How to Find the Right Speaker for Your Next Event

1. Define Your Event Goals

Before searching for speakers, you must understand the purpose of your event.

Consider the following:

• What should attendees learn?
• What knowledge should they acquire?
• Do you want to inspire your audience?
• Will networking be a major focus?
• Are you aiming to discuss industry trends and insights?

Different goals require different types of speakers. An inspirational session may benefit from an industry leader or entrepreneur, while a hands-on workshop often requires someone with practical experience and strong teaching skills.

2. Understand Your Audience

Even the most experienced speaker may struggle to connect if their topic does not match the interests and expectations of attendees.
It is important to understand:

• who will be attending the event;
• their level of knowledge and experience;
• the challenges they are trying to solve;
• the topics they care about most.

For example, early-career professionals often prefer practical advice and real-world case studies, while experienced professionals may seek deeper industry insights and advanced discussions.

3. Set a Realistic Budget

Speaker fees can vary significantly depending on experience, reputation and demand.

When planning your budget, consider:

• speaker fees;
• travel expenses;
• accommodation costs;
• technical requirements;
• additional event-related expenses.

Having a clear budget from the outset helps narrow down potential candidates and prevents unexpected costs later in the planning process.

4. Search for Speakers Through Multiple Channels

There are many ways to find qualified speakers for your event.

Popular sources include:

• professional speaker directories;
• LinkedIn;
• YouTube;
• industry associations and communities;
• recommendations from colleagues;
• previous conferences and events;
• audience surveys and feedback.

Some of the best speakers are often discovered through referrals from people who have worked with them before.

5. Evaluate More Than Just Experience

Many organisers focus solely on a speaker’s professional background. However, presentation skills are just as important as expertise.

Before making a final decision, consider:

• watching recordings of previous presentations;
• reviewing attendee feedback;
• assessing communication style;
• evaluating audience engagement skills;
• ensuring the speaker suits the session format.

Even world-class experts are not always effective public speakers.

6. Create a Strong Speaker Invitation

Once you have identified potential candidates, the next step is to present your event in a compelling way.

A strong invitation should include:

• information about the event;
• audience details;
• session format;
• proposed topic;
• benefits for the speaker;
• partnership terms and expectations.

Personalised invitations generally perform much better than generic outreach messages.

7. Confirm Expectations Early

Once a speaker accepts your invitation, it is important to agree on all logistical and operational details.

These include:

• event date and schedule;
• session duration;
• technical requirements;
• presentation deadlines;
• compensation arrangements;
• recording and content rights.

The more details clarified in advance, the smoother the event experience will be for everyone involved.

Best Practices for Managing Event Speakers

Successful event organisers typically follow several key principles:

• start the speaker search early;
• maintain a shortlist of backup speakers;
• thoroughly review experience and references;
• communicate regularly throughout the planning process;
• collect attendee feedback after the event.

A great speaker can significantly increase the value attendees gain from an event. This is why speaker selection and management remain among the most important responsibilities for conference organisers, business events, forums and professional communities.

If your event features a speaker people are excited to see, the last thing you need is a slow check-in process. With HotWay, attendees receive QR-code tickets and can be checked in within seconds.