Are you planning an event?

Do you need to hire a trusted expert for a virtual meeting, conference, corporate event, seminar, trade-show, convention, or company workshop?

Here is a list of professional guest speakers to consider for your event that can deliver a memorable speech and presentation that will inspire, educate, and entertain your audience.

What is a professional Keynote Speaker?

The most important distinction you need to understand about their role is that this is their full-time profession. Their are thousands of speakers out there but not all of them have decided that this will be their full time job.

For example, you might see famous celebrities or government officials give a speech or lecture every so often. However, the professional speaker is doing this full time.

Why does this matter?

Because if you are looking for someone who is an expert at delivering information in a specific way and on a specific topic, then working with a professional is much better than booking someone who does this every so often.

Professional speakers come in many forms – they could be experts in a given field, best-selling authors or thought leaders.

These types of professionals are often hired by executives for corporate events as a sure fire-way to grab the attention of your audience. These experts can liven up your conference by providing an outside perspective or simply setting the tone of your event in an amusing way.

Whether or not you should hire a professional keynote speaker is entirely up to you. However, if you’re looking to provide your attendees with a memorable experience, they can definitely be an ace in the hole.

In order for you to be able to make an informed decision, let’s talk a little about what these professionals do and how you can benefit from working with them.

See also: What is a keynote speaker?

What does a professional keynote speaker do?

Depending on the type of talk that they will give, the role he or she plays at your event can differ for a variety of reasons.

For example, a speaker who kicks off the event with a keynote speech has the sole function of introducing the overarching theme of the event and get the audience excited about attending the subsequent talks and workshops that will happen.

On the other hand, you might choose to hire a professional orator to give the closing talk at the end of your event.

In that case, their role will be to wrap everything up in an inspiring and memorable manner. That Speaker should be able to draw from key points presented during the event and summarize all that coherently.

Moreover, there a lot of topics these presenters are able to cover, depending on their credentials. You can find keynote speakers to talk about pretty much anything.

Some of the most common topics include business, management, marketing, sales, innovation, leadership, teamwork, inspirational, education, customer service, technology, diversity and many more.

See also: What does a keynote speaker do?

Qualities of a professional keynote speaker

Here are some questions you should ask when seeking out a professional:

1. Does their mission align with yours?

When you book someone, you have to keep in mind that they are representing your brand. So make sure they align with your messaging and mission.

2. Are they trustworthy?

Deciding to have someone get up on stage and represent you is a big deal and should not be taken lightly. If they make any mistake or come off poorly, it will reflect on you.

3. Are they an expert?

A good speaker is someone who has established themselves as an authority and who garners the respect of others in their industry.

4. Are they confident?

First impressions mean everything when you are producing an event. When your attendees watch and listen to them talk, does he or she exude confidence. If you want your attendees feeling at ease, then you will need to find someone who has a great deal of self-esteem.

See also: 8 Qualities every keynote speaker should have

Benefits of a professional keynote speaker

Regardless whether he or she will stick to the traditional approach or do something completely outrageous, they will be able to tailor their talk to your business, putting your attendees in the right mindset and providing them with actionable advice right off the bat.

It’s also important to state here that the benefits a professional speaker will provide are directly related to your goals. For instance, you might want them to educate your audience.

Or maybe you might want your audience to feel motivated and inspired.

Or you might simply want your attendees to be entertained.

There are countless benefits involved here, each one depending on what you hope to accomplish with your event.

Having said that, make sure you know exactly what your goals are and why you are working with them. If you lay out your goals to the speaker very clearly, they will be better able to benefit you and your attendees.

Here are some of the key benefits:

  • Your audience will have the cornerstone theme of the event reinforced;
  • Your attendees will feel engaged, excited and motivated;
  • Your team will be inspired to keep growing and developing, both as individuals and as a team;
  • Your audience will have the chance to learn new skills, talents and insights that will help them do more for your Organization;
  • Your attendees will have access to expert insight into global trends, business markets and potential issues, thus being ahead of the curve.

How to find a professional keynote speaker

The two main ways you can find a professional speaker are going to be through a bureau or working with them directly.

There are over 20 different agencies that you can work with and they all have different pros and cons.

Here are the pros:

  • You will have someone who will guide you through the process
  • You will have a wide variety of professionals to choose from
  • They will help you in managing your expectations
  • They can help you in gaining clarity in the theme of your event

Here are the cons:

  • You wont have much room for negotiation in costs since they need to make their commission
  • If your budget is smaller than others, they are not as responsive

Hopefully you now have a better grasp of what a professional keynote speaker can do for your event.

Remember that proper planning is crucial for the success of your event.

With the right action plan and proper talent in place, your event will astound your audience and make a great impact on them.