How to Plan a Speaking Engagement

Bringing out the crowds will make your speaking engagement more successful.

Attendance at a poorly planned, or boring, speaking engagement can be a trial. Late starts, defective audio-visual equipment and mumbling presenters can alienate an audience and the message gets lost. When planning a speaking engagement, planners can avoid all of these problems by putting in sufficient effort in the planning stage.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Hire a Speaker

1. Locate a speaker who can speak eloquently and convincingly for a cause or important subject. Develop a list of potential speakers from people who are prominent in the media or through the service of a speakers' bureau. If at all possible, organizers should go to one of her speeches before hiring starts.

2. Confirm that the speaker is available on the date you need him and come to an agreement about an honorarium or fees in before the date. Don't overextend the resources of your group to afford a speaker who is out of your league. Speakers with international prominence sometimes charge thousands of dollars for a single event.

3. Treat your speaker well and be sure that she has everything she needs. If she is coming from out of town, organizers will need to arrange for transportation and a place for her to stay overnight.

4. Express appreciation for the efforts of the speaker by giving him a card or a small token of gratitude from the organizers. It doesn't need to be large or expensive.

Make Arrangements

1. Contact the owner or manager of the venue for the presentation. Make formal reservations in writing and clarify any costs. Make a down payment so the venue has an obligation to honor the reservation. Find out what amenities are available at the venue, including podium, electricity, accessibility and audio-visual equipment.

2. Advertise extensively to ensure there's an audience. Focus advertising on populations that will have an interest in the subject matter. Use radio, local TV ads, posters, newspaper ads and online announcements to get the message out. Tailor the message for the intended audience. For example, a speech on a political event could be advertised in a newsletter that caters to people of a similar persuasion. Remember that word of mouth can be tremendously effective, so use local communities and social media websites to get the word out. Be prepared to spend between a third to half of your budget on advertising.

3. Locate and reserve an appropriately sized venue for the expected crowd. Audience members won't appreciate being crowded into an undersized room, but a hall that is too large will make the event look poorly attended. Libraries, university lecture halls and theaters are all likely candidates. Schedule the event for an evening in which no other large events in your community to minimize competition and potential parking problems.

4. Provide the audience with ways to pursue their interest in the subject. This can take the form of a literature table with free leaflets, information packets and books for sale. Assistants that are familiar with the subject can give audience members someone to talk to after the speech.

Maintain Control

1. Arrive at the venue at least an hour before the engagement. Test the acoustics of the room and any equipment, including the microphone, slide projectors or media display systems.

2. Hire at least one assistant to help with the logistics. This person should be responsible for answering attendees' questions, holding the microphone for audience members during question and answer sessions and other duties.

3. Give time after the speech for audience interaction, such as a Q&A or an informal opportunity for interaction between audience members and speakers.

References

• Planet Friendly: How to Organize and Promote an Event or Meeting
• Presented: How to Plan Effective Audio-Visual Presentations