International

With deep sadness and great respect, we mourn the passing of Archbishop Desmond Tutu who has been a member of the APB family for decades. An iconic Nobel Laureate and human rights activist, Archbishop Tutu was known for tirelessly spreading peace, justice and democracy. A world leader and beacon of hope for all, he was once described by longtime friend Nelson Mandela as “Sometimes strident, often tender, never afraid and seldom without humor.” APB will forever feel grateful for having known and worked with such an incredible human being.

It's hard to believe we are coming to the close of yet another year battling the COVID-19 pandemic. We've never been more grateful to have clients and speakers who have continued to collaborate with us through the chaos of it all. From virtual to in-person events, together we found new ways to continue to do what we love best: provide a way for people to see exciting personalities, world leaders, activists and innovators, unedited and unfiltered by mass media.

We look forward to working with you in 2022.

In a little more than a month, over 14,000 people from more than 200 countries will gather in Tokyo, Japan, for the Summer Olympics. They will be joined by thousands of delegates and members of the press. One month later, an additional 5,000 athletes and support staff will come together in Tokyo for the Paralympic Games.  These two enormous events have APB speaker Dr. Michael Osterholm, Director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, and several of his colleagues deeply concerned. 

Legendary news anchor and the best-selling author of What Unites Us, APB speaker Dan Rather is launching a new endeavor called "Steady." Inspired by his father’s favorite word, “Steady” is both a paid and/or free subscription-based newsletter that is delivered directly to your inbox. It will include essays, letters, and other similar content by Rather in which he will facilitate conversations on both national and global levels. In his post, Dan says, “Call me old fashioned, but I’m not a huge fan of algorithms dictating what people see. Yet in recent years social media became my primary means of communicating with the world. And that meant, whether by tweet or post, a bunch of opaque computer code kicked in to determine what reached you. Subscribing to "Steady" cuts through that digital Gordian Knot.”

Hailed by CNN as “the infectious disease expert who has been warning us for a decade and a half that the world will face a pandemic,” Dr. Michael Osterholm quickly became the go-to expert on the public health impact of COVID-19. A sharp critic of the complacency that led to the current global pandemic, he points to current shortfalls in our system, individual and public health ...

By Robert P. Walker, CEO & Founder APB Speakers | When the pandemic hit last March, the event business changed forever.  As our clients scrambled to either cancel events featuring our speakers or struggled with how to go virtual,  APB immediately went to work. Our mission: to offer a virtual platform that would be the next-best thing to an in-person event.

As we come to the close of what has been a very difficult year for all, we've been reflecting on how fortunate we are to have clients and speakers such as you. The continued collaboration we've had with you throughout 2020 has ignited creativity and innovation, as we together found new ways to navigate life and business while our collective worlds turned upside down. For that we thank you.

Wishing you and yours a very healthy and safe holiday season, 
The APB Family

The APB Virtual Platform (APBVIP) is the next best thing to live, in person events during COVID-19. APBVIP allows clients to recreate the full spectrum of a 1-3 day live conference, including keynotes, panels, workshops, sponsor/exhibitor booths, and more. Recently, the University of New Haven was able to bring their Centennial to life via the APB Virtual Platform. Read about their incredible and successful experience!

APB speaker David Epstein has made it his mission to uncover the keys to achieving high performance in any domain, and to debunk popular myths along the way. In his recent speech at TEDxManchester, he discussed why specializing early doesn't always mean career success. Be sure to check out the video on TED.com!

Over 55 years ago, APB was founded on the mission to provide an open forum for individuals to voice their opinions and points of view. Now is the time to speak out. Now is the time to stand together. Now is the time for change. We have a long history of working toward racial justice and providing a platform to those giving a voice to the voiceless, from such leaders as Martin Luther King, Jr., Dick Gregory, and Adam Clayton Powell to the Civil Rights Movement and Black Lives Matter. As we reflect on everything that is happening, let’s be confident that change will come – and smart enough to know that it must involve all of us.