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Registered number:
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 NOVEMBER 2024
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THE LONDON SPEAKER BUREAU LIMITED
COMPANY INFORMATION
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THE LONDON SPEAKER BUREAU LIMITED
CONTENTS
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THE LONDON SPEAKER BUREAU LIMITED
STRATEGIC REPORT
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 NOVEMBER 2024
The London Speaker Bureau Limited is an international agency, that represents and works with some of the most influential people around the world. We provide experienced keynote speakers and senior boardroom advisers to assist corporations and governments meet their objectives. The directors present their Strategic Report for the year ended 30 November 2024.
The company's principal activity is the provision of business speakers and boardroom advisors to corporations and government both in person and virtually. Expanding into new regions globally continues to create new opportunities for the business, alongside diversifying our services offered. This year our focus remained on on growing sales in North America and maintaining market share in other global regions. We continued to invest in and train existing staff and significantly in improving automation and operational efficiencies. The company achieved another solid set of results for the year ended 30 November 2024. Revenue grew to £21.2m (2023: £20.2m), gross margin reduced as did profit before taxation to £367k (2023: £931k). The directors consider these results to be satisfactory.
Whilst overall the industry has remained strong, some global regions saw a decline in bookings, likely attributed to a year of political elections globally and client’s reluctance to commit in advance of electoral outcomes. Increasingly complex procurement processes to support our clients’ requirements as a vendor continues to be a challenge, this year we have focused heavily on building strong and long-standing partnerships and streamlining our processes to align with clients’ requirements.
Turnover has increased for the business due to not only new client acquisition both in the UK and internationally but also retained repeat business with long-standing clients. We continue to book events both in person and virtually. Overheads continue to be strictly controlled. The following KPIs were monitored by the board:
• Turnover increased by 4.9% to £21.2m (2023: £20.2m) • Gross profit margin decreased to 15% (2023: 16.90%) • Profit before taxation decreased to £367k (2023: £931k)
The company continues to grow its footprint and expertise in the speaking and advisory industry through investment in new marketing initiatives, diversifying our services and ensuring current staff receive training to be able to offer an unrivalled consultancy service in our industry.
This report was approved by the board on 20 May 2025 and signed on its behalf.
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THE LONDON SPEAKER BUREAU LIMITED
DIRECTOR'S REPORT
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 NOVEMBER 2024
The director presents his report and the financial statements for the year ended 30 November 2024.
The profit for the year, after taxation, amounted to £218,845 (2023 - £681,471).
Ordinary dividends were paid amounting to £395,469. The directors do not recommend payment of a final dividend.
The company will continue to focus on its growth objectives in North America and explore opportunities to expand into new regions globally. We will also look at building on the projects of automating and streamlining operational efficiencies. We aim to complete our B-Corp certification in the coming year, a designation which we believe will compliment many of our social and environmental objectives within the company.
The director is responsible for preparing the Strategic Report, the Director's Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations.
In preparing these financial statements, the director is required to:
∙select suitable accounting policies for the Company's financial statements and then apply them consistently;
∙make judgments and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
∙prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the Company will continue in business.
The director is responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the Company's transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Company and to enable him to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. He is also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
The directors who served during the year were:
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THE LONDON SPEAKER BUREAU LIMITED
DIRECTOR'S REPORT (CONTINUED)
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 NOVEMBER 2024
This report was approved by the board on 20 May 2025 and signed on its behalf.
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THE LONDON SPEAKER BUREAU LIMITED
INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF THE LONDON SPEAKER BUREAU LIMITED
We have audited the financial statements of The London Speaker Bureau Limited (the 'Company') for the year ended 30 November 2024, which comprise the Statement of Income and Retained Earnings, the Balance Sheet, the Statement of Cash Flows and the related notes, including a summary of significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 ‘The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland' (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditors' responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the Company in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the United Kingdom, including the Financial Reporting Council's Ethical Standard and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.
In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the director's use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.
Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the Company's ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.
Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the director with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.
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THE LONDON SPEAKER BUREAU LIMITED
INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF THE LONDON SPEAKER BUREAU LIMITED (CONTINUED)
The other information comprises the information included in the Annual Report other than the financial statements and our Auditors' Report thereon. The director is responsible for the other information contained within the Annual Report. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon. Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the course of the audit, or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.
We have nothing to report in this regard.
In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit:
∙the information given in the Strategic Report and the Director's Report for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and
∙the Strategic Report and the Director's Report have been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.
In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the Company and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the Strategic Report or the Director's Report.
