The guest keynote speaker that you choose for your next event can impact how successful your experience is. You want people to feel engaged and inspired, boosting your reputation in the long run. You can even increase the profitability of your event with an impressive keynote speaker that will drive ticket sales. Let’s look at how you can choose the right keynote speaker for your next event.
Allow for Plenty of Planning
Many keynote speakers are booked months or even years in advance. Ensure you have set aside time to plan your event and book someone. Ideally, allow at least 8 to 12 months for planning. This also allows you plenty of flexibility with your event’s location.
Don’t Neglect Relevance
Don’t aim to get the most popular keynote speaker around. While they may give a great speech, it might not be relevant to your event. For example, don’t choose a financial expert if you’re running an event about animal rescue.
Consider the overall goal of your event. Defining that goal clearly will allow you to find a keynote speaker relevant to the topic being discussed and promoted. If you need to branch out a bit for variety, keep your keynote speaker relevant. Branch out into different topics for other speeches that may be occurring during the event.
Consider Your Budget
Specific keynote speakers can cost quite a bit of money to secure. Do not spend your entire budget on one portion of your event. Try to find a speaker that will do an excellent job but may not be as well known as some of the other options you have available. They’ll make it a point to work affordably to build up their name and reputation. They’ll probably devote more time to preparing for your event than a popular speaker who is probably overbooked as it is.
Consider Speech Length
Some keynote speakers will require a certain amount of time for their speeches. Does that match the amount of time that you can provide? You may only want to dedicate a partial hour to a keynote speech if you have a lot of other things going on at your event. Keep in mind that most speeches will run over, so plan accordingly.
Participating Engagement
The premier keynote speakers reach out to the audience and attempt to connect and engage with them. This may apply to the topic being discussed, how the speech is performed, the contact made after the speech is over, etc.
Give yourself time to research and reach out to potential keynote speakers to discuss your event. After touching base with certain people, it may become evident that they’re not the right option. Don’t be afraid to keep looking until you find the perfect person who will bring knowledge, inspiration, and expertise to the event that will engage your attendees. You can find guest speakers by reaching out to your professional connections. Ask around for recommendations and referrals.
Published by Stephanie M.
