Looking To Hire a Keynote Speaker?
How to Book the Perfect Keynote Speaker To Engage and Inspire Your Audience
If you’re looking to elevate your next event, hiring a keynote speaker to engage your audience and leave a lasting impression should be a top priority.
A great keynote speaker can drastically impact the tone of the conference if given the chance - either at the beginning or the end of your event - and attendees often cite the keynote speaker as being ‘the most memorable part of the conference.’
Among many in the keynote speaker circuit, I am known for my ability to captivate audiences, deliver actionable insights, and inspire change. From conferences and corporate events to industry gatherings and virtual team building, I combine real-world expertise as both a corporate executive and tech entrepreneur, blistering humor, and actionable examples to create presentations that resonate and keep people talking long after the event is over
If you’re considering hiring a keynote speaker, read on to learn how to find one who’s the best fit for your event, questions to ask, expected costs, and much, much more.
Why You Need a Keynote Speaker
I recently attended a gathering where two people had come back from the same conference. When I asked them to share some highlights, they both bonded (and lamented!) over the fact that the keynote speaker on Day 1 was terrible. It was an academic who delivered a very dry, slide-filled presentation and simply read words to the audience. Not the memory an event organizer wants to leave for their attendees.
A keynote speaker sets the tone for your event; energizing the room and aligning attendees with the goals of the conference. Whether it's a corporate event, trade fair, or virtual team building activity, selecting the right speaker can instantly take an event from good to GREAT. A professional keynote speaker elicits emotion from the attendees that they won’t get from other parts of the conference. . They provide unique perspectives, unparalleled insights, and memorable stories that connect with participants on a deeper level than they’re used to getting from ‘typical’ events.
When I work with event organizers, most often their goals are to inspire the audience, get them thinking, and leave a memorable impact that makes them want to share their experience with others - ultimately driving greater attendance, happier employees/attendees, and, if it’s of interest, event sponsorship for future years. By hiring a keynote speaker, you create a powerful experience that leaves your audience informed, inspired, and ready to take action - and leaves them feeling good about your organization and the event.
Types of Keynote Speakers
Keynote speakers are not all the same. They come in various forms, each bringing a unique specialty to the table. Understanding the different types can help you choose the perfect keynote speaker for your event:
Motivational Keynote Speakers: These speakers typically share inspiring stories of overcoming adversity, achieving success, and pursuing their passions. Their goal is to motivate and empower the audience to take action towards their goals, leaving them energized and ready to tackle new challenges. Their messages are often visionary/inspirational; but not actionable. You will feel emotionally moved, but likely will not take anything away that you can ‘use’ in your day-to-day or working life.
Business Keynote Speakers: Focused on business-related topics such as leadership, management, marketing, and entrepreneurship, these speakers provide expert insights and practical advice. They help businesses improve strategies, boost morale, and increase productivity, making them invaluable for corporate events. These tend to be more actionable - leaving attendees with insights they can apply in their jobs. This could aim to create better leaders, better sales people, better marketers, etc… ultimately better company stewards.
Thought Leader Keynote Speakers: Experts in their respective fields, thought leaders provide valuable insights and knowledge on the latest trends and innovations in a specific industry. They help businesses stay ahead of the curve by giving them a ‘magic eight ball’ and helping predict the future or learn lessons from another industry that may be applicable to their company. They typically bring a blend of inspirational and actionable content, leaving attendees in ‘awe’ and wanting to apply the lessons to their professional lives.
Future Trends Keynote Speakers: Specializing in predicting and analyzing future trends, these speakers help businesses prepare for upcoming challenges and opportunities - but not necessarily in a specific industry. Their forward-thinking approach gets people outside of their comfort zone and often encourages them to ‘think bigger’. Insights may not always be actionable since they aren’t always related to the industry your event is for, but people leave ‘wowed’ and sometimes questioning their purpose/career (in a good way).
For what it’s worth, my presentations typically fall in categories 2 and 3 - with a focus on the future of water and technology (SaaS/startup) industries, how to level up your presentations, how to manage remote/distributed teams, and how to be an innovator/entrepreneur/’intrapreneuer’ (especially in the context of being an employee at a big company).
What Makes a Perfect Keynote Speaker for Your Event?
Without knowing more about you, your organization, and the goals for your event; it’s basically impossible for a keynote speaker to make the case why they’d be a great fit. If you’re considering hiring a keynote speaker for your event and they claim they are a ‘one-size-fits-all’ - RUN. A good keynote speaker should take the time to understand your audience, their needs, the goals for your event, and many other considerations… and only after learning about your needs & actually listening to you will they be able to tell you if they are a good fit or not.
Further, you should be able to directly communicate with the speaker - NOT just with an agent/agency, if the speaker has one. It will make your life so much harder if you can’t engage with the speaker directly and always have to rely on a middle person to coordinate logistics, fees, topic, etc…
Here are a handful of important questions the speaker should be asking YOU:
What does your organization do?
Who will be in the audience? Get specific; including demographics of the attendees (age, gender, geography, language(s) spoken, roles/functions).
What is the goal of having a keynote speaker at the event? (motivate, inspire, create dialogue, learn something actionable, draw conference attendees, etc.)
In an ideal world, what are you (as the organizer) feeling/thinking once the speaker’s presentation is finished?
