Video types also vary depending on the speaker and the production companies they work with. Some speakers’ videos may be outdated or may have production teams that did not capture the full ability of the speaker. Since each presentation is specifically tailored for the audience and the organization, we recommend that videos are only used to learn if the speaker has the ability to address the audience effectively and not to focus on the content within each video.

The reason is that unless you are working with a production style similar to TED or TEDx, video recordings of in-person presentations can often leave out the audience engagement, and key learning points or give you an understanding of the energy in the room. Speakers tailor each presentation for each audience; therefore, video recordings showcase the speaking ability at best, and depending on the speaker and their investment in their promotional materials, keynote presentations and virtual presentations are not the most effective way to learn whether they are the best fit for the event.

That all said, we made some recommendations for each video types out there to help event planners and organizing teams know what to expect when watching each video.

SPEAKER HIGHLIGHT REELS

Many of Speakers Canada’s professional speakers and motivational speakers will have a “speaker highlight reel” video which will be a chopped-up promotional video with a couple of laughs and aha moments. Speaker highlight reels are of a commercial style often containing clips of the speaker with different audiences, presenting at different conferences and are not content-heavy.

WALRUS & TED/TEDx TALKS

These videos land somewhere between a highlight reel and a full presentation. These videos are not always of motivational keynote speakers qualified to be on a bureau, however, Speakers Canada’s speakers that have these videos have had to carefully select the content of the presentation to align with the theme of the TEDx or TED event. This can limit the ability of the video to showcase the full knowledge within the topic theme or different topic themes but are a great way to learn the speaker’s presentation style and speaking ability.

FULL PRESENTATIONS

Recordings of full presentations can often be dated content, or the content is tailored for a specific audience. They are more content heavy, however, if the topic being addressed is the reason why you are interested in the speaker, and the video has been created in the past couple of years, these videos can be useful for your team to learn more about how in depth the speaker will go within a topic or how the audience reacts to their presentation.

VIRTUAL PRESENTATION RECORDINGS

Virtual keynote speakers in Canada have had a couple of years to create virtual and online content of them speaking. These videos could be a webinar presentation or a snippet of their virtual presentations or even a showcase of their home studio. Virtual presentation video recordings are a great way to see how the speaker comes across virtually, as well as to learn their authenticity, their commitment to as a professional virtual speaker and to gain insights into the energy they bring to the audience. If you are looking for a virtual speaker, these videos are the best way to shorten your list of speakers you want to work with.

VLOG VIDEOS

Vlog videos are a great way to learn how invested the speaker is into their topics to educate and motivate their followers. Speakers present at a wide variety of events, and vlogs keep attendees engaged to the speaker before and after the presentation. Whether it is a leadership keynote speaker or a health & wellness speaker, Vlogs will give you insight to the commitment the speaker has to make an impact for individuals and how updated they are for the topics they present on.

PODCAST/MEDIA INTERVIEWS

Many podcasts these days are now also recorded video interviews with the speaker and the podcast host. Many of our motivational keynote speakers are called upon by different podcasters and media companies for their expertise on different topics. Podcasts and interviews are recommended to explore the content and variety of topics the speaker can address. These videos are the best way to showcase a speakers topic knowledge as they will often include storytelling, practical insights, and personal experiences the speaker has related to a topic. Since interviews and podcasts are meant to educate a public audience, they have a higher level of engagement then other videos.

PANEL DISCUSSIONS & FACILITATED Q&A

Much like podcasts and interviews, depending on the topic theme of the video, panel discussions and facilitated Q&A videos are a great way to explore the speaker’s expertise and credibility. If a speaker is invited to a panel or a facilitated Q&A, it gives the speaker credibility to address that topic with other experts, and you can also explore their personal opinions and strategic advice when discussing different subjects.