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How to Introduce an Event Speaker

How to Introduce an Event Speaker

Having the maximum impact on your event guests comes from a concise event introduction, when the audience is welcomed by a speaker. That is why the introduction of a guest speaker speech is something that event planners should also handle.
Reasons to introduce a speaker
A concise event introduction comes when the audience is told why the speaker was invited. This approach lowers the risk of any accidents or awkward situations at the event. Thus, there are many reasons why we have someone else introduce a speaker or an act rather than the individual simply coming out on stage and beginning their event presentation. The basic reasons behind giving a memorable introduction to another speaker are as follows:
Establishes the speaker’s credibility
The intro acts as a bridge, a transition from one part of a meeting to another. It gives the audience time to make a mental and emotional shift.
Stimulates and increases interest and attention
It prepares people for the speaker, heightening their sense of openness and anticipation. The introduction explains why listening to the speaker might be more beneficial than answering emails on your phone or taking a coffee break, even though the event has already begun.
Enhances the value of the content
Your speaker may be a seasoned professional, so the audience should listen to his or her informed speech. He or she knows what they are doing and will give your whole event content additional value. When introducing a speaker, the speech becomes an introduction to other important data and content components of the event that require a particular focus.
Things to know before preparing a speaker intro
If the main presenter is somewhat new to speaking, you should explain to him or her what your introduction is all about and any other details. Before you prepare your speaker for the event, you should do some research. Talk to the main speaker before the event. Find out what he or she is going to talk about and why. Do some research on their background, what relevance the speaker has to the audience, and so on.
Furthermore, you should find out if the speaker has a prepared introduction or if you should provide it for him or her. You must then prepare a three-part outline. A good introduction will tell people why the speaker has been invited, why he or she is talking about a particular subject at this event, and other relevant points.
The difference between a biography and intro
Before you sit down with the speaker and discuss the introduction details with him or her, you should know the difference between a biography and an ordinary introduction. As opposed to an intro, a biography is from a third-person point of view and is far less intimate. Thus, there is a big difference between these two documents in their event purpose and thus their form.
Function always drives form. The speaker’s bio is traditionally meant to be read silently, perhaps from the program of the event. The major purpose of writing a bio is to introduce and inform attendees about the spokesperson and his or her life in relation to the event. Therefore, you should know how to write a speaker’s bio.
The speaker’s bio should be printed in the program and should impress readers with the credentials of the speaker, attracting them to attend the presentation. The introduction, on the other hand, is about the event or any other topic related to the event subject other than the speaker’s personality.
Points of event speaker introduction
Knowing how to introduce a speaker also means knowing about his or her speech structure. After you find out what he or she is going to talk about and why it has relevance to the audience, prepare an outline where you should address the following issues:
Why this subject?
The subject of the speech should draw the attention of the audience. This allows you to start with a bang—to pose a question, state an alarming fact, land a hook, provide another interesting insight or staggering statistic, etc.
Why this speaker?
You should provide the audience with a good explanation as to why this speaker was chosen and establish their credibility. You are positioning the speaker as one of the best people in the industry, an expert with valuable insights and solutions concerning the subject at hand.
Why this audience?
Build a link between the subject and the audience. How does this subject affect them directly?  To better figure out how they are linked, use an event agenda for the speaker’s guidelines.
Why now?
Provide the reason why you chose to focus on this topic at the event with this particular speaker, how it affects the audience, and so on. You should prove their credibility beyond any doubt.
How to introduce an event speaker
When your task is to introduce the speaker, the spotlight is on him or her, and the introduction should be done so that he or she shines brightly and the attention of the audience is successfully driven to the speaker. Follow these steps to deliver great speaker introductions:
Researching the speaker
Research and meet the speaker before the event. Discover who the person in question is, what the key points of discussion are, and why the subject has any importance to the audience. At that point, learn as much as possible about the speaker’s initiatives, lifestyle, and other achievements—anything that builds up the speaker’s authority concerning the event theme.
Writing the introduction
A decent presentation explains to the audience why this speaker is discussing this subject at this particular event. The initial segment of your presentation should touch on a typical issue or concern that this gathering of people shares.
How to begin a speaker introduction
Tell the audience what they’ll learn by listening to the speaker, provide the speaker’s credentials, and include a short personal anecdote, bio, or quote.
How to end the speaker introduction
Keep the introduction under three minutes in length. At the end, you can explain the speaker’s qualifications and relevance to the event, demonstrate their sense of humor, or end with memorable words of wisdom.
Give the speaker’s name last
Introduce the speaker’s name at the end, and reread your speech aloud plenty of times before the day of the event. Be sure you know precisely how to pronounce the speaker’s name.
Giving the speech
Finally, when the speaker is about to give a speech, he or she must walk to the podium with confidence, holding the audience on his or her side; the audience should be engaged and attentive as the speaker must establish relevance and authority. As a general rule, the audience wants the speaker to succeed, to amuse them, and to make everyone smile, so you must write an introduction for a speaker that is engaging to prepare the audience for such an important moment.
How to draw the attention of the audience and establish credibility
Introducing someone to an audience implies redirecting attention, but there are ways to both succeed and fail. First, you should catch your audience members’ eyes—and then hold them there. To be successful, the speaker introduction speech gives more consideration without losing any of expert validity.
An introductory speaker can help a crowd feel the need for information, credibility, and more facts about the speaker and the event to which he or she is related. An introduction speaker must convince the listeners that they should trust and respect the main presenter
What is the duration of the intro?
The introduction about the speaker should not last too long. Usually, the perfect timing for this is about three minutes. Don’t overload the presentation with massive intros or boring biographies, which could embarrass your speaker or bore the audience.
Popular mistakes to avoid
Do you know how to introduce an event speaker without any mistakes? You should know your introduction well. The most common mistakes are connected with the inappropriate use of personal info, confusing intros and biographies, too much failed humor, or making speeches too long.
A biography is not an introduction
Remember the differences we discussed above. Do not reduce and do not “improve” on the introduction given to you by the speaker. Fix only the visible errors or when an intro takes too much time.
Too long of a speech
An introduction speech should not take more than three minutes or else your audience will lose interest before the speaker even starts. You shouldn’t be afraid of pauses in your speech either; in fact, one of the secret methods of attracting the attention of an audience is a long pause—up to three seconds.
Avoid using sensitive or embarrassing information without prior approval
The introduction is meant to promote the speaker.  Personal issues or information, such as legal troubles, health issues, or family issues, are complicated and unacceptable, even under the guise of humor. They take up time and create a negative image. It’s not appropriate to bring up public criticisms or arguments that others have made about the speaker. It’s also not a good idea to talk about their family, etc.
Top pro tips to introduce an event speaker
Without the following top pro tips on introducing speakers, it would be hard to succeed in organising the event and speech for the audience:

