the keynote speech

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How to Write a Keynote Speech

Last Updated: October 28, 2022 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Lynn Kirkham . Lynn Kirkham is a Professional Public Speaker and Founder of Yes You Can Speak, a San Francisco Bay Area-based public speaking educational business empowering thousands of professionals to take command of whatever stage they've been given - from job interviews, boardroom talks to TEDx and large conference platforms. Lynn was chosen as the official TEDx Berkeley speaker coach for the last four years and has worked with executives at Google, Facebook, Intuit, Genentech, Intel, VMware, and others. There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 106,546 times.

A good keynote speech is gripping and inspiring. It sets the tone for the event, program, or conference, and it can really unify the audience. If you’ve been invited to write and give a keynote speech (congrats!), you might not be sure where to start, or maybe you’re looking for tips to elevate your speech to the next level. Either way, we’ve got you covered! This article will walk you through how to craft a memorable keynote speech from start to finish.

Brainstorming Ideas for the Keynote Speech

• If there is a theme of the event, you may use this as your purpose or inspiration for the speech. For example, if the theme of the event is “Social Responsibility,” the purpose of your speech may be to explore your experiences with social responsibility on a professional and personal level.

• For example, if your audience is within an age range of 20-30 and are social responsibility advocates, you may make the speech light, engaging, and full of specialized language that you know your audience will understand.

• For example, if you are writing a speech around the theme of social responsibility, you may focus on three key points: the history of social responsibility, the current state of social responsibility, and where social responsibility is headed next.

• You can find the top keynote speeches of 2016 at https://www.bigspeak.com/best-keynote-speakers-of-2016 .

Crafting the Keynote Speech

• For example, if you are writing a keynote speech on diversity in the classroom, you may tell a story about a student of color that you worked with in your classroom as a teacher.
• You may also look in the news for a story about a student of color who publicly spoke out about difficulties with diversity in the classroom, preferably a news story based in your area or country.

• For example, if the purpose of your speech is to discuss social responsibility in the corporate world, you may open with a fact about how consumers tend to buy more if a brand is socially responsible.

• For example, your purpose may appear as, “I am here today to talk to you about social responsibility, the theme of this conference and the theme of much of my professional work.”

• For example, you may make a funny aside that is self-deprecating, such as, “I wasn’t always a great teacher. Sometimes, I was known as the fun teacher or the angry teacher. Not always the great one.”

• For example, you may highlight terms like “unity,” “engagement,” and “social consciousness” in your speech by returning to them at least twice. You may begin the speech by mentioning these terms and then return to them again later in the speech.

• For example, you may use a funny saying that you use with your students in your classroom in the speech. Or you may use less formal words and terms to keep the tone of the speech conversational.

• For example, you may have a call to action that refers to the story or fact you used at the beginning of your speech: “Just like my student who reached out to a peer in need, I ask you all now to be vulnerable, to try to reach out to someone in your community who needs help.”

Polishing the Keynote Speech

• When you read the speech aloud, notice if you skip over any words. You may be able to remove any words you skip over for flow.
• If you read the speech aloud to others, you can ask them for feedback. Ask them if they found any parts of the speech boring or hard to follow. Be open to getting constructive feedback on the speech so it is at its best.

• Correct punctuation is especially important if you are going to read the speech aloud to an audience, as the punctuation will tell you when to pause or take a breath. Often, a comma means pausing in your speech and a period means taking a short breath.

• If there is a time constraint for the speech, you should also time yourself reading the speech to confirm it is within the limit.

Expert Q&A

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/brainstorming/
• ↑ Lynn Kirkham. Public Speaking Coach. Expert Interview. 20 November 2019.
• ↑ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mitch-ditkoff/post_3868_b_1868754.html
• ↑ https://professional.dce.harvard.edu/blog/10-tips-for-improving-your-public-speaking-skills/
• ↑ https://www.toastmasters.org/Magazine/Articles/Six-Rules-of-Humor
• ↑ https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffschmitt/2013/07/16/10-keys-to-writing-a-speech/#25d3cdba4fb7
• ↑ https://open.lib.umn.edu/publicspeaking/chapter/11-2-steps-of-a-conclusion/
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/reading-aloud/
• ↑ https://www.unr.edu/writing-speaking-center/student-resources/writing-speaking-resources/editing-and-proofreading-techniques

About This Article

A good keynote speech is inspiring and can set the tone for an entire event. Start your speech with an engaging anecdote to grab your listeners' attention. The story can be from your own experience and should relate to the topic of the event. Then, tell your audience what the purpose of your speech is. You might say something like, “I am here to talk to you today about social responsibility, which is the theme of the conference and the theme of my professional work." Use a little humor and a light-hearted tone to keep the speech engaging and make it more memorable. Make sure to write the speech along the lines of how you normally talk so it sounds natural when read out loud. At the end of your speech, finish with a strong call to action. This part of the speech should compel listeners to do something to help the cause. For example, if you're giving a speech for a humane society, you may encourage listeners to volunteer at their local shelter. To learn how to polish your keynote speech, read more from our Writing co-author! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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What Is a Keynote Speech & How to Deliver One With Impact?

Hrideep barot.

• Public Speaking

We’ve all heard about Keynote Speakers. They are all the rage given the pandemic and the hoards of webinars and conclaves and conferences that have come with it. They have also been a catalyst in spreading the assumption or myth that Keynote Speakers are celebrities or really famous people. However, that is not true! Sure, having a famous personality brings in the little extra “branded” tone to your event but it doesn’t really matter if your Keynote Speaker(s) have no substance or anything relevant to speak about.

Why is it called “Keynote” anyway?

If you are the curious type (like me) and usually loose track of time by going off on a tangent while researching about a topic, I’ve saved you some time:

Based on my research, a Keynote is the base note in Music which sets the tone for the track.

There you have it: The best way to explain what a Keynote Speech is!

A Keynote Speech, usually given at the beginning of the event, focuses on the central idea or theme for the event and elaborates on the same. It is given by someone noteworthy of presenting the same, like a professional or experienced scholar of the topic and sets the tone for the event.

Keynote Speeches could also have presentations and other visual aids. It is up to you and whatever your creative juices decide while preparing.

If you are interested in learning about presentations and how you can use it best in a speech, we’ve written an article just for that, check it out!: A Guide to the Techniques of Presentation

How to write a Keynote Speech?

Here’s the million dollar question (only if you are paying me to ask it)

Usually writing a speech is confusing business. With the transitions, delivery, tones, pitch, visual aids, and I could keep going but I don’t want you to begin fanning your armpits… yet!

The main thing, without it you have no speech. (duh!)

So how do you begin going about your topic? Easy, first things first: write down any keywords or points that you know about the topic.

Pro Tip: Always keep your ideation document different from your drafts (layout/colour wise). It may be helpful to have everything in one place but soon, your mind will get adjusted to using it as a rough ideation workspace and when you actually have to sit down and write your speech, it won’t come naturally and lo and behold – the writer’s block.

Once you have that, discard all the knowledge and running thoughts you have about the topic and open your browser and books. It is research time!

Learn whatever you can about the topic. If you find articles which are helpful (like this one) keep them open and close the rest of the tabs. If you are using books, use bookmarks or tabs or even highlighters if you are allowed to/comfortable using to mark all the points you found interesting and helpful.

Read through them again, now is the point where you start filtering information to decide if the content you liked is Keynote Speech worthy or not.

How do you know if it is worthy?

Simple: Can it lift Mjollnir? (For those of you who did not understand the reference, I got you: Search for – Thor’s Hammer.)

On a more serious note: Look out for points which are informative and something you can build on but ensure that they aren’t too complex. Why? Because, the time it takes for you to explain one point will take away the opportunity to touch base on the various other topics or points you would/are planning to cover.

This brings us to our next point:

How long should a Keynote Speech be?

If you have never given a Keynote Speech, or if you are reading this at 2:00 AM and have to deliver your speech today – Remember those speeches during webinars which you immediately slept after? My guess is, those speeches where the Keynote Speeches.

A Keynote Speech / Address can last anywhere between 15-60 minutes.

My Advice: Don’t let it cross the 30 minute mark. A Keynote Speech is expected to be a bit generic and revolve around the theme. If you keep talking about something generic and returning to the same point / theme, people tend to get bored, you unknowingly might become repetitive and overall, you might find someone else dozing off during your address.

PS: Different organisations have different plans of action, so it would be the safest to approach the organisers and find out how long they expect you to speak for and move ahead from there.

Content and Structure

You have researched your topic the best you can, you might have gone to the extent of the etymology as well, and filtered the clutter.

Now, what we need to do is, organise.

A great way to organise your content could be using this chart:

Introduction to the Main Theme Introduction to your area of expertise A few topics you find the most interesting / think that the demographic you are addressing to will find the most interesting* Future prospects about the industry Summary and Conclusion while rounding back to the main general topic.

*Targeting Demographic

Figuring out what your demographic would be interested in is a task! The easiest way to figure that out would be to divide them into three categories.

• Some Experience

How does this help?

Once you know what the majority of your audience’s demographic is like, you can tailor your content based on things they might be interested in.

For Freshers, you can add topics about future prospects and the career growth in the field.

For people who have spent some time in the industry but are still new, you can speak about the current trends, and how to navigate the various obstacles that may come with various deliverables.

If you are addressing a group of experts in the field, treat them like your equals and don’t dumb things down for them, some basic jargon can be allowed (usually it is a big no no in speeches) and it may even present you with the opportunity to segue into a joke about “back in our days.”

This is also a great opportunity to open the floor for discussions and take in points from the audience about the new and latest developments in your industry, because as experts, they would definitely have a well founded viewpoint and might even help you look at things from a new perspective – Who said you couldn’t grow and learn while giving a speech?

Opening a Keynote Speech

The beginning is where the audience decides if they want to listen to you. Creating an impression couldn’t be any easier!

You can start with one of the three Ss – Statement, Story or a Surprising Question.

Once Upon a Time, I used this phrase to begin my story in a speech and had the audience snoring by the next line!

The phrase “Once Upon a Time” may be classic, but remember it is a classic for bed time stories. Unless you are beginning a Fairy Tale or Folklore, steer clear of your temptations of using it.

Instead, begin with the setting of the story, fake or a real incident, it helps the audience picturise things better and relate and follow more closely.

To learn more about storytelling and how to use it in your speech, you can check our article on the same: 9 Storytelling Approaches for your Next Speech or Presentation

A statement, phrase or quote when used at the beginning of the speech, needs to be either controversial (who doesn’t love good tea?) or something powerful.

