MMCS Events How to create a win-win relationship with your High Profile Speakers - Lessons from the World Business Forum

Article Information

  • Posted By : Marina Vatav
  • Posted On : Jul 25, 2014
  • Views : 3989
  • Category : Planning
  • Description :

    If there is one element that can make or break your conference, it is your speakers. We learned from the best of the best what is their key to get and work with some of the most renown speakers.


Overview

  • WOBIWorld of Business Ideas

    If there is one element that can make or break your conference, it is your speakers. We learned from the best of the best what their key is to getting and working with some of the most renown speakers.

    For 25 plus years the World Business Forum has been one of the most anticipated business conferences in the US, perhaps globally. Every year, it brings together over 4,000 senior executives from more than 65 countries to New York.

    The upcoming edition to take place on October 7-8, 2014, will feature such speakers as authors Malcolm Gladwell and Simon Sinek, Sir Ken Robinson, Founder of TOMS Shoes Blake Myconskie, two-term Chairman of the Federal Reserve System Ben Bernanke, Harvard Psychologist and author Daniel Gilbert, among others.

    Over time, World of Business Ideas (WOBI), organizer of the World Business Forum and other business conferences, has built relationships with numerous professional speakers, as well as the Speakers Associations and senior executives.

    Here are some of the ways that WOBI goes about working with its speakers:

    1. Make sure that speech topics are relevant to your audience

    The WOBI team does a lot of research before reaching out to each speaker. When they contact the speakers, they know beforehand what they want the speaker to talk about. They may suggest a specific topic or some speakers may suggest their own ideas.

    "We work with them throughout the year, just to make sure that whatever topic of the keynote they are going to deliver meets our expectations, as well as our audience’s expectations," says Santiago Muro, Chief Operating Officer at WOBI.

    2. See your speakers as partners, not vendors

    How do you see your speakers?

    "One thing that's worked very well for us is to view the speaker not as a vendor, or as someone that you are paying to speak at your event, but instead as a real partner. It’s also critical for the speakers because it is a marketing platform for them; it's where they are going to be seen and get their messages out,” shared Muro.

    3. Work with your speaker throughout the year

    WOBI builds long-term relationships with its speakers. They promote their speakers throughout the year, as well as their news and products. For example, WOBI would promote the speaker's books and connect them with some of the event's media partners, and in return the speaker will help promote WOBI's events.

    "It's a win-win for both. It's just one example of how we try not to hire speakers, but really partner with them," noted Muro.

    "They have great followings and all the social media groups are really good for us, so the more we can partner and work with them to promote our event to their networks, and promote the speaker's content within ours, the better." 

    For the upcoming World Business Forum the organizers have prepared more networking opportunities such as workshops, lunch with speakers, cocktails, and even an app that helps attendees connect and schedule meetings with speakers and other attendees.

    "I encourage people to get out of their offices, clear their minds, come to the event, and get inspired so they can go back to their offices and be better managers," noted Muro.

    As always the main focus of the conference stays on creating great content, presenting incredible speakers, and fostering interactions.