Public Speaking
Talks that challenge, educate and leave rooms changed.
Elaine Hughes is a speaker who does not deliver comfort. She delivers clarity — about what the luxury events and hospitality industry is getting wrong on disability and inclusion, why it matters commercially and ethically, and exactly what needs to change.
Her talks combine lived experience, rigorous research and commercial intelligence. No tick-box content. No performative inclusion. Real tools. Real change.
What Elaine Talks About
The Purple Pound & Inclusive Profit
How accessibility boosts revenue and reputation in the luxury market. Elaine makes the commercial case that no business leader can afford to ignore — £274 billion in annual spending power, and a market the industry is actively turning away.
The Power of Representation
Why Black disabled voices matter in leadership, events and visibility. A talk about the cost of absence — what happens when an entire industry fails to see itself reflected in its leadership, its marketing and its spaces.
Planning Without Barriers
A practical, actionable talk for wedding and event professionals on what genuine accessibility looks like in practice — not in theory. Audiences leave with real tools they can use the following Monday.
F'AIRE Conversations™ Framework
Fairness, Accessible, Inclusion, Representation & Excellence/Experience — Elaine's proprietary framework for making inclusion a business practice, not a buzzword. Audiences leave with a structured approach they can implement immediately.
Living Between Worlds
Elaine's personal story navigating race, disability, motherhood and building a business in an industry that wasn't built for her. A talk about resilience, identity and the power of refusing to disappear.
Accessibility in the Age of Luxury
How the definition of luxury is changing — and why accessibility is at the centre of that shift. For hospitality leaders, venue directors and senior event professionals.
Formats & Investment
How To Book Elaine
Keynote (30–60 mins): £1,500 – £3,000
Panel Discussion: £750 – £1,000
Half-Day Workshop: From £2,000
Full-Day Workshop: From £3,500
Lunch & Learn: £997
Conference Opening / Closing: POA
Roundtable Facilitation: POA
Formats available: Keynote · Panel · Workshop · Lunch & Learn · Conference Address · Roundtable Facilitation
Perfect for: Industry conferences · DEI awareness weeks · Black History Month · Corporate programmes · University events · Hospitality summits · Wedding association events
Travel and accommodation billed separately. Discounts available for charities and community organisations.
“I don't speak at events to fill a diversity slot. I speak to change how an industry operates. If you want someone who will challenge your audience and give them something they'll still be thinking about six months later — that's me."
— Elaine Hughes
Book Elaine for your event.
Availability is limited. To discuss dates, topics and tailoring — book a speaking enquiry call.