Why use a Professional Keynote Speaker and Presenter at a Conference?

Why use a Professional Keynote Speaker and Presenter at a Conference?

by Andrew Grant (Director Tirian & TEDx, APEC CEO Summit, YPO Keynote speaker) & Dr Gaia Grant (PhD) Executive Director Tirian, Associate Adjunct Faculty, Work-Integrated Learning Hub | Discipline of Strategy, Innovation and Entrepreneurship | University of Sydney Business School

The difference between a keynote speaker, facilitator and trainer – and why it matters

If you have a learning event coming up, it might be worth stopping and considering what you really need. Before jumping in and choosing a presenter, it’s worth asking the right questions to ensure you get the right fit. The biggest investment made is not the event cost, but the cost of everyone’s time in the room being wasted if the session does not deliver.

Learning events should be engaging and relevant, and they should have actionable outcomes. Plus, these days, one has to ask why pay too much or waste people’s time when the information is free on YouTube or available in a book? Professional speakers will need to deliver value more value than just a presentation, they now need to clearly link to results. The session must be a careful mix of intelligent evidence-based content with engaging methods that drive the outcomes needed.

So what do you want to achieve? Inspiration to motivate and engage people, to inspire them to do their best? OR do you want teach them some specific content, or better still, have them learn something in a way they will not forget it? Is it to help them process the information so they can action it personally in a way that it resonates with their specific situation? Or is it to help them discover, reflect and apply?

This article provides some guidelines on how to identify the real needs and deliver bottom line results.

What is the difference?  https://tirian.com/about-tirian/faqs/

Here is a quick guide to some key terms to help you navigate the differences:

·       A keynote is like a light- it is designed to inspire, engage, and motivate. Keynotes are designed for larger groups with a known pre-booked speaker / topic. Keynote speakers have original material about an area of expertise or tell about significant achievements / research they have made in a particular field. They can present their material in an interesting, motivating, engaging and stimulating way, reaching cynics and interested people alike. For this reason, keynote speakers’ fees are higher.

·       A workshop or simulation is more of a window to the world – it is designed to provide an outward perspective, to learn about best practices and new ideas. For smaller groups we suggest looking at our workshops sessions.

·       Experiential team learning and simulations are like a sandpit, as they are designed to use activity-based learning to create safe places or “practice fields” where people can self-discover & explore ideas and behaviours, using inductive style learning.

·       Executive business facilitation is like a mirror - allowing the group to reflect and strategically plan. An executive level facilitator can help people maintain ownership of the process and outcomes and promote dialogue, allowing people become observers of their own thinking.

·       Training is a funnel - trainers refer to existing material or tell you stories about other people, so they need to be good communicators and perhaps technical experts. Training is about developing a specific skill set, imparting knowledge, while education is about developing skills for ongoing learning and enquiry. Training uses more of a deductive method, telling people what or how to do something, often with little emphasis on why it is the case.

What is a good presenter worth?

A professional presenter can create a different conference dynamic to what an expert, academic, or even company sponsored speaker can bring. A professional speaker is there to deliver a relevant message to the audience. Their presentation time on stage is tiny compared to the amount of time they have invested in designing and then specially preparing. A good speaker will make the presentation look easy and the academic content simple, but don’t be fooled, this takes time & experience.

My 18 minute TEDx talk took longer to design and research than any other longer talk – even though I already had a 300-page book and 20 years’ worth of expertise presenting on the topic. The talk still had to have a creative opening, relevant content, personal story, humour, engagement, active learning and actionable outcomes. Despite technical difficulties with the mouse given to me, I was able to smoothly continue the delivery within 17 minutes and 59 seconds. It is only with 20 years of experience that I was able to continue the presentation without flinching or pausing.

The best speakers do not fall into the trap of thinking that the audience is as passionate about the topic as they are, but instead they work hard to convince the audience that the topic is important for them. They should also be globally minded and culturally fluent, sensitive to everyone’s needs. For these reasons, the professional presenter should open the conference in a way that sets the rest of presenters and speakers up for success. 

