Are Big-Name Conference Speakers Like Oprah and Bill Clinton Worth the Fees?
Photo Credit: Bill Clinton speaking at a travel industry conference in 2013. flickr / breakingtravelnews
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Booking a high-profile guest speaker like Oprah Winfrey or former President Bill Clinton will guarantee buzz and most likely a sold-out conference or corporate event. But will their presence reflect the client’s messaging and the objectives of the overall event?
Conferences and conventions often turn to big-name speakers to drive turnout and set the tone for the event overall.
While costly, some see the boost in publicity from announcing a celebrity speaking spot as a major boost to the financial prospects of their event. Others contend that rising costs and the difficulty of integrating a random celebrity into an event's structure as not just a waste of money, but a waste of effort for planners.
When top speakers are commanding six- or, in some cases, seven-figure speaking fees, the pressure is on for planners to deliver a packed and enthralled audience. Having a big name, though, doesn’t always translate to an engaging speaker.
“Michael Jordan or Wayne Gretzky – they will attract people, but if they aren’t good speakers the delegates are lost,” said Steven Merling, CEO of Montreal-based event planning company Eventure. “If you are bringing in a celebrity speaker you want to make sure they can properly hold the crowd and
