Tips to Finding an Engaging Conference Speaker

January 30, 2019 Erica Maurer

When Corporate Event Planners are looking for keynote speakers for hire, they all want to ensure that the influencer they choose is a uniquely engaging conference speaker, but how do they do that?

When looking for keynote speakers for hire you need to change the way you look at conferences. Most corporate events no longer want basic conference keynote speakers. A keynote speaker that stands in front of the crowd talking at them with a bunch of slides is no longer enough. Corporate Event Planners want keynote speakers for hire that enjoy their brand, is fluent with incorporating technology, is full of charm, and knows how to really work the audience.

In order to really engage the audience, it’s up to the organizer to find keynote speakers for hire that appeal to them and can provide an exclusive feel to the event. When you find engaging keynote speakers for hire, you’ve found the right person to connect with the attendees from the beginning to the end.

Ensuring keynote speakers for hire are engaging will initiate audience engagement which generates loyal attendees. By using the tools and tips below, you’ll definitely find keynote speakers for hire that will keep your attendees connected throughout the event and will leave the event wanting to come back every year.

In this article, we will cover:

  • What makes for engaging keynote speakers for hire
  • How to Set Your Keynote Speaker for Success

Let’s jump in!

What Makes for an Engaging Keynote Speaker?

Keynote speakers for hire do way more than present these days. Being “spoon-fed” what you should do is now a thing of the past. The great keynote speakers for hire need to stand out and be unique. We are living in technology-driven world which lead our lives, so of course incorporating technology into each presentation is an absolute must. Yes, that does mean we are not talking slideshows here!

Keynote speakers for hire are no longer relying solely on PowerPoint presentations. Presenting is all about structuring connections and keeping the audience engaged during the entirety of the presentation. Using modern tech tools and human connection are a great mixture to truly reach the attendees.

Below are some “must-haves” that will guide you into the right direction as far as how keynote speakers for hire can create an engaging experience.

Tools and Tricks to Create an Engaging Experience

The best way to keep attendees engaged, is to make sure that your keynote speaker has plenty of tricks and tools up their sleeve and most of them usually involve the use of technology. These include:

Microphones that Augment the Experience

To spice up your Q&A sessions have the audience download Crowd Mics, which converts users smartphones into a microphone.

Live Polling

Another way that keynote speakers work the crowd at conferences is that they include event apps that facilitate live audience polling.

Crowdsourcing

Crowdsourcing will allow attendees to feel included in the presentation. Rather than having the audience sit and listen to the keynote speaker, you are now allowing them to interact with one another and also the presenter. Harvard research proved that interactive learning multiplies retention rates.

Dynamic Layouts

A keynote speaker may want to change up the seating layout a bit to boost engagement depending on what they’re presenting and who they’re presenting it to.

Work the Crowd

Appealing keynote speakers really know how to work the crowd. To do this, keynote speakers for hire strategize time into their presentation that allows the attendees to ask questions.  It’s helpful to include live polling, microphones, and crowdsourcing as mentioned above because it permits the audience to be a part of the entire experience.

How to Set Your Speaker Up for Success

Permitting time to plan and collaborate for the presentation will set your speaker up for success in the end. It’s good to get together with your speakers and perform a review about a month before the event and ask about their microphone preference, seating layout, formatting options, and the aspect ratios their presentations should be in. This is also an excellent time for them to begin promoting the event on social media to start building excitement. Make sure you add these tasks to your event timeline, so you don’t forget any critical steps!

Conclusion

Find keynote speakers for hire that are willing and prepared to connect with the audience, know how to integrate technology, and have practice being flexible. Engaging keynote speakers are fresh and are always willing to change up their presentations based on the content they are presenting. It’s good to keep things new and exciting for your audience so that you are structuring long-lasting attendees.

Be sure to get your tickets now for the 2019 Event Planner Expo and be fully engaged with the keynote speakers for hire we will have presenting this year, (hint: Gary Vaynerchuk's picture wasn't just used as an example in this article)!

 

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