Make sure that if you use a quote or phrase it is in line or in some way related to your topic. Something which is completely different from the topic at hand would make it even more complex for you to get it back to the theme and what you want to talk about.

Surprising Question

When do you ask a question?

Did you answer this? Even if your answer was on the lines of: “How am I supposed to know that” It was still a response to the question.

This is what you can do with your audience as well. Anyone who hears a question, rhetorical or not, will answer it intuitively – be it a sarcastic answer, a rude one or an actual one. But there will be an answer and then there will an unconscious expectation of a response and there you have a hooked audience!

This was my take, if you want to explore deeper into figuring out your opening, check out our video on the same!

Tips for Writing and Delivery

Now that you know where you want to take your speech, here is a list of a few things which you can use to help you take your Keynote Address to the next level.

• Learn about your audience to tailor your speech to keep it relevant and relatable.
• Practice your speech, even if it is the 100th time you are giving one or talking about that specific topic.
• Embrace the nervousness but don’t let it be the better hugger.
• Be confident about your content. If you aren’t sure about a point, it is better to omit it rather than confuse the audience or provide them with poorly researched facts.
• Consider adding visual aids like a presentation or pictures to your speech.
• Connect with the audience, share your contact details and social media page with them via chat or on screen, and invite them to pick your brain. This way, you build your network and someone out there gets to learn and clarify doubts from an expert!
• Prepare. Preparation isn’t just practising your speech. It is checking your network connection (online), the stage and lighting and all the other tech support (offline), deciding what to wear, getting enough sleep and multiple other things like checking in with the organisers, etc.,.

Keynote Speech Examples

We’ve filtered through so many great speeches to bring you our top four, each cover a different aspect of a Keynote Speech and will help you gain a wider idea about what could work for your speech and what may be a possible new avenue you could take.

Oprah Winfrey – With Motivational Keynote Speeches being the most popular, the talk show host and entrepreneur spoke about following your passion and working on yourself. A great example of a good self-help and motivation Keynote Address.

Matt Damon – The actor spoke about this experiences in colleges and the financial difficulties he has faced. This speech is a great example of how you can connect to a younger audience and speak about a personal experience in a very engaging manner.

Sheryl Sanberg – A great example of mixing motivation with personal experiences and sensitive topics. This could help you with connecting various topics seamlessly and yet maintaining the umbrella topic/theme/genre.

Ken Robinson – To move into a more technical yet jargon free point of view on multiple topics and remaining objectively critical and motivational at the same time.

Keynote Speech Ideas

Often times, even though the theme of the event may be set, it can be a bit to vague, or the organisers might just tell you to talk about yourself, or anything you want!

One way to help you choose the perfect topic for you is:

Following the 3 KPI method. (No, not that KPI) KPI – Knowledge, Passion, Interest.

1. Knowledge

How much do you know about the topic? Is it something you can speak on without any or little preparation? Knowledge about the topic you’re speaking about builds your confidence, and it also shows the audience that you are a credible source of information! Another added benefit is that you will be able to explain really complex sections of the topic with ease and various examples – a great quality and it adds immense value to your speech since it makes it accessible to any demographic.

Why is being passionate about what you speak so important? Try out the below activity with someone.

1. Speak about a random story from the internet, it could be about a news article, social issue, facts, story, anything that is not your opinion or an opinion you particularly agree with. 2. Speak about any topic that you deeply care about, it could be the welfare of canines, politics, the impending doom of fast fashion, literally anything!

Ask your buddy to judge your delivery on both these occasions. Did you suddenly speak louder, clearer, and more well.. passionately?

When you speak about a topic you are passionate about, you tend to create that atmosphere around you that says “This is soo cool” and since humans generally have a herd mentality, their brain goes “This sounds cool, tell me more!” and there you have it, a room full of people who want to listen to you just because you made it sound “cool” .

3. Interest

If you’re passionate and know enough about your topic, I think it is safe to assume that you are interested in it. So, now enough about you, let’s think about your audience. Earlier in this article we spoke about how to gauge the demographic of your audience and based on that what sections of the topic you should pay attention to. The audience needs to find some value in your content to stick on till the second sentence. Work on building the quality of your speech by research and building your own knowledge. At the end of the day, you’ve learned something new and have a strong speech ready to provide your audience with a positive experience. Win-Win!!

If you would like to explore some more resources to gauge the best way to choose a topic, you can check out our video on the same:

To work on a speech with no real base is difficult, so we have gathered a few possible topics/themes you can cover in your Keynote Speech. These could also just be a simple, small section in your speech or you can base your speech completely on any of the following topics, the choice is yours!

• Technology and its affect/impact in your industry.
• Current Events – Eg: How the Pandemic has affected your industry.
• Leadership and Obstacles – The whole “Career in this Industry” package.
• Connecting your Niche to the theme.
• What you think about the future prospects of this industry and how to adapt to them.
• Multiple strategies and techniques which come in handy.
• Assess the Future and sharing your plans about a specific / general topic based on the industry / theme.

Being a Keynote Speaker is both an honour and an opportunity to learn. Remember to do your research and build your content the best you can. It is important to work on yourself and be patient with your process. If you are confident with your content, you could even do an improv on stage and still kill it!

Public Speaking is a skill that takes its own sweet time to develop and grow. Working on it is a constant process and can come in many forms! One step at a time and you won’t get exhausted or frustrated. Good luck!

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Guide to Planning, Writing, and Delivering a Killer Keynote Speech

by Janice Tomich

• Presentation Planning & Public Speaking Skills

Being invited to deliver a keynote address is a great honor.

It’s exhilarating. A compliment to your expertise.

I’m a public speaking coach . A client of mine recently was asked to deliver the keynote address at a large women’s tech event. She was new to public speaking. This was her first high-stakes conference opportunity.

She’s a seasoned leader in an industry with few female colleagues. Although she loves her job, at times her career has been rough. The conference organizers asked her to share her perspective with young women new to the field to help them navigate the inevitable difficulties of being a woman in tech—and also give them advice on how to enjoy the ride.

Her excitement and nervousness were palpable. That’s how it feels when you’re asked to give the keynote.

Being asked means that others value your ideas, thoughts, and vision. You know it’s a big opportunity. A keynote speech provides an opportunity to inspire others like no other.

But if you’ve been asked to share what you’ve experienced throughout your career (or even lifetime) it can be a daunting ask.

With the honor of delivering a keynote comes the responsibility to deliver an address that will inspire your audience to take action.

Table of Contents

What Is a Keynote Speech?

A keynote speech stands above other public speaking opportunities because event organizers make it the highlight of the agenda. Large events often leverage the keynote speaker to attract attendees.

The theme of a keynote is usually set by the event’s theme.

For multi-day events like conferences the keynote is often (but not always) scheduled on the last day. Scheduling the keynote for the end of the event builds excitement and anticipation. Other times the keynote is scheduled near the beginning of an event, and in this case the role of the keynote speaker is to set the tone. Knowing when you’ll be speaking (at the beginning or at the end of the event) impacts the type of keynote speech you should create.

A keynote speaker is usually given a substantial amount of time to speak, often 45 to 60 minutes over dinner. Unlike a shorter presentation, keynote addresses give you a brilliant opportunity to go deep. TO show the breadth of your expertise. To invite your audience along through the ups and downs, ins and outs of a storyline. Your speech can be complex and include unanticipated twists and turns (while of course staying on track with your core message.)

If you’re lost and unsure about how to make your presentation compelling, I can help.

How Long Should A Keynote Be?

There are only a few hard and fast rules about the length of a keynote speech:

• The length of the speech is ultimately dictated by the amount of speaking time allocated by the event organizer.
• The length of the speech should be however long it takes you to clearly and concisely deliver a speech that inspires your audience.

Essentially, just enough time and not too much. 

P ro Tip: The amount of time allocated by the organizers is not always set in stone, especially in the early days of organizing an event. Keep the line of communication open with your organizer. The time frame might be open to adjustment or negotiation.

What Makes a Keynote Speech Compelling and Memorable?

An engaging, inspiring keynote presentation encourages the audience to envision what they are capable of. The best keynote speeches don’t just inform—they compel the audience to take action.

Keep two things top of mind as you plan:

• Focus on one main message (your throughline).
• Put yourself in the hearts and minds of your audience. Think of this as a research project as much as an exercise in empathy. Take the time to learn about what your audience wants to know. Learn how they need to hear it.

Going back to my example, the key message of my client who keynoted at the tech conference was resilience .

How did this key message turn into a speech?

She told funny, heart-wrenching stories, including some stories which were excruciating for her at the time they happened. These stories showed her drive to succeed. She spoke candidly about the problems she had come up against in her career. Then she revealed how she solved these problems and the benefits that transpired. Throughout the whole speech, she tapped back into her key message— resilience.

How Much Time Should You Devote to Preparation?

More time than you think.

I have never had a client tell me, “I wish I had spent less time preparing my keynote.”

They’re always glad they invested a good amount of time. Feeling completely ready in the days leading up to the event is worth it.

Nancy Duarte, the author of Resonate , works with industry giants on their keynote speeches. Duarte recommends you spend 30 hours on content creation for a 1-hour speech. (This doesn’t include building the slide deck or practicing the speech).

Here’s my breakdown of the time it takes to be fully prepared to step on stage to deliver your keynote address:

• 30 hours to research your speech and develop the keynote content
• 30 hours to create your keynote slide deck
• 30 hours of practicing your delivery

90 hours likely seems like a lot of time, but that’s what it takes to create and develop an inspirational, career-boosting keynote.

Your first rough draft will be just that … rough. Keynote speech writing is never a one-and-done process. To really nail it you need to get feedback and let the speech, slide deck, and delivery evolve over time. The results are worth it.

How Much Lead Time Do You Need?

Keynotes are a rich opportunity to give an audience perspective into who you are and what you know.

You should allow for 3 months (and a minimum of 2 months) of lead time before you deliver your keynote.

However, life does not always go according to plan. You may not have a lot of time left to prepare. I offer a presentation coaching service called Crunch Time for when you’ve been asked on short notice (a speaker may have become ill) or you have been consumed with other projects and need support to deliver an engaging speech.

Planning a Keynote Speech: Who is your audience? What is your intention?

Your goal should be to take your body of work and experience and use that to resonate with your audience. Inspire them to action. Your words of wisdom will become part of their life experience and create a legacy which will stick with them for years.

“It’s all about the audience—not about you.” These are wise words I’ve never forgotten, delivered to us on the first day of class of my communication degree.

