how to book

how to plan an event

Booking a speaker for an event is not as daunting as it seems, so first and foremost, get excited! You are embarking on a grassroots adventure composed of six key steps.

Step One: Which speaker—or which issue? Sometimes the person is enough of a draw you don’t need a clear topic; other times it’s the message—both can make for great events, but it’s important to be clear about your goal. Next thing to consider is what kind of presentation would benefit your campus or your specific cause the most (i.e. most likely one that can speak to an array of departments and campus groups). Now, it’s time to start networking—approach professors, friends, representatives of sororities, and heads of like-minded clubs to see if they support your speaker/topic and, if not, what they suggest. You want others to buy into your idea so that they can later help maximize your event.

Step Two: Speaker contact. How do you get to the speaker? As you can see, many wonderful speakers are represented by Soapbox: Speakers Who Speak Out, Inc. But if your desired speaker isn’t listed here, we can most likely connect you with the speaker of your dreams. If it’s an issue that you want to address (i.e. Darfur or environmental toxins), we can suggest just the person for you. We will work with you to identify the best date for the event, too.

Step Three: Money. How much will it cost to bring the speaker to campus—both the honorarium provided to the speaker and the travel and lodging costs necessary to get him or her to your venue? Are there additional fees for space rental, promotional materials, or drinks and food for a reception? Lecture fees are usually the largest expenditure and range from a few hundred to over $100,000. Most of the speakers we represent average $5,000 per event plus travel (although some of our speakers command $20,000 per event and some can work with budgets of a few hundred bucks). Most speakers are most likely be flexible on fee if they have some say over the date and can minimize travel time, perhaps even by combining with other events in the area. You might want to ask a local hotel to reduce or donate a room for night and be sure to inquire about the best possible campus rate when making a reservation. If you need help along the way, look to your student activities department, as they have the most experience handling these sorts of things.

Step Four: Funding. In order to get funding, do your research. Know your speaker's background, that way you can use the diversity of their work as a basis for reaching out to different departments. For example, if you were booking a speaker who was coming to talk about body issues but who happened to be a magazine writer, you could ask the women’s studies department, the journalism department, and the health center for money. Reach out to student groups for co-sponsorship—you want their help funding, but also for them to turn out their members at your event.

Step Five: Logistics. As soon as you set the date (or confirm a range of dates), meet with your campus event coordinator (the person in charge of reserving event spaces). Reserve the space early to avoid missing out on the most prime location, or double booking with another huge event. And when booking, consider what space might bring people to your event. For instance, if it’s a noon talk, hold it near the dining facilities, so you can get people heading to lunch. If you are a commuter campus, perhaps choose an open space, so people can see you while passing by.

About three weeks before the event you should start making hotel reservations, contacting professors to encourage them to offer their students extra credit to attend your event, double-checking your reserved room, and working on publicity.

Step Six: Publicity. At least a week before the event, blanket the campus with flyers, organize an interview with the campus paper, contact professors and have them announce your event (or visit classes and announce it yourself) and ask them to offer extra credit or assign your event, and “Chalk the Walk” (write advertisements on the sidewalks around campus). Word of mouth advertising is critical. If you tell everyone you know and get them to tell three people, everyone will know!

Excitement is infectious, so get out there and tell everyone you see!