Summary
You can boost attendance at your group meeting or local event by inviting a guest speaker. This page explains how to identify and recruit speakers and how to incorporate them into your events.
Hosting a speaker can inject excitement into your regular group routine, give members a closer, more personal look at human rights issues, and provide a great opportunity to attract and involve new people. Guest speakers can be other CSUSB staff or community activists, representatives from other organizations, authors, or visitors from other countries. They can be from your local community, from another part of the United States, or from another country.
There are hundreds of people who have knowledge and experience in your area of interest who might be available to talk to your group. To identify speakers on particular topics or issues, use your imagination and talk to the SLD staff or other campus members.
Planning for your event
- Begin planning for a speaker event at least two to four months ahead of time and set clear goals for your event.
- When inviting speakers, be clear about what you want them to discuss.
- Clarify whether there is a fee or other expenses your group will need to cover and how and when the speaker expects to be paid.
- Develop an agenda for the event with clear times and roles. Don't forget to leave time in the beginning of the event to give an introduction to AI and at the end to ask people to take action and join.
- Plan time for a question and answer period after the speaker's talk, and think of other creative ways to encourage audience participation, such as breaking into small discussion groups.
- Assign someone to act as a host for the guest and make sure they learn about the speaker's background.
- Communicate clearly and regularly with the speaker before the event to get information about him or her, and share information about your group and the event.
- Develop a recruitment plan, which includes reaching out to new people whom you think the speaker will attract.
- Include a plan for signing people in at the event and for following up with newcomers.
On the day of your event
- If possible, arrange to meet speakers when they arrive, and take them to their hotel or other destination.
- Once they arrive, plan to spend time with them to prepare for the event.
- Allow time for the speaker to eat if food will be served at the event.
During the Event
- Keep time during the speech. Before the event, devise a system to let the speaker know when time is running out.
- If your speaker is attending multiple events, allow breaks in between speaking engagements.
Following the event
- Send a thank you note to your speaker.
Other things to consider
- If hosting for more than one day, remember to schedule some free time and stick to it.
- Make suggestions of things the speaker can do in your hometown during free time.
- Remember the speaker may be away from home for a long time and need access to shopping, laundry facilities, and other basic conveniences.
- Try to connect the speaker to groups they may be interested in networking with.
Questions to ask the speaker:
- What is their complete contact information? Address, Phone, Email
- How to contact in an emergency
- Where are they from?
- How did they get their expertise or experience?
- Will they send a resume or curriculum vitae AND a brief bio?
- What is their connection to CSUSB?
- What is the cost to the group?
- Honoraria, Travel, Accommodations, Other Expenses
- Do they have any dietary restrictions and/or special needs?
- What equipment do they need for their presentation? (e.g. slide projector, video player)
- Do they have a preference for how the room is set up?
- Can you take photos of them?
- Are they available to do interviews with press?
- Can they provide a photo to use for flyers or other promotional materials?
- Is there anything else they need to feel comfortable?
Information to share with the speaker:
- Contact person and contact information: Address, Phone, Email
- Group name and number
- What your group has been working on
- Goals for the event
- How long your group has been in existence
- A complete agenda for the event
- Number of members in your group
- Number of people expected at event
- A description of the expected audience
Check List
Invite a speaker
Secure time and place for speaker
Develop an agenda
Develop a recruitment plan
Publicize speaker event
Make and post flyers
Send out emails
Ask organizers/friends to commit to bringing a number of people
Meet the speaker ahead of time
Bring sign-in sheet
Hold the event
Bring evaluation forms to hand out at the end
Send thank you cards to speaker
Follow up with attendees
Report out about the success of your event to your regional office
Adopted from Amnesty International
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