How do you provide feedback and support to speakers during an event?

Tell them exactly what you want to achieve. It is always good to have speakers who already align with what your expectations and goals are. So do your research to find the correct speakers first.

As someone who has both planned events with speakers and been a speaker at a events I cannot stress enough how important it is to have clarity in event goals, format, audience, logistics, agenda, equipment and support. Make sure there is adequate tech support especially! It is unbelievable how often I have spoken at large events that were not prepared technically.

Assigning one person as a "Speaker Handler" is a great way to do this. Speaker handler: - Meets them at venue - Shows them to green room - Gets them into place on time - Helps troubleshoot & keep them up to date - Communicates between them and event producer Why? This one person will make sure they feel thought for / cared for.

Problems will occur. Have a positive, humorous attitude and go with the flow. Use your gut instincts and ask questions to read the room and the audience for cues on how they are doing. The audience will let you know if they need anything. Especially if you ask!

This is really where confidence monitors come in handy. You can ensure your speaker is fully in the loop and can double as your emcee if need be by sending instructions regarding technical issues or timing to the confidence monitors which only they will see.

Even something as simple as a personalized follow up email can go a long way! It shows that you care and increases the likelihood of future collaborations or referrals. People like to talk about their experiences with others (the good and the bad) and I have referred a number of my fellow speakers to incredible events and organizations that I’ve worked with. Can you guess which ones got my referral? The ones that followed up after the event and showed a genuine interest in keeping lines of communication open.

Don't change the rules for the speaker at the event. I was hired to do a 60 minute keynote then 2 weeks before the event told I would only have 45 minutes. Not great but went to work shortening. The night before my 8 am keynote I was told I only had 30 minutes. Not a nice.thing to do. Made me look bad, made the event look bad.

In my experience, speakers want to do a great job at your event. Outline all of the details and sign an agreement. Be clear and precise with your expectations. It leaves little room for misunderstandings and it holds each party accountable. Have a contingency plan...just in case. I was recently traveling to Indianapolis for a speaking engagement. My flight was canceled and there was no way for me to make connections for future flights and be there on time. We had to pivot and make my segment virtual. The event hosts were flexible and creative to make it interactive and fun for the attendees. No event is perfect, be opened minded and solutions-oriented and you will pull off a great event!