Everything You Need to Know About Keynote Speakers
What is a Keynote Speaker?
A keynote speaker is a person who gives a speech at an event that sets the tone for the rest of the event. The keynote speaker is usually someone who is an expert in their field and who has something valuable to say that will resonate with the audience.
The keynote speech is typically the opening speech at an event and as such, it is important that the keynote speaker is someone who can engage and energize the audience. A good keynote speaker will leave the audience feeling inspired and motivated to take action.
A keynote speaker can be hired for corporate events, conferences, conventions, and other types of events where impact, energy and message are important to the success of your event. The right keynote speaker can be a huge gift for attendees, set the tone of your event or and can increase retention, attendance and event survey results, adding great value in many areas!
How to Find Keynote Speakers
On the meeting planning journey, when speakers and emcees are considered, sometimes the 1st step is the hardest - how do you find the best keynote speakers? From speaker bureaus to referrals, here’s some of my favorite tips as former event professional and speaker:
Ask fellow meeting professionals online and in your circles for recommendations. Whether asking your MPI, PCMA or ESPA communities or a meeting planner Facebook group of professionals, oftentimes you can get a great list of easy-to-work-with and crowd-pleasing keynote speakers from your peers in the meeting industry. Not every speaker is the right fit for everyone, but referrals are great sources of info and talent!
Contact a speaker bureau! A speaker bureau is an agency that represents lots of speakers from different industries, backgrounds and topics. Having a speaker bureau contact means you have 1 person who can source speakers and master of ceremonies (emcees) for your review in a streamlined way. Some clients love doing this because year after year they get to work with the same agents - like Jeff and Tim at SpeakInc who are some of our clients favorite agents to work with!
Google it. That’s right, just searching online for the topic you want to have discussed and the words “keynote speaker” will bring up a list for your consideration. For example, when people search for “burnout keynote speaker”, Rachel Sheerin comes up on Page 1 alongside folks like Emily and Amelia Nagoski (authors of BURNOUT), Brene Brown and more! Want to avoid travel delays? Add your location of your event to the search such as “burnout keynote speaker charlotte nc” and get keynote speakers who can drive instead of fly to your conference, event or summit!
How to Choose a Keynote Speaker
With so many speaker choices out there, a common question is “How do I choose the right keynote speaker for our event?”
When choosing a keynote speaker, the most important thing to consider is your audience and what you want them to get out of the event. The keynote speaker should be someone who is an expert in their field and who has something valuable to say that will resonate with the audience.
Here are some things to keep in mind when choosing a keynote speaker:
Consider your audience and what you want them to feel and do after the speaker gets off stage. The keynote speaker should be someone who speaks to your target audience and goal actions/thoughts/energy.
Make sure that the keynote speaker is someone who is an expert in their field. The last thing you want is for your audience to be left feeling uninspired or uneducated by the keynote speech. Even though the resume isn’t everything, an experienced speaker should be authentic and intelligent!
Choose a keynote speaker who you feel will connect with your audience. The best speeches are those that make a personal connection with the audience through storytelling, vulnerability and personality.
Make sure that the keynote speaker is someone who is entertaining and engaging. A boring or dry speech will only serve to turn your audience off, have them check out or add the wrong kind of energy to your event. Do you want someone who will pull at the heartstrings with tragic tales or would you rather have someone who makes folks laugh, smile and engage with each other or something else? Keynoters bring the energy - it’s up to you as a meeting planner and expert on your event to know what energy you want (If you don’t know this answer, that’s OK! As a former events professional, I often help my clients explore their goals in our event-customization consultation ahead of the event! )
Choose a keynote speaker who is available and able to commit to speaking at your event. With demand high for great keynote speakers, booking the best keynote speaker for your group is sometimes a race to their calendar to secure your event date and ensuring their travel plans account for the worst case scenarios of travel. That’s one reason why I arrive the day before events… or rent a U-HAUL if all the cars are sold out at the airport. We had to land 5 hours away from a gig! #TrueStory
Overall, hiring a Keynote Speaker can be a great way to add value to your event by providing inspiring and educational speeches that can engage with attendees on many levels if done correctly by following these tips!
Rachel Sheerin is an award-winning keynote speaker, emcee and burnout expert. Interested in learning more about Rachel for your event? Contact us today!