Washington DC Event

Millions of Americans gathered on the National Mall yesterday for the big inauguration event in DC. Watching President Barack Obama give his inauguration speech made us think about how powerful and motivating an event speaker can be. Yet at the same time, poorly selected speakers can have the opposite effect.

Speakers don't have to be a hit-or-miss addition to your meeting or conference. Consider a few of the following tips for successfully finding an event speaker:

• Be an early bird. Start your speaker search as soon as you start planning your event. Many speakers, especially in-demand ones, book up to a year in advance.

• Ask for recommendations. One of the best ways to find a great speaker is to ask fellow meeting planners in your industry for advice. Who have your colleagues booked for events or seen at events they've attended? Who was good? Who was not so good? First-hand accounts of a speaker are an invaluable measurement of a speaker.

• Do your research. In addition to asking other planners, search the web for more information on your speaker possibilities. Find out if he or she has addressed other groups similar to yours. Look for reviews of the speaker. Read his or her biography. You may even be able to find audio or visual clips of his or her past speeches.

• Don't fit a speaker, pick a fitting one. You may think picking a hot celebrity, best-selling author or some other big name would be cool for your event, and certainly it'd gain some buzz. But in the end, your attendees want to hear a speaker that can actually offer something useful and relevant. Stretching a speaker to your event is a disservice to both you and your attendees.

• Review the content. Even if your speaker looks good on paper, make sure to discuss what exactly they'll say. Some speakers might prefer to not provide a speech ahead of time, but at the very least take some time to discuss their key talking points. Let them know what your attendees are really interested in learning about. Most speakers want to succeed and excite the audience; giving them background on how to do so will be appreciated.