Once you’ve gone to the trouble of hiring an after dinner speaker you might believe that all the hard work is over. Sadly this is not strictly true! After you’ve made the arrangements for who’ll be speaking you have to start your preparation work by ensuring that your after dinner speaker is fully briefed so he or she can be ready.

Too many people seem to believe that their professional after dinner speaker will automatically ensure they get the perfect speech. However, if you want to save yourself and the audience the boredom of listening to the same speech the speaker’s said a hundred times before, make sure the speaker knows some basic information allowing him or her to tailor a speech.

One of the simplest things that you must remember is the most often forgotten: to give the speaker enough information about the audience.He or she needs to know the age and gender of the audience and the reason they are in a room together in the first place. Do they all work for you? Are they all members of the same club or association? This is vital information which will play a role in shaping the speech. You should also make sure the after dinner speaker is aware of the audience’s expectations. Perhaps they are awaiting a funny, motivational or advisory speech, and the speaker will alter their presentation accordingly.

It is to be hoped you watched the speaker in action before hiring him or her. You should therefore feel confident that they won’t be littering their speech with clich

Even if you’ve done it before a hundred times you’re likely to feel nervous if you have agreed to be an after dinner speaker at an event whether corporate, educational or charitable.
Being an after dinner speaker needn’t be that hard. You are almost certainly already familiar with the organisation that has asked you to speak.Perhaps you hold a position of authority within the organisation.

However you came to be associated with the organisation you will be speaking to, you are at an advantage over professional after dinner speakers who are drafted in from speakers’ agencies.The advantage is that you already know the type of people you’ll be addressing, their interests, hobbies and any taboo subjects that just shouldn’t be mentioned. Put another way, you have already done the research part. That sort of information is the subject of much research by after dinner speakers.

So, with the hard part done all you have to concentrate on is the other hard part: making the speech interesting.A good after dinner speaker knows how to combine the perfect amounts of humour, anecdotes, examples and factual information to make their speech informative yet still captivating.

Another vital thing is to practise the presentation.There is no use in having a fantastic and interesting speech if you are going to read it in long droning tones and sound bored as you do. Presentation is as important as content, so think about your voice, sound excited when appropriate and never read from a sheet.If you really can’t remember the whole speech, use a list of bullet points to remind you of the most important parts of the speech. The amount you can remember from a few bullet points will pleasantly surprise you and you’ll achieve a more natural and conversational tone.

Body language is important too. Looking as though you’re having fun will make the audience more inclined to have fun. So even if you don’t feel it, keep calm and confident. Use eye contact and natural hand gestures to look confident and calm.

The might of celebrities is undeniable. They sell magazines, newspapers plus they prompt us to switch on and tune in everyday. They determine the clothes consumers wear, the shampoo people use plus the foods we buy, or do not. Exactly what, then, is the role of the celebrity speaker in our already celebrity obsessed society? Surely the countless more subtle endorsements, or rather the more conventional ones, for instance Television advertising campaigns and so on, are a good enough invasion into and influence on our lives without the famous becoming celebrity speaker at nearly anything from political rallies, to store openings to charity dinners?

The celebrity speaker is more prevalent and potent. Whether or not it be of their own accord or because of a big hire fee, it’s more typical than ever before to find some kind of public figure or other at events. Prominent examples of celebs becoming speaker are that of Bob Geldoff and his band of celebrity crusaders with a conscience, using their fame and influence to increase recognition of the predicament of the hungry.

More recently than that, celebrity speakers have been spotted playing more of a political purpose. Take Jamie Oliver and his one-man war on junk food and even more recently there was the case of Arlene Phillips coming into governmental politics as the dance tsar.

Regardless of whether we like it or not, then, the celebrity speaker is bigger today than ever before. Not anymore do stars just determine style and beauty; today’s celebrity speaker has a strong message. What place for the celebrity speaker? The young look up to celebrities and in many cases the more mature individuals among us have to admit to being a bit interested in what they have to talk about. Their fame is attractive plus they are role models, whether we like it or not. So if the celebrity speaker will be able to drive forward a charity’s cause, send a clear message to boost the nation’s well being or stir up a bit of involvement in politics, then certainly they’ve got a role. And not just a role: a responsibility, to use their influence conscientiously.

Even if you’ve done it before a hundred times you’re likely to feel nervous if you have agreed to be an after dinner speaker at an event whether corporate, educational or charitable.
Being an after dinner speaker needn’t be that hard. It’s quite likely that if you don’t work as an after dinner speaker but have been asked to perform as one then you are relatively familiar with the organisation that has asked you to speak. Perhaps you hold a senior position within the organisation.

Whatever the reason for your association with the organistion for whom you will be speaking, you will find yourself at an advantage over speakers from agencies. This is because you already know the group’s interests, hobbies, ethos and potential taboo subjects. Put another way, you have already done the research part. Speakers from professional agencies have to research that sort of thing.

So, with the hard part done all you have to concentrate on is the other hard part: making the speech interesting. It takes a good after dinner speaker to combine the right amount of factual information, humour and anecdotes to produce an informative but engaging speech.

The presentation is also worth practising. it is absolutely no good having a captivating speech if it is read in a monotonous voice by a bored-sounding person.Presentation is as important as content, so think about your voice, sound excited when appropriate and never read from a sheet.If you really can’t remember the whole speech, use a list of bullet points to remind you of the most important parts of the speech. You’ll be surprised how much you can remember using this method and it has the added advantage of making speech sound more natural and friendly.

Body language matters too. the audience will have more fun if you look as though you’re enjoying yourself.So try not to look nervous even if you feel terrified. Use eye contact and natural hand gestures to look confident and calm.

The authority of celebrities is unquestionable. They sell magazines, newspapers and they also encourage us to turn on and tune in on a daily basis. They affect the clothes people put on, the products people buy and the foods people consume, or don’t. Just what, then, is the point of the celebrity speaker within our undoubtedly celebrity obsessed society? Surely the countless more subtle endorsements, or rather the more conventional ones, for instance TV advertising campaigns and the like, are a good enough invasion into and influence on us without the famous turning celebrity speaker at all sorts of things from political rallies, to shop openings to charity dinners?

The celebrity speaker is more and more prevalent and potent. Whether or not it’s of their own accord or because of a generous hire fee, it is more popular than ever before to see some celeb or other at events. Prominent cases of celebs turning speaker are that of Bob Geldoff and his band of celebrity crusaders with a conscience, employing their fame and influence to raise awareness of the circumstances of the hungry.

More recently than that, celebrity speakers happen to have been observed playing more of a political part. There is Jamie Oliver and his one-man war on processed foods and even more recently there was the case of Arlene Phillips engaging in governmental politics as the dance tsar.

Whether we like it or not, then, the celebrity speaker is bigger today than ever before. No more do celebrities merely affect vogue and beauty; today’s celebrity speaker has a valid message. What use for the celebrity speaker? The young look up to celebrities and even the more adult people among us must admit to being a bit interested in what they have to say. Their fame is alluring and they are role models, whether we like it or not. Therefore if the celebrity speaker can drive forward a charity’s cause, send a clear message to enhance the nation’s health or perhaps stir up a bit of curiosity about politics, then certainly they have a purpose. And not just a purpose: a responsibility, to make use of their sway sensibly.