How To Book A Keynote Speaker
Your conference concept is nailed down. Your invitee list is assembled. Your breakout sessions are planned. But you’re forgetting one thing: the keynote speaker invitation.
Your conference’s keynote speaker is the cornerstone of the event. They help tie together all of the themes that are discussed throughout your agenda. And, if you choose the right personality, they can serve as a draw for audiences to buy tickets.
But booking a keynote speaker isn’t as simple as just calling in a favor. There are a few core steps to follow to ensure that you book a keynote speaker properly.
Here is a helpful guide to ensure your keynote speaker booking goes off without a hitch:
Do Your Research
Folks love to be flattered. And this is just as true for motivational speakers and main headliners as it is for anyone else.
Before you even reach out to book a keynote speaker, do some research about the person you have in mind. Read about their past, their accomplishments and their journey. Focus on the elements of their personal story that are most relevant to your business and your audience.
During this stage, it’s also important to research how much it is going to cost to book a keynote speaker. These insights will help whittle down your list of potential speakers. They will also ensure you don’t break your conference budget before the event even starts.
By narrowing down the field, you can find and book a keynote speaker that is not just a “get.” You’ll find one who is truly appropriate for your event. And trust us when we say: your audience will thank you.
Nail the Keynote Speaker Invitation
Next, bring those insights you gleaned during your research to your pitch. You likely won’t have the ear of the personality themselves. That’s what their booking team is for. But you can bet the things you say about the person you want to book to the booking team will be passed along.
But it shouldn’t just be idle praise. Focus on really nailing why the person you’ve identified is a match for your company and its brand. The more in sync everything feels, the more likely you’ll get a “yes” for the booking.
Other specifics to include in your pitch are:
The conference’s date and location
Expected audience size for the event
The overarching themes you hope your conference will embody
Any products or services to be launched at the conference
And anything else you think is relevant.
More than anything, be specific with your pitch. Personalities and celebrity speakers are very busy and get pitched a lot. And as such, template pitches are more than likely to be ignored. They want to know why they’d be a good fit.
Agree on Legal Considerations
The keynote speaker’s booking team will likely come back to you with a list of requirements should you move forward. This will include elements, such as:
Keynote speaker fees, per diems, invoice charges and more
Agreement on travel expenses
Rider requirements
Promotional considerations, limitations, etc.
Plans for conferencegoer after-keynote access to the professional speaker
And more
This is largely a negotiation phase. So if you feel like something is missing from the list of agreements, now is the time to say it. Otherwise, you risk disappointment with your keynote speaker booking.
You can expect this phase to go back and forth a few times between your keynote speaker and your team. So iterate and finalize all of the legal and contractual considerations to your heart’s content.
Arrange a Great Kickoff Meeting
Once the documents are signed, you have officially booked your keynote speaker. But your work isn’t done yet. You’ll likely have a kickoff meeting with your professional keynote speaker before they even take the stage.
Your kickoff meeting should go into specifics about your event. This is your chance to share every gritty detail about your conference with the keynote speaker, including:
Breakout session topics
Signed exhibitors and advertisers
Main speakers, executive leadership personalities, and more who will share smaller stage talks
Expected length of the keynote
And more
The keynote speaker should also bring specifics to the table during this stage. A rough outline of their planned speech could be shared. Or different themes for you and your team to mull over. Feel empowered to offer keynote speaker notes during this moment.
More than anything, your speaker will want your event to be as good as it can be. So expect notes. But this stage is also about you offering keynote speaker notes to ensure their speech is optimal for your audience.
Keep the Conversation Going
You might think that when everything is agreed upon and feeling good that your job is done. But don’t fall into this trap. Keep the relationship with your keynote speaker fresh for the months or weeks that precede your event.
By sending a quick note or checking in casually, you keep your business atop their mind. After all, you’re likely not their only client. So by keeping your conference fresh in their mind, you ensure the cobwebs don’t need to be cleared before they take the stage.
Have a Backup Plan
This is a tough but unavoidable topic. Sometimes, things come up. Illness, family emergencies, and more can prevent a keynote speaker from honoring their commitment to your stage. It might not be a flake, but it is a cancellation.
That’s why it’s always important to have a great backup keynote speaker waiting in the wings. They could be a member of your leadership team, another personality, or even someone from the business community. Nine times out of 10 you likely won’t need this person. But that tenth time you’ll be thanking your lucky stars you had a plan B.
Hire Jon Dorenbos for Your Keynote Stage
Now that you know how to book a keynote speaker, it’s time to find a great keynote speaker for your signature event. And Jon Dorenbos is your man.
This magician and football player turned motivational corporate speaker has taken countless stages and captivated countless audiences with his unique perspective. And he does so with the grace of someone who knows a conference keynote is only as good as a prepared and inspiring speaker.