For event planners, the importance of an after dinner speaker cannot be overstated. Typically the after dinner speaker is the cornerstone of the evening’s festivities and guests are expecting a very good speaker.
What makes someone a good after dinner speaker? The right person is able to entertain, inspire and engage the audience. The after dinner speaker should be interactive, keeping the audience and making them part of the entire evening.
Far too many events flop because the event planner chooses a boring, or uninspiring after dinner speaker. With the Internet at our fingertips there is no reason for that to happen. If an after dinner speaker is serious about their industry they will offer video clips highlighting their skills.
You want to find someone that you believe can capture your audience’s attention immediately and keep it. The inability of a speaker to do that will result in you losing your audience intellectually and possibly even physically as they get up and walk out of the room.
Experienced event planners know that the measure of success is how the evening ends. You want to end on a high note. If the audience becomes bored, or is not engaged in the after dinner presentation then you failed to plan a good event, you merely planned a dinner party.
When choosing the after dinner speaker make sure you understand their planned presentation as well. You will want to ensure it is aligned with the goals and objectives of the evening. You should tell them which topics are off limits and who can and who should not be mentioned by name or called out to participate.
It is up to the event planner to prepare the after dinner speaker with this important information. Some executives are good sports and enjoy being part of a presentation while others do not. Also, there may be some hot button topics for the audience that the after dinner speaker will not be aware of so it is essential that you make them aware of those topics.
The more homework you do upfront and the more information you provide the after dinner speaker the greater the chances for success. Remember, your goal is to plan a complete event and that means choosing the right after dinner speaker.