In my work supporting clients through presentation planning, I’m always checking in to ensure that the audience will be able to understand What’s In It For Them (WIIFT in marketing terms). Remembering to center on WIIFT is crucial. It’s the foundation for a successful keynote.

Your intention is important too—equally important, actually. Why are you giving the keynote? What do you want to have happen because of it? Knowing your own “why” and how it relates to the needs of your audience puts you on track to engage and inspire.

How To Write A Keynote Speech

1. establish your throughline.

After you have a good understanding of who your audience is and what your intention is in delivering your keynote it’s time to establish your throughline. Identify which theme or concept you want to speak about.

My client who was keynoting the tech conference planned to speak on resiliency, which is a broad topic. I encouraged her to dig deeper. Upon reflection, she realized that much of her success stemmed from her commitment to creating and building relationships.

She evolved the throughline. The theme of the keynote became developing resiliency through relationships .

2. Brainstorm with an open mind and big wall

Once you’ve decided on your throughline it’s time to find an open wall and a stack of post-it notes.

In freewriting-mode write down any and all ideas that come bubbling up that will support your theme. Take lots of breaks. I promise you’ll come back with fresh ideas each time.

3. Step back and group ideas into themes

Stand back once your wall is filled with ideas. Notice common themes. Place similar ideas into three groups.

What you see is three arguments or points of proof that support your throughline.

4. Pare down to the best ideas

Now sweep through and dispense of any of your ideas that strike you as weak or you don’t feel passionate about.

5. Order your ideas

Place the ideas that remain into a logical order, so that they flow from one idea to the next. That’s your outline. Transfer these concepts to a Google Doc or put pen to paper. You’ve got the bones of a good keynote speech already.

Don’t write out a script word-for-word. Instead, think about what you want to speak about for each of your points. Flesh them out, making notes about what you want to say.

You’ve invested a large amount of time creating the content. Every component of a keynote is important. So now let’s focus on how you open, close, and title your keynote.

How To Open A Keynote Speech

I suspect you’ve been to at least a few presentations where you felt bored by the speaker after just a few minutes.

Too many speakers begin with a status quo opening such as citing their CV or meticulously outlining what they “want to talk with you about.”

You can do better.

My client started her keynote off with a dose of humor rooted in her own personal experience. She talked about the inappropriate clothes she wore to an interview and the hilarious story of what she did to gain access to the building.

Here are a few more ideas to open your keynote speech:

• Start your speech by addressing the elephant in the room to address a negative bias your audience may be thinking. Perhaps you are quite young and your audience is older. You could begin by saying, “You are probably looking at me thinking she’s twelve years old and what could she know. And you’d be right…”
• Quote a startling statistic. Often keynotes focus on living out dreams. This statement will have your audience’s interest piqued, “The average person has over 1,460 dreams a year”.
• Begin a story that you can use to weave and thread your presentation together. You could begin by sharing a story of how a mentor helped. Throughout your presentation continue the story dropping the nuggets of wisdom of what your mentor said and how she helped.

It’s crucial that you grab your audience’s attention right from the start – that you hook them with your first words.

How To Close a Keynote Speech

Finish your keynote with clarity and power. I’ve listened to too many speeches and keynotes where the ending was weak. They didn’t live up to the energy of the body of work.

My client decided to loop back to the chain of events that happened before her interview, narrating how she hung in there, even when things weren’t going according to plan.

Here are some excellent approaches to closing your keynote powerfully:

Loop back to how you began your speech. If you began your speech by talking about the elephant in the room, tag back to provide assurance that you have.

Wrap up a story you teased in your opening and then threaded throughout the speech.

If you began your keynote with a stat or quote reference it again at the end by summarizing how you proved it was true.

A tenet I firmly stand by that it’s not good enough to just leave your audience inspired . You must leave them inspired to do somethin g. Close your speech with a clear call to action to do something tangible that will make a difference to them and/or their community.

Choosing a Title for Your Keynote

Your title is your audience’s first introduction to what they will hear. Finding the ‘right’ title makes them want to listen.

If a compelling title comes to mind before or as you are developing and creating your speech, write it down. But don’t worry if you’ve planned out your whole speech and still don’t have a title idea. The best titles often come to us right at the end. You’ll have lots of ideas to play with when you’ve finished gathering your content.

Here is a trick while working with an editor at Inc.com: first craft a title, then play with variations of that title by using words that will get attention or have an inherent hook embedded within them.

Here’s an example of how I played with titles before settling on one for this article:

My initial ideas were

Both titles are merely functional. They’re lackluster and don’t reflect the complexity of the article itself, which goes beyond merely “writing” a keynote.

I rephrased it to expand on the topic and add a bit more punch:

Better, but I knew I could do better.

I liked it. It is more eye catching and it indicates a comprehensive “guide” that promises not just a “how to” article, but in-depth advice that speaks to creating an excellent keynote that will be well received.

Invest the time in finding just the right title. It’s worth it. It piques your audience’s interest from their first interaction with you.

How To Practice Your Keynote Speech

Don’t put off practicing until the last minute. Conversely, don’t over-practice until you sound like a robot and have diluted every ounce of passion out of your presentation.

Making good use of your practice time is easy.

I’ve written an extensive guide on how to rehearse for a presentation and I’ve also written on this topic for Inc.com . Read them for tips and techniques to learn your keynote speech easily so you can walk on the stage confidently knowing you’ll nail it. 

I have never had a client tell me they wished they had practiced less. I encourage you to practice only as much as you need to and not a second more.

P ro Tip: When you have a few spots that are giving you difficulties just practice those sections. It’s a poor investment of your time to practice your keynote over and over in its entirety if only a few sections are tripping you up.

​​​​Sucheta Misra Associate VP Inclusion & Diversity and Social Impact Leader

Tips For Creating Your Slidedeck or PowerPoint Presentation

My take on PowerPoint is that it’s a powerful tool that has been dropped into the laps of people who, more often than not, don’t have the training or experience to wield it effectively.

Before PowerPoint, marketing and communication teams would strategize over the best content for the slides. Graphic designers would create them.

These are the three most important things to know about your slide presentation:

• If slides won’t add or support your presentation don’t use them. 
• Create your slides so that they are primarily image-based with a limited amount of text. 
• If you are not a graphic designer hire one. It’s worth it for the stroke of elegance and professional edge they will add. A graphic designer will bring your deck to life. 

If you do decide to use a slidedeck ensure it helps your audience connect the dots and visualize what you are sharing with them.

What To Do Before You Deliver Your Speech

I’m often backstage supporting clients at their events. It’s exhilarating to feel the energy of speakers waiting to go on stage. You can feel the excitement … hearts pounding and voices warming up.

Here are a few tips and techniques professional speakers use to ready themselves, calm their nerves , and warm up their voice before giving a keynote speech:

• If you find yourself not sleeping well or experiencing anxiety in the days leading up to your speech try 4 – 7 – 8 breathing . Three or four rounds should have you feeling calmer and able to fall back to sleep. 
• Keep yourself hydrated. The day before your event up your water intake. This will keep you feeling energetic and your voice lubricated. 
• Make sure you get a good sleep before your keynote. Lack of sleep will knock you off your game. 
• Fifteen minutes before your keynote move your voice up and down through your natural register with vocal exercises so you can use your voice like the fine instrument it is. 
• Just as you are about to speak, if you suffer from dry mouth, take these lozenges to help you articulate with ease. 
• When you arrive at the podium take a few deep breaths, feel your feet on the floor, touch a favourite amulet such as a ring or necklace…and away you go! 

What You Should Do After Your Speech

When you end your speech you’re still not quite finished yet.

Connect with people from your audience. Gather feedback. Some of the richest relationships you will create will happen if you take the time to talk with people after your speaking event. If you have the opportunity, ask for presentation feedback to help you learn what worked and what didn’t.

Don’t ask if they enjoyed your keynote because the response will probably be, “It was great!” Instead, ask what they took away that will make a difference in their life. Ask them what nugget stuck with them. The answers to these questions will provide information to improve your next keynote.

Having your keynote recorded provides a brilliant learning opportunity. Many of my clients tell me they can’t/won’t watch a recording of themselves. I ask them to separate themselves from their egos and embrace the opportunity to learn. You can gain insight into what landed and what didn’t by your audience’s reactions.

Ask for presentation feedback from a trusted advisor. Don’t ask family and friends. A trusted advisor or mentor has the perspective to provide unbiased feedback that your family and friends won’t be able to. A trusted advisor will be able to expertly able to weigh in about your content, your delivery, and the effectiveness of your speech. ¯

Keynote speeches are complex. They have lots of pieces that need to fit together to create an easy, simple flow and to hold your audience in your hands so they will be inspired and learn from you.

Do you need help with your upcoming keynote speech to make sure your audience will leave challenged to take action and be inspired? Let’s chat and learn how I might help. Here’s access to my calendar to schedule a time to talk.

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What Is a Keynote Speech? Plus 5 Steps to Help You Write One.

Eleni Kelakos August 24, 2020 Peak Performance , presentation skills training , public speaking training , speech coaching

You’ve been asked to deliver a keynote speech at an upcoming event.  And while you may be flattered by the request, you have a lot of questions, like: “What is a keynote speech anyway? What makes it different that other presentations?  How long should a keynote speech be? And how do I write a keynote speech

Before I answer those questions, let me congratulate you for having been asked to deliver a keynote speech.  Because being invited to give a keynote speech means that have developed a perspective, a public persona, or a big idea that is interesting enough to be featured in the spotlight. Professionally speaking, you have arrived! 

Typically, keynote speakers are experts in their field.  Some professional keynote speakers, like me and many of my colleagues in the National Speakers Association , are even paid to deliver their keynote speeches. Whether you are paid or not, giving a keynote address is both an honor and a fantastic opportunity to share your expertise what an appreciative audience.

What Is A Keynote Speech?

The answer to “What is a keynote speech?” is inherent in the very language of the question:  The words key and note .  Essentially, a keynote speech is a speech in which you establish and develop a main (key) theme and set an overall tone (note) for the event. Often, the subject of a keynote address or keynote speech is intended to reinforce—and rally the audience around– the event’s chosen theme.  For example, if the theme of an event is performing at your peak as a leader, there is a good chance that the keynote speaker will be delivering a speech that underscores that theme.

Keynote speeches can be informational, inspiring, entertaining, and motivating. The best keynote speeches contain a bit of each those elements, expertly woven together.   

What Makes A Keynote Speech Different Than Other Presentations?