What format can the presentation be in and what is the venue like? Again, get specific: on stage? If remote, what platform? How many people? Are slides/multi-media allowed? How big is/are the screens? Will there be time for breakout groups? How are the tables set up? Conference center, office, hotel?
What is your budget for the event and for the speaker?
Who all needs to be consulted as part of this decision?
Have you had a great keynote speaker in the past? Who were they, what did they talk about, and why was it so successful?
And here are some of the questions YOU should be asking the speaker:
Can you provide examples of past keynotes you’ve done, especially as they relate to my event?
Can you provide references for your ability to give a keynote speech, and for various topics/organizer goals?
Based on what I’ve told you about our event, what do you think you’d like to speak about?
What are your fees, and are they inclusive of travel, lodging, meals, and any book sales the speaker may want (or require) as part of their engagement?
When someone considers me for a keynote speaking opportunity, I almost treat it as a reverse interview - I only want to take on opportunities where I am confident I can make the impact YOU need. Even after giving hundreds of presentations & workshops to diverse audiences with organizations like Microsoft, General Electric, and the World Economic Forum, it’s never a guarantee that I’d be a great fit for a specific event in a specific industry.
One final note here - the importance of hiring a keynote speaker who can effectively deliver motivational content at both in-person and virtual events cannot be overstated. Delivering a message to a group of virtual attendees on a Zoom call (I’ve done anywhere from 50 people to 5,000) is VERY different from speaking on a stage to 500 people or giving a workshop to small groups of 10. My speaking engagements are meticulously crafted to align with your event’s objectives, and I leave no stone unturned to ensure your objectives are met. I’ve worked hard over 20+ years to craft my speaking skills to demystify complex concepts, leverage humor and storytelling prowess, and guarantee your audience remains captivated from the beginning to the end.
Examples of Keynote Topics
A good keynote speaker should have a repertoire of presentations they can give and that can be catered to a specific audience and event. Here are some examples of keynote speeches I LOVE giving - you should ask your prospective speaker their ‘Top 5’ and see what they come back with. My most requested topics include:
PowerPointless: How to Give Presentations That Don’t Suck, where I share strategies for delivering impactful, engaging presentations (especially for more technical audiences)
Managing Virtual Teams: Best Practices for Leading Remote Employees, offering insights on fostering productivity in distributed workforces.
The Business of Water: How Water is Impacting Business Strategy, an exploration of how water scarcity, flooding, and other risks shapes industries and societies.
The Intrapreneur’s Mindset: Fostering Entrepreneurship Inside Large Organizations, designed to ignite innovation in established companies.
The Smart City of the Future: Why Our Cities Need to Change, addressing the role of utilities in building sustainable urban centers.
Effective Delegation of Authority: How to Lead and Develop Winning Teams, a guide to empowering teams and achieving success in matrixed organizations..
If you’re interested in any of these, or have something in mind that you think I’d be a great fit for, please reach out so we can discuss how I can tailor a presentation to your specific needs.
The Measurable Value of Hiring a Keynote Speaker
Hiring a keynote speaker means investing in a transformative experience for your event. At the bare minimum, the audience should walk away either entertained, inspired, or informed (and even better if all three!). At best, a keynote speaker is a catalyst for change, bringing a wealth of knowledge and an infectious enthusiasm that energizes audiences. Top motivational speakers can significantly impact the success of an event in terms of social shares/virality, increased attendance & sponsorship in future years, higher employee retention, brand recognition for your organization, and increased revenue.
Keynote Speaker Costs and FAQs
Understanding the costs and logistics of hiring a keynote speaker is crucial for planning your event. Here are some frequently asked questions:
How much does a keynote speaker cost?: Keynote speaker costs can vary depending on the event's size, location, and customization required. A professional keynote speaker typically charges a flat fee + travel costs, in addition to any books they may want to sell. Most professional keynote speakers start at $1,000/hr. for a virtual event, $5,000/hr. for an in-person keynote, and upwards of $20,000 for a full day of presentations and workshops. Some speakers I know charge anywhere from $50-100k for a single presentation; but that is the top end and typically is for someone relatively ‘known’ (Hollywood actors, media personalities, artists, big name CEO’s, etc.).
How to hire a keynote speaker?: To hire a keynote speaker, reach out directly to them via their website (which they should have!) or to the agency that represents them. Try to provide your event's objectives, desired topics, and logistical details to ensure it fits the style of keynote they like to give
How to find a keynote speaker?: LinkedIn and Google are great ways to find keynote speakers - searching ‘keynote speaker’ on either will provide you a SLEW of sites and people to reach out to. Another way is to think about your ‘dream’ speaker and reach out to them via their website, social media, etc. and ask if they do keynote speeches. You’d be surprised who you can get in touch with simply by reaching out!
Book Me As Your Next Keynote Speaker
If you think I might be a good fit for your event, I’d love to hear from you. Whether your focus is on innovation, leadership, or a specific industry, I’d like to see how I can make your event unforgettable. Reach out today to discuss your event needs, explore exciting topics, and secure your date. Take advantage of the opportunity to captivate your audience with a leading professional speaker.
I read every submission and will respond back within 48 to 72 hours.
Please note that due to my current workload, I’m focusing mainly on speaking remotely through webinars, but I do conduct a few on-site events depending on the time commitment.
Thanks for considering me!
Adam
