How to Find a Keynote Speaker for a Business Conference

Finding a keynote speaker is one of the most important tasks you’ll execute as you put together a successful business conference. The right keynote speaker for your group can set the tone by being motivational, informative, and entertaining. Yet, hiring the wrong one could cause the message to fall flat and leave everyone feeling bored and disconnected from the cause. The good news is choosing the perfect keynote speaker for your event isn’t hard when you use these effective strategies to vet candidates and make sure the person you hire is ready to motivate your team.

Start By Exploring the Goals for the Conference

Doing a little research before you start looking for a keynote speaker helps you narrow down candidates based on their field of expertise. You could ask attendees to provide you with ideas for topics they’d like to see covered based on their goals for professional development. Speaking with members of the management team can also give you insight into what the majority of the attendees will be focusing on learning during the event.

Explore Who’s Currently Influential Within Your Field

Once you know if you need a speaker who is known for being an expert on sales or one who can speak confidently on the latest developments in the tech world, you can start looking for who is highly recognized as being proficient in the field. Social media is one place where you can start looking for influential people. You might also see who spoke at related business conferences within your field of business.

Work With a Speaker’s Bureau

A speaker’s bureau is a firm that fully vets people who give spoken presentations before they vouch for their professionalism. Since these firms represent speakers from all over the world, you’ll have a greater chance of finding a speaker who is an expert on the topic you want to cover. Working with a speaker’s bureau also saves you time, since you can simply search for a speaker that meets certain attributes and quickly connect with them.

Observe How They Interact With the Audience

Professional keynote speakers often have portfolios that include footage of them speaking at previous events. They should also have a history that includes positive reviews and testimonials on their personal websites and social media profiles. After you hire the speaker, take time to watch them during the business conference to see the reactions they generate from the audience. Many times, business conference attendees request to seek a keynote speaker again, and observing helps you know if you want to work with the speaker in the future.

The right keynote speaker for a business conference must be professional and knowledgeable of the topic. Once you’ve found your source for the best keynote speakers, you’ll find that planning conferences in the future gets easier. Remember, the person you choose also represents your professionalism, so take your time to ensure that anyone you put on stage has been fully vetted by the team of experts who understand what’s important for giving the best keynote address.