Benoit Lawrence, Owner of Evolve Talent & Speakers, offers some advice as to how to support a keynote speaker before, during, and after your event.
Benoit Lawrence, Owner of Evolve Talent & Speakers, offers some advice as to how to support a keynote speaker before, during, and after your event.
The keynote speaker is often the stand-out attraction of an event and one of the main things your delegates will remember. It’s the speaker’s job to entertain and charm, all while imparting key information to potentially thousands of onlookers. It’s a substantial task, and one that event organisers can make easier by seeing to a few small details before, during, and after an event.
Providing your speaker with comprehensive details before the event is key to ensuring they are both prepared and comfortable when they arrive, as Benoit Lawrence, Owner of Evolve Talent & Speakers, explains: “Once an event organiser has booked a speaker, we always recommend a briefing call. That allows the event organiser to give the speaker a detailed brief on exactly what they’re looking for. This covers themes and topics but also it’s a chance to let the speaker know a bit more about the event, including who’s attending and logistical admin.”
Ensuring the speaker feels comfortable once they arrive at the event is also important. Even the most experienced of public speakers can feel a few nerves before they get on stage, especially if faced with a large audience: “One thing that’s important to make speakers feel more comfortable, is
for them to have a private space where they’re able to relax in and go through their talk. When speakers with a high public profile arrive at an event, often people want to chat to them or get a selfie. Sometimes they may seem rude or standoffish, which is not their intention. If you imagine they’re speaking to 500 people in 30 minutes time, they want to be in the zone and focus so that they can give the best speech possible.”
“Speakers, like any of us, can feel insecure, even if they’ve done it thousands of times before.”
On the day of the event, the speaker needs to understand timings, logistics and tech aspects – with time set out to ensure any questions they have are answered: “Introduce yourself and the AV team and make sure the speaker knows who everyone is, in case they have a question, and just be around and aware that they might need something last minute.
Communication with the speaker shouldn’t end as soon as the event is over. Feedback, be it positive or negative, will be greatly appreciated: “Speakers, like any of us, can feel insecure, even if they’ve done it thousands of times before. If they’ve done a good job – or even if they’ve done a bad job – they’ll want to know about it. Feedback is crucial and needs to be given quickly. If it’s in the days after the event, they’ll remember what happened at the event. If its two months down the line it can be difficult to digest because the event was months ago.”