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THE LONDON SPEAKER BUREAU LIMITED
INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF THE LONDON SPEAKER BUREAU LIMITED (CONTINUED)
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an Auditors' Report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.
Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud is detailed below:
∙the engagement partner ensured that the engagement team collectively had the appropriate competence, capabilities and skills to identify or recognise non-compliance with applicable laws and regulations;
∙we identified the laws and regulations applicable to the Company through discussions with management;
∙we focused on specific laws and regulations which we considered may have a direct material effect on the financial statements or the operations of the Company, including the Companies Act 2006;
∙we assessed the extent of compliance with the laws and regulations identified above through making enquiries of management; and
∙we ensured that the identified laws and regulations were communicated within the audit team regularly and the team remained alert to instances of non-compliance throughout the audit.
We assessed the susceptibility of the Company’s financial statements to material misstatement, including obtaining an understanding of how fraud might occur, by: -
∙making enquiries of management as to where they considered there was susceptibility to fraud and their knowledge of actual, suspected and alleged fraud; and
∙considering the internal controls in place to mitigate risks of fraud and non-compliance with laws and regulations.
To address the risk of fraud through management bias and override of controls, we: -
∙performed analytical procedures to identify any unusual or unexpected relationships;
∙tested journal entries to identify unusual transactions; and
∙assessed whether judgements and assumptions made in determining the accounting estimates were indicative of potential bias.
In response to the risk of irregularities and non-compliance with laws and regulations, we designed procedures which included, but were not limited to: -
∙agreeing financial statement disclosures to underlying supporting documentation; and
∙enquiring of management as to actual and potential litigation and claims.
Because of the inherent limitations of an audit, there is a risk that we will not detect all irregularities, including those leading to a material misstatement in the financial statements or non-compliance with regulation. This risk increases the more that compliance with a law or regulation is removed from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, as we will be less likely to become aware of instances of non-compliance. The risk is also greater regarding irregularities occurring due to fraud rather than error, as fraud involves intentional concealment, forgery, collusion, omission or misrepresentation.
A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on the Financial Reporting Council's website at: www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our Auditors' Report.
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THE LONDON SPEAKER BUREAU LIMITED
INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF THE LONDON SPEAKER BUREAU LIMITED (CONTINUED)
This report is made solely to the Company's members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the Company's members those matters we are required to state to them in an Auditors' Report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the Company and the Company's members, as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.
for and on behalf of
Chartered Accountants
Statutory Auditor
Aston House
Redburn Road
NE5 1NB
Date: 20 May 2025
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THE LONDON SPEAKER BUREAU LIMITED
STATEMENT OF INCOME AND RETAINED EARNINGS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 NOVEMBER 2024
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THE LONDON SPEAKER BUREAU LIMITED
REGISTERED NUMBER: 02967482
BALANCE SHEET
AS AT 30 NOVEMBER 2024
The financial statements were approved and authorised for issue by the board and were signed on its behalf by:
The notes on pages 11 to 23 form part of these financial statements.
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THE LONDON SPEAKER BUREAU LIMITED
STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 NOVEMBER 2024
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THE LONDON SPEAKER BUREAU LIMITED
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 NOVEMBER 2024
The London Speaker Bureau Limited is a private company, company number 02967482, limited by shares incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is 235 Kensington High Street, London, W8 6SF.
2.Accounting policies
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention unless otherwise specified within these accounting policies and in accordance with Financial Reporting Standard 102, the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and the Republic of Ireland and the Companies Act 2006.
The preparation of financial statements in compliance with FRS 102 requires the use of certain critical accounting estimates. It also requires management to exercise judgment in applying the Company's accounting policies (see note 3).
The following principal accounting policies have been applied:
At the time of approving the financial statements, the directors have a reasonable expectation that the company has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Thus the directors continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.
Turnover is recognised at the fair value of consideration received or receivable for services provided in the normal course of business, and is shown net of VAT and other sales related taxes.
Revenue in respect of speaker events is recognised in the period the event is held.
The company has one subsidiary. The company has taken advantage of the exemption from preparing consolidated financial statements allowed by FRS102 on the grounds that the activities of the subsidiary company are wholly immaterial.
All intangible assets are considered to have a finite useful life. If a reliable estimate of the useful life cannot be made, the useful life shall not exceed ten years.
The estimated useful lives range as follows:
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THE LONDON SPEAKER BUREAU LIMITED
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 NOVEMBER 2024
2.Accounting policies (continued)
Depreciation is charged so as to allocate the cost of assets less their residual value over their estimated useful lives, using the straight-line method.
