On November 21, 2025, the time had come once again: The Speakers Excellence Slam transformed the K – Culture and Congress Center in Stuttgart-Kornwestheim into a stage full of vision, emotion, and outstanding speeches.
33 speakers, over 280 minutes of stage time, 22 jury members, and 8 coveted awards – the event pushed not only time limits but emotional boundaries as well.
Pure excitement – inspiration at its peak
Even backstage, you could feel the tension: a young speaker stretching to calm her nerves, another taking a deep breath and silently repeating his lines. Few events generate as much adrenaline as a speaker slam – because each participant has just 8 minutes to impress the audience and the jury.
Speakers are wired, guided, and sent onto the stage minute by minute. The audience begins to clap softly ten seconds before each speech ends – a subtle signal that time is almost up. Handovers run like clockwork. And despite all the excitement, one thing is clear: the team spirit backstage is unmistakable – everyone is rooting for one another.
The Jury: 22 professionals, 9 hours of full concentration
Anyone hoping to win at the Slam must excel – in presence, content, confidence, interaction, and even presentation. The evaluation is carried out by an expert jury made up of highly respected figures from the speaking, event, and media industries.
A selection of the 2025 jury:
- Gerd Kulhavy – CEO, Speakers Excellence
- Annabell Whitney – Keynote Speaker & Speaker Trainer
- Klaus Höhn – Leadership & Talent Development Manager, Financial Services
- Hanna-Sophie Welker – Managing Director, German Speakers Association e.V.
- Heike Riebe – Program Director, Zukunft Personal Events
- Michael Lehmann – Head of Training Center, Herrenknecht AG
- Prof. Dr. Axel Koch – Dean of Business Psychology & Bestselling Author
- Till Elsässer – Executive Management, Global Event Management, Rauschenberger Catering & Restaurants GmbH & Co. KG
- Monika Fink – Reorientation Expert, Top 100 Trainer & Mentor
- Michael von Kunhardt – Top 100 Keynote Speaker, TV Expert & Mental Strength Mentor
- Raho J. Bornhorst – Success Mentor, Leadership Coach & Speaker
- Sabine Altena – Keynote Speaker & Management Coach
- Gunar Bergemann – Head of Event Marketing, Maritim Hotels; Expert in Live Marketing & Hospitality
- Corinna Heller – School Director, Founder of teachersEXCELLENCE®
- Dr. Martin Emrich – Psychologist, Trainer, Keynote Speaker & Organizer of the “European Speaker Awards”
- Maren Kristin Kern – Moderator, Voice Coach & Business Coach
- Thomas Göller – Consultant, Mentor, Speaker & Publisher
- Wolfgang Walter Wulle – Keynote Speaker, Coach, Author & Winner of the Swiss Slam 2021
- Daniela Landgraf – Keynote Speaker, Book Mentor, Ghostwriter & Literary Agent
- Angela Kiemayer – Voice Coach, Composer & Author
The jury works at full speed – every speaker receives individual written feedback. While the audience enjoys the show, the experts evaluate each performance with precision.
Five categories – endless variety of themes
Whether personality, leadership, or digital transformation: speakers choose their category beforehand, allowing the audience to experience diverse, focused mini-keynotes that go straight to the heart and mind.
Award categories:
🧠 Personality & Success
💬 Communication & Motivation
💼 Marketing, Sales & Service
🔄 Management, Leadership & Change
🚀 Digitalization, Innovation & Future
Additional awards included the Agency Award, the Customer Award, and the Audience Award, where viewers could award up to five stars per speaker via the event website.
More than a competition – a true sense of community
What makes the Slam so special is its spirit: more than 80 speakers, coaches, trainers, and entrepreneurs come together, supporting and inspiring one another. There is laughter, learning, applause, and in-depth conversations everywhere.
📸 The photo walls are busy, new collaborations emerge, meaningful connections are made, and unforgettable moments are captured. In the evening, everyone celebrates together – with a DJ, drinks, and plenty of positive energy.
The big moment: The winners of 2025
When the room falls completely silent, everyone knows: it's time for the awards!
The excitement is palpable. And as soon as each winner is announced, the room erupts in cheers. The joy is genuine, the respect undeniable.
🏆 Winners of the Speaker Slam 2025:
- Personality & Success: Elena Worthington
- Communication & Motivation: Stefan Klaußner
- Marketing, Sales & Service: Marcus Selzer
- Management, Leadership & Change: David Zistl
- Digitalization, Innovation & Future: Silvia Balaban
- Agency Award: Hakan Calim
- Customer Award: Steffen Baermann
- Audience Award: Jeanie Bäder
🎉 Congratulations to all winners from the entire Speakers Excellence team!
Each participant receives professional video and photo material afterward, along with written feedback – ensuring that the Speaker Slam becomes a powerful and lasting growth journey.
🔔 Save the Date: Speaker Slam 2026
The next Slam will take place on November 20, 2026, in Stuttgart.
Do you want to participate – on stage or in the audience?
We’d love to hear from you:
📩 info@speakers-excellence.de
