diff --git a/plugins/event_schedule/directives.py b/plugins/event_schedule/directives.py
index eb372cf51b0d6419100baf754a0b24297ae4188f..007c684b636ac3ff866484ecf9453611d5847c0c 100644
--- a/plugins/event_schedule/directives.py
+++ b/plugins/event_schedule/directives.py
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ class Event(Directive):
     optional_arguments = 0
     final_argument_whitespace = True
     option_spec = {
-        'speaker': str,
+        'speaker': directives.unchanged, # To get empty string instead of None in case of missing option's content
         'begin': str,
         'end': str,
         'support': support_converter
@@ -148,9 +148,7 @@ class Event(Directive):
         node['begin'] = dateutil.parser.parse(self.options['begin'])
         node['end'] = dateutil.parser.parse(self.options['end'])
         node['title'] = self.arguments[0]
-        # Fix issue #269
-        speaker = self.options.get('speaker')
-        node['speaker'] = speaker if speaker != 'None' else None
+        node['speaker'] = self.options.get('speaker', '')
         node['support'] = self.options.get('support', list())
         node['content'] = '\n'.join(self.content)
         content = event_content()
diff --git a/plugins/event_schedule/templates/event.tpl b/plugins/event_schedule/templates/event.tpl
index 0f774d6c5699a1a4bfea08877b97857fc766fc43..7827b7526aec73d0fc4db797680526106d7c98c8 100644
--- a/plugins/event_schedule/templates/event.tpl
+++ b/plugins/event_schedule/templates/event.tpl
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@
     <div class="col-lg-6 p-lg-0">
         {% if node_type == 'speaker' %}
             <p class="m-0 event-title">{{ node['title'] }}</p>
-            <p class="speaker">{{ node['speaker'] if node['speaker'] }}</p>
+            <p class="speaker">{{ node['speaker'] }}</p>{# always keep a speaker to avoid breaking vertical space #}
         {% elif node_type == 'break' %}
             <p class="event-break">{{ node['break'] }}</p>
         {% endif %}