Handling A Motivational Keynote Speaker

By Christine Price


Presentation by the invited guest forms the climax of any symposium. The presentation by the motivational keynote speaker should therefore be memorable as it summarizes discussions or introduces the theme to the audience. The impact of a conference on the participants will largely depend on the choice of guest. How do you ensure that your guest adds a spark to your conference and the expectations of the gathering are realized?

Every conference has a unique theme and set up. The audience has particular expectations based on composition and purpose of congregating. As such, you should identify a guest who can deliver to these expectations. Such a person must command authority and be regarded in high esteem by the participants. This is the only way his or her speech will have an impact on participants.

Guests should merge with participants other than appearing like appendixes. To facilitate this assimilation, brief your speaker adequately before he or she makes a presentation. With such briefing, it is easier for him to prepare relevant content in terms of audience and theme. Crucial motivation briefing involves understanding the situation of your audience. The morale of the audience is easier to lift if the situation is well known.

Popular speakers have a unique delivery style after attending numerous conferences. They also have signature content and have produced such materials are pamphlets, books, videos, etc. If not checked, such materials and messages are likely to overshadow your main theme and derail your conference. Insist that the gathering be guided by the general theme and check so that the guest does not promote his agenda through your conference.

Motivation is about engaging with the audience and understanding their needs. It is therefore important for guests to interrogate the daily lives of participants to decide on the entry points. It is impossible for someone to motivate a person whose life he or she does not understand. It may therefore help to spend some time with the participants in order to understand their needs and life.

It is wrong to make conferences exclusively about guest speakers. The activities and theme must revolve around participants. As such, insist on the guest spending substantial amount of time with participants. Let the guest listen to concerns and deliberations before and after making the speech. It is from personal stories that his speech will gather the mood and concerns of participants. This calls for a guest who displays genuine interest in the lives of participants.

Several factors will determine the amount you pay as fees to your keynote speaker. There is need to agree on a formula to share the revenue generated from your symposium. Some speakers insist on selling their books and merchandise during conferences to supplement their fees. This may lower the amount you need to pay but it must be checked to avoid overriding your theme. Comb through the details in advance.

Speakers ignite the mood of conferences but must never be allowed to overshadow the main theme or purpose of the conference. The engagements must be negotiated without forcing your guest to get out of character or allowing him to take over the meeting and run his own agenda. All activities and engagements must be geared towards lifting the spirits of participants.




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