How do you know you are making the best speaker choice for your event? There are many resources available to help you find a speaker for your event, but how can you stand confident in the choice that you make? Here are six questions you can use as a check-list to get your desired result:

What is important to your event?

Reflect on what is the most important for your event. Every event has a purpose. As event planners it is our responsibility to find recognize the purpose, and find opportunities to deliver the anticipated outcome. Speakers are a great way to help you fulfill that purpose, so make sure to let your purpose drive your search.

What message to you want to communicate to your audience?

Is your message one of motivation, or do you need to deliver heavy relevant content? Is the speaker you are considering able to provide you with the message you are looking for your attendees to hear? If the speakers message is a little different, are they willing to collaborate with you to help you meet your outcome? Making sure that the speaker you select is able to deliver the content that you need, in the way that you need them to is helpful to insuring you made a great choice.

What is your anticipated outcome?

For example, there is a difference between a speaker that is opening a conference, to one that is closing. Knowing what experience you want your attendees to have, and anticipating the conversations that will result from hearing the speaker that you select will help make a great speaker choice for your event.

Does your speaker meet your budget requirements?

This can be a sticky subject for some associations. Making sure that your speaker budget aligns with the speaker fee is something to consider on making sure you have made a great speaker selection. It is important to not let the budget or fee get in the way of how the content is delivered. If event content is important, try not to trade relevant content in for a sub-par speaker.

Do you really need a celebrity?

Lets face it, having a celebrity speaker can be a very big portion of your event budget. The question needs to be asked – do you really need it? For many conferences, attendance drives revenue, which having a celebrity speaker might be the best safe choice. For others, making sure you have a great SME that is known for delivering a powerful message, might actually workout better. It is worth asking the question.

Have you done your research?

There are many ways to research your speaker to make sure that you have made a great choice. YouTube is great for researching speakers, seeing how they interact with their audience, and observe their personal style. Additionally, make sure to check out speaker websites, and commentary from other events that they have spoken at. Ask around, get personal feedback on your speaker – sometimes personal feedback is the best kind.

What other questions help you with finding the perfect speaker for your event? Would love to hear your feedback in the comments!