High cost of speakers like Hillary Clinton still worth it for Canadian communities

Politicos in Canada’s prairie heartland got some exciting news this week: Former U.S. secretary of state Hillary Clinton will be heading north for an abbreviated set of speaking engagements next month.

Clinton, the wife of former U.S. president Bill Clinton and a presumptive 2016 presidential contender, will be visiting Saskatoon and Winnipeg for appearances on Jan. 21, as part of a “Global Perspectives” speakers series.

It can’t be easy to get a presumptive U.S. presidential candidate to come to Canada and make two appearances on the same day, even one who is currently promoting an autobiography. And it likely isn’t cheap, either.

The announcement of her Canadian appearances comes just days after an investigation detailing the high price that comes with inviting Clinton to speak, and the intriguing demands that come with her appearance.

The Washington Post learned last week that Clinton charged the University of California at Los Angeles $300,000 for a recent speaking appearance – a price that was described as a discounted “university rate.”

And on top of that, the Post learned the details of her rider, which included a variety of snacks and beverages, though frankly nothing that would be considered out of place under such circumstances.

Clinton notably requested several water options be made available – specifically room temperature still water and lemon wedges on hand, and as well as hot water with a coffee cup. She also requested specific pillows for back support during her UCLA appearance, and a lavalier microphone and a computer with printer and scanner.

The demands seem entirely reasonable, though reading Post’s take on them you’d think her desire for a lemon wedge was on par with Jennifer Lopez’s demand for a glitzy all-white dressing room.

It is not clear what Clinton is demanding for her two Canadians appearances, but big price tags and a detailed request list should be expected when you’re dealing with one of North America’s most coveted names.

International speakers such as former England prime minister Tony Blair and U.S. tycoon Oprah have made recent appearances in Canada, as have former U.S. presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton.

Bush and Clinton were said to receive more than $300,000 from the City of Surrey, B.C., for an appearance at the Regional Economic Summit in 2011. Based on local reports, citing city documents, Bush’s fee was $221,000 while Clinton received just over $102,000.

Officials told Surrey Now the price tag for the appearance was later covered by ticket sales and donations, leaving the cost to residents negligible.

While Canadian names rarely draw those six-figure price tags, their appearances also don’t come cheap.

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau had to fight off some political crossfire last year over some speaking fees he charged in the recent past. Trudeau reportedly pulled in appearance fees of $20,000, which may be small potatoes compared to what those international headliners reportedly demanded, but notable for a sitting Canadian politician. Trudeau offered to repay speaking fees after one charity complained it lost money on the event.

Now-disgraced radio personality Jian Ghomeshi also previously received a reported $20,000 for his speaking appearances, but that was before he was fired from CBC Radio and charged with sexual assault.

Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield launched a lucrative speaking series last year, after returning from a much-buzzed turn as commander of the International Space Station. Postmedia News reported he was able to pull in $50,000 per appearance through the Speakers’ Spotlight series, though it was never confirmed that he requested that amount. And, like all former Canadian Space Agency astronauts, he still met with student groups without charging any fee at all.

Conversations about speaking fees routinely end quickly, with such information usually shared on a need-to-know basis. Which is why it is still not public knowledge what Oprah received during her three-city Canadian tour last year. Not up for question, however, was the economic benefit the shows had on the host cities.

Christian Darbyshire, head of tinePublic – the agency that brought Oprah to Calgary and is also behind Clinton’s upcoming appearances – said last year that big names mean big business for the hotel industry and restaurants.

“And then you have the other side of it which is the local impact of the producers and the sponsors and the amount of money that’s been put into production, sponsors putting money out for advertising, marketing,” Darbyshire told the Calgary Herald. “There’s a lot of different people doing a lot of different things which creates a lot of beneficial impacts to the local economy. A huge ripple effect.”

Presumably, Clinton’s prairie appearances will have the same impact. The Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce, which is a partner in Clinton’s local appearance, says that while the economic benefit shouldn’t be ignored, there is also a boon in improved community profile.

“The community promotion … when it is all said and done, really has a higher value to our community than the economic impact, which is temporal,” Kent Smith-Windsor, executive director of the Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce, told Yahoo Canada News. “We don’t want to be dismissive of the economic impact. But we try to look at the broader picture when we decide to get involved with organizing an event like this.

“It is definitely brand projection for this community. It is about building a sense of identity, so there’s a community development aspect to it. And there’s an economic impact. Certainly visitors will come here from afar, and spend money on hotels and restaurants, and that will have a positive economic impact. No doubt about it.”

Smith-Windsor also says connecting people like Clinton to the community is a priceless opportunity in itself.

“It is always great to present the Saskatoon base to influencers like Ms. Clinton. One never knows as to how that will develop connections in the future,” said Smith-Windsor.

Hillary Clinton is scheduled to appear in Winnipeg for an early-afternoon event hosted by the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce and at 7 p.m. at Saskatoon’s Sid Buckwold Theatre on the same day.

In Winnipeg, single tickets are being sold for $285, or you can rent a table for 10 for $2,850. Saskatoon prices range from $96.75 to $172.75.