One of the best ways to understand what makes a keynote speech different that other speeches or presentation is to understand what it is not :   A keynote speech is not a speech or presentation in which you teach skills or concepts on a deep, experiential, nuts and bolts level.  It’s a speech in which you are doing most of the work.

If you are asking your audience to do individual or group work in spoken or written form through more than half of your speech,  what you are delivering is either a training program or a workshop, but not a keynote speech.  This is not to say that keynote speeches can’t have interactive elements; many of the best do, but in doses small and simple enough to allow the members audience to ingest the lessons while maintaining a focus on the speaker. Overall, keynote speeches tease out their key theme at a much higher level of focus than more involved, granular, and usually more lengthy workshops, breakout sessions, or training programs ( like these ).

How Long Should A Keynote Speech Be?

A keynote speech is typically thirty to sixty minutes in length. 

Generally speaking, the shorter the keynote speech, the better.  This is especially true when delivering a keynote speech after lunch or dinner, when people are winding down over a meal (or even a cocktail or two) and have a shorter attention span.  Whatever time slot you’ve been given as a keynote speaker, it’s your job to stay within its parameters—even if the event is running late, and you have to shave ten minutes off your keynote speech.

How Do You Write A Keynote Speech?

The question “How do I write a keynote speech” is often the reason thought-leaders, speakers, and business leaders contact me for support in writing one.  Because, if you’ve never put a keynote speech together before, it can be daunting.  As I always tell my online group keynote coaching or individual keynote coaching clients, organizing and crafting a keynote speech is a creative process. This means your keynote speech will often dictate what it needs to be as you’re writing it. You must be willing to nudge it into being, and be patient as it unfolds.

If you’re wondering “So, how do you write a keynote speech?” I suggest you start by asking yourself the following five questions:

• Who are the people the audience you are speaking to? The more you know about your audience, the more you can create a keynote speech that is relevant and of service to them.
• What pain, problem or challenge are you there to shine a light on or solve on behalf of your audience?
• Based on your answers to the first two questions, what is your big idea, the “key note” you are there to expand upon in your keynote speech?
• What are the three main points, lessons, or takeaways you want make (and flesh out with stories, data, and other sticky evidence) that are in support of your big idea, and will make up the body of your keynote speech?
• What can you choose to do to begin and end your keynote speech in a way that is maximally memorable and engaging?

If you are struggling to put together your keynote speech, don’t despair. You don’t have to go it alone. There are professional keynote presentation coaches who can help you turn your big idea into a magical, moving, memorable speech. 

Fill Your Keynote Speech With Who You Are

Whether you write keynote speech by yourself, or with the help of a trusted keynote presentation coach , remember this: The greatest resources you’ve got to draw upon are your unique experiences, expertise, and stories.  Fill your keynote speech with who you are and what you know. Be human and relatable, so your audience can connect more deeply with you.

And when the time comes for you to step up to the podium and give your keynote speech remember: Your words matter. Use your words responsibly. Use your words with intention. Use your words to change your world.  

Need support putting together your signature keynote speech? Check out my Build a Brilliant Keynote Online Group Course .

Would you rather work with me on e -on-one explore my keynote presentation coaching options..

What Is a Keynote? 5 Things You Should Know

• The Speaker Lab
• March 14, 2024

Table of Contents

Have you ever been so mesmerized by a speaker that their words stayed with you long after their speech ended? That’s the magic of a keynote . But what exactly is a keynote speech and why does it matter?

In essence, a keynote speech sets the tone for an event. It serves as its heartbeat, pulsating with ideas and insights that energize attendees. Picture yourself standing before an audience, delivering not just any speech but one where every word strikes like lightning, illuminating minds and sparking conversations.

This post promises to take you on a journey exploring captivating keynotes, dynamic speakers, and exciting events. Together, we’ll look at how keynotes influence everything from business success to social media activity; unveil strategies for creating impactful presentations; and provide tips on becoming an effective speaker yourself.

What is a Keynote?

A keynote is a defining presentation or speech centered around the main theme of an event. The term “keynote” in relation to speaking is based on the musical term “key note,” or the note around which the key is based. Just like a musical ‘key note’ defines the harmony of a composition, a keynote speech lays down the central theme or message of an event.

The Importance and Impact of Good Keynote Speakers

As one of the main highlights of an event or conference, keynote speakers are expected to inspire audiences with their unique perspectives and insights. A great speaker has the ability to not only communicate effectively but also engage with their audience in meaningful ways. This engagement forms the bottom line for successful presentations—it can make or break an event.

The Hallmarks of Professional Keynote Speakers

What sets apart good keynotes from merely average ones? The answer lies in several factors:

• An understanding of both their subject matter and audience : Top-tier keynote speakers know how to connect deeply with those listening while delivering high-value content that resonates long after they’ve left the stage.
• Dynamism and energy : Audience members are more likely to stay engaged when your presentation style mirrors your passion for what you’re discussing.
• A knack for storytelling : Narratives help us process information better; therefore good storytellers often leave lasting impressions upon their audiences.

Fostering Engagement Through Effective Speaking Techniques

Surely we’ve all attended lectures where, despite our best efforts, our minds wandered off mid-presentation. So what’s different about engaging speeches?

One major difference is novelty. Unique insights delivered compellingly pique interest. Professional keynote speakers know how to weave facts and figures into a captivating narrative that is relevant to the audience.

Additionally, good keynotes strike an emotional chord with listeners. This not only keeps them engaged but also helps in better recall of information presented. A great speaker uses storytelling techniques effectively for maximum impact .

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Role of Keynotes in Events

As mentioned earlier, a keynote sets the stage for an event, serving as a compass that directs the overarching theme. Whether it’s delivered by national speakers or industry leaders, this keynote can ignite audience engagement and set the tone for what follows.

Opening vs. Closing Keynotes

While both have significant roles, there is a clear difference between opening keynotes versus closing ones.

An opening keynote often aims to energize attendees at the start of an event. It’s like turning on a lamp in an unlit area—suddenly, everyone can make out what is before them and where they are headed. This initial spark helps draw people into the experience and makes them eager to learn more.

In contrast, closing keynotes help solidify connections made during events, creating memorable moments that continue to resonate with attendees even when they’ve returned home or back to their desks. Professional keynote speakers are skilled at creating such lasting impressions through powerful storytelling techniques coupled with actionable takeaways.

Leveraging Keynotes for Business Success

Keynote speeches are more than just a way to kick off an event. They have the potential to become powerful tools in leadership development, client relationships, and attracting attendees. A good keynote speaker will help their audience visualize their own paths towards success.

The Role of Keynotes in Leadership Development

A keynote speaker has the power to ignite change within an organization or industry by providing new perspectives on established practices or unveiling innovative approaches to overcoming challenges. Their influence often extends beyond the stage as attendees continue discussing their ideas long after the event finishes.

This is particularly true when speakers share personal stories from their careers—experiences that demonstrate resilience during difficult times or highlight how unconventional thinking led them to unprecedented levels of success.

Creating Strong Client Relationships Through Keynotes

An engaging keynote speech also serves as a starting point for fostering strong client relationships. When a keynote speaker shares insights relevant to their clients’ industries or discusses issues close to their hearts, that speaker shows understanding and empathy. This resonates with audiences on both professional and personal levels, which can lead directly into fruitful partnerships down the line.

Drawing Attendees With Impactful Speeches

Beyond fostering connections with current clients, delivering compelling keynotes helps attract attendees too. Attendees are likely to show up if they hear a well-known figure in the industry is giving a talk. They look forward to learning from their insights and getting inspired by their journeys.

In conclusion, leveraging keynotes for business success involves understanding the multi-faceted role of these speeches in events. Whether it’s developing leadership skills among attendees or attracting potential clients, a powerful keynote can become your ticket towards achieving unparalleled growth and success.

Tips and Best Practices for Effective Keynote Speaking

Being a keynote speaker is no small task. To ensure a memorable presentation, there are several techniques to consider. Let’s explore some best practices.

The Power of Preparation

As any experienced public speaker will tell you, preparation is critical. Thoroughly understanding the subject matter helps build confidence, which translates into more effective delivery techniques. As a result, a keynote speaker needs to know what opinions are expressed in their field so that they’re able to anticipate questions from attendees and answer them competently during Q&A sessions.

Connecting With Your Audience

A successful keynote isn’t solely focused on delivering content; it’s also about making connections with the audience. By incorporating relatable stories or analogies, a good speaker will not only engage listeners, but also help simplify complex ideas for them. Want more storytelling tips? Check out this podcast episode with Ravi Rajani for more ways aspiring speakers can weave narratives into their talks for greater impact.

Constantly Improving: Asking for and Using Feedback

Although a keynote speaker may be tempted to pat themselves on the back after giving a talk, their job isn’t done yet. For any talk they give, it’s important to seek out constructive criticism in order to learn how best to improve. What worked? What didn’t? What did the audience find most engaging and why? The answers to all these questions are worth their weight in gold, and a good speaker knows it. By incorporating audience suggestions into his or her presentation, a keynote speaker ensures that they are at the top of their game.

The Digital Age and Keynote Speaking

As the digital landscape evolves, so does keynote speaking. Social media channels have become powerful platforms for speakers to reach event attendees and amplify their messages. In fact, these platforms are now a fundamental part of any successful speaker’s toolkit.

Online Presence of Keynote Speakers

Digital tools like social media offer than just exposure—they let speakers interact directly with potential audiences and industry peers alike, fostering relationships that transcend physical boundaries.

Live streaming options available on multiple social media platforms allow speakers to share their message with audiences near and far, while also providing attendees an unparalleled opportunity to connect with influential voices.

This broadened reach doesn’t only benefit the speakers themselves, but also enhances the overall experience for event attendees who get unprecedented access to their favorite thought leaders in real time.

Social Media as A Promotional Tool

The days when flyers were enough to attract attendees are long gone—we’re living in an age where captivating visual content reigns supreme. So, if you’re planning to deliver a keynote or organize an event soon, remember: your social media activity could be the starting point of creating buzz and anticipation around it.

Increasing Number of Digital Aids

From Canva to Prezi, there are now tons of digital tools designed for keynote speakers. This LinkedIn post provides a helpful list of these tools , as well as some pros and cons.

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FAQs on Keynotes

What is a keynote.

A keynote is a defining presentation or speech centered around the main theme of an event.

What is the purpose of the keynote?

The purpose is to energize, inspire, or challenge attendees to see things from a fresh perspective.

What is the difference between a keynote and a presentation?

A presentation shares information while a keynote aims to spark change. The latter inspires action through powerful storytelling around central themes.

What does it mean to give a keynote?

