Best Guest Speakers for Your Event: Answers to Your Questions #bestguestspeakers #bestguestspeaker
The best guest speakers share their top-notch messages across the world every day. #bestguestspeakers #bestguestspeaker
Usually, they are individuals with specific expertise and proven track records in their respective fields.
Some are motivation-driven, appealing to employees energetically. Others might be subject-bound experts, authors, or entertainers with themes applicable to their audiences.
Their presentations could include formal speeches, book launches, entertainment slots, product reviews, etc.
- Tailor their content to the needs of an audience.
- Are also brought in to do training.
- Include authors of important books.
- Perform at a variety of events across the world.
* Selecting the best guest speakers possible
1. The Best Guest Speakers Tailor Their Content to the Needs of An Audience
Dr. Elizabeth Lombardo, Ph.D., Transformational Speaker & Psychologist, Elizabeth Lombardo International, LLC
There are inspirational speakers (those who get you inspired to make change), transformational speakers (those who not only inspire change but provide training on how to implement it), celebrity speakers (hiring a known name) and survivors (those who have been through a significant challenge and come out better after it).
Guest speakers perform on stage if it is a big in-person audience, in a meeting room (for smaller in-person audiences) or virtually.
In fact, right now, the virtual market is very busy.
Many will go directly to the speaker via their website after hearing about them (such as an author of a book or an expert in the media).
Speaker’s bureaus are also a great way to find speakers. At no cost to the host, you can work with a bureau who will vet the speakers for you.
Bureaus know which speakers are strong and worth their price.
Bureaus can also do a lot of the work for you, such as provide you with a list of 5 speakers for you to consider after hearing your specific needs.
Guest speakers have a theme that they discuss. At the same time, a good guest speaker does extensive interviewing to determine the specific needs of that particular group so that the content is tailored to the specific audience’s needs.
As a licensed psychologist, transformational speaker and bestselling author of “Better Than Perfect: 7 Steps to Crush your Inner Critic and Create a Life You Love,” Dr. E’s national platform includes interviews by various national media outlets including The Today Show, GMA, Dr. Oz Show, Fox Business News, CNN, NPR, Forbes, Wall Street Journal and NYT. Shaquille O’Neal says “Dr. Lombardo is my Head Coach for happiness.”
2. Guest Speakers Are Also Brought in To Do Training
Alexia Vernon, Founder & President, Alexia Vernon Empowerment LLC
The most popular types of guest speakers include keynote speakers (who present at companies, conferences, professional associations, and college/school events) as well as breakout or spotlight speakers who usually present alongside other speakers at a conference.
Most breakfast or lunch-and-learn speakers who speak at meals are uncompensated or paid a modest honorarium.
In organizations, guest speakers are also brought in to do half-day and full-day training on an area of expertise.
Most of the above speaking engagements are currently being done via video platforms like Zoom.
Keynote speakers are usually booked by speaking agents/speakers bureaus, and in organizations, C-suite leaders will often bring in guest speakers they’ve heard elsewhere; although VPs of Human Resources or Training and Development will also book speakers on relevant employee development topics.
For conferences, the keynote speakers are usually picked by the most senior leaders and the breakout speakers are usually chosen via a conference committee based on a public call for speakers.
Alexia Vernon is a keynote speaker, speaking coach, and the author of Step into Your Moxie: Amplify Your Voice, Visibility, and Influence in the World. She shows entrepreneurial, organizational, and community leaders how to develop, pitch, book, and deliver transformational presentations and corporate coaching and training programs.
3. Guest Speakers Include Authors of Important Books
Prof. Janet Ruth Heller, Ph.D., Janet Ruth Heller Books
Guest speakers include authors of important books, college professors with expertise in an area of interest to a business or organization, travelers who have great photos of exotic places, actors who present parts of dramas or other works of literature, musicians or artists who share their work, heads of local organizations who have activities of interest to your group, etc.
Some speakers educate members of an organization, while other speakers simply entertain the group.
Guest speakers can do their presentations in any room that is large enough to seat the audience you want and that has the audiovisual technology that the speakers require.
Some famous people have an agent who handles booking for them.
The agent will try to get a high price for any presentation and will make sure that any travel or meal expenses will be covered.
