A guest speaker is someone who has been invited to speak at an event. The person is usually unconnected to the event or its organization in any way. Instead, the guest speaker may contribute to the event sharing information, expressing support, entertaining others, or doing a combination of these things. Speakers may give a keynote address at a dinner, deliver a commencement address, honor community volunteers, or engage children or college students in an educational or informative activity. They are defined in each case the fact that they will speak or communicate in some other way, and they have been invited to do so.
The guest speaker can be well worth hearing even at the smallest events. They often bring something new to an event coming from outside the shared perspective of those organizing or attending it, and they provide great fodder for future conversations. Their success is usually determined how well their message or speech is tailored to the event in question, as well as how well they can deliver a speech or convey a compelling message.
Obviously, a successful guest speaker must be able to craft a speech that an audience will enjoy and appreciate. This necessitates some preparation, and some speakers completely write or memorize their speeches. It is extremely beneficial if the guest speaker is informed about how long he or she should speak and possibly what topics would be most interesting to the audience. Though the hosts of an event rarely have complete control over what the guest speaker says, they may be able to ask the speaker to discuss something they’ve heard him or her speak about in the past or at another speaking event.
The introduction of the guest speaker is almost as important, and it should be well prepared and delivered. The person giving the introduction should give a little background on the speaker, list some of his or her accomplishments, and then perhaps suggest why the speaker is present, especially in large event settings. One of the reasons these introductions can go wrong is if the person doing the introduction doesn’t know who the speaker is, which is why introductions require some planning. To ensure that the introduction is flattering and accurate, it may be necessary to do some research on the speaker’s history or background.
Intros and speeches may be less formal, especially if they are delivered over the Internet. There are numerous chat rooms that host visitors at various times who discuss or answer questions related to their field of expertise. Long introductions would obviously take away from the time allotted to the guest speaker, so things could be a little shorter and to the point, though the usual forms should be followed, if only briefly.
Some people work as lecturers and make a living speaking at events, and they may be the guest speakers at various functions on occasion. The term can be a little confusing here because the speaker may be both an invited and a paid guest. Even small organizations may be able to attract high-profile speakers with whom an audience is familiar making a small to large payment offer.