Hire a Targeted Celebrity Speaker to Boost Attendance Without Breaking the Bank
Utilizing a targeted celebrity speaker is one of the most productive and also cost effective ways to boost attendance at your event. Many people think that booking a speaker should be part of any event or expo, but they often fail to realize the full marketing potential when using celebrity speakers.
You are no doubt going to need to budget accordingly when looking to book a celebrity speaker for your event, but not as much as you might think. You can save money a number of ways. First is to go through an speaker bureau, not direct. This may seem odd because most people think you would save money by going direct, but the opposite is true. A good speaker bureau knows how to negotiate complicated contracts as well as any additional expenses that are not included in the total fee for the speaker. The extra expenses can consist of things like hotel, travel accommodations, meals, and more. The bureau can also help you negotiate the best deals in regards to back of the room sales for the speaker. This refers to things like books, CD's, and other products offered by the speaker. Generally, the more popular the speaker the more requirements their contracts will have. The bureau can save money by working with seasoned audio visual people as well as knowing what is necessary and what isn’t when it comes to a celebrity speaker and their contract requirements. Some other ways to save money when booking a celebrity speaker is to book as far in advance as possible, offer nice perks that do not cost you a ton of money but have a high perceived value, and most importantly work with your bureau to find a speaker that is not red hot at the moment you are looking to book them but still popular enough with name recognition along with having the right content in their speech to fit your audience.
Once you have selected the appropriate speaker for your event, the next step is to promote it correctly to boost attendance and really get the best return on investment. There are a number of cost effective ways to promote the celebrity speaker. You should include the speaker in your email blasts, brochures, posters, websites, blogs, postcards and more. Also, be sure to utilize social media as it is a great way to spread your message quickly for little or no cost. Create a group on Linkedin or Facebook and get as many people as members as possible. You may even want to make a funny video on YouTube to promote the speaker and the event as a whole. Create as much excitement and anticipation about the event and the celebrity speaker as possible to your attendees. Stress the fact that the celebrity was difficult to obtain and that they only do so many bookings each year. The more buzz you build for the event and the earlier you begin, the easier it is to sell the event. Utilize these strategies and you are sure to have a wonderful experience for your event or expo, but more importantly you will see positive ROI as well.
Celebrity speakers are just one way to boost attendance. It must be part of an overall marketing and promotion strategy. They are rarely the only reason someone will attend an event or expo, but they can sure help tip the scales in your favor.
Utilizing a targeted celebrity speaker is one of the most productive and also cost effective ways to boost attendance at your event. Many people think that booking a speaker should be part of any event or expo, but they often fail to realize the full marketing potential when using celebrity speakers.
You are no doubt going to need to budget accordingly when looking to book a celebrity speaker for your event, but not as much as you might think. You can save money a number of ways. First is to go through an speaker bureau, not direct. This may seem odd because most people think you would save money by going direct, but the opposite is true. A good speaker bureau knows how to negotiate complicated contracts as well as any additional expenses that are not included in the total fee for the speaker. The extra expenses can consist of things like hotel, travel accommodations, meals, and more. The bureau can also help you negotiate the best deals in regards to back of the room sales for the speaker. This refers to things like books, CD's, and other products offered by the speaker. Generally, the more popular the speaker the more requirements their contracts will have. The bureau can save money by working with seasoned audio visual people as well as knowing what is necessary and what isn’t when it comes to a celebrity speaker and their contract requirements. Some other ways to save money when booking a celebrity speaker is to book as far in advance as possible, offer nice perks that do not cost you a ton of money but have a high perceived value, and most importantly work with your bureau to find a speaker that is not red hot at the moment you are looking to book them but still popular enough with name recognition along with having the right content in their speech to fit your audience.
Once you have selected the appropriate speaker for your event, the next step is to promote it correctly to boost attendance and really get the best return on investment. There are a number of cost effective ways to promote the celebrity speaker. You should include the speaker in your email blasts, brochures, posters, websites, blogs, postcards and more. Also, be sure to utilize social media as it is a great way to spread your message quickly for little or no cost. Create a group on Linkedin or Facebook and get as many people as members as possible. You may even want to make a funny video on YouTube to promote the speaker and the event as a whole. Create as much excitement and anticipation about the event and the celebrity speaker as possible to your attendees. Stress the fact that the celebrity was difficult to obtain and that they only do so many bookings each year. The more buzz you build for the event and the earlier you begin, the easier it is to sell the event. Utilize these strategies and you are sure to have a wonderful experience for your event or expo, but more importantly you will see positive ROI as well.
Celebrity speakers are just one way to boost attendance. It must be part of an overall marketing and promotion strategy. They are rarely the only reason someone will attend an event or expo, but they can sure help tip the scales in your favor.