3 Ways to get the Most out of Your Keynote Speaker Event

The right speaker will set the tone for your entire event, so we naturally encourage businesses and event organisers to be mindful when choosing keynote speakers. A lot more goes into selecting a speaker than simply hiring someone who can speak well. Here are some tips to help you choose the right keynote speaker for your event and how to get the most out of them. 

Hiring the right keynote speaker

When you’re running an event, booking a keynote speaker is not a decision you should make on the fly. Don’t simply pick the first speaker you come across  — you must be very intentional about your decision. Here’s why:

Keynote speakers have the potential to set and maintain the atmosphere of your evening. Sure, other forms of entertainment can keep people engaged, but your speakers require focus and will need to be the kind of person who inspires others, captivates an audience, and provides actionable takeaways from your event. 

Speakers play such a pivotal role in your event, significantly influencing how it will be remembered. So, to get the most out of your keynote speaker, you need to hire the right one, and there are a few ways to do this. 

How to get the most out of your keynote speaker

To get the most out of your keynote speaker, you want to set them up to succeed at your event. To do this, you need to line them up in a few key ways. Here are some ways in which you can get the most out of your keynote speaker event:

1. Understand your audience

Understanding your audience is always a helpful strategy to get more out of your keynote speaker. You should understand your audience and how to get their engagement for the event. 

Try to get hands-on, actionable data from previous events similar to yours. The more you know, the better. With this data, learn what your audience likes, what would benefit them, and who would tie into your event well enough for you to hire them as your keynote speaker. 

Consider reviewing how keynote speakers spoke at other events. Ask yourself questions like:

• What did you enjoy from their last session?
• Is there anything they lacked?
• How were they received at the conference?

You could also ask for feedback from others who attended the same event to get an idea of the impact those keynote speakers had on them. 

1. How will they mesh with your event

Next, consider how a keynote speaker's style, message, and program fit into your event. Do they mesh well, or will they require you to change your event schedule to accommodate their preferences? 

If they cannot relate their message directly to your audience or make it relevant to your theme, you may want to give them a skip. Remember, you want to give your guests the most value they can get from a keynote speaker who relates to your goal for the event. If they’re not going to mesh well with the theme and content related to your event, then they are probably not the right speaker for it. 

1. Consider the pace of your event 

Finally, you want to consider how they will fit into the pace of your event. Normally, events would have multiple keynote speakers. Consider how these speakers would fit into the order of your event and the pace you want to achieve. Do you want to kick things off fast with passion? Then don’t put a keynote speaker who speaks slowly as the opening speaker. 

Ideally, the opening speaker should be warm, funny, and energetic. You don’t want their talks to be overly informational. They need to be light and easy to follow. Think about it as a meal. The first talk needs to be easy to chew on and digest for your audience. If the event is a day event, then allow more information-heavy talks to happen a little later in the morning. 

After lunch is the best time to kick off with a storyteller-style speaker. Coming off the backs of lunchtime conversations, having an individual help the audience re-engage is essential. For your last speaker, you need to keep in mind that they are possibly the ones who will leave the lasting impressions and taste in your guests' mouths regarding your event, so you want them to be highly interactive, full of energy, and you want them to leave your guests with something encouraging and rich to chew on as the event ends.

Find a keynote speaker here

Finding the right keynote speaker can be challenging, especially if you don’t know where to start looking. If you’re looking for someone who will be the perfect match for your event, book a keynote speaker through Token. With Token, you’ll be able to find some of the best keynote speakers in Australia, making your search much easier and helping you lock in a speaker sooner so you can focus on other aspects of the event. 

Final thoughts

You want a keynote speaker who will leave your audience feeling like they’ve had a fitting meal for the evening. To do this, you need to understand your audience, how the speakers you’re considering will add to the overall experience and goal of the event, and the theme and atmosphere you want your event to have. Tick these three boxes and you will get the most out of your key speaker at the event.