Why Keynote Speakers Are Still Relevant

By Anonymous | 14 October 2015 |

The keynote speaker industry is still going strong even in the face of a millennial movement which seeks to decentralize leadership and emphasize a community-oriented learning environment.

How is it possible for a top-down (the leader teaches the community) style of teaching to still win the hearts and minds of businesspeople around the world?

It’s question we thought about this week and we’re sure you’ve thought about it as you prepare for your next conference or convention.

For answers and insights, we turned to Forbes magazine contributor Micah Solomon for some solid answers. He published an article titled How a Keynote Speaker Can (And Can’t) Transform Your Event in which he talked with a keynote speaker coach and speakers bureau expert to unlock the power of a high-quality keynote speaker.

1. They create change

Keynote-speaker coach Nick Morgan said it quite succinctly when he told Solomon, “The point of a keynote speaker is to change the minds of a group of people, to persuade them of something they hadn’t seen, known, or believed before.”

Think of your keynote speaker as an expert in change, someone’ whose life is devoted to igniting companies and crowds to embrace an idea or philosophy that has the potential to revolutionize the way you do business.

2. They’re human

This one might seem obvious, but let’s take this idea to a deeper level. We live in a time when nearly every question has an answer somewhere on Google. If it’s not in Google, then it’s probably on the shelf of your office bookcase.

Yet finding your answers through a Google search or within the pages of a book doesn’t have the same impact as hearing the words from a real, live keynote speaker, speakers-bureau expert Katrina Smith said.

“We are social creatures, and while we can get information from books or websites,” Smith said, “we get inspiration and social relevance and a sense of community from other humans.

3. They’re specialists

As event organisers and assistants plan the million little details of a conference or seminar, they can lose sight of the big picture: Keynote speakers are idea generators and top-notch orator. They’re equal parts businessperson and speaking professional. Go the extra mile to book a professional speaker. If not, the guest speaker you select can turn a dynamic concept into a banal principle.

“Compelling material, delivered by a compelling individual,” Smith was quoted as saying, “is so much more memorable and useful than the same material presented in a dry or rote way, by a canned or trite or disengaged speaker.”