Getting the Attention of Conference Planners
New thought leaders often find it difficult to enter an industry and then immediately be invited up to the stage at industry conferences. Many of the speakers who appear at important industry shows have been working in the industry for years and are well known. In many cases, they are chosen by the conference planners because they can bring in attendees that might not have attended otherwise.
It’s not impossible for a new thought leader to get recognized by a conference planner and get invited to speak, but it takes some preparation.
Here are some of the ways RGA helps its clients get the attention of conference planners.
Get on the Radar
Most conference planners require potential speakers to submit a proposal prior to the event. We like to begin that work immediately, even if our chances of getting a slot are low. When submitting proposals, we will highlight the speaker’s expertise and experience on a topic important to the conference planners and explain why our client’s presentation would be of value to the conference attendees.
In many cases, we follow this up by reaching out to conference organizers directly. But we generally only do this when we know our client will add value to the show’s agenda.
Dominate Social Media
We treat social media like a stage in its own right and make sure that we help our clients add value with every post. We also share links to our clients’ bios and past presentation proposals. In some cases, we use social media to run targeted ads to people who are interested in the topics that our speakers want to present on.
Use Content Marketing
If we know we have a thought leader who wants to get on stage, we’ll be careful to write blog posts as if they were speeches to be delivered from the podium. We want conference planners to imagine our client addressing their attendees. You can’t do that with blog posts that are just made up of collections of facts. The content has to sing.
Prove Presence with Video
But the best speeches in the world will fall flat if they are not delivered well. That’s why video is so important when promoting a conference speaker. The conference planners have to know that the speaker can deliver and that can’t really be proven in print.
When our clients aren’t quite ready to control the crowd, we’ll work with them, providing them resources and training exercises that will get them ready to take the stage.
Find out more about making the most of your next business conference by checking out our Leader’s Guide on the topic.
