A keynote speaker is someone who gives a speech during an event to keep an audience engaged. Great keynote speakers manage to captivate their audiences while driving home an event’s central message or theme. These individuals are industry experts, business executives, motivational speakers, thought leaders, influencers, politicians, and educators. Think Steve Jobs and Brene Browns of the world.
The term keynote speaker derives from musical practices. A key note is india phone number list leading note in a musical key. In orchestras, quartets, and acapella groups, it’s common practice to play a single note before a performance. That note establishes the correct key or pitch of the piece.
What Does a Keynote Speaker Do?
Like a keynote played at a musical event, a keynote speaker’s role is to introduce an event’s tone, mood, and central message. A keynote address often entails opening and closing speakers.
Opening Keynote
speakers set the tone for the occasion and encourage audiences to get excited about the rest of the event.
Closing Keynote
speakers round out the end of an event, encouraging audiences to leave feeling happy and euphoric.
The Role of a Keynote Speaker
Much like motivational speeches, keynote speeches are often optimistic, encouraging, and engaging. This motivational component is because keynote speakers need to interact with an audience and capture the essence of an event within a short timeframe. Therefore, it’s essential to become a keynote speaker who is an expert, or well-renown, as this usually raises interest among event attendees.
How to Become a Keynote Speaker
Becoming a professional keynote speaker is a process that involves self-discovery as much as it does practicing and honing your skills. If you’re preparing to become a professional speaker, you must also plan around speaking fees, event organizers, agents, and marketing tactics. We know all of that sounds complex, so here are 9 steps we put together to help you with successful keynote speech training: