Government and non-profit shows that can not pay a speaker's fee may ask me to speak for free. You'll still have to pay my expenses. I will consider a request to speak for free if you are offering me a major keynote, like the opening keynote of your conference, of one hour duration or longer. No panels, no talks in parallel with other speakers, no conference-within-a-conference. This is to maximize the impact I have for the travel time.
Those who can pay a speakers fee are requested to do so. please see my Commercial Speaking Page for a schedule of fees. Travel for a single speech can take a work week out of my time, with the jet-lag and all. The fee compensates me fairly for that. In addition to the fees, you must pay all of my travel and lodging expenses. Flights will be coach class.
Send email to bruce at perens dot com if you'd like to invite me to speak. If you don't get an answer, try again, I might have missed your message or you might have gotten stuck in the spam blocker. You can also reach me at (USA) 510-984-1055 when I'm not traveling.
People who book speakers don't always understand what a speaker's life is like. I fly coach, and the San Francisco to London flight means 11 hours each way in that seat, plus jet-lag, and I might do that twice in a month. If I'm going to Europe, that's two travel days, two jet-lag days, and one speaking day. Thus, one talk can easily use up a whole work week. I will not, in general, be visiting your country to be a tourist, just to be as effective as possible in promoting Open Source and then to get home to my 7-year-old and my wife. They have school and work, and except for a few weeks per year they can't travel with me even if you are willing to pay for that. So, I will appreciate it when you help me to use my time effectively.
I may not know my way around, and appreciate it when my hosts arrange for someone local to pick me up and drop me off at the airport, and to take me to my speaking locations and back to my hotel. The rest of the time I am comfortable being alone, and might even want some down-time away from other people to rest or take a walk. If you want to invite me to anything, please do - as long as you will be OK with it if I decline. I am comfortable in a business suit and will always be neat when that's called for, but will wear jeans and hiking boots the rest of the time. I don't have any dietary restrictions. A fancy restaurant is fine, if it'll be special for you. I like them, but I live half a mile from Chez Panisse and it's hard to impress me with a restaurant these days. If I am picking the venue and am not dressed to the nines, I'd as likely go for good but unpretentious food and a beer in a comfortable place.
I will probably have tight air connections coming in, and leaving, and must be on schedule. I will appreciate having the mobile numbers of my escorts and the conference organizers.
Thanks
Bruce