However, most speakers do their own booking.
Most organizations designate a person or program committee to set up a speaker series.
The advantage of a program committee is that the different members of the committee will have more unique ideas about whom to bring.
Members of a program committee often prefer a speaker whom they have heard before and liked.
The committee can discuss the organization’s goals for its speakers series, topics of interest to the organization, and individuals who would be most appropriate to bring in.
Some famous speakers charge high fees, so an organization needs to set up a budget for any speakers series.
Some groups prefer speakers who do not charge fees or who charge low fees.
It is hard to tell from a flier what a speaker is really like.
The publicity flier may have a photo of the presenter that is decades old and omit the fact that the speaker had a bad stroke a year ago and now has trouble talking.
Guest speakers must come on time, speak about a topic that the organization wants to hear about, be honest about fees, be willing to answer questions from the audience, avoid going over the time limit, and have the technological competence to do the presentation in the most effective way.
Janet Ruth Heller is a college English and women’s studies professor. She has published six award-winning books for children and adults and frequently appears as a guest speaker. Janet has also organized speakers series for ten different groups.
4. The Best Speakers Perform at a Variety of Events Across the World
Mona Dixon, International Motivational Speaker, Inspired By Mona, LLC
Guest speakers include those who give keynote speeches, those who lead seminars or workshops, and those who entertain.
Keynote speakers typically address all of the attendees, whereas seminar and workshop leaders speak to smaller breakout groups.
There are times where speakers may be the keynote speaker and a workshop facilitator at the same event.
Entertainment guest speakers may add in something else besides speaking such as painting, poetry or play a musical instrument.
Celebrity speakers are also entertainment guest speakers based solely on their names.
Some celebrities are not great speakers, however, the audience does not always care a lot as long as they get to see the celebrity live in-person.
Guest speakers also vary by being either informative by providing important and relevant information to an audience.
In seminars, speakers can be demonstrative by showing how something is done or perhaps how a product is used.
Also, persuasive speakers are used to get the audience to behave in a certain way.
For example, a guest speaker at a fundraiser would be brought in to persuade the audience to donate funds to a specific cause or organization.
Some events also use clients as guest speakers to provide testimonies or share their experiences.
Speakers speak and perform at a variety of events all over the world, big and small.
Events include conferences, graduations, summits, corporate meetings, club meetings, schools/colleges, and fundraisers.
Guest speakers are important for events because they bring in a new perspective, they are a fresh new face for the audience, or they are very motivating in a specific topic area.
Guest speakers can also be entertaining to bring fun to an event.
Speakers can be booked by speakers bureaus, event committees, resource development staff at nonprofit organizations, CEOs, and event planners.
How do you choose which ones to hire? Speakers are chosen based on:
- Fee
- Testimonials/References
- Location (Cost to bring them in)
- Videos and content that they have on the internet
- Topic area
- Can they increase ticket sales?
- Past appearance: Have they used them before and want them again?
- Ability to persuade, motivate, inform, and/or entertain
- Speaking/presentation style
The responsibilities of a speaker change depending on the event type.
Some speakers literally speak and go home. Others may have to be a part of a V.I.P. Meet & Greet.
Some speakers just speak once and others agree to speak multiple times if they are at a conference type event or if one organization has multiple groups to address such as a school with different grades.
At some events, such as pitchfests, speakers may be expected to sell from the stage. Other expectations may be as simple as getting the audience to be motivated.
Speakers are also responsible for speaking for a period of time agreed upon before the event.
Mona Dixon is an empowerment leader, U.S. presidential appointee, and speaking coach. In addition to helping others become public speakers, she speaks around the world for corporate philanthropic companies, schools, youth organizations, fundraisers, graduations, parent organizations, and homeless shelters.
Selecting the Best Guest Speakers Possible
So, what should one look for when selecting the best guest speaker possible? Here are more tips to help you make the right choice:
Before booking, you can request a few references from other people or companies who’ve hosted the person on previous occasions.
References are credible and will tell you if the orator was effective, reliable, and professional (ensuring that their subject was relevant, memorable, and entertaining).
Look for an enthusiastic streak. They’re the ones who’ll imbue your audience with the ingredients necessary to get them talking afterward. It makes sense that those who inform, educate, inspire, and entertain are the ones most likely to achieve the results you’re looking for.
