An offer that has been ACCEPTED is considered a binding contract. What happens when one side or the other backs out of that agreement depends on: which party is backing out (the Buyer or the Speaker), whether a deposit has already been paid, and how far away the event date is.

If the SPEAKER cancels a contract

• Any money paid so far (ie, DEPOSIT) is returned to the Buyer

If the BUYER cancels a contract

• Any money paid so far is retained by the Speaker (ie, DEPOSIT)
• If the event date is less than 45 days away, the Buyer is responsible to complete payment for the BALANCE of the Engagement Fee. The Buyer is not responsible to pay any agreed-on TRAVEL or MATERIAL fees.
• ...or if the Terms or Agreement executed as part of the accepted offer state otherwise, those terms apply instead.