How do I find and hire a guest speaker for my event?

If a guest speaker is involved with your meeting, identifying and confirming your guest speaker should be one of the very first things that you do.

1)      Identify your guest speaker

Do you already know the identity of your speaker?  If so, go to step 2).  If not, are you responsible for finding the speaker?  Usually, someone else at your organization will have a good idea of who they want to speak.  If you need to hire a guest speaker, here are some great places to look:

• National organizations and associations in your industry.
• Speakers and attendees from your previous conferences.
• With just a little internet research, you should be able to fine other conferences and meetings within your industry.  Guest speakers will usually be listed in the agenda, as they are part of the attraction of attending the meeting.
• Journals, local papers, and magazines. Think about speakers when you are reading; you can find some interesting prospects.

2)     Determine if you Guest Speaker will be available over your preferred meeting dates

Once you have identified and contacted your guest speaker, you need to get your dates coordinated. If your speaker is not available over the dates, you’ll need to either change your preferred dates or ask the speaker for alternate dates.  If the guest speaker and your schedules do not mesh, you’ll need to make some tough decisions:  can the meeting occur without the guest speaker?  Can you find another guest speaker?  If not, you’ll have to adjust your meeting dates to accommodate the speaker.