PRO TIP: Minimize the Number of Speaker Movements

Keep Your Program Moving and Avoid Unnecessary Lags in Your Corporate or Fundraising Event Program by Carefully Managing Your Speakers

Have you ever attended an event that felt like it was dragging on?

As in, audience-members-buried-in-their-smartphones kind of dragging on?

Managing the energy and pacing of an event is so important. And one way to bring the energy crashing down fast is by not carefully managing the movements of your speakers.

Keeping remarks short and high-energy is an obvious factor. But it's equally important to avoid too much "up and down" and "back and forth" of multiple speakers.

When planning the content and speakers for your event and preparing your run of show, consider these tips to ensure a smoother program.

Determine in advance who absolutely must speak at your event, either because of their leadership position (such as the CEO) or significance (such as the event chair or a major donor) to the event and the organization. Of the "must" speakers who should have a role, consider if there are other special roles they might fill during the program—such as leading a prayer or the Pledge of Allegiance.
When possible, designate an emcee. Having a host or emcee for the event can smooth over transitions between segments or speakers and keep the show moving.
Assign speakers to content blocks. When multiple speakers are part of your program, assign a segment (or "content block") to each one to avoid too much back and forth. Ensure a single speaker "plays through" a specific portion of the program.
Prep speakers in advance, including sharing a copy of their remarks. If you can, do a run through on stage at least once before the event. This will help reduce time fumbling at the podium.
Queue up speakers so they're ready for the podium. Be sure your speakers are prepped in advance for where in the program they will be taking the podium. Have a staff member assigned to escort them to the backstage area and to cue them to take the stage.

Looking for more pro tips to help your next corporate or fundraising event go smoothly? Follow our blog here.

If your team needs help developing the content for your next event, we'd love to help you! We have more than a decade of experience developing content for and producing events for some of the nation's largest organizations. Learn more about us at www.MC500marketing.com and contact us today.