As a speaker, balancing work, personal life and delivering a cutting-edge talk several times a year is genuinely hard. Often the hardest part is when I've agreed to speak informally and then have to chase to find out what's actually included. Worse still is the organiser who treats you as just another revenue stream.
I've also run enough conferences to know that running one is organised chaos. Margins can be razor-thin, and most organisers aren't in it for a big profit. Often the goal is simply to bring the community together and share great ideas.
But if you want the best speakers, last-minute emails won't cut it. In-demand speakers travel constantly and book their calendars months ahead. A clear, complete brief from the very first email shows respect for their time and cuts out the endless back-and-forth.
Getting organised well in advance beats hoping for the best. If you want a "yes" from an in-demand speaker, send them this upfront.
The Speaker Briefing Template
Subject: Speaker Invitation: [Conference Name] – [Dates] in [City/Location]
Hi [Speaker Name],
We're putting together the lineup for [Conference Name], and we'd love to have you join us on stage to talk about [Specific Topic/Their Expertise].
We know your calendar fills up quickly, so here are all the details upfront to help you decide:
Event Overview
- Dates: [Start Date] to [End Date]
- Venue: [Venue Name and City, e.g. The Round Room, Dublin]
- Target Audience: [e.g. 500+ enterprise marketing directors]
- Format: [e.g. 30-minute solo presentation + 10 minutes Q&A]
What We're Offering
- Speaker Fee: [Amount / "As a community event, we can't offer a fee, but we do cover all the travel costs outlined below."]
- Tickets: A complimentary full-access VIP pass for you, plus [Number] guest passes for your colleagues or clients.
- Media: Professional video recording and stage photography of your talk for your own marketing use.
Travel & Logistics (What We Cover)
We want to make your trip as seamless as possible. We'll cover / arrange:
- Flights/Travel: [e.g. Direct economy/business class flights from your home airport]
- Accommodation: [Number] nights at [Hotel Name] ([Distance] from the venue)
- Transfers: [e.g. Pre-booked airport transfers / "We'll reimburse your Uber/taxi receipts."]
Perks & Networking
- The Speakers' Dinner: We host a dinner for speakers and sponsors on [Date/Time] at [Restaurant/Location]. We highly recommend arriving early enough to join us!
- VIP Access: The speaker lounge throughout the event for quiet prep, fast Wi-Fi and refreshments.
- Afterparty: VIP entry and drinks at the official closing party on [Date].
Key Deadlines
If you're interested, here's the timeline we're working to:
- Confirmation & Headshot: [Date]
- Talk Title & Bullet Points: [Date]
- Final Slide Deck: [Date] (widescreen 16:9 format)
Your Point of Contact
- Speaker liaison: [Name, email]
- On-the-day contact: [Mobile number]
Any questions at all, just reply to this email. We'd love to have you there.
[Your Name] [Conference Name]
A Note on Substitute Speakers
If you're asking someone to step in because another speaker dropped out, flexibility has to go both ways. "Can you prepare something awesome in a week?" is a big ask, so be honest about the timeline and be generous with what you offer.
What Speakers and Organisers Say
"The quality of the provided talk depends as much on a speaker themselves as on the event organisers and the atmosphere they foster prior to and during the event. From knowing their audience well and being able to communicate what's going to click, to making the room setup speaker-friendly, conference organisers can make a true difference. Networking dinner prior to the event is not only a fun and free meal, it's often a fantastic way for speakers to ease into the crowd, potentially find out what are the other topics that are covered during the event, and even find better connection to the local audience, especially important if the speakers travel from abroad."
Natalia Witczyk, International SEO Consultant and speaker at European and Asian industry events, mosquita.digital
"Speakers love knowing that an organiser has thought about what they need, long before they arrive at the venue. Tell them when you need confirmation, who their dedicated speaker liaison is and give them an on-the-day contact number. Help them picture the experience too: the room, the stage, the microphone, whether there is a confidence monitor and when they can rehearse. It makes a huge difference.
Speakers also want to create something that genuinely connects with the audience. Sharing the audience's knowledge level, the outcomes you hope for, possible overlap with other sessions, the policy on sales pitches and any confidentiality requirements helps them deliver a much stronger talk. Make it easy to discuss accessibility or additional requirements, and be clear about slide templates, branding, fonts, formats and recording arrangements.
Finally, let speakers know that promotional opportunities, materials and key milestones will follow. When people feel informed, supported and genuinely welcomed, they can stop worrying about logistics and focus their energy on giving the audience something brilliant!"
Kirstie Hoskin, Global Events and Sponsorship, Don't Panic Events
The Short Version
Tell speakers everything early, make them feel welcome, and take the logistics off their plate. The organisers who do this consistently are the ones the best speakers keep saying yes to.
Next up in this series: how to promote your speakers before, during and after your event.
