Maximize Your Speaker Investment: Effective Takeaways That Will Increase Success at Your Next Event

At WWSG, we’ve deployed numerous speakers globally and collaborated extensively with esteemed meeting planners, ranging from leading associations to Fortune 50 companies. Drawing from this wealth of knowledge and hands-on experience, we’ve compiled a set of 6 key insights aimed at enhancing the value of your speaker investment. The ensuing recommendations are designed to elevate the overall success of your event and maximize your speaker investment.

Receptions

Networking Opportunities: VIPs and distinguished guests often attend receptions associated with events. Consider inviting the speaker to partake in these gatherings before or after their presentation, offering additional access.

• Speakers play a pivotal role in sparking conversations, generating topical interest, and interacting with VIPs, infusing the reception with excitement and significance.
• For panel discussions, enhance audience engagement by strategically seating panelists at different tables during the reception.
• Recognize that some speakers may prioritize preparation before their engagement and might prefer a simple meet-and-greet reception post-talk, as it is easier to facilitate.
• Empower your speaker with insights into past audience demographics to personalize one-on-one conversations with VIPs.

As a value-added initiative, create exclusive “meet and greet” supplementary events to foster connections between the speaker and selected VIP guests.

Speaker Preparation Spaces

Green Rooms: Experienced event producers recognize the invaluable nature of dedicated speaker spaces. These areas serve as the speaker’s check-in point and provide a private zone for them to prepare for their presentation.

• Recognize speakers as investments, and create an environment that allows them to gather their thoughts and mentally prepare for their best performance before stepping onto the stage.
• Even in venues without traditional green rooms, consider simulating a controlled, isolated environment for speakers.
• Ensure Wifi availability in these spaces, enabling speakers to use their devices for email checks and social media updates.
• Offer a variety of snacks, and be attentive to specific requests from speakers regarding items in their green room, such as water, soda, tea with honey, or coffee.

A TV or monitor with a live feed serves as a valuable tool, helping speakers stay informed about ongoing events. Many speakers absorb the atmosphere on stage before their speech, incorporating earlier sentiments into their presentation.

Books and Book Signings

Authorship Integration: Many esteemed speakers also double as authors, and their books often complement the keynotes and speeches they deliver.

• Provide your Keynote speaker with a prominent platform to showcase and sell any books they may have authored in conjunction with their speech.
• Make the author’s books available at the event, either for on-site purchase or pre-purchase by attendees.
• When organizing book signings and personalizations, be mindful of potential time constraints for authors, and establish clear expectations in advance.

A recommended approach for personalizing books is to procure custom bookplates, allowing the host organization to affix its brand to a statement accompanying the author’s signature.

Photo Opportunities

Capturing Memorable Moments: Facilitating photo opportunities with a celebrity, speaker, or public figure can be both rewarding and challenging, requiring careful management to avoid overwhelm or intimidation.

• Initiate discussions and early planning for photo ops, considering factors such as the number of participants, format, and required timing to prevent complications during the event.
• To streamline personalized photos with the speaker, allocate personnel to monitor the line, addressing any delays promptly. Personnel can also assist in temporarily holding guest items to maintain a smooth flow.
• Enhance branding and visibility by incorporating a custom pull-up backdrop featuring the event’s logo and branding during photo ops, expanding your Share of Voice (SOV).

Hiring a professional digital photographer not only helps manage lines efficiently but also ensures high-quality photos, including shots of VIPs or candid moments capturing the speaker’s interaction with the audience.

Tailor the Q&A Experience

Incorporating a Q&A session into a presentation can be an excellent idea, contingent on your venue, session structure, and the dynamics of your audience and speaker(s). However, when not meticulously planned and executed, a Q&A session may detract from the overall success of the program instead of enhancing it.

• Avoid scattering microphones throughout the audience, as audience participation expectations may not always align.
• Opt for a designated person on stage to curate and select questions, relieving the speaker of this task. Prepare audience plants with questions in case of a lull.
• Leverage digital technology for remote audience participation, fostering synergy between in-person and online questions during the Q&A session.

In larger settings, consider using “roving mics” or “mic runners” for improved flexibility. Ensure an ample supply of microphones to reach any audience member promptly.

Social Media

Build Anticipation: Generate pre-event excitement through strategic social media efforts. Craft compelling posts for standard channels, always incorporating a custom hashtag to unify content. Encourage attendees and followers to utilize these hashtags, amplifying the visibility of featured speakers.

• Utilize your social platforms to share links to the speaker’s books and website, enhancing mutual online exposure. Prepare concise blurbs for easy inclusion in social shares.
• Incorporate the speaker’s headshots into event materials, facilitating image sharing along with your branding.

If permitted, promote the event speaker’s social media handles, leveraging their notoriety to connect their audience with yours.

Events are substantial investments requiring careful planning. Each organization aspires to host a seamless and memorable function, leaving the audience with a sense of satisfaction or gratitude for participating in a well-orchestrated and successful event. By implementing these strategies, you can mitigate potential issues and provide the cohesiveness appreciated by your audience.

Frequently Asked Questions

At Worldwide Speakers Group, we are dedicated to providing an unparalleled level of service in the global lecture industry and giving an intimate and consultative support service to organizations for booking speakers at their events. As a trusted partner to elite professional speakers, we deliver distinctive performance and innovative solutions in the global lecture and speaker industry by artfully connecting speakers to corporate, trade, education, and commercial customers worldwide. Take a look inside our process to learn how we can be your partner in planning and creating a successful event.