It’s that time of year again – time to plan your annual companywide conference. Naturally, you want to make this year’s conference even bigger and better than last– and what a better way to do that than by employing a remarkably talented keynote speaker. In the midst of literally hundreds of skilled and quite notable professionals in the business world, how do you decide which one is best to speak at your annual meeting? When booking your next conference speaker, here are a few things to consider that will guarantee success.
Research, Research, Research!
If you were to do a basic online search for a reputable Portland conference speaker, your search would literally yield hundreds of viable results. Differentiating between all of them can be challenging, to say the least. The best thing to do when researching prospective speakers is to make sure you are searching based on your unique business objectives. What sector of the business world is your company focused on? What is your company vision? What are your long term goals, objectives and your unique strategy for ongoing success? Finding a speaker that caters to your company’s needs, specifically, will ensure the successful delivery of an important and meaningful message.
Promotion
Once you narrow down your list to just a few prospective candidates, it is important to see if they will help you with the promotion of the message that will be delivered during the conference. Is there a central theme? Are they willing to submit a short video segment highlighting points of their conversation? Having the speaker help your with internal promotion will allow you staff members to become excited about the topic and eager to learn more. It is also important to consider how well a speaker promotes themselves. Are they excited about what they have to offer? Are they committed to delivering the best presentation possible?
Make it Interactive
A great speaker will not just educate the audience, but actively engage them, as well. It is important to book a speaker that combines humor with meaningful conversation to create the perfect recipe for success. You want to book someone who will keep the audience engaged – whether it is with interactive activities built into the session, or with thoughtful discussion that will keep team members on the edge of their seat throughout the presentation. Finding out what each speaker is willing to bring to the table – and how they wish to deliver their message – is critical in ensuring that your conference is a hit.