Giving a keynote means delivering an impactful speech that guides an event’s direction, motivates listeners, and provides valuable insights related to the core topic.

What qualifies as a keynote speaker?

A credible figure with expertise in their field who delivers engaging speeches inspiring change or providing new perspectives on pertinent topics usually qualifies.

The essence of keynote speaking lies in creating an overarching theme that captivates audiences from start to finish. Opening keynotes set the stage while closing ones wrap up event objectives with finesse.

Together, we’ve explored strategies for delivering engaging presentations and using social media for promotion.

Now you know that a great keynote isn’t about just standing before an audience; it’s about resonating with them long after you leave the stage. Remember this as you step onto your own path of public speaking!

• Last Updated: March 22, 2024

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What is a Keynote Speech: How to Leave a Lasting Impression

• 1 What is a Keynote Speech?
• 2 The Role of a Keynote Speaker
• 3 Writing a Captivating Keynote Speech
• 4 Tips for Giving a Motivational Keynote Address
• 5 Finding the Right Keynote Speaker
• 6 Conclusion

As an event planner or someone responsible for organizing a conference or seminar, you understand the importance of finding the right keynote speaker.

A keynote speech sets the tone for the entire event, leaving a lasting impression on the audience. In this article, we will explore the world of keynote speeches and share insights on how to write and deliver a captivating keynote.

What is a Keynote Speech?

A keynote speech is a powerful presentation given by a keynote speaker at the beginning or end of an event.

It is designed to capture the audience’s attention, set the tone, and provide key takeaways that attendees can apply to their lives or work. A well-crafted and captivating keynote speech can inspire, motivate, and leave a lasting impact on the audience.

The Role of a Keynote Speaker

A keynote speaker plays a crucial role in the success of an event. They are experts in their field, often seasoned speakers who have honed their craft over years of experience.

A keynote speaker not only delivers a thought-provoking speech but also brings a unique perspective, shares personal stories, and engages the audience through humor, emotion, and relatability.

Writing a Captivating Keynote Speech

Writing a compelling keynote speech requires careful planning, organization, and a deep understanding of the audience. Here are some key steps to follow:

Understand Your Audience: Before writing your speech, spend time researching your audience. Who are they? What are their interests, challenges, and goals? Tailor your message to resonate with them.

Define Your Key Message: Every keynote speech should have a central theme or message that you want the audience to take away. Clarify this message and make it memorable.

Craft a Powerful Opening: Grab the audience’s attention from the start with a captivating story, intriguing statistic, or thought-provoking question. This will set the tone and create a sense of anticipation.

Organize Your Speech: Structure your speech logically and engagingly. Begin with an introduction, then move on to key points or stories, and end with a memorable conclusion that reinforces your key message.

Use Personal Stories: Personal stories are a powerful tool to connect with the audience emotionally. Share experiences or anecdotes that relate to your key message and make it relatable to the audience.

Incorporate Visuals: Visual aids such as slides or props can enhance your speech and make it more engaging. Use visuals sparingly to support your key points and avoid overwhelming the audience.

Practice and Rehearse: Delivering a flawless keynote speech requires practice. Rehearse your speech multiple times to ensure smooth delivery, confident body language, and effective use of pauses and intonation.

Engage with the Audience: Interact with the audience throughout your speech. Ask rhetorical questions, encourage participation, and create moments of connection. This will keep the audience engaged and make your speech memorable.

Tips for Giving a Motivational Keynote Address

Giving a keynote speech can be both exciting and nerve-wracking. You have the unique opportunity to captivate an audience, inspire them, and leave a lasting impression. In this section, we’ll share some valuable tips to help you deliver a powerful keynote speech that engages your audience, conveys your message effectively, and ensures a memorable experience.

1. Know Your Audience Inside Out

Understanding your audience is crucial to giving a successful keynote speech. Research their demographics, interests, challenges, and goals. This knowledge helps you tailor your message to resonate with them and ensures that your content is relevant and relatable.

Connect with your audience by addressing their specific needs and aspirations. By showing that you understand them, you’ll build trust and captivate their attention from the start.

2. Craft a Clear and Compelling Key Message

Every great keynote speech has a clear and compelling key message. Define the central theme or idea you want to convey to your audience.

Keep it concise and memorable so that it resonates long after your speech concludes. Your key message should guide the entire structure and content of your speech, ensuring a cohesive and impactful presentation.

3. Start Strong with a Captivating Opening

The beginning of your keynote speech sets the tone for the entire presentation. Capture your audience’s attention from the outset with a powerful, attention-grabbing opening.

Engage them from the first moment with a captivating story, intriguing statistic, or thought-provoking question. A strong opening creates a sense of anticipation and hooks your audience, making them eager to hear more.

4. Structure Your Speech for Impact

A well-structured keynote speech keeps the audience engaged and enhances their understanding of your message. Organize your speech in a logical and impactful manner.

Begin with an introduction that establishes your credibility and builds rapport with the audience. Then, present key points or stories that support your key message. Finally, wrap up with a memorable conclusion that reinforces your main ideas and leaves a lasting imprint on your audience.

5. Use Stories to Connect Emotionally

One of the most powerful tools in a keynote speech is storytelling. Personal stories create an emotional connection between you and your audience. Share experiences or anecdotes that illustrate the key points of your speech.

Make them relatable and highlight the lessons learned. Emotionally compelling stories will leave a lasting impact, making your message memorable and inspiring.

6. Engage and Interact with Your Audience

Keep your audience engaged throughout your keynote speech by actively involving them. Ask rhetorical questions, encourage participation, or create moments of interaction.

This can be in the form of brief audience discussions, polls, or exercises. Interaction fosters connection and helps to break up the presentation, making it more dynamic and enjoyable for your listeners.

7. Utilize Visual Aids Effectively

Visual aids, such as slides or props, can enhance your keynote speech when used effectively. Use visuals sparingly and purposefully to support your key points, helping to reinforce your message visually.

Ensure your visual aids are clear, easy to read, and visually appealing. Remember, your spoken words should always be the main focus, with visual aids serving as supporting elements.

8. Practice, Practice, Practice

Delivering a flawless keynote speech requires practice and rehearsal. Practice speaking your speech out loud multiple times, focusing on your delivery, timing, and body language.

Rehearse in front of a mirror, record yourself, or seek feedback from trusted colleagues or mentors. This process allows you to refine your speech, build confidence, and ensure a smooth and impactful delivery.

9. Embrace Authenticity and Passion

Authenticity and passion are key to delivering a compelling keynote speech. Be true to yourself, speak from the heart, and let your enthusiasm shine through.

Your genuine passion for your topic will captivate and inspire your audience. Avoid trying to mimic someone else’s style or delivery. Embrace your unique voice and let your authenticity be the guiding force behind your speech.

10. Leave a Lasting Impression with a Memorable Conclusion

The way you conclude your keynote speech is just as important as how you start it. Summarize your main points, reiterate your key message, and provide a clear call-to-action for your audience to take away.

End on a high note, leaving your listeners feeling inspired and motivated. A memorable conclusion ensures that your speech lingers in their minds and prompts them to take action.

Finding the Right Keynote Speaker

When hosting a successful event, finding the right keynote speaker is paramount. This individual will not only set the tone for your gathering but also leave a lasting impression on your audience.

In this section, we will delve into the important factors to consider when searching for the perfect keynote speaker who will elevate your event to new heights.

Experience Speaks Volumes

Experience is a key ingredient in the recipe for a successful keynote speech. Look for speakers who have a proven track record of captivating audiences and delivering impactful presentations.

Seek out those who have spoken at similar events or within your industry, as they will have a better understanding of your audience’s needs and interests. Experienced speakers bring a certain expertise and authority that can leave a lasting impression on your attendees.

Expertise in Your Industry

While experience is important, finding a keynote speaker with expertise in your specific industry is a game-changer. These speakers have a deep understanding of the challenges, trends, and opportunities within your field.

They can relate to your audience on a deeper level and provide insights and anecdotes that resonate. By selecting a speaker with industry expertise, you are ensuring that your attendees receive targeted and relevant information that they can apply to their own work or lives.

Communication Skills that Command Attention

A keynote speaker may have an impressive resume and extensive knowledge in your industry, but if they lack communication skills , their impact will be diminished. Look for speakers who possess excellent public speaking abilities.

They should be able to engage the audience, hold their attention, and deliver their message with clarity and conviction. Seek out speakers who can combine storytelling, humor, and audience interaction to create a memorable experience.

Aligning with Your Event’s Goals

Every event has its own unique goals and objectives. When searching for a keynote speaker, it is crucial to find someone who aligns with your event’s overarching purpose. Consider what you want your attendees to take away from the event.

Do you want them to feel inspired, motivated, or educated? Look for speakers whose message and style resonate with your desired outcomes. Review their past performances and testimonials to gauge if they can deliver the results you are seeking.

Recommendations and Reviews

One of the best ways to find a keynote speaker is through recommendations from trusted sources. Industry colleagues, friends, or even professionals who have previously worked with speakers can provide valuable insights and firsthand recommendations.

Additionally, online platforms and speaker bureaus offer reviews and ratings from past clients, allowing you to make an informed decision. By tapping into the experiences of others, you can gain a sense of a speaker’s trustworthiness and suitability for your event.

Interviewing Potential Speakers

Once you have narrowed down your list of potential keynote speakers, it’s time to conduct interviews. This step allows you to assess their compatibility, professionalism, and understanding of your event.

Prepare a list of questions that delve into their experience, approach to speaking, and familiarity with your industry. During the interview, observe their communication style, responsiveness, and willingness to collaborate. A successful partnership with your speaker is essential for a seamless and impactful event.

Reviewing Past Performances

Before making a final decision, take the time to review recordings or videos of the potential speakers’ past performances. This will give you a firsthand glimpse into their presentation style, stage presence, and ability to engage an audience. Look for speakers who exhibit confidence, charisma, and an authentic connection with the audience.

Pay attention to their ability to tell compelling stories, convey key messages, and create an energized atmosphere. Trust your instincts and select a speaker who resonates with you and your event’s vision.

A well-crafted keynote speech has the power to captivate, motivate, and inspire an audience. By understanding your audience, crafting a compelling message, and delivering it with passion and authenticity, you can leave a lasting impression on your audience.

The right keynote speaker can elevate your event, set the tone, and create a memorable experience for attendees. So, take the time to find the perfect fit and unleash the power of a captivating keynote speech.

