Top 10 Tips for Hiring Professional Speakers and Entertainers

If you’re even thinking about hiring an external speaker or entertainer, first download this report.

1. Begin with the end in mind: what are your key reasons for investing in a speaker or an entertainer? What goals do you wish the speaker's material to help you accomplish? How can their expertise best align with your event theme? Working on a more strategic level ensures you maximize your budget and efforts. Clarify your goals….then book your talent.

2. Whether you seek a motivational or content-driven speaker….a comedian or a magician…start your talent search at least 9-12 months in advance. The best-fit, most popular speakers' calendars fill quickest, so planning ahead saves you time, money, and disappointment.

3. Avoid costly, stressful, last-minute surprises: Once you know a speaker is available and the content is a fit-and before you sign the contract!-review travel and rider needs in detail. Who pays for and provides what? Exactly what AV equipment is needed? Is a book signing or a reception included?

4. Allow yourself an automatic, no-added-cost, back-up plan by working with a speakers bureau: They know which speakers are proven in professional circuits, are aware who is already booked in your region (which can save you travel costs), work with you as a strategic partner…and will provide a replacement speaker in the very rare circumstance that your speaker cancels.

5. Expect to pay a deposit up front to secure your speaker or entertainer…usually 50% to confirm the date, with the remainder due on or one-two weeks before the event, and travel invoiced afterwards.

6. Effectively and efficiently preview speakers' and entertainers' content and style by either requesting demo tapes (VHS, CD, DVD or online), or asking to attend live previews to experience them in person.

7. Ensure the talent you're considering will customize the keynote session or make the entertainment extra special for your audience. The "canned" speech is a thing of the past. At the same time, it's unrealistic to expect most external talent to create a from-scratch session just for your group-unless you're willing to pay an additional customization fee. Be sure to clarify your expectations from the beginning, because every speaker has her own concept of what it means to "customize."

8. Avoid the BIG-name celebrities. Sure, we all want to fill the house with a registration-driving celebrity. Yet to think Jay Leno or Lance Armstrong will perform for your conference is often unrealistic. You can tap so much other talent that will create event buzz-more affordably and with less risk.

9. To ensure the greatest variety of relevant speaker ideas, ask members or colleagues who they would most like to see at the meeting. Not only will you gather pertinent information…you'll also tap an accessible, fertile resource and build teamwork.

10. Maximize the impact of speakers' content by reinforcing their material through other presenters' breakout sessions; providing learning resources in the form of books, webinars, and/or peer-to-peer partnerships between audience members that extend well beyond the time frame of your conference; and publishing articles written by your top speakers in internal publications and on your intranet.

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