How do you choose speakers for your conference?

1 Define your goals and theme

Before you start looking for speakers, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve with your conference and what kind of theme or message you want to convey. Your goals and theme will guide your search and help you narrow down your options. For example, if your goal is to educate your audience about the latest trends in your industry, you might look for speakers who are experts, innovators, or thought leaders in that field. If your theme is about inspiring social change, you might look for speakers who have a compelling story, a strong vision, or a proven impact.

3 Evaluate and compare speakers

After you have a list of potential speakers, you need to evaluate and compare them to find the best fit for your conference. You can use several factors to assess speakers, such as their relevance, credibility, experience, diversity, and engagement. You want to choose speakers who are relevant to your theme and audience, credible in their field or niche, experienced in speaking at similar events, diverse in their perspectives and backgrounds, and engaging in their delivery and interaction. You can also ask for references, testimonials, or samples of their work to verify their quality and reputation.

5 Prepare and support speakers

After you have confirmed your speakers, you need to prepare and support them for your conference. You should communicate with them regularly and provide them with relevant information, such as the agenda, the venue, the equipment, the registration, and the feedback. You should also help them tailor their content and delivery to your audience and theme, and offer them guidance, feedback, or coaching if needed. You should also promote your speakers on your website, social media, and marketing materials, and introduce them to your network and partners.

6 Follow up and thank speakers

After your conference, you should follow up and thank your speakers for their contribution. You should send them a thank you note, a gift, or a token of appreciation, and ask them for their feedback and suggestions. You should also share with them the results and outcomes of your conference, such as the attendance, the ratings, the comments, and the impact. You should also maintain a relationship with your speakers and keep them updated on your future events, projects, or opportunities. You never know when you might need them again or when they might refer you to other speakers or partners.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?