Trust AAE Speakers Bureau for Booking Top Professional Speakers. Find a Keynote Speaker Today.
Trust AAE Speakers Bureau for Booking Top Professional Speakers. Find a Keynote Speaker Today.
John Romero

John Romero

Keynote Speaker: Video Game Designer, Developer & Programmer

  • Travels From:
  • Speaking Fee:
    Live Event Fee: $20,000 - $30,000
    Virtual Event Fee: $10,000 - $20,000
    More Fee Info
  • Categories:

John Romero Biography

John Romero is an award-winning programmer, game designer and level designer whose work spans over 130 games, 108 of which have been published commercially. Romero is considered to be the "father of first person shooters" having led the design and contributed to the programming and audio design of the iconic and genre-defining games Wolfenstein 3D, DOOM, Quake, Heretic and Hexen. Romero was also one of the earliest supporters of eSports and a professional-level DOOM and Quake player.

To date, Romero has co-founded eight successful game companies including the likes of id Software and most recently Romero Games in Galway, Ireland. He is considered to be among the world’s top game designers, and his products have won well over 100 awards. One of the earliest indie developers, Romero began working in the game space in 1979 on mainframes before moving to the Apple II in 1981. He is a completely self-taught programmer, designer and artist. His memoir "DOOM Guy" released in July 2022.

Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on John Romero and other top speakers and celebrities.

John Romero Speaking Topics

Wolfenstein 3D Post-Mortem: Achtung!

John Romero will take the audience through the short timeline of creating this "watershed moment in gaming history," showing just how much happened during the game's development rollercoaster ride. Wolfenstein 3D showed the world that the PC could play a new kind of game that no other machine could replicate, a legacy that continues to this day.

Quake Post-Mortem: The End of the Original id

With the release of DOOM and DOOM II, id software were masters of mayhem, riding high and unstoppable. They would soon begin work on Quake, an ambitious truly 3D FPS that would seek, once again, to redefine the state of the art. Released in 1996, Quake introduced the world to 3D mouse look, 60fps 3D texture-mapped rendering with lighting, and internet multiplayer with a client/server architecture. With its release came the birth of eSports as clans and competitions sprung up worldwide. Over twenty years later, it is still acknowledged as one of gaming’s masterworks. In this talk, id co-founder and Quake designer John Romero takes the audience through the rollercoaster that was Quake’s creation and reveals why it brought about the end of the Original id.

A Lifetime in Games: The Past, Present and Future of the Game Industry

As a young child in Tucson, Arizona, young John Romero discovers the magic of arcades. Whenever he can, he drops his quarters into the machines and, to make the experience last as long as possible, he concentrates on being good, really good. By the time the family moves to Rocklin, California, his initials, “AJR”, are on the top of every machine’s leaderboard all over town. That love of games leads to a love for programming, and by the age of 11, Romero is making his first game. Nearly four decades later, he is still making them. From arcade to college mainframe, from the Apple II to the Apple iPhone, from Dangerous Dave to DOOM, Romero’s career has both followed and forged the industry as we know it. In this talk, Romero explores the industry through the lens of his career, past and present, and speculates on the its future.

The Early Days of Id Software

Programming Principles: As co-founders of id Software, John Romero and John Carmack created the code behind the company's seminal titles. The principles they defined through experience in id’s earliest days built upon one an

The Making of DOOM: A year of ripping and tearing!

“Does it run DOOM?” is the oft-heard phrase as it is the canonical first-port for any system, be it a toaster, touch bar or printer. Programmer, game designer, level designer and DOOM II final boss John Romero delivers a postmortem on the game showing rarely seen material, memorializing its immersive but nerve-wracking 3D environments, networked multiplayer deathmatches, demonic imagery and themes, Barney WADs, exploding barrels, and BFG 9000.

John Romero Videos

Get to know John Romero
The Early Days of Id Software - John Romero Keynote
Meet John Romero: One of the Godfathers of the First-Person Shooter

How do I book John Romero to speak at my event?

Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like John Romero for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for John Romero, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for John Romero or any other speaker of your choice.

How much does it cost to book John Romero for a speaking engagement?

Speaking fees for John Romero, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book John Romero are $20,000 - $30,000 for live events and $10,000 - $20,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire John Romero, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.

