Considerations When Choosing a Professional Keynote Speaker

The majority of trade conferences and events have a professional keynote speaker. The speaker is someone who is expert on a subject which will help attendees better crystallize the focus and purpose of the event. Your company should consider the following when considering a choice of a professional keynote speaker at your event:

Choose an Expert Who Can Really Speak

Too often, people attend lectures and are forced to wait through monotone speeches. They’ve tuned the speaker out ten minutes into the talk. Remember, how the speaker presents is equally as important as what they are saying.

Do Your Homework

Never take the speaker's word on their level of expertise. It's preferible to ask around and find out what others are saying. Are clients generally happy with the speaker's work? Does the particular speaker keep the audience engaged, and. most importantly - can they answer questions about their topic? Many speakers can rehearse a presentation to sound perfectly knowledgeable in a topic, but then crumble when put up to questions from the audience. Ask for credentials, licenses and other supporting information before signing them on, to be sure they really are an expert.

Maintain Control of the Situation

Many keynote speakers have a certain 'star' mentality. Remember that you are the one promoting their performance, and ultimately are the one helping to further their career, just as they are helping sponsor your event. It’s a two-way street, but the power difference is that you can always hire someone else. Be firm and up-front about what's expected, and don’t let them make changes or alterations at the last-minute unless absolutely necessary. Have a negotiated contract finished, and be sure it’s one that you both are comfortable with.

Remember That Your Audience Has a Limited Attention Span

If you bill an event as 30 minutes long, remind the speaker that they have 30 minutes. Offer time signals or a cut off segway if necessary. Don’t let them go over; if people are told a particular duration, then that's whay they will expect. In consulting, there's a rule that you can always give time back, but you can’t expect the client to offer up more. Why should your audience be expected to?

Stay On-Topic

Reinforce that the keynote speaker is there to speak on a particular theme, and that the theme has been advertised in advance. If this becomes an issue, refer to their contract or find a new speaker. Having inconsistencies in theme and presentation can show a subtle unprofessional vibe concerning the event that you don’t want clients to see.

No matter what the theme of your event is, you'll want to stay on topic, speak in a way that reaches your audience, and makes it enjoyable and engaging for them.