When you organize an event, you’ll need to consider many aspects ahead of time – sometimes even one year in advance, depending on the type and size of the event.
A speaker has the purpose of adding value to your event, so booking one is not a decision you can make at random.
Booking a keynote speaker is one of the essential aspects we’re going to talk about in this article and the most common mistakes associated when trying to find the right one.
Here’s what you can do to avoid them.
- Booking a Keynote Speaker Too Late
In-demand keynote speakers are usually booked months in advance. By taking action too late, you will end up not finding the best choice for the type of event you’re organizing and settling for a speaker who will not meet your needs.
How to avoid this mistake:
As soon as you set the event’s date, you need to start the speaker research, so you find and book one as soon as possible.
- Not Defining the Event’s Purpose
Every event has a purpose – whether it’s to entertain, educate, motivate or inspire. This is something important to take into consideration before starting the entertainment research because it will take you in the right direction.
How to avoid this mistake:
Think about what your audience would want to get out of the event you’re organizing. Try to figure out what type of show your audience would appreciate.
If they want to learn about a specific topic, then you need to find a keynote speaker who has the expertise to teach your audience something new about said topic.
For example, if your goal is to organize a corporate event and you want the participants to be captivated by an entertainer, then you can consider booking a keynote speaker such as Ron Pearson. He can capture an audience’s interest for hours because no matter what, his goal will be for your audience to have fun no matter what.
- Having a Presentation Which Is Too Long
Programs which last more than two hours are not the best choice for all types of events.
In some cases, keynotes longer than one hour can most certainly bore participants or make them lose their interest in what the speaker has to say.
How to avoid this mistake:
Look for keynote speakers who can keep their presentation below one hour and can provide at the same time valuable content or high-quality in that time frame.
Charles Marshall is an excellent example in this case. He’s a funny motivational speaker whose programs can go as low as 45 minutes. At the same time, Charles even does breakout sessions, which means you can have shorter sessions during your event that will help you engage the participants.
Book the Right Keynote Speaker for Every Event
Booking a keynote speaker is a must for most type of events. To ensure you’re going to make the best choice, it’s essential not to make these top three common mistakes.
