At a glance:
- Figure out your event’s goals to pick a speaker whose vibe resonates with your theme.
- Pair the presenter’s style and topic with what your audience prefers.
- Go for speakers whose past work fits well with what your event is all about.
Picking a great speaker is vital to an event, as it can transform a plain event into a memorable one, leaving your guests excited and inspired. The best speakers engage, relate, and enhance your event’s message, making a lasting impact. However, it is easier said than done; choosing one perfect speaker from a pool of choices can be challenging.
Each event has a different purpose to fulfil and needs to be done by the end of the show; it could be to teach, inspire, or amuse. Thus, placing the right speaker in the right event puzzle helps match your style and also moves your message to your spectators.
At Peanut Productions, we take notes to understand your end game for the event because we’re an award-winning, full-service event management company. From our years of experience, here are our top tips on how to choose the best speakers for your event.
Event’s Purpose and Goals
Before you begin the journey of finding speakers, you need to jot down the main purposes of your event. Is it driven towards learning, motivation, or fun? Do you want to inspire a group, promote a cause, or release a product? Having answers to these questions directs your search for a speaker more efficiently.
Not to forget the significant part of your event, the audience’s expectations. What are they seeking – actionable advice, encouraging tales, or a unique industry outlook?
Once you have all the answers to the above questions, you are one step closer to finding the ideal speaker.
Match Speaker Style to Audience Needs
Now it’s time to focus on your audience; as discussed above, we need to understand who they are and what they are hoping to achieve from this particular event.
So, who are your audiences, what types of jobs do they do, and what are their general interests? And just like that, you move a step closer to your event’s speaker. Moreover, engagement style also counts. Does your audience love joining in interactive discussions, listen to motivating stories, or dive deep into precise industry insights?
Never forget to acknowledge the importance of shared culture. A speaker who can connect with the audience personally, via common experiences, beliefs, or even humour tends to have more effect.
Finding the Right Speaker for Your Theme
Now, it’s time to find speakers that are relevant to the event’s theme. Do you need a speaker to delve into specifics and industry know-how, or someone who can inspire, uplift, and energise the crowd with a personal success story?
Technical Specialist vs. Motivational Speaker: For an event centred on innovation, seeking a pioneer or an industry influencer is the right way to move. If it’s about resilience, consider someone who has overcome significant challenges in their life. Selecting a speaker whose story aligns with your audience’s expectations and matches the event’s main message promotes the credibility of your event and encourages audience participation.
Research and Vetting Process
Just like you’d first visit a place before renting it, the same applies to hiring a speaker. Research is your friend in this case; look at the speaker’s past performances, assess their reviews, and note how natural they are with a crowd filled with strangers.
Now, the main part is to deliver their message, and that needs to be done magnificently, yes, but also seamlessly. If the event feels like a lecture from the past, people are going to get up and leave. Time is valuable, and if someone has made time to participate in your event. It surely needs to be everything they have hoped for and more. Another important thing is whether or not your ideal speaker can adapt if any such need arises in the midst of the event.
Regardless if your occasion is face-to-face, online, or a mix of both, select a speaker who understands and is fluent in that setting.
Budget Like a Pro
Who wouldn’t like to get top-tier presenters for each function? But you have to remember that you are on a financial plan with lots to do besides landing a speaker. Fees can swing wildly. It’s time to get the bills rolling, if you catch my drift. So, let’s line up your numbers and start a bargain so you can land a big hitter without breaking your budget.
Bargaining isn’t all monetary—think about dealing for added perks. Explore extra skills from your presenters in order to boost the returns. Maybe they can partake in pre-function publicity, post-event chats, or group talks.
Go Beyond the Stage
Your speaker has the power to do more than just give a speech. Hence, ask them to spread the word about the event before it begins through social media, podcasts, or interviews. What this will do is help drum up excitement and might increase turnout for the event.
While at the event, urge your speaker to connect with attendees. They could network or hold a Q&A session, as these personal one-on-one talks make the event more memorable.
After that, don’t let the event’s message ebb away after it ends. Use clips from the speech that connected with the participants into videos, blogs, or podcasts. And this way, the event stays in mint condition, way past its actual date.
Customise and Collaborate
Each event is different and has a unique message. So, you can’t use the same approach every time. So, help your speaker craft a personal and touching message for your crowd and event theme. Get involved with your team, gather information on the audience, brainstorm and create a message that corresponds with the event. Don’t overlook the worth of pre-event sessions. A keen speaker who gets your crowd, theme, and goals will produce a strong session.
Evaluate Speaker Impact Post-Event
Following the occasion, measuring the speaker’s effectiveness is crucial. Gathering reviews from attendees will shed light on the speaker’s impact. Take note of key indicators such as mentions on social media, attendee’s reaction during the presentation, and total audience attention. This information will guide you—from assessing if the speaker lived up to your standards to refining the process of picking speakers for future gatherings.
Make Your Event Unforgettable with PEANUT Productions
Selecting a canny speaker will help you get your message clearly across to the crowd. But at times, the burden of managing an event can cause you to miss out on important details. These simple errors can cost you the whole event. But worry not; we are here to help.
Peanut Productions understands and excels in this delicate balance of planning and executing exceptional events. We know how to find just the right speaker that can create unforgettable moments, leaving a profound effect. Our methods are meticulously done with strategic teamwork to find a speaker that fits your event’s ideal image.
So, let us help find your next best missing puzzle piece that not only completes the event but wows everyone to the edge of their seat. Why wait? Reach out to Peanut Productions today and make your dream a reality, or perhaps a virtual reality.