Finding the right conference speaker

Planning and hosting an event is nothing short of an intricate juggling act. All the logistical ability in the world can’t change that some things are simply out of your control.

The most out of control feature being the conference speakers.

To err is human and while no one is perfect some are a little less interested in trying to be than others. Speakers may drop out of your event entirely, go WAY off topic, conduct themselves in an unprofessional manner during their speech or worse.

The last thing you need to deal with is a sponsor or worse yet, your audience upset because your speaker wasn’t interested in minding their actions. With social media the way it is, news can spread rapidly. Depending on the severity of the incident you’ll lose time recovering your reputation.

Fortunately, many speakers are consummate professionals and there are ways to find them. Securing a quality speaker for your event isn’t as difficult as you may think. The internet has made it too easy to find people that may be a good fit for your event.

The trick is whittling the numbers down to people you REALLY want. When planning your even and what speakers to invite ask yourself these questions:

Will the speaker deliver a unique, informative and ENGAGING message?

There are lectures that inform and then there are lectures that inspire. You want a speaker capable of giving the latter.

Understanding who your audience is will give you a bit of insight into who should be invited. You scout should lead you to individuals that people in the crowd can relate to and find applicability in their message.

Are they the type of individual that will vanish immediately after their speech or will they stick around?

A truly engaged audience will have questions. If the speaker has left after they’ve done their “work” they may not be for you. A truly invested speaker wants to give information and that altruism doesn’t have to end at “thank you.” Even GaryVee sticks around to field questions.

Does their message match the goals of the event?

This one can be a bit tricky. A business event is what it is, but if you’re a real estate convention your audience may not care for the pharmaceutical investment speaker. Keep all of your speakers in the loop on what the event is about and you shouldn’t have any issue.

Are the flexible or accommodating if things don’t go as planned?

As mentioned above, things don’t always go according to plan. All of your speakers may be crushing it and *poof* you have an A/V issue.

Now there is a fifteen-minute delay and while the audience may be content to grab a drink or use the restroom are your speakers? If you’ve found a speaker that can adjust well you’ve found your guy or girl.

If the speaker can check all of these boxes they’re sure to be a treat for your audience. A professional, unique and informative speaker is always worth their wage, so sign Australia’s leading business conference speaker, David Caruso.