RECRUITING GUEST SPEAKERS FOR YOUR EVENT
Many of us are frequently asked to speak at other events or at conferences about our profession and about our experiences with either producing events or as runners ourselves. And, on the flip side, many of us recruit speakers to attend our events as a keynote at our expos or at one of our monthly local running club meetings.
I have given over 1,900 such talks over the years and as such have learned a lot by trial and error as to what to consider when booking someone to speak or when being booked myself.
Over the years, I’ve learned a few ways to make the process less stressful, less awkward, and more transparent for both sides. Below are some tips from the perspective of the organization interested in recruiting and booking a quality and experienced keynote speaker:
Objective. First questions to ask yourself is why do you want a speaker, what is the objective, and what is the message you want your speaker to convey to your audience? What exactly do you want your audience to walk away with?
Presentation. I always try to accomplish four things: be entertaining, occasionally humorous, inspirational, and motivational. Every audience will relate to these characteristics, so try to find a speaker who can accomplish all four.
Speaker Bureaus and Agents. There are plenty of organizations that book speakers. Sometimes they are helpful and other times not so much. If they have a lot of high-profile clients, they may be out of your price range. Some will charge the speaker a commission on what they earn for speaking and some will just add on their commission to the fee they are asking of the organization booking the speaker. I have found smaller speaker bureaus are probably where races like ours may want to look. Additionally, in many cases, you may have to deal with the speaker’s agent—not the speaker themselves—which may be more comfortable for both parties anyway. The downside of that situation, however, is an agent might be harder to negotiate with than the speaker themselves.
Fees. It is tough to know what a speaker will charge, or even what you should offer. Usually, everyone has a budget they have to stay within, so you have to keep trying to find someone who fits and who feels what you have to offer is fair for both sides. Some speakers have set fees and others are willing to negotiate. And, don’t forget to factor in expenses, too, which could mean travel, lodging, parking, and meals. Sometimes the expenses alone can end up doubling the overall cost of bringing someone in.
Technology. Although I can give my talk without audio-visual materials, using a PowerPoint presentation with photos and embedded videos can visually bring the presentation to life and it helps keep a speaker on track and within the time allotted. Most speakers also want to present along with a visual presentaiton, so you need to be prepared for them to ask for your help in arranging this, which could be an added expense to you. And of course the biggest issue with incorporating an audio-visual element is worrying whether it is all going to work flawlessly! Be sure to thoroughly test the AV set-up in advance (ideally with the speaker’s laptop or the speaker’s PowerPoint sent to you in advance to be tested on your laptop). Also, if you are not the tech support guy, make sure that savvy individual is in the room.
Other Logistics. Make sure the venue for the speaker matches your expected crowd size. While a crowd of 100 might be a good showing for a speaker, it will look infinitesimal in a 1,000-person auditorium. Of course, don’t forget to pre-check the sound system and ask if the speaker would prefer a podium or a clip-on microphone (preferred by those who like to roam while talking).
Introduction. Make sure whoever is introducing the speaker has a brief summary of how the speaker wants to be introduced. It’s helpful if the speaker sends you this in advance. Keep it short and to the point. You don’t want the person introducing the speaker to actually end up going on and on and almost give the speaker’s speech for them!
Audience. If you are going to bring in a guest speaker, it is up to you to provide them with an audience. You might think just by announcing who the speaker is that this will automatically draw a crowd, but that doesn’t always happen, no matter who the speaker is. You really need to market and promote the talk far and wide to ensure a decent group of attendees. Location of the talk is key as well—it needs to be convenient and easy to find. If only a few folks show up, it can be a little embarrassing for both you and the speaker, and even the audience. I think the ideal size of an audience where the speaker can really feel really connected is between 100-200 people.
Time. Be sure to inform the speaker how much time they have to speak. It might even be best if you tell them they have a little less time than they really do, as most speakers have a tendency to speak longer than the time allotted. The issue then becomes what do you do if they are going on and on after the allotted time? Maybe you tell the speaker that someone will be standing in the back of the room and when they raise their hand it is time to end the talk! However you do it, you need to politely get across to them what that amount of time is. Sometimes if they go on and on, they are eating into someone else’s time who is scheduled to speak after them, and that just isn’t fair or acceptable.
Charity. In lieu of a fee for the speaker, you could offer a contribution to a preferred charity. Or, you could offer a hybrid—some amount to the speaker for their time and another amount to a non-profit.
Follow-up use of speaker’s talk. You may want to make a video of your speaker’s talk or have a note taker who can write an article/blog post for your website. Be sure to agree in advance with the speaker all of the ways you intend to use the content from the talk.
Word of mouth. Sometimes the best way to find a good speaker is word of mouth. Ninety percent of my bookings have come from people recommending me; or people in the audience coming up to me after a talk and asking if I would consider speaking at their company, group, or some other function they are involved with. Just ask around, spread a wide net, and you are bound to get some good recommendations.
Once again, most audiences prefer to hear a speaker who is entertaining and who will offer some nuggets of wisdom, inspiration, motivation, education and perhaps even make the audience cry a little. Really good keynote speakers can truly elevate and enhance your overall event, and that should be one of the key objectives of bringing in someone to speak.