For Event Planners
The Event Planner’s Guide to Booking a Keynote Speaker
Everything you need to choose the right speaker, make the case internally, plan the logistics, and pull off an event people actually remember — in one place, from a keynote speaker who has stood on both sides of the booking table.
Choosing & budgeting for a speaker
The two questions every planner wrestles with first are who’s the right fit and what will it cost. Start here to set a realistic budget, ask the right questions on a discovery call, and avoid the mistakes that lead to a speaker who looks great on paper but falls flat in the room.
How Much Does a Keynote Speaker Cost?
Honest fee ranges by tier, what actually drives the price, the hidden costs planners forget, and five ways to stretch a speaker budget.
Read the breakdown →
Questions to Ask Before You Book
The exact questions to ask on a discovery call — fit, customization, logistics, money — and the answers that should make you walk away.
See the questions →
How to Get Budget Approval
Frame the ask in outcomes, answer the three objections every approver raises, and build a one-page proposal that gets a yes.
Make the case →
Planning & logistics
A great speaker can still be undercut by a shaky run of show. These guides cover the timeline that keeps event week calm, where the speaker slot belongs in your agenda, and how to introduce them so the room is leaning in before they say a word.
The Conference Planning Timeline
A month-by-month plan — 12 months, 6 months, and 30 days out — with the milestones that quietly decide whether event week feels calm or chaotic.
Get the timeline →
Sales Kickoff Agenda Template
A field-tested SKO agenda with exact keynote slot timing, energy-curve planning, and a speaker prep checklist.
Use the template →
How to Introduce a Keynote Speaker
A word-for-word introduction script you can adapt in five minutes, plus the mistakes that deflate a room before the speaker begins.
Get the script →
Choosing the right format
Not every session should be a keynote, and not every keynote should be in person. Match the format to the outcome you actually need — before you spend the budget.
Keynote vs. Workshop vs. Breakout
Three formats, three different jobs. When to use each, how to combine them for retention, and the math of a keynote-plus-workshop pairing.
Compare formats →
Virtual vs. In-Person Keynotes
What each format genuinely does well, the budget and logistics trade-offs, the hybrid trap, and a simple decision framework.
Choose the format →
Booking for a specific event
Some events carry their own rules. Whether you’re vetting for a clinical audience or filling the room at an athletic banquet, these guides get specific.
Choosing a Speaker for a Healthcare Conference
How to vet keynote speakers for clinical-audience fluency, what proof to ask for, red flags to avoid, and a simple scoring rubric.
Vet the fit →
How to Book a Speaker for an Athletic Banquet
Timeline, realistic budgets, where the speaker fits in the program, how to fund the fee, and how to double the value of one visit.
Plan the banquet →
Looking for the speaker, not just the guide?
Chris Sund delivers keynotes on leadership, healthcare, and peak performance — built around your event’s outcome, not a canned talk. See how he works with planners, or start the conversation about your date.