17 Ways Speakers Can Add Value to Your Meeting,
But You Might Not Think to Ask For©
 

by Melissa Lewis
www.upsidedownspeaking.com



Speakers can bring much more fun and value to your meeting than just delivering a keynote or workshop session. Of course, there’s the old “as-long-as-you’re-keynoting-would-you-do-a-breakout-session-too” option, but consider that we could also . . .


1. Interview exhibitors on video for broadcast on the in-house hotel TV system. This attracts more exhibitors/sponsors because they get more exposure and is a great service to attendees who want to know what’s being offered but don’t have the time or energy to explore the whole exhibit area.

2. Conduct fun, “man-on-the-street”-style video interviews with attendees to show at general sessions or on a monitor in a communal area. This can be a fun diversion as attendees wait in long registration or food lines!

3. Take candid photos and compile them, with fun captions, in a self-looping PowerPoint show. Again, a fun diversion for a communal area.

4. Take digital photos and post them to the web for your attendees to download and enjoy.

5. Conduct a follow-up teleseminar to reinforce the message and answer questions.

6. Offer one-on-one consulting sessions with your participants while we’re at the event.

7. Provide a follow-up audio magazine (on cassette or CD) featuring comments from attendees and presenters’ summaries of their most important points.

8. Provide a follow up “hotline” service so attendees can get individual help applying their learning.

9. Research and write a follow-up email summarizing the best conference ideas.

10. Serve as moderator for panel discussions.

11. Emcee silent auctions, award ceremonies or roasts.

12. Provide a session that’s not even related to the conference content. For example, we could lead a morning exercise class, organize a jewelry exchange, play piano at your cocktail hour, or take attendees on a tour of local attractions.

13. Provide articles for your newsletter or website.

14. Provide creative thank-you gifts for staff members, leadership team members or other speakers.

15. Facilitate a pre-conference session for first-time attendees on how to get the most out of the event.

16. Facilitate a post-conference session on how attendees can put the new information to use back home.

17. Provide trade show sales training to exhibitors, presentation skills coaching to other speakers or stress management tips to the conference staff the day before the conference.

Of course, not all speakers offer all these options, but as long as we’re coming anyway, ask what else we can do for you. We just might surprise you!


Melissa Lewis, President of Upside Down Speaking, turns traditional thinking about public speaking upside down to give people more comfort, confidence, and charisma in front of groups. She travels nationally as a highly-rated conference speaker, trainer and coach. She is a former comic actress, a Past President of the National Speakers Association Kansas City Chapter, and a certified facilitator of SPEAKING CIRCLES ©,a revolutionary new approach for building speaking skill and confidence. For more information, call (304) 788-1128 or visit www.upsidedownspeaking.com.

Note: This article may be used in newsletters, magazines, or other publications with the provision that you 1) use the article written as is 2) include author bio and contact information, and 3) notify the author prior to publication.