Before You do anything, you must identify the purpose

for the event you are planning.  After you have done that,

selecting a theme should be pretty easy.

Select a Theme

There are many strategies you could employ to decide

upon your theme.  You could come up with a prevailing

idea that will serve as a year long theme for your organization

or keep it strictly for the solo event.  In making that

determination, be sure to analyze other events that have been previously sponsored and topics

to determine receptiveness.  Use an idea that was successful

to serve as your model, or even to continue along that thought.

Identify The Specific Goals/objectives of the event

What do you want  to accomplish with this event?  What do

 you expect the  attendees to learn or be able to do as a result

 of what they have heard?  Your objectives should include expectation like this:

 

Participants will be able to.....

 

Participants will  understand......

Participants will (perform a specific action)

Decide On A Speaker

With your objectives clearly in mind, Start your search for

a speaker early;  Sorting through the maze of good speakers

now should be be a little less daunting.  Choosing someone who can be entertaining, as well as knowledgeable, should be your goal. Information disseminated in a boring fashion will do just

that,  Bore...So do try to get a good balance in your speaker.

The speaker should have experience, that is unless you want your event to be their trial run; after all, someone has to be the practice audience.  Consider your selection with diligence.  A seasoned speaker will have the support materials that you will need to help make your decision i.e., brochures, references,  has written a book, and/or has additional resources to assist their clients.

Book Your speaker In Advance

You've found the perfect speaker for your event, so don't wait until the last minute to make contact and seal the deal.  Book your speaker well in advance of you event. 

Clear Up the Fee Question Early

You don't want to make any mistakes here.  Get a clear understanding of the fee structure and get it in writing.  Remember, the better the speaker, the more you can expect to pay for their services, so before you brand a speaker as being to costly,  consider that You are paying for the time the speaker had to spend updating their materials, researching and customizing the talk to meet your specific needs, cost of copying materials, and of course,  travel time.  Don't forget the old adage, "You get what you pay for."

 

Hire The Speaker You Want

Once you have chosen your speaker and booked your speaker, begin working out all the necessary details.  If your organization does not already have a contract for speakers, draw one up.  Everything should be made perfectly clear in the contract, no guessing about anything here. Things like:  start and end time, travel expenses, hotel accomodations, meals (will you be paying for all/no meals?) Will your organization pay for their assistant travel companion. What arrangements will be made for travel from hotel to destination?  These are the kinds of issuesyou want clarified.  The Contract should incorporate all of the details of your arrangements with the speaker.  Identify specifically what is expected of them, as well as what your organization is responsible for.

 

Educate The Speaker

Send the speaker brochures, pamphlets, newsletters and other information about your organization.  Make them aware of the demographics and size, as well as the make-up (cultural diversity) of your company.  The more the speaker knows about you, the better she can incorporate those personal elements into the presentation.  If the speaker knows the names of key people in the organization and how they feel on the subject, the speaker will be able to include the name of that person or persons in their talk.  Let there be no lack in communication between you, the event planner, and the speaker.  Good planning and communication  makes for a successful event.

Public Relations

If you are going to do some publicity, and you should, do not wait until the week before the event.  An effective public relations campaign materials from the speaker before the day of the eve.