Celebrity speakers can be a great way to draw people to any event that you’re putting on, from corporate Christmas dinners to charity balls and even as personal development opportunities for the employees of your business. A good after dinner speaker will be both entertaining and informative, adding value to your event, improving your attendance and making sure that it’s talked about for all the right reasons.
So what do you need to know before you book a celebrity speaker?
There are one or two hints and tips that it’s handy to know before you choose an after dinner speaker – read on below to find out how to choose the right person and how to plan your evening around them.
Keep your audience in mind
Plenty of the after dinner speakers on our books are versatile and can entertain virtually any crowd, but the pull that an ’80s pop star exerts on a crowd of 20-something professionals might be less than you’d find from a more current celebrity. Likewise, a dinner or event attended largely by older women might find a professional football player less interesting than some of our other celebrity speakers.
By choosing someone who fits your audience, you’ll encourage RSVPs and probably your guests’ enthusiasm for the event after it has taken place too, encouraging them to attend further events which you put on and ensuring that they enjoy themselves as much as possible.
Of course, lesser known celebrities also have the benefit of being relatively unknown and therefore unlikely to put anyone off – and they often have stories to tell that are just as interesting and exciting as some of the bigger names on our books, so don’t discount anyone. Have a good browse and pick a few favourites, then call us up for a chat about who might best suit your needs.
Choose with your event in mind
Audience is the most important factor when you’re choosing an after dinner speaker, but the context is pretty crucial too. A motivational speaker is brilliant for a corporate awards evening or the like, but could seem a little dry at a Christmas dinner.
Likewise a celebrity whose subject matter is primarily about charity work that isn’t relevant to the cause you’re raising cash for may not go down too well, so it’s really important to think about what type of event you’re booking an after dinner speaker for too. Our team would be happy to offer suggestions on appropriate guests and help you to book them if you’re struggling to find the right person – just give us a ring today for a helping hand.
Consider a meet and greet
If you anticipate that your celebrity will be a big hit with your audience, then setting aside some time for a meet and greet session might be a nice way to really make your guests feel involved. Many of our after dinner speakers have previously written autobiographies or other books and would be happy to sign copies for your guests; just another way to add some value to their evening!
If you’re really feeling generous you could even provide copies of autobiographies as a favour or as part of a goodie bag, and if you have a Polaroid camera on hand, your guests will love being able to snap a picture with your celebrity and then have it signed almost immediately.
“After dinner speaker” doesn’t have to be taken literally…
Just because we refer to our guest speakers as “after dinner speakers”, that doesn’t mean that they have to give their talk after dessert has been cleared away; in fact, you don’t even need to serve dinner at all. Our celebrity speakers are all confident and can adapt to fit any situation, so have them make a speech during a cocktail hour or canapé reception if that suits your plans better.
You can even ask them to speak as part of a conference or a motivational event for staff members within your business; the time and place that they give their speech doesn’t matter. A celebrity speaker can make or break an event that you’re planning, so make sure you factor them into the plan – add leeway for a speech over-running and build in contingencies if they don’t talk for quite as long as you expected and things are sure to go without a hitch.