Insightfully Funny Keynote Speaker On Marketing, Innovation, Technology, and The Future of Wor

Keynote Talks with Humor and Insight

When not at the drafting table, Tom Fishburne gives keynote talks to audiences around the world.   He uses his cartoons to help tell the story, along with his extensive experience in marketing and business.

With a speaking style that is inspiring, engaging, comedic, and visual, Tom excels in the tricky agenda slots, including early-morning wake-ups and post-lunch food comas.


Most Requested Keynote Topics

Tom has road-tested keynote talks on marketing, technology, innovation, and the future of work in over 200 events in more than 30 countries (and half the US states).

Focus Keynote for 2024

The Funny Side Of Marketing: Avoiding the Customer Journey to Nowhere

We now have the ability to deliver more consistent and creative customer experiences than ever before. So why does customer engagement so often fall flat? We’ve all felt the pain of customer engagement that doesn’t work — customer journeys that break, consumer data without insight, attempts at personalization that misfire. A sense of humor can help us probe those pain points and explore how to become better marketers.

Most Booked Keynote Last Year

Thriving In The Awkward Adolescence Of AI And Technology

Technology changes exponentially; organizations change logarithmically.
Most organizations haven’t kept pace with the potential brought by technology. From AI to data to digital transformation, technology initiatives are often adopted shallowly, missing their full potential. If we want to pursue technology transformation, we ultimately have to think about organizational transformation.

Most Booked Keynote All Time

Overcoming Idea Killers and Building a Culture of Innovation

The creative process shouldn’t end after the brainstorm, yet ideas often suffer a thousand cuts on the path to launch. In this keynote talk, Tom will unpack the mindset that organizations need to adopt in order to develop remarkable marketing and innovations. He will frame ways to build a culture that champions creativity and overcomes idea killers. No idea is born perfect, and innovation requires the collective creative efforts of everyone in an organization.

Popular Crowd Pleaser

The Power Of Laughing At Ourselves At Work

Humor is the language of culture change. As former Apple executive Hiroki Asai put it, “Fear kills creativity and humor is our most powerful tool to drive fear out of the system.” Through humor, we are able to talk about topics that are otherwise difficult to talk about. We can better connect with others, whether in external marketing or driving internal culture change. In this keynote talk, Tom uses cartoons and case studies to help us all tap into our innate sense of humor and unlock the power of laughing at ourselves.

Watch A Recent Keynote Talk

Here’s a full 45-minute keynote on “Thriving in the Awkward Adolescence of AI and Technology”, delivered at the CMO Symposium in Denver in June 2024.

What's included in every speech?

  • An inspiring performance (of course)
  • A Cartoon Caption Contest
  • 5 Licensed Cartoons in an Event Frame for Promotion
  • Featured promotion in the Marketoonist newsletter
  • All Travel Expenses
  • 50 Copies of “Your Ad Ignored Here”
  • Book Signing
  • Participation in Panel Discussions and Interviews
  • Hybrid Broadcasts & On-Demand Replays

Cartoon Caption Contests Drive Engagement

Included in every keynote, Tom runs a cartoon caption contest to get audiences excited before the event and laughing at the collective sense of humor during the keynote talk.  

Drawing Exercises Unlock Creativity

Tom frequently includes interactive exercises to help push audiences out of their comfort zones in a fun way.  Simple drawing exercises can unlock creativity and capture takeaways from the whole event.

Original Custom Cartoons Can Bring Events To Life

Cartoons can capture the essence of themes and conference tracks to promote the event (and can also make fun swag giveaways).

Licensed Cartoons in Event Frames

From twenty years of Marketoonist archives, we can also pull cartoons in a custom frame that can be used for pre-event marketing. Five licensed cartoons in event frames are included in the price of a keynote.

Collaborations Beyond The Keynote

Book signings, panel discussions, and interviews are welcome additions to an event.

Not Your Typical Webinar

Remote speaking is also an option for virtual or hybrid talks with an integrated picture-in-picture video feed from Tom’s cartoon studio just north of San Francisco.

A Few Full-Length Speaking Videos

Testimonials for Tom

“We’ve been collecting speaker evaluations since 2005 and Tom Fishburne was our highest rated speaker ever. He not only engaged and amused, but landed important lessons that stuck with people long after the day was done.”
Jennifer Nelson,
Johnson & Johnson
"Tom is a tremendously engaging speaker who not only delighted our audience with his witty insights, but also provided clear advice. We were hoping that Tom would excite and inspire our audience, and he did not disappoint."
Sarah Neels,
Google
“Tom was our highest rated speaker for the entire event — universally received 5 out of 5 stars from every attendee who rated his session. A brilliant presentation that deftly mixed humor and insight to inspire the audience.”
Scott Brinker,
MarTech

A few of the 200+ companies and conferences that have entrusted their audiences to Tom

FAQ

My standard speaking rate is $15,000 for keynote talks in the US and $20,000 for talks in other parts of the world.  I discount in non-peak times of year, so let’s talk about what works for your budget.

In addition to the keynote, Tom’s speaking fees include 5 licensed cartoons in an event frame to help promote the event, a cartoon caption contest, 50 copies of “Your Ad Ignored Here”, a book-signing, and all related travel expenses.  He’ll help promote the event in his Marketoonist newsletter and social media. He also loves participating in panel discussions and interviews.

A couple times a year, I give pro bono talks for nonprofits with limited budgets and really amazing missions. Let’s talk.

I live and work just north of San Francisco and travel far and wide for keynote talks.  I’ve given keynotes in more than 30 countries and half the US states.