Ace the Presentation

Here’s an Excellent Keynote Speech GUIDE: With 2 Great Examples

You’ve probably been asked to give a keynote speech and you are afraid of it. Well, if you’ve never done this before, then there’s no need to panic. Thankfully, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s start with the basics, shall we? 

So, what is a keynote speech? 

Simply put, a keynote speech is usually given to set the theme of the entire event. It is a speech that is generally delivered by an expert, renowned and well-respected individual, depending on the theme of the event.

Being asked to give a keynote speech in front of a large audience can be a little intimidating. However, it’s the greatest honor to be selected as a keynote speaker. That said, you must deliver the best speech you possibly can. 

Now that we’ve covered what a keynote speech is, it’s time to key steps that you should take when preparing a keynote speech. 

Related Article: 7 Basic Elements of Public Speaking

How to prepare a keynote speech

Keynote speeches are very important. With that in mind, it’s one of the best opportunities for you and your business. Therefore, if you’ve been asked to be the keynote speaker, take advantage of such an opportunity. But, first, you will have to prepare your speech: 

1.     Find out the theme for the day

For any first-timer, you will probably be given the theme for the day by the event organizer. But if you are an experienced speaker, I’m sure everyone will applaud anything you say. All the same, both scenarios still require you to plan and organize your thoughts for your speech. 

2.     Outline your presentation

Sadly, most speakers always skip this part. And, it’s usually visible in their delivery and line of thought. The best way to handle this situation is by creating a sort of blueprint for your presentation which will include: 

• Highlight some of the key structural elements, for instance, introduction, conclusion, or even stories. 
• Highlight your key element in the presentation. What do I mean? Start by answering the question-what messages are you using to support your logical key point? 
• Link all the elements together in a systematic sequence
• Also, try mapping out the transition from one key point to the next and ensure that it’s flawless. 

3.     Now fill each section

Following your outline, use keywords to convey a clear message to your audience. This will also help in keeping the audience’s attention. On top of that, it will ensure you have a great flow of thoughts in your presentation. 

Write down the topic you’d like to present. Then go ahead and add principal keywords. Afterwards, write what you derive from each keyword. Thankfully, the structure of your keynote speech will give you a set of new keywords to follow. 

Make sure that you are brief and clear when filling each section. More importantly, don’t crowd up your content. You will also need to ensure you have most of the keywords in your mind. This will save you the time you use to check on your keynote speech instead of maintaining eye contact with the crowd. 

4.     Make the work visually attractive

Without a doubt, you should always ensure that your work has some visual ideas that would be easy to interpret. Add graphs or charts where necessary, but only where necessary. Too much of anything will lead to you losing the attention of your audience. 

5.     Add personal stories

Anecdotes and stories will assist you in illustrating your ideas to the audience. On top of that, it’s the best way to show your research. With stories, you should be able to capture the attention of your audience. Additionally, your audience will be emotionally invested which will differentiate you from nervous and inexperienced speakers. 

Play a game, add a question, or simply just maintain eye contact with your audience. This will help you gain their full attention throughout your speech. 

6.     Finally, rehearse

There’s no shortcut in this section. For you to present a killer speech in front of your audience without sounding nervous is through research. By rehearsing your speech several times, you can understand what it means to your audience and also see places where you can improve your speech. 

Actually, you can even record yourself while giving your keynote speech. That way, you will be able to work on your body language and speaking rate. If you have stage freight, this is a good way to avoid the effects of it. 

Now that you already know how to get ready for your speech, let’s take on how to open a keynote speech. 

The next points of discussion are: how to open a keynote speech, how long should a keynote speech be, and some great examples of keynote speeches. Before digging into that, let me add below some of the top related and interesting articles that can add to what you’re learning from this one. If any of the titles picks your interest, please click and open in a new tab, so you can check them out later. Enjoy!

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How to open a keynote speech?

I bet you are probably worried about your opening lines in your keynote speech, right? Well, first thing’s first, don’t be in a rush to speak. Before you open your mouth, the attention is usually high at this moment. Therefore, once you arrive up there, pause for a moment. To the audience, you will appear like you are trying to be confident and collected, so use that moment. 

The audience will lean in to try and hear your first few words. And at that moment, the audience will form their first impression of you with the first words you utter. An example of the first opening words include, ‘um, good evening everyone….I’m happy to be here in front of you. I will like to thank you so-so-so-so much…..’

Trust me if you start your speech with these words, the audience will feel like you are repeating words that will sound the same as the conversations they have been trying to avoid. 

To get the full attention of your audience, here are some quick tips on your opening statements. 

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Before we go into how to open your keynote speech…

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Key tips on the opening statement in your keynote speech

• Name someone central to your message
• Use a provocative question
• Use a short, pithy quote
• Start with a personal association
• Tell an Interesting and relatable Story
• Paint a picture with your words, and so on…

How long should a keynote speech be?

Usually, the maximum length of the keynote speech depends majorly on the skill of the speaker. Therefore, the minimum length of the keynote speech depends on how long the speaker will need to make an impact on the audience.

You will know when the keynote does not last long enough when the message said by the speaker doesn’t have a deep effect on the audience. Additionally, the length of the keynote speech depends on the time allocated to the event. 

Examples of Excellent Keynote Speeches 

If you follow the instructions above, you won’t even need examples to sharpen your skills. However, here are some of the examples you can check out to give you a deeper understanding of keynote speeches

• Fire Antony speech
• A speech by Briana Scurry

With these two examples, you will be able to draft your speech in no time. 

To wrap it all up…

A keynote speech is an incredible way to get over public speaking and be able to introduce yourself to the audience. It doesn’t matter the number of people in the gathering. Always remember to count every opportunity that comes your way. 

Also, a great speech is not one that strings different elements together-no siree! A great speech is one that weaves them in the minds of the audience in such a way that they are not able to tell the difference between the segments. The speech shouldn’t be repetitive or random. It should be something that you sat down and constructed to perfection. 

Give the audience something that they can remember you by. A speech that will make them concentrate on the best course of action. Someone once told me that, ‘words can change the world’ and I believe it. Now, this is your opportunity to change the world. 

REFERENCES & FURTHER READING

https://business.tutsplus.com/tutorials/what-is-a-keynote-speech–cms-31420

https://www.thebalancesmb.com/how-to-write-a-keynote-speech-2295879

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Keynote speeches are an important part of many events, from corporate conferences and seminars to graduations and charity galas. If you have been tasked with delivering a keynote speech, you may be wondering where to start and how to create a presentation that will resonate with your audience. In this step-by-step guide, we’ll provide you with the tools and tips to help you write a compelling keynote speech that will leave a lasting impression on your listeners.

Understanding the Purpose of a Keynote Speech

A keynote speech serves as the foundation for the entire event. It sets the tone, establishes the main theme, and creates a connection between the speaker and the audience. Before you start working on your keynote speech, it's important to understand the various elements that make up a successful presentation.

When preparing for a keynote speech, it's important to consider the audience and their expectations. The speech should be tailored to the specific event and audience to ensure maximum impact. This means taking into account the demographics of the audience, their interests, and their level of expertise in the topic being discussed.

Additionally, a good keynote speech should be well-structured and organized. It should have a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. The introduction should grab the audience's attention and set the tone for the speech. The body should provide relevant and interesting information, and the conclusion should summarize the main points and leave the audience with a memorable takeaway.

Defining a Keynote Speech

A keynote speech is a presentation that is intended to inspire, motivate, and engage an audience. It's an opportunity for a speaker to share their ideas, vision, and insights on a particular topic. Unlike other presentations, a keynote speech is designed to be memorable and impactful. Good keynote speeches are able to capture the audience's attention and keep them engaged throughout the presentation.

One of the key elements of a successful keynote speech is the ability to tell a story. People are naturally drawn to stories, and a well-crafted story can help to convey a message in a memorable and impactful way. The story should be relevant to the topic being discussed and should help to illustrate the main points of the speech.

The Role of a Keynote Speaker

The role of a keynote speaker is to act as a thought leader and inspire the audience by conveying a compelling message that is relevant and meaningful to the event. They represent the values and goals of the event, and their speech should be aligned with the overall theme of the conference or gathering. The speaker should also be able to connect with the audience on a personal level, creating a memorable experience.

Another important aspect of being a keynote speaker is the ability to engage the audience. This can be done through the use of humor, storytelling, and interactive elements. Engaging the audience helps to keep them interested and invested in the presentation, which can lead to a more memorable and impactful experience.

Setting the Tone for the Event

A well-crafted keynote speech sets the tone for the entire event. The speech should establish the main theme, outline the goals of the conference, and motivate the audience to become more engaged. The speaker must understand the challenges facing the audience and offer insights that will help them overcome those obstacles.

In addition to setting the tone, a keynote speech can also help to build excitement and anticipation for the rest of the event. By providing a memorable and impactful experience, the audience will be more likely to stay engaged throughout the event and take away valuable insights and information.

Overall, a keynote speech is an important element of any event. It sets the tone, establishes the main theme, and creates a connection between the speaker and the audience. By understanding the various elements that make up a successful keynote speech, you can create a presentation that is memorable, impactful, and tailored to the specific needs of your audience.

Knowing Your Audience

One of the key elements of a successful keynote speech is understanding your audience. The more you know about the people you are addressing, the better equipped you are to craft a message that will resonate with them.

Researching Your Audience

Before you start writing your keynote speech, it's essential to research your audience. You need to know what their interests are, what motivates them, and what challenges they are facing. This will help you tailor your message to their needs and create a connection with them.

Adapting Your Message to the Audience

Once you have researched your audience, you need to adapt your message to their needs. This means using language and examples that resonate with them. You want to craft a message that is not only relevant but also compelling and memorable.

Engaging the Audience

Engaging your audience is the key to a successful keynote speech. You want to connect with them on a personal level and create an emotional response. This can be done through the use of storytelling, humor, and interactive exercises. It's essential to keep the audience engaged throughout your speech, so they leave feeling inspired and motivated.

Crafting a Compelling Message

A keynote speech needs to have a clear and compelling message that resonates with your audience. You want to provide insights and offer a new perspective that will leave a lasting impact.

Identifying Your Main Points

Your keynote speech should have a clear structure that outlines the main points you want to convey to your audience. Identify the key messages you want to communicate and how they relate to the event's theme. Make sure these key points are relevant to your audience.

Developing a Strong Thesis

Your thesis statement is the central message of your keynote speech. It should be clear, concise, and compelling. Your thesis should capture the main idea of your presentation and should be an underlying theme throughout your speech.

Using Stories and Examples

Stories and examples are a great way to engage your audience and make your message relatable. Use real-life examples and stories to illustrate your main points and help the audience understand the impact of your message.

