HOW TO HIRE THE PERFECT KEYNOTE SPEAKER OR GUEST SPEAKER?

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”]Are you planning an event or hiring a keynote speaker for the first time? Do you require a motivational keynote speaker to ‘wow’ the audience to activate the audience to inspire them to make a change in their lives and achieve higher results? Maybe both? There are high stakes involved when planning an event and it is important to hire the best keynote speaker for your organization & the attendees. Whether it’s your first time hiring a guest speaker or if you have planned an event in the past and are familiar with working with a speakers bureau, here are a few of the things you should know before researching & searching to hire a keynote speaker. Creating a powerful, inspiring meaningful event is often determined by the motivational keynote speaker you select. Knowing the following details before you connect with the Speakers Bureau of Canada will make finding the perfect keynote speaker in Canada easier and faster.

FIRST STEP IN PLANNING THE EVENT IS TO ESTABLISH THE EVENT DATE, LOCATION, AND BUDGET FOR THE EVENT.

These factors will play an important role in your first ideas for the event & how you may want to go about searching for the keynote speakers available for your group.

Do you have a firm date or a flexible date? Can you work around the speaker’s schedule? If the speaker is not available, you will need a second option or a backup speaker who will be available. The best dates to hold corporate events are usually between Tuesday to Thursday so that attendees are back from a weekend on a Monday (tired, exhausted, not excited) or waiting to leave the office on a Friday excited for the weekend. The conference dates or the event date will affect which keynote speakers are available when you check availability.

The location will determine if there are local motivational speakers that will be successful with the audience. The location of the event will also affect the availability and costs to book the speaker. Venue availability, costs, & the room set up at the venue are also important to consider since they will all impact the experience for the attendees.

The Budget for the event will determine the keynote speakers within budget for each session. In order to save on the cost of the keynote speaker’s travel, you may want to consider the distance between where the speaker resides and where your event will take place. Some celebrity speakers also charge additionally for autograph signing sessions and/or attending golf tournaments and/or receptions. Speaker fees and rates often do not include travel expenses; therefore, you will want to set aside a separate budget for the travel expenses outside of the speaker fee.

Calculating travel expenses for a keynote speaker travelling to the event location will involve; round-trip airfare, vehicle rentals, ground transportation, hotel accommodation, meals during the speaker’s time spent at the location of the event. AV requirements and handouts are also the responsibility of the client.

EXPLORE THE DIFFERENT TYPE OF PRESENTATION THAT WILL BE THE MOST SUCCESSFUL WITH THE AUDIENCE. WHAT IS THE DURATION OF THE KEYNOTE, WORKSHOPS & PRESENTATIONS?

If it is a conference event, it is important to consider the moods of attendees approaching each session. Who will be in the audience and what is their learning styles? Whether is a mandatory session or they just arrived after a technical session, the keynote speaker will be able to gauge audience members energy going into the session.

How long is a keynote presentation? Engaging keynote speakers usually present between 30 minutes to 60 minutes plus Q&A. Great keynote presentations combine storytelling that engage the audience so that the speaker can emphasize key learning points to create memorable experiences for the audience.

How long are workshop sessions? Interactive workshop speakers can usually present for an extended period of time and can deliver a presentation for 60 minutes up to a half day or full day training sessions. Workshop and training sessions usually more informative and educative. The audience is able to ask questions throughout the session and there are usually handouts, workbooks or group activities that create more learning opportunities.

How long are virtual presentations? Virtual keynote speakers & online speakers usually keep virtual keynote presentations to be under 90 minutes. Virtual presentations have many different factors and not every motivational speaker can deliver an engaging virtual session. Virtual speakers for webinars are highly authentic, informative, creative, humorous and possess a high energy to engage attendees in a virtual format.

WHAT IS THE BEST TIME FOR THE MOTIVATIONAL KEYNOTE SPEAKER TO DELIVER THEIR PRESENATION? HOW LONG DO I GET THE SPEAKER TO SPEAK?

It is important to determine the best time for the speaker’s presentation & how it fits within the program for the highest impact for the audience. Knowing how long the speaker will have to deliver their keynote address or virtual presentation will impact the presentation format and potentially their availability. It will also determine the presentation style you require from the speaker, which will assist you and your team to focus on the right speaker for your audience at the right time.

Opening keynote speakers should be energizing and set up attendees for the program on each day. Closing keynote speakers should summarize key points of the conference event, while motivating attendees to take what they learned and apply it in their lives. After dinner speakers are best suited to be humorous and deliver entertaining talks & motivational speakers can fit into any program or agenda since they may be the only speaker on that day.

WHAT IS THE BEST TIME OF THE MONTH, WEEK OR DAY FOR ME TO HOLD AN EVENT?

Where are your attendees going to be? Are they located all around the country or are they a specific department or location? When planning an annual general meeting, business retreat, town hall, virtual event or in person conference it is important to consider the month, date, time of year it will be which will work best for the attendees. If you are planning an event for employees or internal to the organization, Tuesday, Wednesdays, and Thursdays have become the most popular time to hold the event.

If you are planning a conference, it will depend on your membership or the schedules of the attendees that you are targeting to be in the audience. If you have a national audience and you are holding a virtual or hybrid event, you may want to consider the timing of the presentation to be mid day, so that attendees on both coasts are available to attend the event. If you are flying in delegates from different locations, you will want to make sure that they are well rested before their commitments during the conference. Having an energetic speaker deliver a motivational presentation first thing in the morning is a great way to activate the audience and engage them to the daily program. Each organization, meeting, event and conference are unique but remember, it all starts with the audience and the needs of your organization to find the right month, week, day or time to have a speaker attend the event.

