How Do I Find a Speaker for an Event

A popular speaker isn’t always the best speaker for your event.

While popularity may drive ticket sales, you’re probably looking for impact more than anything.

You want your attendees to leave your event with inspiration and an action plan.

You need this event to make a difference in your industry or workforce.

And you’re committed to finding the best keynote speaker for your event.

It can be tough to find the “right” speaker for your event, but it is possible.

A professional speaker will engage, entertain, and empower your audience to take action, not just increase the demand for autograph requests.

But how do you find the “right” speaker for your event?

That’s what this article is going to outline so that your event achieves success.

What to Do Before Searching for a Speaker

It may be tempting to start surfing the internet immediately for your next speaker, but how will you hit the mark if you don’t know what you’re aiming at?

Let’s get you oriented toward what you and your attendees need before you go find what you want.

This includes answering some simple questions about the speaker that will best fit your event.

5 Questions to Help Choose the Best Speaker for Your Event

What is the purpose of your event?
Where and when will your event be held?
Why will attendees sign up for the event?
What is your budget for a speaker?
What type of delivery style do you want from the speaker?

Use your answers above to filter the potential speakers you find. There’s no perfect science to this process, but if you can get close enough, you’ll make a bigger impact on your attendees.

Answer these questions the best you can and then use the answers while you’re searching for a speaker.

How to Search for a Speaker Online

One great way to find speakers for your events is to attend other events and recruit in person. You get to see the speakers in person as they perform, and you can talk to them afterword to get a feel for who they are as people.

But this isn’t always the case for event organizers like yourself. You’ve got a lot on your plate. You have events of your own to plan. So, how do you search for speakers online without wasting time or money in the process?

#1. Ask for Referrals

You’re an event organizer. You’ve networked and connected with hundreds or thousands of people. And you’ve done right by staying in touch with most everyone — at least they know who you are and gotten value from remaining in touch.

Leverage your network for referrals. You’d be surprised when you put out emails, calls, or even social posts who will show up with a potential speaker for your event.

What’s more, you can even call specifically on the staff, vendors, and speakers of your previous events to extend your reach.

If you plan great events, deliver value, and impact lives, you can find a number of potential speakers through referrals.

#2. Research Similar Events and Conferences

Where’s the best place to look for speakers already active in the space? Other events and conferences. While you may not be able to attend these other events and conferences, you can still do a few searches online.

If you answered the 5 questions at the beginning of this article, then you should have some direction on what to search for.

Ask yourself what type of event or conference you’re planning and search for others like it around the nation/world.

The speakers booked for these events may be interested in speaking at yours.

#3. Contact Clubs, Organizations, or Associations

In your industry or field of focus, there are probably clubs, organizations, or associations that you can connect with to find speakers. These three entities — and more — have at some point hired speakers.

For example, you’re the marketing and advertising industry. Search online for clubs, organizations, and/or associations in your industry.

“Marketing clubs in [CITY]”
“Marketing organizations in [CITY]”
“Marketing associations in [CITY]”

This should yield some results you can take advantage of.

#4. Search Through TED Talks

You know your event. You know who will be attending. And you’re confident in the type of speaker you want to hire.

Why not go to a popular platform where people give speeches all the time?

TED Talks are a great place to peruse through and find speakers who may fit your event.

Just don’t fall down the information rabbit hole. You can get lost down there.

#5. Query Industry Companies or Businesses

Similar to clubs, organizations, and associations, you can query industry specific companies or businesses for more information no who they hired for speakers recently.

While this may seem like a reach to find a speaker, you may be surprised at the response.

What’s more, you searching for a speaker in your industry through the companies you are going to invite to your event is a great way to show connection and commitment to what people actually want to see and hear.

#6. Check YouTube and Vimeo

Did you know YouTube is the second largest search engine on the internet?

Did you also know Google owns YouTube?

Poor Vimeo.

Well, both platforms are a great place to go search for potential speakers.

In fact, in this article, we shared point #6 on how to search YouTube for potential speakers.

#7. Call Speakers Agencies and Bureaus

One of the quickest ways to find the best speaker for your event is to call speakers agencies and bureaus.

You can get a detailed roster of speakers who will fit your event. You will gain the support of the agency or bureau. And you’ll establish a valuable professional relationship.

Takeaways

You want to find a professional speaker who will engage, entertain, and empower your audience to take action, not just increase the demand for autograph requests.