Are you struggling to find talent for your conference? You’re not alone. This is one of the biggest challenges for event creators. If you don’t know how to find speakers for your event, these strategies will help.
Your speakers and panelists are an important part of your conference. For many events, the keynote speaker is the star of the show. But if your sourcing strategy starts stagnating, the quality of your speakers will begin to decline.
Not sure how to find a keynote speaker or create a speaker sourcing strategy? We’ve got you covered. Your team can use this list of common sourcing methods to understand which ones are right for your conference.
Call for speaker proposals or abstracts
Offer potential candidates the opportunity to submit their ideas with a call for proposals or abstracts. This can give you a large pool of speakers to choose from. But if you want quality candidates, you’ll need a solid promotion plan to attract pitches, along with the resources to weed through the submissions.
Finding conference speakers starts with a call-out, and you have several platforms you can take advantage of. Your local Chamber of Commerce is often loaded with talent. Social media sites are another place to start your search. Don’t forget about other industry-specific publications and internal talent.
It’s easier than it sounds:
- First, post on your social media channels a quick blurb about RFPs (requests for proposals). Include the information that is most important for potential speakers to submit. This can be something as simple as their sample presentation title or as detailed as their entire slide deck. Your followers are a great pool of potential candidates for adding value to your event. Don’t forget to use email marketing as well. Use your list to connect with everyone that you have a relationship with.
- Second, go through your proposals with care. Combing through the proposals and abstracts is easier when you take time to ensure the speakers are knowledgeable in the topic or industry. Your goal is to find the best conference speaker to convey your message, add a unique perspective, or provide expertise.
- With your shortlist of possible conference speakers, start holding brief interviews. You want to ensure your speakers get your message across to your audience. Ask questions about their knowledge and experience in the field.
Even if you’ve already got a reputable, big-name keynote speaker locked down, using an open call is a good way to fill your roster with other fresh, up-and-coming speakers who won’t cost an arm and a leg.
Attendee surveys
Using an open call is one way to find speakers, but how about finding out who your attendees want to see at your conference? Surveying attendees lets them know you care about their experience and want them to play a role in shaping the content. They may even know someone who’s an event speaker. You can poll attendees on more than just speaker information – get feedback on the best types of social gatherings, schedules, meals, entertainment options, or event venues.
Then use the survey data to find your conference speakers. Adding surveys to your event marketing strategy can also increase interest and event attendance. Eventbrite has the tools you need to create and post an effective survey. Use platforms like SurveyMonkey or Typeform to make it easy to administer the survey online.
Internal members, partners, and sponsors
It’s not uncommon for employees and organization members to speak at their events. The same can be said for external partners and sponsors.
Sponsors provide support, usually financially, in exchange for free advertising. They tend not to have a say in event operations, unlike partners. They are financially invested. Internal members are responsible for every aspect of the event. Internal members, external partners, and sponsors all have an interest in the event’s success.
A word of caution: while it may be easier to rely on internally sourced talent, having too many sponsors or employees in your speaker lineup makes it look like you can’t find or pay reputable external speakers.
Speaker lists and databases
Websites like the National Speakers Association and SpeakerHub allow you to sort through and filter thousands of speakers based on topic and specialty. But like everything, these sites have their ups and downs.
National Speakers Association
Pros:
- Thousands of available speakers
- Organized by specialty
- Detailed profiles
- Experienced speakers
Cons:
- Commission fee
SpeakerHub
Pros:
- No commission charged for connections
- Detailed profiles
- Large amount of speakers
Cons:
- Less experienced speakers in the pool of available talent
Both are a fast and effective way to find talent, but you’re also competing with other event creators. It’s not true for all niches, but some trendy ones make keynote speakers a tough find.
One downside to relying on a single speaker resource is you’re limited to only the speakers in the list or database. But there’s an easy solution. Place your open call on multiple lists or databases. You will have more proposals and abstracts to comb through, but you can also discover exciting new talent.
Hidden fees can be a problem, so take time to read everything on the signup page before committing to a service. That said, using speaker databases is a good way to brainstorm ideas.
Publications
Academic journals, news sites, bestseller lists, and blogs are great for discovering industry- and topic-specific speakers. You also want to look through LinkedIn profiles and Facebook Groups. Both can be invaluable resources when you want to find a keynote speaker. And many experts will see your speaking opportunity as a way to gain recognition and find new audiences.
Look at your local and industry publications. Most have keynote writers that are also conference speakers. Even if you don’t find a speaker for this event, you are making contacts for the next one.
Keep a running list of publications relevant to your industry and add authors to your list of potential speakers. Better yet, use a tool like Buzzsumo to find the most shared articles and blog posts for any given topic.
Social media
Social networks like YouTube, LinkedIn, and SlideShare are goldmines for professional speakers. On YouTube, for example, search for topics relevant to your conference to see who’s talking about them. Then narrow your search by filtering by the number of views to help identify the most popular content.
Don’t forget about utilizing the power of Instagram and TikTok. You can tailor your open call for a specific audience to reach a variety of new talent.
You can also mine social media insights to identify speaking candidates. Facebook Audience Insights, for example, allows you to build a profile of your audience and see who they follow on their social networks. The results can help you find your ideal speaker.
Prioritize your speaker wishlist
Remember: your goal at this stage is to create a wishlist of potential candidates. So don’t worry about whether or not you can afford them or how they’ll fit into the agenda. The decision-making process, in which you evaluate speakers and ultimately choose who to reach out to, comes next.
Eventbrite has the tools you need to use speakers to increase event awareness. Get in touch with one of our event experts and find out what Eventbrite can do to help you.