Organizing Your Keynote Speech

The structure of your keynote speech is essential to its success. Proper organization helps the audience follow your message and stay engaged from start to finish.

Creating an Outline

A clear outline is the foundation of your presentation. It helps you create a roadmap that outlines the key elements of your keynote speech and ensures that you don't miss any important points. The outline should be structured in a logical order that makes sense to your audience.

Structuring Your Speech

Your keynote speech should have a clear structure that follows your outline. Begin with an opening that captures the audience's attention and establishes the main theme. Move on to the body of your speech, which should be structured around your main points. Finally, conclude your speech by summarizing your message and leaving the audience with a clear call to action.

Balancing Information and Entertainment

The best keynote speeches strike a balance between providing valuable information and entertaining the audience. You don't want to overload your listeners with too much information, as they may become overwhelmed. Use humor, personal anecdotes, and real-life examples to keep the audience engaged and entertained.

ChatGPT Prompt for Writing a Keynote Speech

Use the following prompt in an AI chatbot . Below each prompt, be sure to provide additional details about your situation. These could be scratch notes, what you'd like to say or anything else that guides the AI model to write a certain way.

Please craft a speech that will serve as the main address at an event, providing a comprehensive and engaging overview of the theme or purpose of the occasion. This speech should be well-crafted and thoughtfully written, incorporating a clear and compelling message that resonates with the audience and leaves a lasting impression.

[ADD ADDITIONAL CONTEXT. CAN USE BULLET POINTS.]

Writing a successful keynote speech takes time, preparation, and effort. By following these step-by-step guidelines, you'll be able to create a speech that is engaging, inspiring, and memorable. Remember, the key to a successful keynote speech is understanding your audience, crafting a compelling message, and delivering it in an organized and entertaining way. So, get ready to inspire and motivate your audience with your powerful keynote speech!

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18.3 Keynote Speaking

Learning objectives.

• Understand the purpose of keynote speeches in society.
• Explain the basic objective of an after-dinner speech.
• Describe the purpose and types of motivational speeches.

Acumen_ – Keynote Speech – CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

The last type of entertaining speech we will examine is the keynote speech. A keynote speech is delivered to set the underlying tone and summarize the core message of an event. Keynotes are often given at the end of an event; there can also be a number of keynote speeches delivered throughout a longer event that lasts for several days. People who deliver keynote speeches are typically experts in a given area who are invited to speak at a conference, convention, banquet, meeting, or other kind of event for the purpose of setting a specific tone for the occasion. Some keynote speakers will actually work for a speakers bureau , an agency that represents celebrity and professional speakers. One very important organization for all aspiring keynote speakers is the National Speaker’s Association (NSA, http://www.nsaspeaker.org ). NSA also publishes a widely respected magazine for professional speakers called Speaker magazine, which can be accessed for free from their website ( http://www.nsaspeaker-magazine.org ).

In the world of professional public speaking, there are two common types of keynotes: after-dinner speeches and motivational speeches. Let’s look at each of these unique speeches.

After-Dinner Speaking

After-dinner speaking gets its name from the idea that these speeches historically followed a meal of some kind. After-dinner speakers are generally asked to speak (or hired to speak) because they have the ability both to speak effectively and to make people laugh. First and foremost, after-dinner speeches are speeches and not stand-up comedy routines. All the basic conventions of public speaking previously discussed in this text apply to after-dinner speeches, but the overarching goal of these speeches is to be entertaining and to create an atmosphere of amusement.

After-dinner speaking is probably the hardest type of speaking to do well because it is an entertaining speech that depends on the successful delivery of humor. People train for years to develop comic timing , or the verbal and nonverbal delivery used to enhance the comedic value of a message. But after-dinner speaking is difficult, not impossible. Here is the method we recommend for developing a successful after-dinner speech.

First, use all that you have learned about informative or persuasive speeches to prepare a real informative or persuasive speech roughly two-thirds the length of what the final speech will become. That is, if you’re going to be giving a ten-minute speech, then your “real” informative or persuasive speech should be six or seven minutes in length.

Next, go back through the speech and look for opportunities to insert humorous remarks. Table 18.1 “Forms of Verbal Humor” lists various forms of verbal humor that are often used in the textual portion of a speech.

Table 18.1 Forms of Verbal Humor

Each of these is a possible humor device that could be implemented in a speech. Read the following speech delivered by Mark Twain on his seventieth birthday for a good example of an after-dinner speech ( http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/railton/onstage/70bday.html ).

Once you’ve looked through your speech, examining places for verbal humor, think about any physical humor or props that would enhance your speech. Physical humor is great if you can pull it off without being self-conscious. One of the biggest mistakes any humorist makes is to become too aware of what his or her body is doing because it’s then harder to be free and funny. As for props, after-dinner speakers have been known to use everything from oversize inflatable baseball bats to rubber clown noses. The goal for a funny prop is that it adds to the humor of the speech without distracting from its message.

Last, and probably most important, try the humor out on real, live people. This is important for three reasons.

First, the success of humor depends heavily on delivery, and especially timing in delivery. You will need practice to polish your delivery so that your humor comes across. If you can’t make it through one of your jokes without cracking up, you will need to either incorporate the self-crackup into your delivery or forgo using that joke.

Second, just because you find something unbelievably funny in your head doesn’t mean that it will make anyone else laugh. Often, humor that we have written down on paper just doesn’t translate when orally presented. You may have a humorous story that you love reading on paper, but find that it just seems to drone on once you start telling it out loud. Furthermore, remember there is a difference between written and verbal language, and this also translates to how humor is interpreted.

Third, you need to make sure the humor you choose will be appropriate for a specific audience. What one audience finds funny another may find offensive. Humor is the double-edged sword of public speaking. On one side, it is an amazing and powerful speaking tool, but on the other side, few things will alienate an audience more than offensive humor. If you’re ever uncertain about whether a piece of humor will offend your audience, don’t use it.

The following are some other tips for using humor from people who have professionally given after-dinner speeches and learned the hard way what to do and what to avoid:

• Personalize or localize humor when possible.
• Be clear about which words need emphasis with verbal humor.
• Be sure the punch line is at the end. Don’t let on where the joke is going.
• Don’t announce, “This is funny.” or “I’m not very good at telling jokes, but…”
• Don’t try to use humor that you don’t know well.
• Don’t use humor that you personally don’t find funny.
• Don’t apologize if others don’t laugh.
• Don’t try to explain the humor if it fails—just move on.
• Don’t drag it out! Remember, brevity is the soul of wit.
• Know when to stop joking and be serious.
• Be natural and have fun!

Motivational Speaking

The second common form of keynote speaking is motivational speaking. A motivational speech is designed not only to make an audience experience emotional arousal (fear, sadness, joy, excitement) but also to motivate the audience to do something with that emotional arousal. Whereas a traditional persuasive speech may want listeners to purchase product X or agree with ideology Y, a motivational speech helps to inspire people in a broader fashion, often without a clearly articulated end result in mind. As such, motivational speaking is a highly specialized form of persuasive speaking commonly delivered in schools, businesses, religious, and club or group contexts. The Toastmasters International Guide to Successful Speaking lists four types of motivational speeches: hero, survivor, religious, and success (Slutsky & Aun, 1997).

The hero speech is a motivational speech given by someone who is considered a hero in society (e.g., military speakers, political figures, and professional athletes). Just type “motivational speech” into YouTube and you’ll find many motivational speeches given by individuals who can be considered heroes or role models. The following clip presents a speech by Steve Sax, a former major league baseball player.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4ITFlbcu8g

In this speech, Sax talks about his life as a baseball player, along with issues related to leadership, overcoming obstacles, and motivation.

The survivor speech is a speech given by someone who has survived a personal tragedy or who has faced and overcome serious adversity. In the following clip, cancer survivor Becky M. Olsen discusses her life as a cancer survivor.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuo1u_C9_3g

Becky Olsen goes all over the country talking with and motivating cancer survivors to beat the odds.

The religious speech is fairly self-explanatory; it is designed to incorporate religious ideals into a motivational package to inspire an audience into thinking about or changing aspects of their religious lives. One highly sought-after religious speaker in the United States is Joel Osteen, head minister at Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas. In this clip, Joel is talking about finding and retaining joy in life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qp8KixxAk60

The crux of Osteen’s speech is learning how to take responsibility of one’s own life and let others take responsibility for their lives.

The final type of motivational speech is the success speech , which is given by someone who has succeeded in some aspect of life and is giving back by telling others how they too can be successful. In the following clip the then CEO of Xerox, Anne Mulcahy, speaks before a group of students at Dartmouth College discussing the spirit of entrepreneurship.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlnLfKWAPnw

In this speech, Mulcahy shares the leadership lessons she had learned as the CEO of Xerox.

Key Takeaways

• Keynote speeches are delivered to set the underlying tone and summarize the core message of an event.
• After-dinner speeches are real informative or persuasive speeches with a secondary objective of making the audience laugh. Effective after-dinner speakers must first know how to effectively write a speech and then find appropriate humor to add to the presentation.
• Motivational speeches are designed not only to make an audience experience emotional arousal (fear, sadness, joy, excitement) but also to ask the audience to do something with that emotional arousal. There are four types of motivational speeches: the hero, the survivor, the religious, and the success.
• Take one of the speeches you’ve delivered in class and think of ways to add humor to it. Ultimately, you’ll turn your original speech in to an after-dinner speech.
• Think about your own life. If you were asked to give a motivational speech, which type of motivational speaker would you be: hero, survivor, religious, or success? What would the specific purpose of your speech be?

Slutsky, J., & Aun, M. (1997). The Toastmasters International® guide to successful speaking: Overcoming your fears, winning over your audience, building your business & career . Chicago, IL: Dearborn Financial Publishing.

Stand up, Speak out Copyright © 2016 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Types of Speeches: The Keynote Address

A keynote address is an opening presentation (usually) for an event. More often than not it is inspirational. Regardless, it sets the mood and tone for the event.

If you decide to become a professional speaker or use speaking as an integral part of your marketing strategy, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the various types of speeches you might be asked to give. In this series of posts, I’ll give you the basics on a variety of types of presentations you can prepare.

As with any presentation, a keynote address takes into account the participants, as well as the event. When giving one, it is important to include elements that show the audience that you are united with them in some way, whether by sympathy, common experience or understanding.

The keynote speech is not the place to be promoting yourself or your business. You are there in support of the event and its audience. You are there to set the mood and inspire. Only bring yourself into the presentation to build rapport, show common ground and be an inspirational example.

