There are a lot of things you can do to make your event more appeasing to your audience, such as throwing excellent after-parties, coordinating brilliant panels and tapping into leaders in the industry. However, nothing gives the wow factor like having a celebrity speaker at your event. This will transform a wonderful event into an extraordinary event. When you want a “can’t-miss” type of status for your event, then this is the way to go. But how can you find a celebrity speaker? Simply grabbing any celeb to speak at your event isn’t going to do the trick. The key is to find the perfect speaker that will cater to your audience and provide the excitement, inspiration and entertainment you’re looking to generate. Here are a few tips to help you with choosing the ideal celebrity speaker for your next event.
How to Choose the Perfect Celebrity Speaker
When you’re throwing an event with an audience in mind, you have to make sure that you’re offering them an experience that will be entertaining, yet informative. For a lot of event planners, scoring a celebrity for an event seems like a win, no matter what. Simply hiring a celebrity isn’t going to make a speaking event a success. And just because you like the celebrity doesn’t mean that he or she is the right fit for your particular occasion. Rather than getting star-struck into making the wrong decision, you should take this matter as you would any other business matter – with a clear head. It’s important that you choose your celebrity speaker just as you would any other event speaker. Some of the questions you should ask when deciding are what is the individual’s expertise and skill set, how is their onstage presence and how are they relevant to your particular audience?
Hiring a celebrity speaker that doesn’t really match what you’re looking for will only spell disaster for your event. This could potentially backfire due to accidental offensive jokes, humor that is mismatched or insufficient knowledge of the industry. This could in turn damage the reputation of your business and the celebrity speaker as well. When you’ve made the decision to proceed with hiring a celebrity speaker for your event, don’t overlook his or her reputation, area of expertise and experience level. The match should be authentic and comfortable for the speaker, as well as your audience. Don’t be afraid to ask the celebrity these questions to ensure that they can provide what you’re looking for. Most of the time, they will be upfront about their capabilities. You can find potentials by looking online and booking celebrity speakers from JLA.
How Much Should You Pay for a Celebrity Speaker?
Other than looking for the ideal fit for your occasion, it’s important not to overlook money. Like you would imagine, the price tag of a celebrity can be pretty hefty, so you want to make sure that it fits within your budget. What typically determines a speaker’s price is their popularity and demand. The rate could easily be priced between four and seven figures. What is being asked of the celebrity will also play a part in the quote – for example, is he only speaking or performing as well?
Quality should always be at the forefront of your mind, so make sure that you don’t sacrifice this for the sake of price. It would be better to spend a lot on a quality speaker, then a little bit of money on a less popular, less efficient speaker. However, at the end of the day, your budget will determine what you can afford, but make sure that money isn’t the only thing determining who you hire.
Making an Impression that Lasts
Your event should be one that your audience finds worth attending. Simply filling up the stage with celebrity speakers should be only one of your goals. The other should be to deliver your audience with what they need. The idea here is to wow your audience, while at the same time giving them information and inspiration. The experience should be overall powerful and unforgettable. This event may not provide you with a quick return on investment, but it will boost your reputation and possibly gain you some new clients and/or customers.
At the end of the day, finding a good celebrity speaker shouldn’t be hard. Once you have your finances in order, you should be able to get the partnership you want to make your event one that is beneficial to your audience. Keep in mind that a great celebrity speaker is one who can inspire to action, instill confidence and stimulate your audience. And best of all, the celeb speaker should make your event one that all attendees recollect. Making a good impression that lasts years is priceless.