  • Check that the topic of the speech is unchanged.

Do some research prior to introducing a speaker at an event. The truth is that the speaker may actually have a totally different view, theme, or presentation than what is printed in the agenda or the notes that were provided.

  • Avoid humor as much as possible.

Don’t overload the performance with too much humor, massive intros, or boring biographies as this could embarrass your speaker as well as the audience.

  • Don’t talk for too long.

An intro speech should not take more than three minutes or else your audience will lose interest before the speaker even starts.

  • Ask the speaker what he or she would like you to say in their introduction.

It is strongly recommended that you interview the speaker in advance to find a unique detail or two to add to your introduction that the speaker approves of.

  • Make sure you know how to pronounce the speaker’s name.

It’s not enough to introduce a conference speaker with confidence and dignity; it is also essential that you pronounce their name correctly. There are many rare and unusual names in the world, so be ready to research them in order to pronounce them perfectly. Being well versed on Asian names is often critical to introducing a guest speaker, etc.

  • State the speaker’s name last.

Be sure to state who the speaker is at the very end of your captivating introduction. The titles, credentials, and other data go first and then the name!

  • Strong intro speech examples

Familiarise yourself with strong introduction speeches on various topics with the following examples:
example

speech sample
What are the main benefits of preparing the introduction for event speakers?
With GEVME, you can teach your introduction speaker to speak convincingly in order to gain the attention of listeners and overcome any uncertainty or fear when it comes to events with public speeches and introducing speakers to the guests. How to write a speaker introduction as well as how to introduce people well are things that can be learned and improved through practice. If you need a bit of theory to use the next time you’re writing a speech and preparing integrated planning, contact us for immediate help!
Feel free to leave your own suggestions on how to introduce a guest speaker at an event in the comments below.
 

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