When it comes to keynote speakers, they can be used for numerous occasions and gatherings but they’re not to be confused with motivational speakers, inspirational speakers, business speakers, industry speakers, closing speakers, plenary speakers, breakout speakers, jugglers, ventriloquist, illusionist, or any other professionals that are often hired in the meetings industry.
When you hire a keynote speaker for your meeting or event, you’re looking for someone who can talk to your audience for about 45 minutes about a certain topic, and they typically charge a rate that’s based off of their demand as a speaker.
While all of the aforementioned examples could also be keynote speakers, most professional speakers or acts don’t usually fall under that category. A true keynote speaker should be able to take the gist of your meeting and highlight its major features to your audience in a short amount of time. In order to capture the essence of your meeting, a keynote speaker will usually spend a fair amount of time researching the particular industry, the issues at hand, and the type of audience attending.
Once a keynote speaker has done all of that, they will be able to put together a presentation that is unique to your meeting and usually consists of a distinctive moment that your audience is sure to remember.
Some keynote speakers like to use humor, while others use audience participation or even sing. Regardless of their approach, the job of a keynote speaker is to deliver the overall message of your meeting into their presentation in a fun and memorable way.
So when it comes to choosing a keynote speaker for your next meeting or event, be sure to do your own research and find one that has experience and a trusted reputation. You might also want to look into whatever talents they might have that make their presentation fun and unique.