RFP Deadline | July 25, 2025
Organization Profile
The American Bus Association (ABA) is the trade association for the intercity bus industry representing more than 2,500 companies in North America. Members include more than 1000 motorcoach and tour operator companies, as well as 1,500 other organizations representing the travel and tourism industry, and suppliers of bus products and services.
ABA provides educational opportunities through webinars and a live event, ABA’s Marketplace.
ABA’s Marketplace is the premier, trade-only event for the group travel segment of the motorcoach industry. The nucleus of the convention is sequential business sessions where Buyers and Sellers meet in seven-minute, prescheduled appointments to arrange group tours. In addition, Marketplace provides a full educational program consisting of approximately 23 one-hour seminars, requiring the services of professional speakers.
Our focus on education at Marketplace 2026 and virtually throughout 2026 will be to provide our members will skills, resources and strategies that they can use to focus on their businesses.
Scope of Work
We are looking for virtual and in person speakers.
ABA’s Marketplace education program consists of concurrent one-hour breakout sessions, serving a total seminar attendance of more than 2400 people, with approximately 40-120 attendees per session. We do not offer keynote addresses.
ABA Webinars are scheduled throughout the year on a mutually agreed upon date and time. Average attendance is 20-50. The webinars are recorded for on demand viewing.
- Marketplace Dates/Location: January 10-13, 2026, Reno, NV (Reno Sparks Convention Center)
- Requirements: Speaker considerations are based on the ability to provide seminar(s) from the following tracks: business strategies or professional skill development, a speaker is able to produce two to three different seminars/webinars.
- Budget Criteria: ABA’s Marketplace education seminar speakers are paid $900-$1200 per seminar, plus speaker lodging at an American Bus Association host hotel, $50 per day for meals and coach-class transportation expenses as applicable in accordance with the American Bus Association speaker contract. The American Bus Association will work with speakers to schedule seminars back-to-back, in a half-day format, or in one day if needed. Webinar speakers are paid a rate of $500-$750 per virtual session.
- Deposit Monies: A 25% deposit of the speaker fees will be submitted upon receipt of a fully executed signed contract. The balance of the fees will be forwarded following the presentation.
- Speaker Promotion: ABA uses various promotional vehicles to publicize the ABA/Marketplace educational curriculum, and exposes featured speakers to more than 2000 ABA member-companies. Promotions may include pre-convention direct mail pieces, webinars, sponsor promotion, website spotlight, ABA publications/app, and post-convention pieces/features.
Decision-Making Process
Uniquely, ABA relies closely on the direction and recommendations made by the Marketplace Education Subcommittee in hiring speakers. This Subcommittee identifies seminar topics, reviews speakers and helps to manage this educational curriculum on a volunteer basis. Our Education Subcommittee Chairman or subcommittee members may contact you for additional speaker or topic information. However, please be aware that decisions regarding commitments, contracts and financial arrangements remain the sole discretion and responsibility of the American Bus Association.
Timeline
June 23 | ABA to send RFP’s and solicits speaker information for initial consideration.
July 25 | Speaker proposals and supporting materials due to ABA
Late August | The Education Subcommittee will meet to review speaker bios and video links for selection.
September | ABA will contact speakers and begin contracting.
Online Submission
Please contact us should you require additional information or further clarification. For background information about our association, visit our website at www.buses.org. Online proposals should include speaker information, seminar topics or outlines, video link and proposed fees. Please complete the online submission survey (link at the top) no later than July 25, 2025. Speaker Bureaus: You can use the link multiple times to submit multiple speakers.
Vicki Osman, CTIS | Senior Vice President, Meetings, Events & Education
American Bus Association
O 202-218-7230 | E vosman@buses.org