How to choose the right guest speaker for your event/conference.
Who you choose to speak at your event, conference or meeting can play a huge part in whether or not it is deemed successful. The right person can make your event memorable in all the right ways whereas the wrong person could potentially be inappropriate, and not represent the ethos of your company appropriately.
So where do you start when it comes to finding the right person?:
- Think about budget – different presenters/ speakers can cost varying amounts. Think about if you will need to cover their travel expenses or accommodation costs.
- What sort of person are you looking for? – Make a list of the sort of character traits and personality that you are looking for, think about how that person might fit into the general feel and ethos of your event, are looking for a celebrity, an educator, an entertainer or a motivational speaker? (E.g. A quite serious, corporate event may not suit that guy with the cheesy grin and sparkly suit!) Think about your audience.
- Word of mouth – can you find out anything about this individual from another colleague? If not do they have a dedicated website where you can find out more about expertise, years of service, credentials, clients, and testimonials?
- Communicate – In order to avoid any embarrassing moments communicate to your speaker in plenty of time what you expect from their presentation. What are your goals and themes for the event? Can you send your speaker any information regarding your company or any material from pervious events in order to give him/her a feel for what would be appropriate?
- Think about the theme – what is the theme of your event? What are your objectives? Get this right and you should be able to find a speaker who suits these elements perfectly.
- Talk directly to the speaker – do your best to find the opportunity to talk to the speaker directly before the event, not just his/her representative. Some of your decision should be based on your intuition that this is the right person for you!
