Creating a plan to execute a successful event can take a lot of your time and energy. It is possible that when the time comes to choosing the right speakers for your event, you might not have the mental space left to make the right decision. However, it does not undermine the importance of choosing a keynote speaker for your event. To help you make the proper judgment without putting you on the spot, we have listed all the dos and don’t of choosing a speaker.
An interesting read for you: Recruiting Expert Speakers for Your Online Conference Platforms
Laying the Groundwork: What To Do Before Selecting Right Speakers
The keynote speaker creates value for your event. The right speaker creates buzz around your occasion and helps with event advertising. Your entire event and the theme of the events will be surrounded by the guest speaker you choose. The speaker will not only kick start your possibility to grab the right amount of eyeballs, but they are also going to advocate your brand reputation. There are a lot more things that a guest speaker significantly impacts. Therefore, it is crucial to put all your efforts into finding the right speaker for your next event.
Regardless of your event type, be it in-person, virtual, or hybrid, you can only aim for success with accurate planning and preparation. There are many examples of how a lack of planning leads to greater disaster. If you do not want to be on the list of failed events, we recommend you start preparing for your event six to twelve months in advance.
How an Event Organizing Platform Helps with Picking the Right Speakers
There is a lot that goes into organizing an event. From knowing your audience, selecting the venue, developing a theme, making a budget, and inviting speakers, you will have things running at high speed for your event preparation. At the same time, choosing the best event-organizing platform is an excellent way to put some burden off your shoulders.
An event-organizing platform limits the tasks on your list and helps you step out of the overwhelming zone. For instance, vFairs, one of the leading virtual events platforms, has a team of in-house experts that can plan, prepare and execute a successful event in just eight weeks.
Furthermore, when choosing the right speakers, it is only sometimes best to go by big names. Firstly, it is possible that you might not have the budget to score big names in the speaker industry for your event. Also, big names are only sometimes relevant for your event type. For example, Dave Ramsey is a famous financial expert and speaker. You might think that having their name on the list of your guest speakers will take the attendee registration to new heights, which is possible. However, if your event is about technology, then someone other than Dave might be the relevant speaker for the event. So no matter how much buzz a big name makes for your event, if they do not apply to the event/conference, then they are impractical.
Keep the Questions Coming: Things to Define Before Conducting Right Speakers Search
Finding the right guest speaker for your event is a challenging task. There are a lot of things that you have to keep in mind to narrow down your choice. With this being said, here are some questions you should keep in mind before conducting your speaker research:
What is the objective of your event?
The most straightforward way to narrow down your guest speaker choices is by clearly defining the goal and intent of your event. Once you are good with describing, you might be able to identify whether or not you need a guest speaker in the first place.
Who is your target audience?
Understanding your target audience can help you choose the right guest speaker. For instance, if your target audience is young entrepreneurs, then you need to select a guest speaker who is young, energetic, and is or was an entrepreneur. A guest speaker with fresh and new ideas or someone who is well-regarded for pushing boundaries and helping young entrepreneurs make a mark in the industry will add value to your event.
What is your budget?
This is one of the most critical questions you need to set right. Your event is going to rely on something other than your guest speaker. Many more aspects revolve around a successful event which demands monetary funding. Therefore, it is crucial to set a specific amount as a budget for your guest speaker. If you have a tight budget, emailing celebrities to join your event as guest speakers is a big no-no. However, a few platforms can help you grab relevant yet budget-friendly guest spears for your event. We will talk about these platforms further in this article.
What is the purpose of the guest speaker?
Defining the theme for your event and knowing a specific goal you want to achieve through your guest speaker can help you select the relevant name for your event. For instance, if you plan to electrify the event’s audience by bringing an energetic guest speaker, you should choose a person who can boost audience energy and maintain their speaking abilities while being a powerhouse throughout the event.
What is the presentation style of your event?
This might sound tricky, but hear us out. If you are looking for a guest speaker only for a set 20-minute keynote limit, then a person known for delivering a 60-minute presentation can not blend well with your audience. It doesn’t matter how much you insist they strictly follow the set time. They will go over time if they are known for longer keynote sessions. This will aggravate you and your guests and might sabotage your event’s success. Therefore, setting boundaries, developing a presentation style, and choosing the best person to fit your requirements is necessary.
What type of personality will suit your event?
When choosing the guest speaker for your event, you must also observe their personality. If your event’s purpose is to educate the audience on a specific topic, you should be looking for someone knowledgeable and who can easily click with the audience. Moreover, if your audience is a bit conservative, choosing a speaker with an edgier personality can set your event up for failure.
What type of guest speaker?
This is something which you should keep in your mind all the time. When choosing a guest speaker, you should look for someone who meshes well with your audience. Moreover, finding a guest speaker who attracts an audience, keeps them engaged, and provides fresh ideas and perspectives in the event is necessary.
Where to Find the Right Guest Speakers For Your Event
Once you have answered all the questions above, you are at the right stage to find the perfect guest speaker for your event. However, the task continues. Finding the right guest speaker is not a call to text away. Instead, you can skim through a bunch of options until you find the perfect fit for your event.
Personal Experiences
The easier way to find a suitable seeker for your event is by going back and thinking of all the events you have attended. If you have recently participated in an event carrying the same theme as you have decided for your event, you might be able to book the guest seeker from that event.
Referrals
Another way to book a suitable speaker for your event is by using your referrals. It is time to reach out to your contacts and ask them for personal recommendations. Your contacts might be able to sort out a few names for you which are also relevant to your event type, theme, and audience. However, when contacting others for recommendations, you should be clear about what you are looking for. You can go back to the questions that clearly define your requirements for others.
If you are lucky enough to find a referral who has booked the suggested guest speakers, you can ask them how much the speaker charged. This way, you can understand whether the proposed guest speaker suits your budget or not.
Industry-related Organizations and Clubs
Even if you are not a member of the clubs and other organizations related to your industry, you can still explore some guest speaker options. The easier way is to check out the guest speakers your competitors have booked for their events.
TED Talks
TED is a nonprofit organization that only works with high-quality speakers. It is one of the most effective platforms for finding guest speakers for your event.
While there are several social channels through which you can connect to speakers from around the globe, with LinkedIn, you will find high-quality speakers for your event. Moreover, the LinkedIn Speaker Series also inspired people to share their stories and hard work through guest speaking sessions. The mission is to influence employees from around the globe with grown-breaking speakers.
Agencies
You can work with agencies like SpeakerHub, Premier Speaker Bureau, BigSpeak, and National Speakers Association to find guest speakers for your event. If you still need help finding an excellent name, then a simple Google search might help you score the best speakers in your area for your event.
Key Takeaways
When choosing the right guest speaker for your event, you can go within your budget and book a celebrity or known household name. Instead, it would help if you considered finding a guest speaker from your industry that can seamlessly connect with your audience and enable you to achieve your event goals.
The key is to feel confident in your chosen guest speaker. Make sure you connect with your guest speaker before you expect them to gel with your event audience.
