What is one of the best ways to attract more attendees to your event — such as your annual convention, fundraising banquet, or other function? Secure a great speaker who will generate enthusiasm and buzz among prospective attendees. That’s where we can help!
One option, of course, is to book a speaker with high name recognition — Burt Reynolds, for example. (Okay, maybe that was a bad example… unless you’re a fan of Burt Reynolds, in which case, let’s go with it.) Anyway…
What we’re talking about here is a “celebrity” speaker. Sports stars and Hollywood personalities aren’t the only celebrities, though. For your audience, maybe a best-selling business author is the “celebrity” who will get people excited. The general public wouldn’t care, but your audience will. We’re always scouring the bestseller lists for great speaker candidates. (Word of caution: best-selling authors don’t automatically make great speakers… nor do championship athletes. We’ll steer you in the right direction.)
“But I can’t afford a celebrity.”
The higher the profile of the speaker, the higher the fee, in general, and yes, some of the best known speakers are easily into the six-figure range. If that’s not in your budget, don’t give up yet. A great option is to get the lesser-known co-author of that best-selling book, or a member of the supporting cast of the championship team, or… you get the idea. You’ll often find speakers who are just as dynamic on the platform, have lower fees than their star counterparts, and you can still leverage the brand recognition of the bigger “product” to promote your event.
You don’t have to go the celebrity speaker route at all to boost your attendance, though.
Another option is to secure a speaker who is an authority on a topic or issue that is extremely relevant to your prospective attendees. Recently, social media has been a hot topic, for example. Professionals in a variety of industries are trying to figure out how to navigate this new marketing channel — “What does it mean to me? How do I do it? Where do I start? What are the best practices?” If your event provides easy access to a leading authority on social media, this saves your prospective attendees from having to search and search through thousands of social media “experts” to find the answers on their own.
Think about what is causing pain or confusion to your audience, and secure a speaker who can help to relieve that pain. That presents your event as a solution and will help you boost attendance.
These are just a few ideas, and we can talk through the unique dynamics of your event to help you establish a strategy to achieve your attendance goals. Just fill out the form below if you’d like to get started!
