What Is a Keynote Speaker? And What Do They Do?
A great public speaker captivates their audience, shares their knowledge, and leaves listeners feeling inspired. Perhaps you’ve attended an event with keynote speakers before - but what exactly are they, and what do they do? Wikipedia defines a keynote in public speaking as "a talk that establishes a main underlying theme.” The keynote speech is given greater importance at a speaking event, and often “establishes the framework for the following program of events or convention agenda; frequently the role of keynote speaker[1][2] will include that of convention moderator. It will also flag up a larger idea—a literary story, an individual musical piece, or event." Essentially, the keynote speaker and their speech set the stage for the rest of the event.
It is easy to confuse a keynote speaker with a motivational speaker, industry expert, etc. The most notable way that a keynote speaker differs from other speakers is that they’ll work directly with someone on your event team to create the perfect address for your event. A great speaker will tailor their speech specifically to your needs and be able to connect their key points to your audience in a short period of time.
In order to capture the essence of your event and theme, the keynote speaker will spend time researching your industry, issues, and audience. Nailing down the details of your event theme will impact its overall success. Keynote speakers often use humor and audience participation to weave your keynote message into their program in an unforgettable and fun way.
How to Find the Perfect Keynote Speaker for Your Event
Since your keynote speaker is often the first introduction attendees have to your event, it’s important that the person and their speaking style are a great fit for you. It’s worth taking the time and effort to find someone who can engage and entertain your audience, all while effectively presenting your event’s main topics.
So how should you begin your search for a stellar presenter?
1) Start Searching
Keynote speaking on a topic you’re familiar with and passionate about is always easier. So, when you’re searching for a headliner for your event, it makes sense to find someone who is already aligned with your mission and involved in your industry. Start by searching for the event theme, along with the phrase “keynote speaker” in the search engine of your choosing. You might also try combining “keynote speaker” with your industry name, and any other terms that are specific to the information you want to share at your event. The more specific you can be, the more likely you are to find a speaker that already knows your industry intimately and can speak with passion about your topics.
2) Leverage Your Resources
Speaking bureaus can often help connect your event with experienced speakers. This is a great way to reach out if you don’t have many contacts in the speaking arena. Often there are commission fees associated with using this type of service, but you’re likely to find an experienced speaker when using these outlets so it can be worth the money.
Another option is to ask your network if they have any recommendations. You likely have a few connections within your industry who have had great keynote speakers at events they’ve hosted or attended.
This initial search should help you create a list of potential speakers. Once you have this list, it’s time to start fine-tuning it!
3) Due Diligence
Find videos online of your potential candidates past presentations. Listening to and watching a few videos from each of your options can help you decide what you’re looking for. While highlight reels are fun, it can be more representative of their real keynote speaking abilities to watch videos of full addresses. That way you get a feel for what it’s actually like to listen to them speak on stage. This should help you determine if the speaker you’re reviewing has the style, charisma and passion that you’re looking for.
4) Call Your Keynote Speakers
Once you’ve narrowed your list down to a few potential keynote speakers, set up calls with each of them. Ensuring that they’re available for your event is an important first step. Then cover your messaging, making sure they feel confident speaking on that topic. Ask them how they might translate that topic into a keynote address or what they find most interesting about that topic, to get a feel for how good of a fit they are for you.
Once you’ve chosen your keynote speaker, take the steps below to ensure that they understand your needs.
An Absolute Must! Give Your Keynote Speaker as Much Information as Possible
As we mentioned before, the quality of keynote speaking often sets the stage for the rest of your event. It’s important that your presenter has all the information they need to know in order to accurately represent your event. It can be helpful to give your keynote speaker a document that lays out all the details, including information about the conference hosts, other important guests, and any other pertinent information you feel they may need. You may also want to share the history of the event, event objectives, information about the audience, a complete schedule of events, a map of your conference space (if it’s a physical event) and all pertinent links (if it’s a virtual event).
Beyond the Details
Being great at keynote speaking is about more than just the information a presenter shares or their knowledge about a specific topic. An engaging presentation that gets your attendees excited is just as important as the facts your speaker shares. Choosing the right speaker will likely take care of this - but making sure your speaker knows they can be comfortable on stage, that they understand your audience, and know how to connect with them will help your keynote leave your attendees inspired and ready for more!
If you are looking for a world-class Olympian keynote speaker that is super inspiring, professional, easy to work with, and will go above and beyond to make your event a GOLDEN success, look no further than Shannon Bahrke. Click HERE so we can walk you step by step in ensuring she is a perfect fit for your event!