5 Ways to Be an Event Planner Speakers Love to Work With
There are two reasons why people attend events: the speakers and the networking opportunities. As an event professional, you want to attract the best speakers to your event to make sure your audience gets the most from their experience.
But how can you make sure your speakers enjoy the experience? If they feel appreciated and well looked after, many speakers will agree to speak at future events, but if they feel taken advantage of this will be the first and last time you work with them.
The good news is that there are some simple things you can do to keep your event speakers happy. Read on to find out more.
- Do Your Research
Before you invite a speaker to come to your event, make sure you do your research.
Read a few of their blogs, watch videos of previous talks, or find some of their presentations on Slideshare. This way you’ll have a good idea of what they can offer your event.
Speakers will also really appreciate you finding out about them before you get in touch. It will build confidence from the outset and help all later communication to go smoothly.
- Don’t Micro-Manage, Support
As an experienced professional, you will have a clear idea of how you want your event to turn out. But be careful that this doesn’t mean you micro-manage your speakers.
If you have done your research, each speaker should deliver a great session.
It is fine to ask that your speakers cover specific topics, but avoid asking to see every individual slide before the event (this might make people feel they aren’t trusted).
If every speaker feels trusted and valued, they will deliver a better performance on the day and they will want to publicise your event on social media.
Also make sure that each speaker feels supported. Make sure they know how to get in touch with you if they have any questions.
- Provide As Much Information As You Can
Your speakers will be happy to receive information as you can provide about your event. This will allow them to tailor their talk to their audience and will help things go well on the day.
Work closely with your speakers to give them a clear idea of who the audience will be. Let them know the audience’s seniority level, their expectations and what their level of understanding of the topic will be.
You can even work together to agree how to deliver a great experience at your event.
Use technology to help you gather detailed information on your audience, so you and your speakers can offer an event that everyone will enjoy.
- Offer Fair Payment
Payment can be a sticky issue for speakers. They are often asked to speak pro bono, or in return for travel and accommodation expenses.
If your budget is low it is tempting to try to persuade speakers to accept the lowest possible fees. But think about this for a moment.
Unless this is a charity event, where everyone will work for free, why should the speakers not earn a fee? If your company aims to make a profit, they should also be offered their share – that’s just fair.
Any decent speaker will spend several days preparing for your event, and this will prevent them from doing other paid work. If you don’t offer payment, you should expect the best speakers to turn you down.
Other speakers who are willing to work for free are likely to be poorly prepared. If you really want to offer your audience the best, you should ensure that ticket prices or sponsorship covers the cost. You’ll be glad you did later.
- Give Detailed Feedback
Speakers want to know if all their preparation worked out on the day. They deserve detailed feedback, rather than just “that was great!”.
One of the best ways to give feedback is to arrange a short meeting later in the day to talk things through. If you have the know-how, use technology to gather feedback from the audience and use this as a way to prompt discussion.
Good speakers want to do a good job and are keen to know where they can improve. A quick feedback session can make people feel valued and will increase the chances you will work together again.
With the right care and attention, your speakers will help make each event more successful than the last.
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