Choosing your event speaker is one of the most important tasks for any organizer.
After all, it’s through them that your event’s theme will be shared with attendees, using different types of approaches.
Even so, if you don’t have a defined list of speakers, finding the ideal one for your audience can seem like a very difficult task.
But it doesn’t have to be, especially if you look in the right places, using the ideal search filters for your event. That’s what I’m going to teach you to do!
Learn more about:
- How to choose the best speaker for your event
- Where to find an event speaker?
- Learn how to organize your talk
How to choose the best speaker for your event
1. Define your event’s details
Before rushing to find a speaker to fill a spot in your program, you need to define your event’s goal as well as its limitations.
For example, corporate, academic, and even online events will have different financial limits and specific needs to make an edition more sustainable and profitable.
So define a financial plan by answering questions like:
- How much can I spend?
- Is my event ready to invite this speaker?
- How many people would come to see them?
- What spaces can I invest in for this audience?
This way, you’ll be able to see what the best financial option is for your event, creating organizational balance and a foundation for future editions.
2. Understand your attendees’ profile and what they want
The attendee experience should always come first. Not only is it the focus of your event, it’s also responsible for your revenue.
So before defining your event speaker, start researching who will be attending the event and what their preferences are.
For example, using your event’s social media, you can observe the profiles of the people who tend to be most engaged, commenting on and liking your posts.
And if you want to know how to turn your audience into an ally in finding the ideal speaker, here’s a tip:
Post asking which speakers would be interesting for this edition of the event, as well as future ones.
This way, in just a few minutes you’ll have a ready-made list to reach out to.
You can also find out how satisfied your attendees were with the speakers after a past edition — just run a satisfaction survey.
3. Who is this speaker?
After understanding who your audience is and what their needs are, it’s time to go after your speaker.
To do this, just find answers to questions like:
- What is their level of influence?
- How many events have they already participated in?
- What are you looking for: a more outgoing or a more pragmatic profile?
- How well do they know the subject?
- What is their level of education? (Checking their academic/professional record is a great choice)
From this point, you’ll have a profile mapped out for your audience.
Besides that, this overview can show you which type of speaker matches your event’s goals and limitations, making your search easier.
There’s also another very important factor for defining your speaker:
Level of expertise
Popularly, when we talk about audience interest, the more knowledge and renown, the more important the speaker is considered.
However, this knowledge and renown doesn’t always match your audience’s general knowledge level or your event’s requirements.
So analyze this professional’s presentation history and teaching skills.
This way, you can compare it to the level your event requires.
Also, it’s quite common that the more expertise a speaker has to offer, the higher their fee for the talk, which can throw off your financial plan.
Create a diversity of speakers
Running an event might seem like a simple recipe where everything works the same way, with the same people. But in reality, it’s not quite like that.
Bringing in similar speakers who talk the same way, about the same subject, is definitely a bad choice. And let me tell you why:
Regardless of the type of event, you need to offer your attendees different perspectives, something that won’t happen if you repeat the same language over and over.
So it’s important to bring in various speakers, with different points of view on a given subject or with other topics to cover.
This way, the differences between your speakers can create different moments of reflection and learning, generating a unique experience for your attendees.
Where to find an event speaker?
1. Social media
Social media is a huge showcase for thousands of people looking to display their potential through posts, working as a way to promote their work.
So that’s where you should start looking for the ideal event speaker.
Within these platforms, you can do more generic searches, like typing the word “speaker” into the search bar, for example.
Even so, you’ll get generalized results that may not deliver the person you’re looking for.
For example, try searching by the speaker’s area of expertise, by their name (if you already have references), or by an organization that provides speakers.
And among social media platforms, it’s worth highlighting the value of LinkedIn for finding speakers according to their professional skills.
Within the platform, just search the search bar for the word “Speaker” followed by the area of expertise you’re looking for at your event.
This way, you’ll have thousands of profiles displayed at once, with different resumes and qualifications to analyze, filter, and determine who is best for your event.
2. Speaker agencies
If you’re the type of person who doesn’t like searching too much, but rather simplifying your processes, speaker agencies are the right choice.
These agencies act as facilitators, creating a bridge between the organizer and the speaker in a simpler way, eliminating possible contact obstacles.
Also, on these agencies’ websites, speakers can be divided into the following categories:
- Business;
- Health and Wellness;
- Trends;
- Training and Workshops;
- Personal and Professional Growth;
- Economics;
- Technology;
- Education;
- And many others.
This way, you can filter them automatically and choose the one that best fits your event’s purpose and finances.
3. Network and get referrals
Word of mouth has always been one of the best forms of promotion for any segment, and finding speakers is no different.
So your contact list can help you connect with people who have already held events similar to yours or simply have great references.
But if you don’t have enough contacts yet, or you’re just starting out as an event organizer, try attending events aimed at organizers and build your networking list.
Learn how to organize your talk
Organizing a talk doesn’t have to be a huge challenge, especially if you have a platform ready to meet your needs.
On the Even3 events platform, you create an event in just a few clicks, with a page entirely dedicated to your event.
On this page, you’ll have a special area to showcase your speakers, with photos, names, and roles.
