to the World Award for Consultancy and Professional Services in 2025, and was named SME of the Year at the 2026 British Business Awards, a separate programme, securing a place on The Times and Sunday Times British Business Leaders List.
The road to Grosvenor House
Champions Speakers now competes on the Family Business of the Year shortlist at the UK’s largest business awards programme. Winners of the Lloyds British Business Excellence Awards will be revealed at a ceremony at the Grosvenor House Hotel, London, on 10 November 2026.
