People want to learn from others who have real expertise in their field, whether it’s at a scientific seminar, an illustrator’s workshop, or an exercise class. When a Meetup group that regularly gets together brings in a guest speaker with credibility and know-how, it benefits members and organizers equally.
Above all, booking guest speakers is a way to bring in fresh voices who can offer unique perspectives and valuable insights based on their lived experiences. Beyond that, inviting an awesome guest speaker is a great way to increase member turnout at a particular event.
Plus, when you host a guest speaker who has their own following outside of your group, you can attract potential new members. When those folks see someone they admire interacting with your community, they’re sure to be interested in what the Meetup group is all about.
With all that in mind, learn how to find experienced guest speakers for your events, and how to promote these special happenings to maximize attendance.
How to book a great guest speaker
There are lots of different avenues where you can discover talented, knowledgeable, and engaging people who will draw a crowd. One stellar resource is an online directory like eSpeakers where you can browse speakers by topic, level of expertise, geographic location, and more. Most speaker profiles include video clips and reviews from former clients.
If you don’t see what you’re looking for on one website, worry not—there are lots of reputable speaker sites out there, like SpeakerHub, Executive Speakers Bureau, and National Speakers Association, just to name a few.
Contact authors
Another fruitful path to investigate is the bookshelf. If you’ve read (or even just heard about) an interesting contemporary book that touches on your group topic, try connecting with the author! For many writers across the genre spectrum, part of the career is giving readings, craft talks, and workshops. These days, it’s easier than ever to introduce an author to your group through virtual events. Author chats on Zoom have become a staple of the literary industry.
Use the algorithm and ask your members for recommendations
You could also try 21st century cold-calling, which just means following influential people on social media, then messaging one or two with relevant experience to ask if they’d be interested in guest speaking for your group.
If you’re not sure which accounts to follow on places like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok, the best thing to do is ask your group members. Take an informal poll of “dream guest speakers” to get an idea of the general vibe people want. Or you could ask for “hidden gems” to see if your members know anybody doing great work in the scene who you could realistically book.
How to promote events with guest speakers
Whatever the occasion, it’s a big deal to invite a reputable guest who’s going to work with attendees to pursue their goals. The most fundamental thing you can do to ensure that this special event gets the big attendance it deserves is to post the event on your group page with enough time for your members to save the date.
Showcase your speaker
To really step up your promo game, you can use the new speaker section feature for Meetup Pro networks. Long-time administrators of Pro networks with plenty of organizing experience directly requested this added feature, and Meetup has delivered.
Because 10% of all Meetup Pro events include guest speakers, organizers want an easy way to indicate the addition of a guest speaker to a particular event. The new speaker section allows you to showcase your invitees in a professional-looking way, without needing professional design skills. On the Meetup Pro event page, this added section will allow you to display the speaker’s name, bio, and social media links.
Learn more about Meetup Pro, Meetup’s premium subscription offering.
Post until your event pops
Speaking of social media, that’s the final step. Once you’ve posted an event and highlighted your guest speaker on Meetup, it’s time to share your upcoming event on whatever social channels you take part in.
If social media savvy isn’t your thing, Meetup’s got you covered. Check out this social media toolkit, complete with customizable templates you can use to promote the event online. When you create these graphics, don’t forget to mention the time, date, and location of your event. Share them directly with your guest so that they can promote the event to their followers on social media, too.
Learn more about best practices for growing your group via social media with this simple guide. After an event, follow up with attendees to get their takeaways from the whole guest speaker experience.
Last modified on January 22, 2024
