Event organisers often spend months choosing the right keynote speaker — and then brief them in a ten-minute call. The brief is where a generic talk becomes a tailored one, so it's worth getting right.
Lead with the outcome, not the agenda
The most useful thing you can tell a speaker isn't the run sheet — it's the shift you want in the room. Do you need your team energised after a hard year? Aligned around a new strategy? Braver about change? Name that, and a good speaker will build everything around it.
Share the context honestly
- What's the mood of the audience right now?
- What's happened in the business or industry recently — wins and pressures?
- What's the theme of the event, and how should this talk connect to it?
- Who speaks before and after, so the talk fits the flow?
Tell them who's in the room
Seniority, industry, the mix of roles, any sensitivities. A talk for a sales team lands differently to one for a leadership offsite or a women's leadership event. The more your speaker knows, the more specific — and memorable — they can be.
Agree the one takeaway
Ask your speaker what single idea the audience will leave with. If you both can't say it in a sentence, keep talking until you can. That clarity is what makes a keynote stick.
A great speaker does the heavy lifting — but a great brief is what lets them tailor it to your people. Treat it as a conversation, not a form.
Bring Carina to your stage.