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The fabulous Molly Holzschlag writes that from this day forward, she will no longer speak for food. I’m with Molly on this one.
About being asked to “participate” in a conference without pay, she says:

“… the major company in question, while asking for my apparent expertise and enthusiasm, doesn’t see fit to pay my travel or time. In fact, the entire invitation reads as if I owe them the honor of my presence, and not only that, should pay for the privilege.”

Don’t even bother to send the invitation, she says, “if you want me to speak at your event for free, and if you’re a rich corporation with deep pockets and not a legitimate charity or community organization…”
Like Molly, I can understand the no-pay issue when there’s good cause, and in that case a speaker may choose to modify his/her fee. But, as Molly so eloquently notes,

“this crap of paying for the privilege of speaking, in my opinion, has gone on too long and for all the wrong reasons.
I encourage all people who publicly share their knowledge and travel distances to do so start putting a reasonable price on their knowledge and experience. “