What does a keynote speaker need to do in advance? (and is a keynote speaker really worth thousands of dollars for a 1-hour talk?)

This rate at face value seems like a high hourly rate! However, to be fully successful on stage, a professional speaker will do the following in the design phase: Pre meetings. Organization. Diagnose, Design, Development, Customisation. Understand client business strategies, Determine desired outcomes, Link learning to needs and desired outcomes, Develop content & delivery methods to reach outcomes, Prepare the best resources. Blend the learning. Integrate with any Pre and Post Sessions, and with other sessions at the conference, and use the conference theme. Create a Flow & Agenda. Design the finalization of the presentation multimedia: (PPT Slide Deck, Miro, Prezi, / Flipcharts / Videos / Music) + debrief, follow up, and be available to meet and greet at social events.

So how much should a conference organiser pay?

How much is the audience and their time worth? How much will you spend on the whole conference and at what standard? How efficient and effective do you want this form of learning be? How engaging and actionable do you want the message to be?

A professional, full-time, experienced speaker who can sustain their business and focuses on quality, not quantity - will need to charge over $10-$20K for local events and more if they need to block out travel days. New speakers trying to enter the market or who do this ‘on the side-’ may often offer cheap prices around $3-$5K, whilst celebrities with a scarcity factor can charge $50K +. a C level business person might be free but their business is paying and most likely will accept this for some level of promotion. A great keynote that takes 1 hour to deliver, can take 1 month to prepare, and 10+ years of research / experience. All this is reflected in the fee. A quick warning: There are many conferences these days that charge both the participants and the speakers to present. This to me creates a conflict of interest. The speaker is not chosen on their expertise but on their wallet and desire to self-promote with a ‘pay to play’ model.

Why experience matters

A professional speaker should have the following experience:

·       Strong communication skills with the ability to fully engage an audience.

·       Broad business operations experience that is both globally minded and culturally aware.

·       An authority on their topic, such as an author of a book published by a recognisable publisher, educated to post-graduate degree level in their topic of expertise, academic validation etc. Check out the presenter’s qualifications to talk on their specialist topic.

·       Able to design participant centric sessions that contain the latest academic research, made relevant through delivery methods that ensure full engagement with actionable takeaways

·       Able to respond in real time, reframing content in response to audience feedback, whether expressed or implied and go 'off piste' in regard to subject matter should the need arise.

·       The ability to talk with key stakeholders, and: Diagnose, Design, Develop, and Customise. Understand client business strategies, determine desired outcomes, link learning to needs and desired outcomes desired outcomes, develop content & delivery methods to reach outcomes.

How to get the best from a professional speaker

·       Give them the best time slot – mid morning day 1. They are there to bring energy to the conference. Don’t try to put the professional as the closing speaker. By then people's minds can be frazzled and they need to digest, recap, not receive new motivating information. Try a capstone session for closing. Or bring back the opening speaker, to sum up the conference learnings.

·       Give them enough time to develop their content. Don’t fall for the trap of piling up 10 speakers back to back, in a day, as the overall learning will be lost in the noise. Plan the day out fully, then choose the presenters and methods. Vary the conference so people have time to learn, reflect, & discuss. Ask first what the outcome of the whole conference is, then ask all presenters to address this. Design the conference in a way that is educationally creative in its approach, without gimmicks.

·       Manage time during the day well & have buffer time slots to help. Once any speaker goes over their time slot, or there is a late start, it is like playing golf, you can never recover.  Allow for transitions, breaks etc.

·       Ensure the setup is professional and take advantage of the speakers' experience in this area.

Use them for more than speaking. Their first 5 mins is their most expensive. Ask for a panel, Q&A forum, workshop etc.

How to lift a conference to the next level: A professional can assist with managing the theme of the educational material by arranging pre-meetings, designing from the outcomes and spending quality time networking at key events. Most professional speakers are not event organisers, but as they have attended many conferences they know how to add value. One example of this would be to assist with integrating content to connect the more traditional keynotes to modern workshops. Afternoon sessions such as ‘intelligent’ team building can be linked to outcomes, in order to reinforce keynote events. Strategic facilitation sessions, panels, interactive discovery learning, group work and experiential learning are all creative and effective ways content can be delivered. The longer the event duration, the more a variety of methods can be used to ensure content is effectively absorbed and applied.

