The Evolution of an Industry Leader
It was 1965. A time when important issues of civil rights and the war in Vietnam rocked our nation. Robert Walker, dubbed "King of the Talkies" by Newsweek, believed these issues needed a forum-a forum where students could gather to hear from the newsmakers themselves. The opportunity for students to hear directly from people such as Dick Gregory, Jane Fonda and Ralph Nader inspired audiences to act and positioned the American Program Bureau (APB) as the innovator in the lecture industry.
As APB grew, so did our roster, expanding to include such world leaders as Ronald Reagan and Francois Mitterand; feminist icons Germaine Greer and Betty Friedan; and media giants Sir David Frost and William F. Buckley. The company tapped into the nerve of American politics by helping people understand the complexities of the socially relevant issues of the time from Watergate with Woodward, Bernstein, Liddy and Dean, to the fall of Communism with Mikhail Gorbachev and Lech Walesa, to the AIDS epidemic with Arthur Ashe. Every time a news story broke, APB broke barriers and brought the story to the people.
In addition, we find the people behind the stories and bring the headlines to the frontlines from Jan Schlichtmann, subject of A Civil Action to Dr. Jeffrey Wigand from The Insider to Rubin "Hurricane" Carter to Herman Boone, subject of Remember the Titans. We bring audiences the leaders in education with Dr. Joycelyn Elders and Dr. Penelope Leach and academic superstars Howard Gardner and Michael Eric Dyson. From representing cloning pioneer Ian Wilmut to media personality Larry King to Nobel laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu to the former President of PBS, Pat Mitchell, the American Program Bureau is committed to presenting the most important newsmakers, decision makers and thinkers of our time, live, in person and over the Internet.
What We Stand For
At American Program Bureau, we think of ourselves as creative problem solvers. For over forty years, people have been coming to us in search of the perfect speakers for their programs. We don't just grab a name off the shelf. We develop a program geared specifically to address the needs of different audiences and agendas. We have the most diverse speaker roster in the lecture industry and the most experienced staff of program consultants. That means we have the best resources to serve our clients.
Every time an individual stands before an audience, there is much more than a few words at stake. The hard work of each speaker and coordinator determines whether the event will be a success. That's why we have an in-house travel agency and event coordinators on call 24 hours a day to make certain everything goes on without a hitch. We are committed to making your event a pleasurable and productive experience from the moment you first contact us until the completion of your program.
We are well equipped to handle the needs of an increasingly global society. Our ongoing goal is to offer innovative and fresh ideas. As the dominating force in the college and town hall lecture series markets with a strong presence in corporate and education associations, we have shown that we go beyond scheduling speakers-we supply ideas, and make them happen.
"People want to see leaders face-to-face. This is their chance to look the speaker in the eye and ask direct questions."
-Robert P. Walker, Chairman, Founder & CEO
"Technology and a knowledge-based global economy bring content to everyone's desktop. APB continues to bring this content to life for audiences through unique programs that entertain and inform."
-Perry Steinberg, President & COO