Speaker Prep: Let’s Break This Down
Did you know, speaker preparation is one of the most important aspects of event planning?!
At ELE, we’re more than marketers and event planners; we’re programmers, speaker coaches, producers, AV experts, and SO MUCH MORE. We approach our work with the audience and end-user in mind. As such, we’ve found that most events leave a lot to be desired when it comes to speaker prep. Speakers are your experts, they’re essential to the delivery of your content - in fact, they’re one of the most critical parts of the overall event experience. People remember your speakers, what they said, and if they engaged and resonated - or put them to sleep!
Pre-work
Successful events are a result of excellent preparation. From a speaker prep perspective, this means having a clear theme, purpose, goals, and vision for your event, including a well-defined audience, rules of engagement, and a clear “call to action” that can keep your events’ purpose living long after it ends. It comes down to hiring the right speakers, coaching them through your expectations, and letting them speak directly from the heart - knowing that their message will resonate with your audience (and that’s why you hired them in the first place!). Clarity on why you chose that speaker is incredibly important - especially to the speaker!
That being said, it is incredibly important to choose the right speakers! Well that’s easier said than done, so what should you be looking for in a speaker? In order to choose the right speakers for any event, you must work with your client to determine a few things: What is your goal for the event? Who do you want your audience to be, and why? What do you want the audience to do with this information once they leave?
During the selection process, get to know the speakers. This may seem obvious, but we don’t mean gaining a basic understanding of their expertise (however, that’s necessary as well!), we suggest getting to know their personalities and work ethic. Consider: how do they collaborate? Are they punctual? Do they have busy schedules? Are they dedicated and inspired?
Once you know a little bit more about them, you should learn their speaking styles. Do they use formal language, and how will that resonate with the audience? Do they ramble? Are they able to discern what information is relevant to the event? What is their vision for their presentation? Answering all of this is necessary in tailoring your speaker prep to your participants, saving you time and resources!
The importance of these questions varies depending on whether you are choosing a keynote speaker or a speaker for a breakout session. Some speakers are known commodities, and those speakers tend to cost more than $50k and up in fees. These “big names” are hired for a reason - you know what you’re getting! Getting to know these speakers can be much easier, and you may devote more time to other aspects of pre-work (we’ll get there!).
However, amateur speakers are also an incredibly valuable resource, not to be overlooked. It’s likely they are a great fit for breakout sessions and workshops held concurrently for smaller segments of the audience. These speaking engagements are perfect for content experts that may or may not have public speaking experience. Here, topic expertise is key. Due to the nature of specific content and smaller audiences, the presented content is more likely to be relevant and interesting to those in attendance. Getting to know these lesser-known speakers are key, as they could be anywhere on the overall development spectrum - and you need to meet them where they are before you can get them up to speed.
Now that the vision, goals, and speakers are finalized, and the full picture is coming together, it is your responsibility to convey this to the speakers. As event planners, we are continuously connecting the dots and creating an environment where both the clients and speakers are aware of all the details. Accurately explaining the event and its expectations is a huge part of speaker prep pre-work. Mainly, you want to ensure you’re communicating effectively with the entire team. This includes being detailed in your note-taking, being vigilant about emails, and asking the necessary clarifying questions. This convergence of understanding is the only way to ensure that your speakers are preparing and delivering their best work for the event and its audience.
Lastly, pre-work is not done until you have a solid understanding of the timeline you are working with. Create a clear schedule that includes not only the dates of the event, but also any meetings, rehearsals, check-ins, etc. planned for the weeks leading up to the event. While adjustments may be made to the schedule after this, it is only fair to give your speakers an advanced understanding of their roles, responsibilities, and time commitment for the event.
Honor your speakers
We mean this in a couple of different ways! Basically, trust their value to the event and its audience. Speakers are content experts; you hired them for their insights and expertise. We are the event experts, it’s our responsibility to provide them with the context they need to deliver their best and most relevant work. It is our job, as event planners, to guide our speakers so they can differentiate content to resonate with the audience and vision for the event. However if you have chosen the right speakers and your selection process is intentional and thorough, you should have few problems with this.
Honoring your speakers also means honoring their time. Speakers are busy people and likely have full-time jobs or other engagements. When scheduling meetings and rehearsals, be mindful of who needs the information and for whom it would ultimately be a time-waster. Also consider having flexible schedules for rehearsals outside of 9-5, to accommodate their existing schedules.
In other words, make sure all relevant pre-work is ready for the client and speakers to benefit from. Having pre-work prepared and finished, moves along the process and shows that you respect everyone’s time.
Content Development
At ELE, we believe in placing the user, participant, or attendee, at the center of all design and decision-making. We do this for so many reasons! They are the event’s paying customers; they are the reason to plan an event, their experience must be our top priority. This is beneficial for everyone involved! Clients and speakers are able to inform and engage their audience in a way that will resonate with them the most. While attendees receive relevant context that can progress their interests and careers.
The best way to keep people engaged in your work, long-term, is by thinking like a participant and challenging your work at all levels of development! Throughout the process, ask: Am I interested? Am I learning something new and relevant to me? What will I do with this information once I leave? These should all have clear answers!
So how do you prep the speaker for content development? As the authority on the event, you must listen and discern what content is important and what is not. This is incredibly tricky, but speakers may forget that they are one segment of the knowledge the audience receives on the topic, so it is common for speakers to overshare. This is where your pre-work comes back into play! If you have chosen the right speakers, set clear expectations about the time allotted, and have control of the message and goals, it is much easier to realize what information is most crucial to the event and their audience.
ELE Approach
ELE is uniquely situated to conceive, develop, and execute incredible events because we come at it from a programming and strategy perspective. We place participants at the center of our work. We work closely with clients to ensure that your speakers and their content are aligned with the interests, topics, and needs of the audience. We see our presenters as partners, key stakeholders, and vital to our success. So what is the secret to speaker prep? Being talented, but more importantly, prepared. Need help? Reach out, we’re here to help!