Be creative and interactive to draw the audience in.

What can a professional presenter offer for a conference?

A professional presenter is a skilled experienced communicator. Professional presenters are able to create a different conference dynamic to what an expert, academic, or even company sponsored speaker brings. As often participants are investing considerable time and resources in the event, it is important to ensure every aspect of the presentation is of professional quality. While the conference may have a great venue, quality food, an inclusive atmosphere, and plenty of networking opportunities to support the learning experience, a good professional presenter will be able to create a fully immersive learning environment. The centre stage can and should become the focus for the majority of the event. Effective stage presentations require a special emphasis on the overall content and method design, and this should be placed in the trusted hands of professionals who are dedicated to this focus. Often events can be hit and miss affairs where as many experts as possible are lined up to speak in a buffet style feast, in the hope some of them will engage the audience. One would not risk at lunch to feed the paying audience- food cooked by a practicing hobbyist!, so don’t risk the message.

Why a professional speaker? A professional speaker presents intelligent content in an engaging way that motivates, inspires, and educates. This can complement industry experts and will help to elevate any conference. The best presenters make it look easy, but behind the scenes this is achieved using a carefully crafted methodology, research, design time, & understanding the audience so as to connect with them, all which aims to produce actionable outcomes for participants. Unlike a technical or academic expert who just presents facts or updates, it is the professional presenter’s responsibility to ensure a high level of interactivity, and maintain engagement that can carry the more technical sessions. A professional presenter is risk free, they have delivered many times before, and have the knowledge, experience and skills to understand the complex challenges and nuances of orating. The best speakers do not fall into the trap of thinking that the audience is as passionate about the topic as the presenter, but instead work hard to convince the audience that the topic is central for them. They should also be globally minded and culturally fluent, sensitive to everyone’s needs. For these reasons, the professional presenter should open the conference in a way that sets the rest of presenters and speakers up for success. 

5 mistakes to avoid (& Ironies to consider)

1.      Experts don’t equate to engagement: Best practices and technical expertise do have a place in a conference, but should not be the only focus, as their content is not always easy to transfer. Both the celebrity and high achiever’s stories sometimes depress rather than empower an audience. The academic can be too theoretical and the CEO not polished. Great content needs to be delivered in a way that is relatable and transferable with the focus on content not on the personality. Use YouTube as your reference.

2.      Quantity does not equal quality: Packing in as many talking heads as possible is dangerous, without careful overall design, participants ability to absorb can quickly reach saturation level. More presenters, especially if not coordinated, will not allow the topic to flow in a way that people can remember. Having a huge line up of experts “speaking” whilst marketing themselves along the way, does little to help participants walk away with anything useful. Like a buffet, a quantity focus, can leave participants feeling full in an unpleasant and regretful way. What is often missing is the ability to deliver the content in a variety of ways, with emotional impact, so that the audience connect and receive real business outcomes. Multiple speakers all using a ‘deductive’ style of just ‘telling it’ can often reach saturation levels very fast, and fall flat.

3.      Don’t limit the conference by calling speakers ’speakers’: By definition, this is a limiting approach. To ensure that learning lasts, a professional presenter performs a variety of roles. Using powerfully inductive narrative approaches, they can weave the content in a way such that each participant has their own discovery moment.

4.      Inconsistent budget allocation: Organisers should ask “what is the core reason for running the conference?” The answer should be consistent with the budget allocations, with all areas importance considered. Disproportionally spending money on the facilities, sends a message of what is more important than the content.  If learning the content is the key pillar of the conference, then a well-designed conference should allocate the budget to reflect this. Many of the ‘free’ experts and vendors may gain business and serve their own interests from speaking at the event, while professional presenters are there only for the benefit of the audience. A presenter’s expertise is in engaging the audience and those who are expected to come complimentary, are not going to be the best in their field, or practicing new material. When deciding how much to spend on obtaining a skilled presenter, is important to consider the real costs of the participant’s time if they are not engaged at the event.