RESEARCH THE AUDIENCE, ASSESS THEIR NEEDS & MEASURE THE RESULTS OF PREVIOUS EVENTS. BEST WAYS TO HIRE A SPEAKER THAT IS THE PERFECT FIT FOR MY AUDIENCE?

Collecting data from audience members is always the best way to engage the audience, determine the topics they care about and learn the type of speaker that will be successful before hiring the speaker. Having this data will help leaders understand the needs of their employees or association members before they develop the conference theme or search for a speaker.

How do I engage my audience before an event? Creating a poll for employees or members that attended previous events is a great way to get insider information for the topics that will resonate with the audience or the types of speakers. Try to use questions that speak to current events in the company, current events in the Canada and the ideas you and your team have brainstormed for the objectives of the event and presentation. The future attendees they will be excited to contribute their opinions and feel heard by the organization. They will engage with one another and share what they enjoyed or did not like with previous speakers.

How do you know which topics employees want to learn about or the company to care about? What topics will appeal with each employee, department or professional in the audience? Organizing teams & leaders will learn the important topics they are interested in learning or that speaks to the needs of the people of the organization as well as the company before the event. This gives organizing teams a strong understanding of the company morale leading into the event, the specific topics that will resonate with each audience member and will shape the direction of the speaker that will be a success.

Did a speaker present a similar even in the past for the same group? Is there any feedback from the audience or leaders that will be useful in your planning? Did the leaders notice any shifts in behaviours of audience members after the event? Consider which guest speakers or public speakers have been successful in the past with your group at previous events. Measure how the attendees responded to the event and the speaker. Question employees in different roles to learn if they enjoyed the previous speaker or if they felt they were dry, educational, or informative vs inspiring, motivational & aspiring

CLARIFY – WHY YOU WANT TO HIRE A KEYNOTE SPEAKER & CLEARLY DEFINE WHAT YOU WAN THE AUDIENCE TO WALK AWAY WITH AFTER THE PRESENTATION

Great speakers can adapt their presentation to accommodate each audience and the reason they are speaking to the audience. It is important for planning teams to discuss the purpose they are hiring an external perspective and the impact the speaker can bring to their people Some common reasons to hire a speaker are to:

• Educate
• Motivate
• Entertain
• Inspire Action
• Shift Behaviour
• Improve Company Morale
• Create mindset shifts in attitude
• Help teams manage change
• Increase productivity & performance
• Endorse & improve the corporate culture
• Promote the company achievements & accomplishments
• Engage Employees for organizational goals
• Maintain health & wellness of employees
• Talk about the future

HOW DO I FIND A GOOD KEYNOTE SPEAKER? BEFORE LOOKING ONLIINE FOR A SPEAKER, ASK COLLEAGUES, CUSTOMERS & PARTNERS FOR REFRERNCES TO SPEAKERS OR AN AGENCY THEY WORKED WITH IN THE PAST

Relationships are important, and by asking stakeholders within a company for their opinion it is a way to engage them into the investment you are making to employees or members. References also go a long way with speakers and agencies, as just as any industry, we all strive to create and maintain a reputation that instills trust and confidence in our services.

Has a keynote speaker made a life changing impact on someone in the office or in your network? Word of mouth from attendees who have seen a speaker in person is the best way to learn about speakers, their presentation ability and to find speakers that inspire audiences. Great professional speakers & influential motivational keynote speakers will leave an impression on individuals for many years. These are the best speakers for events as it is exactly the purpose of what a speaker is there to do and if they reach that level of success with a different audience, there is a good chance they will do the same with yours.

Do you have a new employee that worked at a larger company that may be able to share a speaker name that they really enjoyed? Maybe you have a team member who attends an annual professional association conference. Asking colleagues, managers, and supervisors you trust in the workplace is a great way to pool some speaker names together and start exploring potential options.

As most organizations plan and hold events with an external speaker, customers and corporate partners will also have some ideas for speakers that resonated with their audience or for speaking topics that are relevant to their operations.

Asking around and researching credible resources for speakers is one of the best ways to find the right speaker for this year’s event. They may also know a speaker agent or speaker bureau that they work with and trust and can tell you about their experience with them.

ARE CANADIAN CONFERENCE SPEAKERS BUREAUS AND CANADIAN KEYNOTE SPEAKER BUREAUS A GOOD PLACE TO FIND A SPEAKER?

The easiest, quickest, and best way to find a speaker is to consult a speakers bureau like the speakers bureau of Canada to find unique motivational keynote speakers & Canadian speaker bureau talent that will activate the audience to inspire the attendees in committing to the results you have set out to achieve in delivering the event.

Contact a speaker’s bureau and talent agency like Speakers Bureau Canada. We are the best at finding speakers that resonate with your audience and have helped thousands of organizations through the process of choosing the perfect motivational keynote speaker for their event. We bring you new ideas and can expand on the planning you have already done and will put you in touch with our top speakers in Canada before selecting your speaker.

Our services are free to you to use, and we are passionate to learn your organizational goals and get you the best keynote speaker for your audience and event. Through our services, we can advance speakers that are within budget and provide promotional information for each speaker and insider information about their speaking ability to help you and your team make an informed decision. We are a one stop shop to find, search and book speakers, and the Speakers Bureau of Canada cares on the results of the speakers’ presentation as we aim to be your major resource when sourcing out speakers for events in Canada.[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]