Written by: Vickie Sullivan | September 20, 2022
3 Trends Impacting Keynote Speaker Selection
The 2022 Speaking Industry Benchmark Report by AAE Speakers Bureau sheds a surprising light on what’s popular now when selecting a keynote speaker. (The full report is available through free registration.)
The organization surveyed more than 500 professionals who select keynote speakers, and it focused on the corporate market (the sugar daddy of the keynote venues). The results are worthy of our attention.
3 Trends Impacting Keynote Speaker Selection
Here are three trends from the report to be mindful of:
1. Speaker selection is a group effort. The data prove what a lot of us surmised. Only 5.2% of the survey respondents say they are the sole decision maker. Almost 80% say two to five people are involved in the speaker selection process. This right here is why it’s so hard to find the buyer. And it’s why we must be top of mind when they go looking for keynote speakers.
2. Budget is more important than the topic. Coming in at a significant 75%, the #1 quality event producers look for in a keynote speaker is how well they fit within the budget. (Almost two-thirds report that the average budget ranges from $5,000 to $20,000.) This fee issue eclipses the relevant topic requirement, which comes in at 65%. Prediction: Look for more outright rejections based on your fee and be ready to bounce back with other options before that rejection gets set in stone.
3. Prominence is redefined. While name recognition is high on the list of top factors at 40%, other elements of credibility are losing influence. Ratings and reviews (12%), awards and honors (at 7.2%), and career at well-known company (9.4%) matter less now. (Even celebrity appeal is low at 19.2%.) Translation: Either you are top of mind or you are invisible.
Listen: 2 Big Shifts Keynote Speakers Must Make
My take: These shifts are due to the dearth of established speakers out there. When everyone has rave reviews and a cool story, intangible differentiators (such as name recognition and engagement) become more important.
Thank you to colleague Deborah Gardner for sharing this study on social media.
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