Thinking About Your Timescale

The first thing you need to think about when you book a celebrity is the timeframe you have in mind. If you have got your heart set on a certain celebrity, then you will need to put the wheels in motion for their booking as early as possible. This will make sure the celebrity is available on the date you want.

It can be a real let down when you earmark a celebrity for your event, only to find out they have a prior engagement. To reiterate: contact a celebrity well before you have set a concrete date for your event.

Budget

Have a realistic budget when you book a celebrity. On one hand, you may want to push the boat out for the one you want, but on the other, is it really worth you bankrupting yourself. There may be a similar celebrity available to the one you have specifically earmarked at a fraction of the cost.

If you have a few celebrities in mind, shop around at different agencies and get different quotes. You never know, one agency may be a bit cheaper than another.

Your Audience

It is risky to just book a celebrity on personal preference. You may enjoy them, but they may be completely unsuitable for your audience. Have a chat with the agency about your requirements and see what they recommend. Remember, your event is all about pleasing them, not yourself.

A middle-of-the-road celebrity is a great way of keeping everybody happy. Risking offence is a dangerous game.

In general, keynote speakers perform at grand, important or well attended events. The nature of the event could be industrial, commercial, academic or industry related. Setting the tone for the entire event is the purpose of their speech. Therefore, keynote speakers will most likely set out the main points or messages of the event in a summary.

Keynote speakers will speak at the start of an event if they are introducing it, or at the end of the event if they are summing it up. If they are introducing the event then their job is to plant a seed of interest in the audience so that they are geared up in advance of the event. However, if they are speaking at the end of the event then they will try to make sure that they sum up all the salient points of the event so that the audience goes away convinced of the message.

Because they have generally been trained in or had a lot of practice at public speaking, keynote speakers know who to make striking and memorable speeches. Oftentimes they are also famous, renowned or well respected in their field. They are not hired solely on the basis of their speaking abilities, but for the credibility and authority with which they can speak on a subject. Therefore many of the most popular keynote speakers are highly educated, entrepreneurial and successful.

Keynote speakers are sometimes hired to reward attendees. In many graduation ceremonies, a celebrity or academic who is well respected by the student body might be hired. Similarly, keynote speakers may be hired with the specific aim of raising the profile of and interest in an event.

The celebrity speaker is ever more prevalent and powerful. Whether it’s of their own accord or due to a generous hire payment, it’s more normal than ever to see some public figure or other at events. Notable examples of famous people becoming speaker are that of Bob Geldoff and his band of celebrity crusaders with a conscience, employing their celebrity and influence to boost awareness of the plight of the starving.

More recently than that, celebrity speakers have been seen playing more of a political function. There’s Jamie Oliver and his one-man battle on junk food and even more recently there was the case of Arlene Phillips coming into governmental politics as the dance tsar.

Irrespective of whether we like it or not, then, the celebrity speaker is bigger now than ever. No more do celebrities only affect fashion and beauty; today’s celebrity speaker has a strong message. What use for the celebrity speaker? The young look up to celebrities and also the more grown up individuals among us have to confess to being a bit fascinated with what they have to say. Their celebrity is alluring plus they are role models, whether we like it or not. So if the celebrity speaker is able to drive forward a charity’s cause, send out a clear message to enhance the country’s well being or even stir up a bit of curiosity about politics, then surely they’ve a role. And not just a purpose: a responsibility, to utilize their influence responsibly.

Keynote speakers deliver their speeches at grand, important and large events. The nature of the event could be industrial, commercial, academic or industry related. Setting the tone for the entire event is the purpose of their speech.This means that keynote speakers might summarise the core message of the event or get across the most important message.

Depending on whether they are introducing or summing up the event, keynote speakers may perform at the beginning or the end.If they are introducing it then they will be employed to raise interest amongst the audience so that they are really geared up for the conference, exhibition or event. However, if they are speaking at the end of the event then they will try to make sure that they sum up all the salient points of the event so that the audience goes away convinced of the message.

Because they have generally been trained in or had a lot of practice at public speaking, keynote speakers know who to make striking and memorable speeches.They are also likely to be renowned, respected, and perhaps even famous within their field.They are not hired solely on the basis of their speaking abilities, but for the credibility and authority with which they can speak on a subject. Therefore many of the most popular keynote speakers are highly educated, entrepreneurial and successful.

The attendance of some keynote speakers might be as an award to the audience. In many graduation ceremonies, a celebrity or academic who is well respected by the student body might be hired. Equally, a keynote speaker might be booked to encourage attendance at the event.

The celebrity speaker is more prevalent and potent. Whether or not it’s of their own accord or as a result of a generous hire charge, it’s more common than ever before to see some kind of celeb or other at events. Prominent examples of celebrities turning speaker are that of Bob Geldoff and his band of celebrity crusaders with a conscience, utilizing their celebrity and influence to raise recognition of the predicament of the hungry.

More recently than that, celebrity speakers appear to have been seen playing more of a political role. There’s Jamie Oliver and his one-man battle on processed foods and even more recently there was the situation of Arlene Phillips getting into governmental politics as the dance tsar.

Regardless of whether we like it or not, then, the celebrity speaker is even bigger today than ever before. No more do superstars merely have an impact on style and beauty; today’s celebrity speaker has a valid message. What use for the celebrity speaker? The young look up to celebrities and even the more grown up people amongst us must confess to being a tad interested in what they have to say. Their celebrity is appealing plus they are role models, no matter if we like it or not. So if the celebrity speaker can push forward a charity’s cause, send a clear message to boost the country’s health or perhaps stir up a little interest in politics, then certainly they have a role. And not just a purpose: a duty, to use their sway responsibly.

I do not think that a university life is for everyone, and I do not mean to sound like a snob, but picking a keynote speaker who has not been to university is the wrong decision for ceremony organisers to make. Going straight into a job after leaving school is a life completely different than if you choose to go to university for three or four years, and keynote speakers will not be able to relate with their audience if they have not gone through the same experiences.

You become a more independent person faster when you go to university. You live far away from home; have to live with people you might not like, become financially smart as soon as you start working out how much money you need to earn on top of your loan if you want to have a full social and academic life. These are things that you do not deal with when you stay at home.

When you decide to go into a proper job straight after leaving school, most people still live with their parents for a few months, even years and they have their washing done for them and meals cooked, you have a stable wage which university students do not have and if you do move out you choose the people you are living with. And unlike popular conceptions, most university students have to pay for the privilege of going to university themselves by getting a part time job and paying their loan off when they finish.

So when it comes to the time when graduation organisers are planning the day, the keynote speakers should be checked to see if they have been to university. If they have not been they will not be able to give a speech that targets their audience.