Anthony Bennett
Jan 15, 2025
Choosing the Right Inspirational Speaker for Your School: A Guide for Educators
What Is A Keynote Speaker?
In an event, a keynote speaker is the primary speaker. They set the tone of the event and draw the audience’s attention. Keynote speakers often provide insight and new perspectives on a particular topic. They are often thought leaders in their field.
Despite many people’s familiarity with keynote speeches from graduations or similar events, event planners often use these speeches to open conferences, company retreats, wellness retreats, and other significant events.
A keynote speaker might be referred to as the main attraction, the headliner, or the star of an event. The keynote speaker is typically an expert on the event’s topic who can inspire, motivate, and inform the audience. They set the tone and theme of the event, and are often the highlight of the event for attendees.
Speakers set the “keynote” for conferences and events. They often open the event to the audience and provide valuable insight and knowledge. Their words and messages can stay with the attendees long after the event has ended. Their job is to establish the tone and tenor of the gathering. Other speakers are responsible for adding complementary overtones and themes to the keynote, making the conference’s content and messages as harmonious as possible.
Identifying Event Goals And Demographics Of A Good Public Speaker
he benefits of events range from community building to brand awareness to increasing sales. You can determine what kind of audience you need to attend your event by identifying your event goal:
Target your customers if you want to increase customer engagement
To increase brand awareness and drive new leads, review your current audience profile and target similar customers through different event marketing strategies.
For closing prospects, target your high-value accounts, in-pipe prospects, and late-stage prospects
Get insight from internal stakeholders such as leadership and the sales team on who would benefit from attending the event and the keynote speakers that match the event theme, as well as any external partners who are expecting to attend. Increasing registration numbers and connecting with your target audience can be accomplished through both internal and external stakeholders and the speakers that you choose.
The demographic analysis of a population or group considers factors such as age, education, nationality, religion, gender, race, and ethnicity as well as other factors. To understand a given audience and therefore pick the best keynote speaker, it’s important to put demographics into context and think about what they mean.
Bookers should use demographic data more to check assumptions rather than to speculate about the audience. It is easy to jump to conclusions when we look out of a room (or a screen with video-conferencing squares or a list of names): “Oh, there are so many millennials here” or “This webinar seems to be mostly white women,” or “no one here shares my demographics!”. In contrast, thinking demographically reveals other groupings that are not readily apparent. The practice of thinking demographically may also help event bookers move beyond preconceptions and biases by focusing attention on data rather than assumptions and this in turn ensures you book the best keynote speaker / good public speaker for your event.
Researching And Evaluating Potential Speakers
Identify potential business keynote speakers who meet your requirements by conducting thorough research. Make sure to review their past work and check for any potential conflicts of interest. Reach out to them to discuss their availability and fees. Then, invite the most suitable speaker for your event.
Consider asking colleagues, industry professionals, or trusted sources for recommendations. Once you have identified potential speakers, review their online profiles, websites, and social media accounts to gain more information about their work experience and credentials. Contact the speakers and ask questions about their keynote speaking experience and fee structure.
Using online platforms such as speaker directories and professional networks, you can review speakers’ profiles, videos, testimonials, and speciality topics. This allows you to find the perfect speaker for your event, quickly and easily. Furthermore, you can even contact the speaker directly to discuss any questions or concerns you may have.
Consider these criteria when evaluating potential speakers:
Speaker expertise: Make sure your speakers know the subject matter you're talking about.
Relevance: Make sure the speaker's content is relevant to your audience. Seeing what previous engagements, publications, or industry recognition they've had is a good sign.
Delivery and storytelling: Make sure the person can captivate and connect with listeners.
Reviews and testimonials: Read past clients' testimonials to get an idea of how professional, reliable, and effective the speaker is. You can get valuable information for your decision-making process by getting feedback from others who've worked with the speaker.
Logistics: Make sure the speaker's availability lines up with yours. For a smooth and successful event, consider practical things like location, travel arrangements, and budget.
Contract Negotiations when Booking a Keynote Speaker
Once you’ve made an offer to the keynote speaker, it’s time to negotiate and finalise it. In the selection process, negotiations are an important step that should not be taken lightly. It is possible to ensure that both parties are satisfied with the outcome of a negotiation by being prepared with a list of desired outcomes.
Identifying what can be negotiated is the first step in negotiating. Keynote speakers often have set rates and may not be willing to change them much, but travel expenses and additional speaking engagements can be negotiated. Don’t make a decision without discussing these topics openly with the potential speaker.
Putting an agreement in writing is important once you’ve reached one. Both parties will be protected in case there are any misunderstandings or disagreements. In the written agreement, all key points discussed during negotiations should be included, like fees, speaking dates, travel arrangements, etc. The contract is legally binding once both parties have signed and dated it.
Getting The Most From Your Keynote Speaker
It took time, effort, negotiations, and patience to find, choose, and book the perfect keynote speaker. How do you get the most out of your money?
Your speaker is there to attract attendees as well as provide a great experience for your company. Find out what they are willing to do in the run-up, during and after the event.
Promote the event by interviewing the speaker; creating blog posts, podcasts, and videos; hosting meet and greets, or competitions. Use your social media channels and any marketing collateral relating to the event to spread the word. Get them to promote the event on their social media channels.
VIP guests could participate in an exclusive workshop. Making videos, or doing press interviews, is an option. You can have them take over your social channels or do Facebook Live interviews. In addition, they can act as judges at competitions and award ceremonies as well.
In general, keynote speeches are short and to the point. It’s not up to them to change the world. Takeaways, like books, can extend their impact. Find out if they’re open to doing a book signing with the keynote. (You might be able to include books for attendees at cost or at a discount.) Let them record their talk and post it online, as an article or blog post. Make sure you sum up the event in your marketing follow-ups, including the key points.
Use the keynote speech as a jumping-off point for further engagement. Invite attendees to comment or ask questions after the keynote and provide a platform to continue the conversation.
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About the author
In businesses, healthcare and schools, Anthony Bennett talks about teamwork, mental health and resilience. He’s given motivational speeches around the world, speaking on his bounce back from multiple near death experiences, earning him the nickname Miracle Man.
Most keynotes should inspire audiences and give them a sense of possibility, but they should also take into account the specific event context. It’s important that the keynote speaker strikes a chord that resonates throughout the conference. The keynote speech delivered by Anthony has the power to affect people’s perspectives, inspire them, and leave them with a sense of hope long after the event has ended.
Best speakers draw upon their extensive knowledge of their field, as well as their unique perspectives, to deliver the best presentations at conferences and corporate events. When a keynote presentation is delivered with passion, drive, and determination, all in attendance are inspired.