How to Choose the Right Keynote Speaker for Your Event

Choosing the right keynote speaker is an important decision when planning an event.  Apart from the food, of course, your keynote speaker is usually the main event, so if they’re boring, your whole event sometimes ends up being not interesting also.  Your keynote speaker has the ability to set the tone for the entire gathering, so it’s important to get someone who can engage with your audience lively and align with your event’s goals.  Whether it’s a corporate conference, a motivational seminar, or an industry-specific summit, the keynote speaker plays a crucial role in delivering your event’s core message effectively.

A keynote speaker is a professional speaker who addresses the audience at the beginning of an event as they deliver a powerful presentation that sets the stage for the rest of the programme. They should have a deep knowledge of what they are going to talk about, like business leadership, technology, or personal development. They’re the ones who usually set the tone to inspire or educate your attendees, so their insights should be able to provide value to your audience.  They can either be motivational, informative, or even entertaining, but they should resonate with the audience and align with your event’s objectives.

To make sure you get the right person for your event, it’s important to find keynote speakers who would align with your event’s theme and audience needs.  The first step in this process is to understand your event’s primary goal.

Are you aiming to inspire your audience?

Are you planning to provide educational value?

Or are you just trying to spark meaningful conversations?

An example of which is when your event is centred around post-pandemic consumer behaviour, a speaker discussing topics such as how the pandemic has affected our clothing purchases could provide valuable insights into changing buying habits, supply chain issues, and shifts in consumer preferences.  Of course, your speaker should have expertise in this area to be able to offer relevant content.  Imagine if your speaker doesn’t know a thing about what he or she is saying; how will they engage with your audience with a topic they can’t even relate to?

Once you’ve clarified your event’s theme, the next step is to research potential speakers.  When you’re looking for keynote speakers, you should consider their expertise in the specific subject matter of your event. They are going to stand in front of so many people, so it’s always best to get someone that is relatable and, of course, reliable.

So how do you find them?

You can look for them through professional networks, speaker agencies, or even by seeking recommendations from colleagues within your industry.  You can also try reviewing their past performances, feedback from previous engagements, and videos of their talks to be able to assess their presentation style. After then, you can ask yourself, are they able to connect with their audiences? Can I then get him or her?

One more thing, don’t forget your budget.  Keynote speakers’ fees can vary greatly depending on their reputation, experience, and demand.  Moreover, there’s also travel expenses, accommodations, and other logistical costs.  So it’s always good to have a clear budget so you can narrow down your options. When you do an event, you already have too many expenses; you wouldn’t want to go over it just because you haven’t considered your speaker’s budget.

Finally, engage with potential speakers to make sure that they would be a good fit for your event.  Communication is the key to understanding whether they can tailor their presentation to your event’s specific goals.  Discuss with your speaker how they can incorporate current trends, data, and real-world examples to make their talk as relevant and impactful as possible.

So what’s your upcoming event?  Good luck with finding your keynote speaker!

That’s part of it.  So having a clear budget will help you narrow down your options and ensure that you get a speaker who fits within your financial parameters.

Finally, engage with potential speakers to make sure that they would be a good fit for your event.  Communication is the key to understanding whether they can tailor their presentation to your event’s specific goals.  Discuss with your speaker how they can incorporate current trends, data, and real-world examples to make their talk as relevant and impactful as possible.

So what’s your upcoming event?  Good luck with finding your keynote speaker!