Planning and organizing educational events requires a lot of detail and hard work. Putting it all together can be a challenge, but one of your biggest responsibilities is choosing and securing the right guest speakers. They are, after all, one of the main reasons why people are visiting your event. 

Having celebrities as guest speakers at educational events is a great idea, especially when you choose the right person. It’s a good way to boost event attendance and provide the students with highly educational and informative content.

Below, we’ll discuss the best strategies for choosing and approaching celebrities with the invitation to speak at your next educational event. Let’s break it down.

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Find the Perfect Match

First things first, you need to make sure the celebrity you’re targeting is a smart choice for the specific educational event you’re throwing. If they’re not a great match, neither they nor you will be happy with the arrangement.

The person you decide to approach has to be deeply connected with the event’s topic. That includes:

• being an expert in that subject matter
• having relevant personal experience to share
• being able to provide guidance, tips, ideas, and solutions

So, if you’re throwing an event about academic writing, the celebrity guest speaker needs to deliver a speech about a related topic. It could be the power of education, their journey from academic writing to being a published author, or something similar. And for students who are struggling with academic writing, Grabmyessay can help overcome it. The platform has many essay samples and writing guides to help unleash your writing skills and inspiration.

Prepare the Logistics

Before contacting the celebrity you’ve chosen and asking them to be a part of your event, you need to have all the event logistics prepared. Celebrities typically have very busy schedules, and if you’re not sure about event details, you will most likely not be able to seal the deal.

So, what type of details should you prepare? 

Here’s what the celebrity or their manager will want to know:

• date and time
• location and venue
• time of the speech to be held
• expected number of visitors and type of audience
• security measures

If you’re prepared to offer accommodation or travel arrangements to the celebrity, have all these details prepared as well. Be ready to answer all their questions and remove any concerns.

Prepare Your Budget

Depending on the type of event you’re organizing, you’ll be dealing with a certain budget that you’ll need to fit into. This is something you have to discuss with the chosen celebrity speaker as well.

If students organize the event and aren’t earning them any money, you’ll most likely be asking this person to give the speech without any compensation. In this case, you should highlight any other types of benefits that you’ll be able to offer:

• covering travel expenses
• covering accommodation expenses
• public exposure

In addition, be prepared to talk about the importance of their speech and its positive impact on the students. 

If you do have a certain budget for an honorarium, be prepared to offer it straightforwardly and potentially even negotiate.

Have a Professional Approach

Once you’ve got all the details worked out, it’s time to contact the celebrity you’ve chosen. Your approach needs to be professional in order to get their attention and ensure they’re interested.

So, find out what’s the best option for contacting them, whether directly or through a manager. Once you do that, prepare a compelling written copy of an invitation to speak at your event. This can be in the form of an email or a regular invitation that will explain:

• the story behind the event
• the aim of the event
• why you think this celebrity is the right choice
• how their involvement would benefit the event and all the participants

If you belong to one of those universities celebrities attended, you can point out the importance of former alumni support.

After preparing your message, send it to the celebrity and kindly ask them to respond. Once you hear back, ensure the communication remains professional and you maintain that level until the end of the event.

Final Thoughts

Having a celebrity guest speaker at an educational event is a great idea. But it takes some effort and a smart approach to make it all happen. With the right plan and proper execution, you can make it happen without any stress. Follow the simple but effective tips we’ve covered above and make sure all the steps are covered. Your celebrity guest speaker will be ready to say yes in no time. 

Author’s Bio

Elaine Bailey is a professional event planner and a blogger. She loves sharing tips about the beauty of throwing successful events, the planning, organization, and execution details.