Phase 2 · Booking and Contracting
Speaker Cancellation Policies and Force Majeure
If you need to cancel or move an event after booking a speaker, contact the Mollie Plotkin Group immediately. Tell us what changed, even if you do not have a replacement date yet. We will review the signed agreement and coordinate the conversation with the speaker or representative.
What happens next depends on the reason for the change, how close the event is, expenses already incurred and whether the speaker has started traveling. Those details matter when we look at rescheduling and any financial obligations under your agreement.
If your organization cancels or changes the date
Come to us before approaching the speaker directly. We can find out whether another date is possible and handle that discussion with the speaker or representative.
Tell us why the plan changed, when you learned about it and whether you are considering a new date. If the speaker has not yet traveled, the parties may be able to agree on a replacement date, depending on the circumstances and the agreement. If the speaker is already en route or onsite, the financial and performance consequences can be materially different. We also need to account for expenses already incurred.
A speaker may have turned down other work to accept your event. That is part of why moving a signed engagement takes more than finding another open date.
If circumstances outside either party's control prevent the event
Force majeure refers to a circumstance beyond the reasonable control of the client or speaker that prevents the scheduled performance. Under the applicable agreement, it may suspend the parties' obligations while the condition prevents the event rather than automatically end the engagement. The parties can then work toward a mutually acceptable new date.
Tell us what happened and when, whether the event could take place later and whether the speaker is traveling or already onsite. Travel status can change the financial result, so we will review the terms of your booking before discussing what comes next.
If the speaker cannot perform
A speaker may become unable to appear because of illness, an unforeseen emergency, physical disability or an overriding professional obligation. That is a different situation from your organization cancelling the event or a circumstance preventing the event itself. The signed agreement sets out the speaker's obligations and your options in that situation.
The Mollie Plotkin Group will communicate with the parties and explain the next steps under the agreement as soon as the issue is known. Post-Event Expenses, Reimbursements and Deliverables covers any expense documentation that may need to be handled separately.