The right guest speaker can make the difference between a successful event and one that you would rather forget. You need to be prepared to research each potential candidate thoroughly before you commit to one.
Organizing any conference is stressful enough, sorting the venue is only the first step in a long list of issues; this is why it is essential to read this guide before choosing the guest speaker.
What is a Guest Speaker?
When you organize an event, whether an awards ceremony or a ceremony to celebrate the number of years you have been in business, you will need to have someone give a speech.
You can locate guest speakers virtually anywhere. A knowledgeable colleague, a competitor, or, the best option is usually a professional firm. These will often advertise that they have key note speakers or a guest speaker.
The speech should enlighten the audience regarding what the event is for and be able to provide a good insight into what it is that your firm does.
Guest speakers are usually professionally speakers who know how to work a room and who have an excellent knowledge of your particular industry; although they should not be connected in any way to your firm.
A guest speaker can be referred to as a kick-off speaker because they will speak near the beginning of your conference to get the event going.
Discover What the Guest Speaker Can Offer You
There are several ways in which a guest speaker can help you create a successful conference:
- Professional Speaker
Your guest speaker must be accustomed to giving speeches and talking in front of large groups of people. This will help to ensure they are calm and focused when on the stage.
In return your audience will be interested in what they have to say; because they are smooth and know how to present the facts in a way that will entertain while informing your audience.
This is something that a person from within your firm may struggle to o; simply because people already know them and their opinions.
A professional speaker is a fresh face and this provides an opportunity to impress a subject onto the audience without them having preconceived notions.
- Knowledge of the Industry
A good guest speaker must understand your industry or the subject of your conference. This is essential to ensuring they give an informative but friendly speech.
You may choose to use a guest speaker who is well known in your specific field. However, this is not essential as long as you clarify their qualifications in the invite and they use examples to illustrate their knowledge; right from the start.
- Unique Perspective
Your guest speaker will be able to offer a unique perspective of your firm, industry and even your conference. This is because they are looking at it all from a different angle.
You and many of the people at your conference will look at the subject from an internal perspective. You will be tainted by the experiences you have had. This is not an issue for your guest speaker; they can open your eyes and the audience’s to new opportunities.
- A Focal Point
The guest speech is one of the main events of the conference because it will bring everyone together. No matter what each person hopes to get from the conference they will be interested in what the guest speaker has to say.
Your guest speaker will have a short period where they are able to communicate directly with everyone in the room. This will allow them to get a specific point across and even include a call to action.
If there personality and presence is strong enough they will compel people to act; the same words will not have had the same effect if used by someone else!
Summary
Your guest speaker should be warm and friendly, allowing people to respect them and want to listen to them. They will then have the power to change their pre-conceived notions and direct them forwards.
This is why it is essential to choose the right one.
Kidal Delonix is a contributor to Mr. Hoffman's blog. The views and opinions are entirely his/her own and may not reflect Mr Hoffman's views.
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