5.      Methods not consistent with the core topic: Its surprising how many conferences, especially those with a topic on entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation, fail to make innovation a core pillar of the conference. A professional presenter has spent years dedicated to honing the way a topic can be presented. There are other ways to deliver content other than a talking head and a Power point. If it’s just content people want, then buying a book or watching it on YouTube is more economical.

Consider a Conference Learning Director: A CLD can have a fundamentally different role to the traditional compere. While certainly expert communicators, their role is to design and then ensure all presenters communicate their knowledge effectively. Having a quality CLD can both help design the overall flow of the conference, assist in presentation skills and content of other speakers, and occupy the anchor role. However, unlike entertaining personalities or comedians, a CLD does not attract the audience’s attention to themselves. Rather, by summarising the previous presentation articulately, linking it to the overall learning aims, revising delegate notes and posing insightful interview questions to the presenter, they enhance the ‘takeaway value’ of all the presenters. This role can also extend to coaching the speakers to be succinct and making sure all presenters and their presentations are tied together, and flow into meeting the overall theme and outcomes.

Still not convinced? See our article: Musk V Ma - Why every conference needs a professional speaker,  moderator or facilitator

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-every-conference-needs-professional-moderator-andrew-grant

Still not convinced? Check out this video called “The Vendor Client relationship - in real world situations”. It’s a strange mentality that most of the hardware (hotel, F&B, AV etc) is all paid for, yet some organisers expect professionals to speak for free, the centre piece of a conference? 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2a8TRSgzZY&feature=youtu.be

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ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Andrew & Gaia Grant (PhD) have been attending (as professional presenters), international conferences for over 20 years. They know how to engage an audience and have also picked up a few things along the way, to know how to make delivery successful. They also know how to design a conference in a way that is educationally creative in its approach.

 Andrew Grant & Gaia Grant (PhD) 

Andrew & Gaia Grant (PhD) have been presenting at international conferences for over 20 years. They know how to engage an audience & have also picked up a few things along the way, to know how to make delivery successful. They also know how to design a conference in a way that is educationally creative in its approach, without gimmicks.  

Andrew Grant and Dr Gaia Grant (PhD) are researchers, authors and keynote speakers who are best known for their innovation culture development work with top companies worldwide. They have created several unique corporate simulations and resources, and have published two international bestseller books: ‘The Innovation Race: How to change a culture to change the game’ and ‘Who Killed Creativity?... And How Can We Get it Back?: 7 essential strategies for making yourself, your team and your organization more innovative’.

Gaia is also recognized internationally for her (PhD) breakthrough research into innovation sustainability through the discipline of Strategy, Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the University of Sydney Business School, having previously studied creative thinking and innovation with the State University of New York. (MSc & Grad Dip Change Leadership)

The Grants are recognised as global authorities on creative thinking and innovation, having been engaged by market innovation leaders for the following sample projects: Nestle – ‘Innovation for Sustainability; Disney – ‘Creating Compelling Ideas’ ; Mercedes Benz –‘Innovative Brand Positioning’; Estee Lauder– ‘Reimagining Regional Retail Models’, Salesforce –‘The Future of Marketing’, Duke University (UAE Prime Minister’s office) – ‘Building Future Leaders’, along with many large finance institutions including: Citibank, Deutsche Bank, Visa Card, BNP Paribas, Allianz, Alibaba (Dana) and UBS.

High profile international conference keynote presentations have included: J&J, Janssen, Novartis, Young Presidents’ Organisation (YPO) Global Edge, PwC US National Conference, Four Seasons Hotel International CEO Conference, The World Innovation Conference, TEDx, Salesforce Roadshow, HR Summit & HR Smart Workforce, Innoday, Gartner, APEC CEO Summit & APEC University Leaders’ Forum.

More www.andrewgaiagrant.com   https://tirian.com/delivery-methods/keynotes/

Media http://www.whokilledcreativity.com/media/        http://the-innovation-race.com/media/       

Media http://www.whokilledcreativity.com/media/        http://the-innovation-race.com/media/         http://www.tirian.com/in-the-media/