Guest speakers can contribute immensely to your event.
Unfortunately, choosing a guest speaker that is not suitable, can also detract from it. If you don’t do proper homework in advance, it can lead to the wrong choice.
Mia Arderne shares that it “requires drawing on your network of contacts, and having connections and a list of entertainers, speakers and musicians that you trust and can rely on.” [1]
What does it take to book a high profile, A-list guest speaker? Is it the budget? Or perhaps past experience with that individual? Perhaps it’s simply luck?
With any team, there will come a time where you need new blood. New ideas keep businesses and teams from going stale. That’s why it’s important to invite fresh voices into the mix.
In the past, a high-quality guest speaker meant someone with enough clout to get on a stage or behind a podium. They were the authors of untold bestsellers, donating their precious copy time to impart their messages of hope upon future generations of business leaders.
Wondering what makes the best guest speakers? Your presenter has to to relate to the target audience, he or she should be able to entertain and provide valuable content, and they should have experience in superior presentation skills.
When selecting someone, it helps to know what you want and what will work best for you. Having a set budget and an agenda for your conference will be useful in narrowing down your options.
Ideally, your event goals should tie in with your speakers’ goals, which then match up with the needs of your audience.
This is why you want to make sure that each guest speaker that you choose provides a valuable experience to your audience – for example by sharing information that can be applied immediately, offering actionable tips, and providing great visuals to go along with their content presentation.
Both entertaining and informative will keep everyone engaged from beginning to end, making for a stronger connection and a better understanding of the subject being presented.
The venue is absolutely an important factor. Ultimately, all you want is for everyone in attendance to have an enjoyable session, learn something new and go away with a positive experience.
The best guest speakers are all the rage at industry conferences. You’ve seen their names listed in the program – the “heavy hitter” you heard spoke at your competitor’s conference. They are a speaker’s equivalent of rock stars and can entertain your group for days on end.
There is in-person guest speaking, where you personally engage with an audience through speech and/or interaction. There is also remote speaking, where you do not physically visit the location of the audience (and they do not come to yours) but still communicate with them via text-based communications and/or multimedia-based communications (e.g. Zoom and Skype).
In the past decade or so, these terms have become increasingly blurred and now are most often used interchangeably. However, understanding the difference between them still can be useful for speakers, teachers, or people who simply enjoy learning about public speaking.
Regardless of the definition, guest speaking can be one of the most effective methods of connecting with conference-goers. For this reason, it is crucial to understand how public speaking and lecturing differs from other communication methods, and what impact this different communication style has on real-world applications.
Most definitions relate guest speaking to public speaking, though there are other opportunities for guest speakers such as workshops, seminars, webinars and other events.
Guest Speakers SA | SA Guest Speakers
Guest Speakers Abu Dhabi | Abu Dhabi Guest Speakers
Guest Speakers Cape Town | Cape Town Guest Speakers
Guest Speakers Doha | Guest Speakers Qatar | Doha Guest Speakers | Qatar Guest Speakers
Guest Speakers Johannesburg | Johannesburg Guest Speakers
UK Guest Speakers London | London Guest Speakers UK
Guest Motivational Speakers South Africa | South African Guest Motivational Speakers
Guest Speakers UAE | Guest Speakers Dubai | UAE Guest Speakers | Dubai Guest Speakers
There are many people that say they can give a speech or talk in front of a group. However, unless they have been trained in public speaking techniques, spoken to a real audience and gotten feedback, it is hard to tell if they really have the skills to convey their ideas to communicate clearly.
To most speaking experts, however, public speaking and guest speaking are interchangeable terms. That is because the best guest speakers are usually those who do not speak on their own behalf, but on the behalf of another person, organization, or business. They do so to educating or entertaining others, promoting a cause, creating a positive image, etc.
With marketing and business, most of the definitions of guest speaking encompass an element of in-person engagement.
At its core, however, guest speaking is about bringing an outside expert into your community to share his or her knowledge with your people.
- A Day In The Life Of An Entertainment Events Manager (20 December 2016) / auth. Arderne Mia. – [s.l.] : Oxbridgeacademy.edu.za/blog, Accessed on 27 April 2020.