Albert Einstein said "The mediocre mind is incapable of understanding the man who refuses to bow blindly to conventional prejudices and chooses instead to express his opinions courageously and honestly." By way of example, when Galileo insisted that the sun, not the planet Earth, was the center of the universe, he was met with "violent opposition," despite his offering advanced "scientific proof" of his findings.
I do not propose to compare myself in any way shape or form to both of the gentlemen discussed above. However my experience in the entertainment world, running my own production company, working with speakers bureaus, entertainment agencies, working for an exceptional motivational speaker and my research, has allowed me to form opinions and commentary on what I feel works, what is old hat, what is just plain silly and all the bits and pieces in between. Particularly when it comes to current practices regarding booking and working with keynote speakers.
I do not propose to compare myself in any way shape or form to both of the gentlemen discussed above. However my experience in the entertainment world, running my own production company, working with speakers bureaus, entertainment agencies, working for an exceptional motivational speaker and my research, has allowed me to form opinions and commentary on what I feel works, what is old hat, what is just plain silly and all the bits and pieces in between. Particularly when it comes to current practices regarding booking and working with keynote speakers.
Everyone has moments when something that is said in a given situation that you know is just not right. Mine is this tardy line "it's just the way we do things round here". This rings out in my ears, akin to a hangover from the good old days when a gallon of petrol cost more than a gallon of water. Times, they are a changing! Even if there is a better way of doing "it", any sense of reasonable alternative is cancelled out so we can get on with things as per normal and make hefty margins even if we do treat this noble art and those who practice such, akin to what we pull out of the ground at a mine.
While I am certain this lack of thought process is rife in most business practice, I would like to open discussion on how we engage with Speakers and the intrinsic value they bring to events and conferences.
While I am certain this lack of thought process is rife in most business practice, I would like to open discussion on how we engage with Speakers and the intrinsic value they bring to events and conferences.
The sad truth is that Speakers are not treated with the respect they deserve in our industry. They are paid well for a reason although that is another story. There is seemingly an urgency for bureaus and agencies to get every Speaker possible onto the books, prop up the SEO, let the other Bureau's "read em and weep", get all the good ones as exclusives, ........ ad nauseam. Due to current attitudes and practices, underneath the veneer of social events and industry meetings, bookings and testimonials, very little real respect for the rich pool of Australian Speakers is evident from those who book them. After all, without the Speakers, who allow us to profit from their efforts, there would be no bureau or agency.
A typical request from a client, be it a PCO or direct corporate client may state that they have a $4000 budget, they want a Speaker to deliver x,y,z., the budget is tight and they cannot spend another cent. At the same event with 1000 people in attendance, they will pay $30 per head for attendee's for coffee and nibbles (30k). While the later is customary, most necessary and an essential element of any event worth attending, apart from gaining an extra kilo, the value that it delivers is forgotten almost instantaneously. I do enjoy some of the delicious treats served up, however there seems to be no logical correlation between the cost and value each deliver.
A well placed professional speaker should deliver value long after the event has been bumped out, months, perhaps years. Could it be that old habits and current practices are a result of little or no education in this area? After all the Speaker is seldom booked by the person who is responsible for the outcomes of the engagement, the booking is made not by the buyer but by someone who has one thing in mind "budget"!
There are many reasons for this which may include client confidentiality, fear of loosing a client to the opposition, work overload for the person to which the objectives originated, lack of trust in an ultra competitive industry and many more
But hey........"It's just the way we do things". Speakers are not commodities and trying to put a fixed price on what they deliver is pure folly and a little lazy until process consultation has taken place. Not two weeks before the conference! Three months before the conference. Call on the speakers expertise to assist you in creating absolute value and ROI which is noticeable, real and authentic.
A well placed professional speaker should deliver value long after the event has been bumped out, months, perhaps years. Could it be that old habits and current practices are a result of little or no education in this area? After all the Speaker is seldom booked by the person who is responsible for the outcomes of the engagement, the booking is made not by the buyer but by someone who has one thing in mind "budget"!
There are many reasons for this which may include client confidentiality, fear of loosing a client to the opposition, work overload for the person to which the objectives originated, lack of trust in an ultra competitive industry and many more
But hey........"It's just the way we do things". Speakers are not commodities and trying to put a fixed price on what they deliver is pure folly and a little lazy until process consultation has taken place. Not two weeks before the conference! Three months before the conference. Call on the speakers expertise to assist you in creating absolute value and ROI which is noticeable, real and authentic.
