It's not often I do this but I'm going to use this article to sound off for once. We were recently requested to speak for a legal conference organiser later in the year. This was a "paid for "event, a few hundred pounds for people to attend, not a freebie marketing seminar.
It clashed with something that we were penciled in for, so I found a way round that, turned an agenda round on a sixpence for them, asked for expenses only (as we have an interest in the sector) and all was rosy.
Then blow me, around 10 days later I get an email telling me that the organiser's boss wanted us to pay to sponsor the event as well. So, is that good business or bad business on their part? Did we have a "verbal contract" or not? I'm interested in your view on that particular point.
The things I find the most unprofessional about it was that a) we were recommended b) I declared our "interest" right up front and c) we did a headless chicken impression for a few hours to put something together for them.