9 Tips For Choosing The Perfect Keynote Speaker For Your Corporate Event
by Abdul Aziz Mondal How to Guides Published on: 19 August 2023 Last Updated on: 07 November 2024
In the business sector, corporate events are important because they provide a venue for networking, information sharing, brand marketing, and employee engagement.
According to the “Event Marketing 2019: Benchmarks and Trends Report,” 84% of executives agree that physical corporate events are essential for the success of their businesses. These events benefit from the addition of speakers, well-known people with knowledge in various fields who offer their insights, inspiration, and thought leadership.
A well-chosen keynote speaker can make an event stand out from the competition and attract a larger and more diverse audience. They can also significantly impact the event’s performance and leave a lasting impression on attendees.
Keynote speakers can help promote your company as an industry leader, provide knowledge and skills, and help build relationships with clients and business partners. They can also make your event more memorable for everyone who attends.
However, it is a fact that finding a suitable speaker for your corporate event is a difficult task. If you also plan to choose the perfect keynote speaker for your corporate event, the following tips will help you pick the ideal one.
1. Goals of your Event
Before starting your search, ensure your corporate event’s goals and objectives are crystal clear. Are you trying to entertain, educate, or motivate your audience? Finding a speaker whose message supports your goals will be easier if you are aware of the objectives of your event. Moreover, ensure all your decision-makers and stakeholders agree on what you are looking for before you even begin searching for the perfect keynote speaker.
2. Contact an Agency
The easiest way to book a keynote speaker is to contact any agent, manager, or other third-party agency like Wasserman speaker booking agency. These agencies save you time and give you access to diverse talent relevant to your audience. They ensure you can book the keynote speaker on your desired dates within your budget.
In short, they can help you find the perfect speaker for your event and make the booking process easy and stress-free.
3. Topics for Talking
You want someone who can discuss and highlight the problems your business is facing, along with the right solutions for them (if that is the purpose of the event). Either way, keep in mind that a celebrity or public figure may not always go about the session the way you want. Ask the speaker whether they are willing and able to adjust their presentation to fit the objectives and overall concept of your event or not. Your audience will find a customized presentation more meaningful and applicable.
4. Relevance and Expertise of Your Keynote Speaker
Pick a keynote speaker who is an expert on a subject you want to discuss at your corporate event. Their knowledge will give legitimacy to your event and provide participants with useful information. You can find the expert speaker in your desired subject by considering the following:
- You can watch the video of the speaker to judge their ability to engage the crowd.
- You can check out the testimonials written by any big enterprise for your selected speaker.
- You can check out your speaker’s online activities, especially social media activities.
It is more likely that a speaker who has a track record of capturing audiences will have a favorable effect on your event. Therefore, look up the speaker’s prior appearances, ratings, and recommendations and select the one who can offer a dynamic and captivating presentation. To keep guests interested, the speaker should be able to employ good storytelling techniques and include interactive components in their speech or talking points.
5. Innovative and Diverse
The inventive ability of a speaker to motivate the audience, foster creative thinking, and provide a new viewpoint to the discussion influences the success of the business event. Therefore, it is suggested that you always look for a speaker who can provide your event with new insights. The audience likes speakers who innovatively question their wisdom.
6. Networking
At a corporate event, connecting the audience with the keynote speaker can be a fruitful opportunity to enable them to make contacts and gain knowledge from the speaker’s experience. Select a presenter willing to interact with the audience before and after their talk. This practice will create beneficial networking opportunities and improve the event’s overall experience.
7. Budget
Setting a reasonable budget for your event and keynote speaker is important. A famous celebrity speaker may be alluring, but weighing your budget against the speaker’s importance and impact on your event is crucial. Simply put, the cost of hiring a keynote speaker can vary significantly depending on the event’s budget, the speaker’s popularity, level of experience, and availability. List all possible activities and plan your event, especially hiring a keynote speaker, in light of the available budget.
8. Early Booking
Confirm the speaker’s availability for the event date and talk about the speaker’s travel plans, lodging options, requirement of necessary technical equipment, and any other support they may need for the event. It is imperative to understand that an early booking of a keynote speaker for your corporate event will help you secure the speaker’s availability. It will also ensure you have enough time to arrange and publicize the event after choosing the right speaker.
9. Contingency Plan
Throughout the planning process, establish open and clear communication with the speaker. Expectations will be met, and any issue will be taken care of with a collaborative approach. But also prepare a fallback strategy if the selected speaker isn’t able to attend for any reason. You can reduce the likelihood of your event being unsuccessful by being ready for any foreseeable adjustment.
Conclusion
Keynote speakers and business events go hand-in-hand in providing audiences with valuable experiences. Corporate events offer opportunities for networking, education, and brand promotion, while keynote speakers add knowledge, motivation, and engagement to make the event more impactful and memorable.
By carefully considering the following tips and conducting extensive research, you can increase the chances of choosing a keynote speaker who will connect with your audience and help your corporate event succeed.
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