Depreciation is provided on the following basis:
The assets' residual values, useful lives and depreciation methods are reviewed, and adjusted prospectively if appropriate, or if there is an indication of a significant change since the last reporting date.
Gains and losses on disposals are determined by comparing the proceeds with the carrying amount and are recognised in profit or loss.
The Company has elected to apply the provisions of Section 11 “Basic Financial Instruments” of FRS 102 to all of its financial instruments.
Financial instruments are recognised in the Company's Balance Sheet when the Company becomes party to the contractual provisions of the instrument.
Basic financial assets
Basic financial assets, which include trade and other debtors, cash and bank balances, are initially measured at their transaction price (adjusted for transaction costs except in the initial measurement of financial assets that are subsequently measured at fair value through profit and loss) and are subsequently carried at their amortised cost using the effective interest method, less any provision for impairment, unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the transaction is measured at the present value of the future receipts discounted at a market rate of interest.
Discounting is omitted where the effect of discounting is immaterial. The Company's cash and cash equivalents, trade and most other debtors due with the operating cycle fall into this category of financial instruments.
Impairment of financial assets
At the end of each reporting period financial assets measured at amortised cost are assessed for
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THE LONDON SPEAKER BUREAU LIMITED
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 NOVEMBER 2024
2.Accounting policies (continued)
objective evidence of impairment. If an asset is impaired the impairment loss is the difference between the carrying amount and the present value of the estimated cash flows discounted at the asset’s original effective interest rate. The impairment loss is recognised in profit or loss.
Financial assets are impaired when events, subsequent to their initial recognition, indicate the estimated future cash flows derived from the financial asset(s) have been adversely impacted. The impairment loss will be the difference between the current carrying amount and the present value of the future cash flows at the asset(s) original effective interest rate.
If there is a favourable change in relation to the events surrounding the impairment loss then the impairment can be reviewed for possible reversal. The reversal will not cause the current carrying amount to exceed the original carrying amount had the impairment not been recognised. The impairment reversal is recognised in the profit or loss.
Trade creditors are obligations to pay for goods and services that have been acquired in the ordinary course of business from suppliers. Trade creditors are classified as current liabilities if the payment is due within one year. If not, they represent non-current liabilities. Trade creditors are initially recognised at their transaction price and subsequently are measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method. Discounting is omitted where the effect of discounting is immaterial.
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THE LONDON SPEAKER BUREAU LIMITED
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 NOVEMBER 2024
2.Accounting policies (continued)
The costs of short-term employee benefits are recognised as a liability and an expense.
The cost of any unused holiday entitlement is recognised in the period in which the employee's services are received.
Rentals payable under operating leases, including any lease incentives received, are charged to profit or loss on a straight line basis over the term of the relevant lease except where another more systematic basis is more representative of the time pattern in which economic benefits from the leases assets are consumed.
Transactions in currencies other than pounds sterling are recorded at the rates of exchange prevailing at the dates of the transactions. At each reporting end date, monetary assets and liabilities that are denominated in foreign currencies are retranslated at the rates prevailing on the reporting end date. Gains and losses arising on translation in the period are included in profit or loss.
The estimates are underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised where the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods where the revision affects both current and future periods.
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THE LONDON SPEAKER BUREAU LIMITED
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 NOVEMBER 2024
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THE LONDON SPEAKER BUREAU LIMITED
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 NOVEMBER 2024
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THE LONDON SPEAKER BUREAU LIMITED
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 NOVEMBER 2024
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THE LONDON SPEAKER BUREAU LIMITED
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 NOVEMBER 2024
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THE LONDON SPEAKER BUREAU LIMITED
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 NOVEMBER 2024
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THE LONDON SPEAKER BUREAU LIMITED
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 NOVEMBER 2024
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THE LONDON SPEAKER BUREAU LIMITED
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 NOVEMBER 2024
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THE LONDON SPEAKER BUREAU LIMITED
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 NOVEMBER 2024
The company operates a defined contribution pension scheme for all qualifying employees. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the company in an independent administered fund. The pension cost represents contributions payable by the company to the funds and amounted to £86,162 (2023: £80,856). Contributions outstanding at the year end amounted to £6,168 (2023: £4,939).
Dividends totalling £395,469 (2023 - £708,033) were paid in the year in respect of shares held by the company's directors.
Included within other debtors due within one year are interest free loans to directors, amounting to £485,698 (2023 - £477,898). Amounts advanced in the year totalled £85,800 (2023 - £479,097) and amounts repaid during the year totalled £78,000 (2023 - £80,000).
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THE LONDON SPEAKER BUREAU LIMITED
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 NOVEMBER 2024
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