What topics does John Romero speak about?

John Romero is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Gaming, Television & Film, Innovation, Computer Science, Design, Technology and Authors.

Where does John Romero travel from?

John Romero generally travels from Dublin, Ireland and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.

Who is the agent for John Romero?

AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like John Romero for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book John Romero for your next private or corporate function.

What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host John Romero or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.

Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.


John Romero is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics including Gaming, Television & Film and Innovation. The estimated speaking fee range to book John Romero for live events is $20,000 - $30,000, and for virtual events $10,000 - $20,000. John Romero generally travels from Dublin, Ireland and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Brenda Louise Romero, Maxwell Planck and Lisette Titre-Montgomery. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling John Romero for an upcoming event.

John Romero Speaking Topics

  • Wolfenstein 3D Post-Mortem: Achtung!

    John Romero will take the audience through the short timeline of creating this "watershed moment in gaming history," showing just how much happened during the game's development rollercoaster ride. Wolfenstein 3D showed the world that the PC could play a new kind of game that no other machine could replicate, a legacy that continues to this day.

  • Quake Post-Mortem: The End of the Original id

    With the release of DOOM and DOOM II, id software were masters of mayhem, riding high and unstoppable. They would soon begin work on Quake, an ambitious truly 3D FPS that would seek, once again, to redefine the state of the art. Released in 1996, Quake introduced the world to 3D mouse look, 60fps 3D texture-mapped rendering with lighting, and internet multiplayer with a client/server architecture. With its release came the birth of eSports as clans and competitions sprung up worldwide. Over twenty years later, it is still acknowledged as one of gaming’s masterworks. In this talk, id co-founder and Quake designer John Romero takes the audience through the rollercoaster that was Quake’s creation and reveals why it brought about the end of the Original id.

  • A Lifetime in Games: The Past, Present and Future of the Game Industry

    As a young child in Tucson, Arizona, young John Romero discovers the magic of arcades. Whenever he can, he drops his quarters into the machines and, to make the experience last as long as possible, he concentrates on being good, really good. By the time the family moves to Rocklin, California, his initials, “AJR”, are on the top of every machine’s leaderboard all over town. That love of games leads to a love for programming, and by the age of 11, Romero is making his first game. Nearly four decades later, he is still making them. From arcade to college mainframe, from the Apple II to the Apple iPhone, from Dangerous Dave to DOOM, Romero’s career has both followed and forged the industry as we know it. In this talk, Romero explores the industry through the lens of his career, past and present, and speculates on the its future.

  • The Early Days of Id Software

    Programming Principles: As co-founders of id Software, John Romero and John Carmack created the code behind the company's seminal titles. The principles they defined through experience in id’s earliest days built upon one an

  • The Making of DOOM: A year of ripping and tearing!

    “Does it run DOOM?” is the oft-heard phrase as it is the canonical first-port for any system, be it a toaster, touch bar or printer. Programmer, game designer, level designer and DOOM II final boss John Romero delivers a postmortem on the game showing rarely seen material, memorializing its immersive but nerve-wracking 3D environments, networked multiplayer deathmatches, demonic imagery and themes, Barney WADs, exploding barrels, and BFG 9000.

John Romero Videos

Get to know John Romero
The Early Days of Id Software - John Romero Keynote
Meet John Romero: One of the Godfathers of the First-Person Shooter
BOOKING INFORMATION REQUEST
JOHN ROMERO

We are happy to assist you with your interest in booking a speaker or celebrity for your event, your organization, and the type of talent you would like to secure, and an agent will be in touch shortly.

Fill out the form below to or call us at 1-800-698-2536 if need immediate assistance.

Tell us about your event!

We respond to most inquiries within 4 hours. Under special circumstances, it may take up to 24 hours.


This website is a resource for event professionals and strives to provide the most comprehensive catalog of thought leaders and industry experts to consider for speaking engagements. A listing or profile on this website does not imply an agency affiliation or endorsement by the talent.

All American Entertainment (AAE) exclusively represents the interests of talent buyers, and does not claim to be the agency or management for any speaker or artist on this site. AAE is a talent booking agency for paid events only. We do not handle requests for donation of time or media requests for interviews, and cannot provide celebrity contact information.