Whether you agree that healthcare should cover the cost of contraception or not, there is no question that this week, healthcare reform made headline news.  A student by the name of Sandra Fluke was criticized by radio host, Rush Limbaugh, for openly discussing her support of having contraception covered by healthcare insurance.  Although Mr. Limbaugh issued an apology over his choice of words, which included “slut” and “prostitute”, the sting of his criticism caused a public outcry.

There are many ways to select a speaker and many categories of speakers from which to choose. For example, you can have a business keynote speaker who is a sports celebrity who focuses on motivation and the importance of training.  Or you could have a newscaster who discusses the tenacity needed to get the scoop under pressure and relates that to sales motivation, organizational inspiration or team performance.  

The trick to having the best keynote speaker is to take a comprehensive approach to your event and examine all the factors that will create a successful meeting.  Here are the 5 steps to setting an effective tone with a speaker’s keynote:

Keynote speaker presentations set the tone for any event. A rousing keynote speaker will leave the audience energized and enthused to attend the sessions.  This is important for sponsors as well as attendees because a motivated attendee will be more engaged with the exhibitors, additional sessions, and will encourage their associates to be more engaged.  This dynamic places an onus on the meeting planner to creatively procure a keynote speaker who will set the stage for success.

When selecting a motivational keynote speaker, the goal is to hire the best speaker, who will meet your meeting objectives and inspire an audience-- all within the budget.

Certainly there are many speakers to choose from.  Some will draw due to their celebrity status, and some because of their situation.  

Here are 5 questions you should ask when selecting a Keynote Speaker: