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How do I prepare for a keynote speaker?

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After you have hired a speaker, make sure to take care of all the details so that the speaker is prepared for your event, and your event is prepared for the speaker. Clarify with the speaker, possibly with a written contract, exactly what he/she will do. Specify details such as how many speeches he/she will give and how long they will be, as well as how much you will pay. Are there any commitments outside of speaking? Do you need the speaker to provide a biography or any other information? Make your expectations clear so there are no surprises for either side later.

Inform your keynote speaker about your event and your audience. Make sure he/she knows the objective of your event and how the keynote address should fit into this. If you are expecting an informational speech, make sure that you are going to get one. Also, describe the audience to the speaker. Will the audience come in with background knowledge of either the speaker and or the subject? What are some of the demographics of the audience and what other speakers have they heard and enjoyed in the past?

Finally, make sure that you take care of all of the logistics for the keynote speaker. What audiovisual tools will he/she need? If the speaker is flying in, what are the transportation and lodging arrangements? Especially if you are bringing in a keynote speaker from outside the company, make sure you take care of all these logistical details, so all he/she needs to do is prepare the speech.

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