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Keynote speaker

Keynote speaker on fandom and community-led growth.

I've delivered 70+ keynotes in 30+ countries, from TEDx, Cannes and Golden Drum to Bangkok. My talks show audiences why fan culture works, and what it means for the brands and teams in the room.

  • TEDx speaker
  • Cannes Lions juror
  • Golden Drum Jury President
  • Author of Fandom Power
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25 yrsin brand and creative
300+brands worked on
70+keynotes and workshops
30+countries
Authorof Fandom Power
Stages include
  • TEDx
  • Cannes Lions
  • Golden Drum
  • SEG3 London
  • Popcultr Summit
  • Indie Summit Bangkok
  • Adwards Latvia
  • Holky z Marketingu
  • COP
  • ComicCon

The talks

Talks that change how rooms think

Plenty of talks tell you what's popular. Mine explain why it works, and what that means for your brand and the people you're trying to reach.

KeynoteTalk 01

The Power of Passion

Why fandom is the future of brand loyalty

How fan communities form, what drives their devotion, and why the brands that get it build audiences budgets can't buy.

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Keynote

The Power of Passion: Why fandom is the future of brand loyalty

Fandom has grown into the strongest model of loyalty, community and cultural influence we have, and most brands still treat it like a trend.

This talk unpacks how fan communities form, what drives their fierce devotion, and why the brands that understand those dynamics build the kind of audiences marketing budgets alone can never buy. It's grounded in real examples from gaming, sport, entertainment, streetwear and beyond, and it's practical enough to use on Monday.

What the audience leaves with

  • How fan communities form, and what holds them together
  • What drives devotion, and how a brand earns a share of it
  • Examples from gaming, sport, entertainment and streetwear
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Tailored to your audience and brief.
KeynoteTalk 02

Fandoms

The most powerful, and most human, media channel

Why the strongest channel available right now is a community, and what it takes for a brand to become part of one.

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Keynote

Fandoms: The most powerful, and most human, media channel

Every brand wants reach, and most are spending more to get less of it. This talk makes the case that the most powerful media channel available right now is a fandom.

Drawing on fan psychology and twenty five years of creative and strategic work, I reframe fandom as a media model built on human connection, participatory culture and earned attention that paid media can't replicate. We look at how fandoms form, communicate and amplify, and what it takes for a brand to become part of that ecosystem.

What the audience leaves with

  • Fandom as a media model, and how it amplifies
  • Why earned attention outperforms paid reach
  • What it takes to become part of a fan ecosystem
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Tailored to your audience and brief.
KeynoteTalk 03

Stop Chasing Audiences

Start building belonging

What belonging looks like in practice, and how to move from audience acquisition to community formation.

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Keynote

Stop Chasing Audiences: Start building belonging

The audience model is broken. Brands have spent decades interrupting, retargeting and optimising, and the people they're chasing have become extraordinarily good at ignoring them.

This talk is about the alternative. Belonging, the feeling that a brand, product or community is genuinely yours, is what fandoms generate naturally and what most marketing was never designed to create. I show what it looks like in practice, why it produces loyalty that outlasts any campaign, and how organisations can shift from acquisition to community without it feeling like a rebrand.

What the audience leaves with

  • Why interruption keeps losing, and what replaces it
  • What belonging looks like in real communities
  • How to shift from acquisition to community formation
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Tailored to your audience and brief.
KeynoteTalk 04

The Fragmentation Opportunity

Why smaller fandoms mean bigger possibilities

Why going deeper beats going broader, and where the loyalty mass-market thinking can't reach is found.

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Keynote

The Fragmentation Opportunity: Why smaller fandoms mean bigger possibilities

The cultural mainstream is splitting into micro-communities, hyper-specific niches and deeply invested subcultures. Most organisations read that as a threat. I read it as the biggest commercial opportunity of the moment.

This talk shows how the brands willing to go deeper rather than broader are reaching levels of loyalty and advocacy that mass-market thinking can't. It's a counterintuitive, energising session that changes how people think about scale, audience and what growth actually looks like.

What the audience leaves with

  • What fragmentation is doing to culture right now
  • Why depth now beats breadth for loyalty
  • How to rethink scale and growth around niches
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Tailored to your audience and brief.
KeynoteTalk 05

Fan Psychology

Understanding the people behind the passion

What drives people to invest so deeply in what they love, and a framework any team can use straight away.

