Originally Posted by
lhrsfo
This is quite alarming if there's no consistency, since it will (and has in this case) cause all sorts of problems for people. That's compounded by US embassies generally not being willing to give visas for activities that they believe do not require a visa.
At least I've not encountered a consistent denial of entry to visiting celebrity speakers; but the speakers to whom I paid attention have mostly been former very senior government types with very established senior USG contacts (speaking of those speakers who are/were from VWP countries). I'm sure some of them said they were in the US for a family or friends visit -- true as it was also -- but turned out to show up for one or more very lucrative speaking engagements on the side.