After working as a band leader for twenty years, John Palmer searched the yellow pages of New York City for an established business that he could translate to his hometown of Chicago.
This led him to found the National Speakers Bureau in 1972.
The first foray into the business came when Palmer arranged for Rod Serling, renowned screenwriter, to speak at Michigan State University.
[citation needed] Since then, the company has continued to source speakers for organizations and associations internationally.
Their business model is to work for companies and recommend speakers based on their quality and fit.