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Keynote

Fan Psychology: Understanding the people behind the passion

What actually drives fandom? Why do people invest so deeply, emotionally, financially and socially, in the things they love? And what does that mean for every organisation trying to build a loyal audience?

This talk goes beneath fan culture to explore identity, belonging and participatory community. Drawing on cultural theory, behavioural insight and twenty five years of applied strategy, it gives audiences a framework for fan motivation they can use immediately, whether they work in brand, product, content or leadership.

What the audience leaves with

  • The psychology of identity, belonging and participation
  • Why fans invest emotionally, financially and socially
  • A motivation framework teams can apply immediately
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Tailored to your audience and brief.

Bespoke

A talk built for your event

Most of my keynotes are shaped with the organiser. Share the angle, industry and audience, and I'll build the talk around them.

Tell me about your event

Beyond the keynote

Panels, workshops and bespoke sessions

Speaker or moderator

Panels

On fandom across sport, gaming, entertainment, fashion and brands, plus culture marketing, community strategy and the creative industry.

Ask about a panel
Half day or full day

Team workshops

Sessions that move teams from understanding fan culture to applying it, built around your brief.

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Your angle

Bespoke keynotes

A specific industry, audience or theme? I'll develop a talk around it, in close collaboration with the organisers.

Share your brief

What organisers get

Based in the UK. Speaking across Europe, the USA, Asia, South America and beyond.

  • A planning call to understand your event and audience
  • A talk shaped around your brief, not a stock deck
  • Q&A, if your format allows
  • A workshop or panel on the same day, where the schedule works

What organisers say

From the people who booked me

Read more testimonials

Calvin Innes delivered one of the standout talks at Golden Drum. With exceptional stage presence, powerful cultural insight, and compelling real-world examples, Calvin captivated the audience from start to finish. A truly inspiring session that challenged the way we think about brands, communities, and the future of influence.

The Golden DrumInternational Festival of Creativity

Calvin Innes was a speaker at our Indie Summit 2026. Not only did he deliver a fantastic talk but tailoring it to our specific global indie agency audience made it one of the most interesting sessions of the day!

Indie Summit 2026thenetworkone

Calvin Innes knows what he is talking about. His knowledge of what makes fans tick, and how brands can interact with them is second to none. His presentations bring this across in a way that is insightful, entertaining and thought provoking.

Erik LondreCEO and Founder, Karta

Listening to Calvin's talks is a pleasure, informative and inspiring in equal measure. His industry experience, the breadth of campaigns he's delivered, and his deep understanding of communities make for an ideal combination, all brought to life through an engaging and personable delivery.

Jan SudaMedia and Creative Strategist

Speaking at the Holky z Marketingu Conference in Prague, Calvin didn't just give us facts and data; he left us with a ton of inspiring ideas, which is exactly what makes a speaker great.

Nicole KarráováHolky z Marketingu

Calvin Innes delivered a fantastic limited editions workshop for Dove, bringing a deep understanding of fandom, community behaviour and cultural participation into the heart of the strategy process. Calvin combined sharp strategic thinking with highly creative provocations. The workshop was interactive, energising and commercially useful.

Alissa MartensDove Masterbrand Lead EU, Unilever

For organisers

Keynotes, talks and panels

Anything else, just ask.

Where are you based, and how far do you travel?

I'm based in the UK and available for events nationally and internationally. I've spoken across Europe, the USA, Asia, South America and beyond.

How far in advance should we book?

For keynotes at major conferences, six to eight weeks is the minimum I'd recommend. For smaller or internal events, get in touch and we'll work around your timeline.

Do you have a speaker reel?

Yes. It's at the top of this page. Watch the reel

Can you tailor a talk to our industry or brief?

Yes. Most of my keynotes are developed in conversation with the organiser. Share your brief and audience profile and I'll shape something that fits.

Can you run a workshop or panel on the same day as a keynote?

Often, yes, depending on the event format. Tell me what you have in mind and we'll work out what fits.

What does a keynote cost?

It depends on the event, the format and the travel involved. Send me the details and I'll come back with a quote.

Ready when you are

Tell me about your event

Share the date, the location and who's in the room. I'll come back with what I'd talk about and what it would take.

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Calvin Innes, keynote speakerTEDx, Cannes Lions, 70+ keynotes in 30+ countries

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