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Tips for Booking Speakers
for Corporate Events

Booking speakers for an event is an important task because the performance and strength of your motivational speaker is central to the success of your event. If you get it wrong it could impact your credibility. If you get it right, it will create trust in your professional abilities. Therefore, Personal Assistants should take the task of hiring motivational speakers very seriously.

The first question you should ask yourself is how will the audience benefit from the speaker’s experience? The speaker must be carefully matched to the tastes of the audience and to the type of event. Make sure the speaker is professional in their delivery and attitude. And it's important that the speaker's attire reflects the image the company likes to portray. Offensive imagery or language is a no-no.

Before booking speakers, make sure the budget is adequate. Avoid scrimping but if you have to, you could make savings in the following areas:

- hire a local speaker;
- negotiate a fee that includes expenses;
- negotiate some workshops as part of the deal;
- get the speaker to attend parts of the event and contribute;
- buy the speaker’s CD’s and books in lieu of payment; or
- allow the speaker to sell their products at a discount.

If you consider a cheaper motivational speaker do your homework and check all references - you could find that a cheaper speaker is better value for money.

Finding Speakers

Ask around; friends and colleagues may know professional speakers they can recommend. You could also do a Google search on ‘motivational speakers’ or ‘keynote speakers’, or contact relevant professional speakers associations. Some agencies charge a finder’s fee of up to 10% of the speaker’s fee.

Before booking motivational speakers, always request a demo tape. When reviewing the tape focus on the speaker's delivery and interaction with the audience. Then consider your overall impression of the delivery. If you are not impressed by the speaker’s performance, find someone else. It will help you to select the right person if you request a preview of their performance in addition to a demo tape.

The services should be covered by a contract which deals with delivery of the services, such as:

- duration of the performance
- time overruns
- equipment needed
- set-up time
- space needed for equipment
- meals and refreshments
- insurance issues
- emergency contact numbers, etc.

Remember that the best speakers and entertainment will be booked up well in advance, so add this item to your Event Planning Checklist and begin your search as early as possible.

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