Keynotes are often given by the leader of an organization ( e.g. Jeff Bezos from Amazon, as pictured). However, sometimes professional speakers are hired to give a keynote presentation to open a conference or symposium. In fact, many professional speakers make a good portion of their income from giving keynotes.

Tips for Effective Keynotes

• Use stories : Stories engage and can help your audience see themselves in your message.
• Respect the alloted time: Since a keynote is often given before all other presentations, if you go over it can throw the entire event off.
• Make it a performance: Engage your audience with your vocal variety, body language and other performance skills.
• Match your message to the event: Your presentation is the warm up, so make sure that it gets your audience ready to listen to the other speakers.
• Use visuals: A picture is worth a thousand words, so don’t be afraid to illustrate your keynote with effective visuals that get the audience engaged.

Resources for developing a keynote address:

• What Is A Keynote Speech?
• E-How : How to Give a Keynote Address
• Speaking-Tips.com: Making Your First Keynote Speech

The next post in this series is The Training Session .

Did you like this post? Please share!

About the author

Carma Spence, is author of Public Speaking Super Powers. She is fiercely committed to guiding women to Owning their Superpowers and turning their knowledge and interests into a profitable business. She is masterful at helping her clients see what is possible for them and supporting them on the journey from where they are to where they want to be, releasing the Mind Goblins of self-doubt, self-sabotage and second-guessing that keep them stuck.

With 20+ years experience in marketing communications and public relations, natural intuitive skills and certification in using some of the most effective transformational coaching tools available, Carma’s mission and commitment is to unleash the inner power every woman entrepreneur possesses so they can boldly go out into the world, transforming the fabric of people’s lives in meaningful and positive ways.

You can find her on Facebook , Twitter , Google+ and LinkedIn . Her website is CarmaSpence.com .

Become a Great Keynote Speaker – A Step by Step Guide

February 02, 2023

So, you’ve been asked to be a keynote speaker and give a keynote speech. How do you make sure your speech stands out and gets remembered? And what pitfalls should you avoid?

Writing and giving a keynote speech is a real skill.  and it’s a skill you can learn.  over the last 15 years we’ve helped hundreds of people with keynote speaker training. , do please call us and we’ll tell you about our conference keynote speaker coaching – it’s fast and good value..

These are the top Keynote speaker tips from the coaching team at Benjamin Ball Associates, based on our 15 years’ experience of supporting business leaders.

What is a Keynote Speech?

A keynote is more than an ordinary conference speech . Your keynote talk may be the reason people come to the event. It frequently sets the tone for the day. You’ll probably be the first speaker and that means your audience has high expectations .

Keynote speaking is also a powerful marketing opportunity. With these high stakes, the pressure is on you to deliver.

Contact us for a free consultation on your coaching needs

How do you write a Keynote speech?

You can only be a great event keynote speaker if you start with great content. That means writing a powerful keynote talk that your audience wants to hear. But what are the elements of a great keynote presentation? These keynote speech tips are some of the most important things to get right.

16 Top keynote speaker tips: how to give a keynote speech

Let’s look at each of those Keynote Speaker tips in turn.

1. Know your audience

A great keynote talk is about your audience .  Whatever the subject of your talk, when preparing your keynote, you need to talk about what it means for them.  For example:

• If you are talking about new laws, then tell us how will these improve the lives of the audience. 
• If you are talking about changes in your business, what will that means for those in the audience. 

This means you write your speech for your audience and no one else.   See how Dan Gilbert involves his audience in his talk. “The Surprising Science of Happiness”

2. Have a clear intent to your keynote

Great talks have a singular purpose . You should decide exactly what you want to achieve with your keynote. The clearer your intent in your keynote address, the more likely you will achieve this. For example, in his TED talk, Christopher Emdin uses his six minutes to achieve his one objective. 

How to do this? Write your intent on a post it note and keep this over your desk as you prepare your talk.  This should be your guiding light.

3. Prepare clear messages in your keynote presentation

Great talks are easy for your audience to listen to and understand. One way you can make it easy for your audience is by having clear messages that you want your audience to take away. We often use the TakeAway Test to check the clarity of our clients’ messages.

4. Tell stories when keynote speaking

Storytelling is at the heart of any great talk . One of our top bits of advice for clients is that “Facts get forgotten; Stories get repeated.” You can use stories in many ways – to start; to connect with your audience; to give examples; to illustrate what you mean. See how Susan Cain uses stories in her TED talk The Power of Introverts.

You can learn more about powerful storytelling here

5. use all the tricks of great keynote speakers.

Speech writing is an art and a science. That’s why speech writing is a paid profession. Simon Lancaster, a well-known speech writer, talks about speech writing tricks including speaking in threes, using contrasts and metaphor in his TED talk. So, if you want help using these tools and turning your speech into an impressive Keynote address, please get in touch.

What mistakes do you need to avoid in a keynote?

In our experience, these are the biggest mistakes made by speakers over and over again. Read this and make sure you don’t fall into any these public speaking traps.

6. Don’t be boring

It may sound obvious, but this is the key failing of keynotes. Because people don’t prepare properly, they deliver a mediocre speech. The good news is that it can be relatively simple to turn an ordinary conference talk into a powerful keynote . We’d be delighted to transform your draft into a compelling Keynote.

7. Don’t let your keynote speech be too formal

Great leaders speak using a conversational style. Short words, short phrases, simple words and colloquial phrases make a talk easy to listen to. Good writing is hard work, so keep at it until you know you have a great talk. Or use an experienced public speaking coach to help you draft your words.

8. A Keynote speaker does not give a sales pitch

Some of the worst keynote speeches are promotional pitches . Much better is to grab attention and demonstrate how good you are, rather than tell people how good you are. Let your audience conclude that you are brilliant – don’t tell them.

9. Don’t say too much

It is easy to try and cover too much in your talk. A common mistake is to pack your talk with more information. But the best talks tend to be simple and focused. We’ve improved more talks by cutting stuff than by adding stuff. A great talk will say less, but say it better.

10. A keynote speech is not an essay

The spoken word and the written word are completely different. You need to write for the ear, not the page. You need to learn how to write a keynote speech. This is where a speech writer or a public speaking coach are so useful because they can help you translate your ideas into powerful spoken language.

11. Don’t rely on PowerPoint

Prepare a great keynote speech first. Only then decide if you need visual aids. And visual aids do not need to be PowerPoint. A PowerPoint presentation is not the same as a speech.

How to give a keynote address

Once you have written a great talk, you then need to deliver it well. If you have a bad speech, it will be hard to deliver and you will never look good. But with a well-written keynote and a carefully prepared keynote speaker, you can be very impressive. These are some things that you need to consider:

12. Project your voice

The best Keynote Speaker is a performer. Speaking as you would in a small room will not work. You need to look and sound impressive to make an impact. What does this involve? You need to think about the energy you put into your voice; how you vary your pace and tone and how you command the room. Fortunately all these techniques can be learned. We do this every week for leaders giving keynote talks.

13. Use many pauses in your keynote

Pauses are the secret trick that the best speakers know. Pauses are powerful because they help your audience and they help you. As a rule of thumb, great speakers will use pauses every 5-10 words, and will frequently pause for somewhere between ½ – 2 seconds.

14. Own the stage

With your body language and your eye contact you can look impressive. A speaker will seen to be comfortable and will look as if being on stage is natural to them. All this is a trick. Many speakers feel nervous, but they have learned how to appear confident . We can help you look confident.

15. A keynote speaker will look the part

What you wear, how you behave and what you say must all link together. If what you are saying and how you say it do not match, you will lose your audience.

16. Practise

The one thing that distinguishes great business keynote speakers from ordinary ones is the time they spend rehearsing their speech . Obviously, the more public speaking you do, the better your will get. So if you don’t speak frequently, dedicate extra time to practising your talk.

And by practising, you should keep improving and refining what you say. Never be happy with the first draft of your speech. The best speakers are editing right up to the last minute. And of course, call us in to help. We can transform you from a nervous speaker into a confident, compelling communicator.

How to Deliver The Best Keynote Speech

So, how do you prepare your next keynote talk you are welcome to use all the advice above. or, to make it simpler, we could help you., before you give your next keynote presentation, get in touch. we’d be delighted to help you prepare and deliver a compelling speech. our keynote speaker training is fast and efficient. we’ve been doing this for over 15 years and have trained thousands of business executives., transform your presentation skills with tailored coaching.

We can help you present brilliantly. Thousands of people have benefitted from our tailored in-house coaching and advice – and we can help you too .

“I honestly thought it was the most valuable 3 hours I’ve spent with anyone in a long time.” Mick May, CEO, Blue Sky

For 15+ years we’ve been the trusted choice of leading businesses and executives throughout the UK, Europe and the Middle East to improve presentation skills and presentations through coaching, training and expert advice.

Unlock your full potential and take your presentations to the next level with Benjamin Ball Associates.

Speak to Louise on +44 20 7018 0922 or email [email protected] to find out more and discuss transforming your speeches, pitches and presentations.

Frequently asked questions about keynote speaking, how do i become a keynote speaker, what is the purpose of a keynote speaker, is it keynote address or keynote speech, what should a keynote speaker say, how do you start a keynote speech, or read another article..., how to create a winning elevator pitch – top 11 tips.

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What is the Purpose of a Keynote Speech?

Last Updated:  

September 4, 2023

A keynote speech is a powerful and influential form of public speaking that holds a significant place in various domains, including business, politics, and academia. While the purpose of a keynote speech may seem straightforward at first glance, a deeper understanding reveals its true value. 

In this article, we explore the multifaceted purpose of a keynote speech, shedding light on its role in informing, motivating, setting the tone, building credibility, and fostering collaboration.

Key takeaways on the purpose of keynote speech

• Informing and Educating : A keynote speech aims to inform and educate the audience by sharing valuable insights, research findings, and trends.
• Motivating and Inspiring : Keynote speeches have the purpose of motivating and inspiring individuals by incorporating personal anecdotes, success stories, and lessons learned.
• Setting the Tone and Creating a Theme : Keynote speeches play a crucial role in setting the tone and creating a theme for events or conferences, capturing attention and establishing the overarching message.
• Building Credibility and Enhancing Brand Image : Keynote speeches provide a platform to build credibility and enhance brand image for speakers and organisations, positioning them as authorities in their domains.
• Facilitating Networking and Collaboration : Keynote speeches act as catalysts for networking and collaboration, attracting professionals from various industries and sparking meaningful discussions.
• Overall Impact : A well-crafted keynote speech can leave a lasting impact, spark change, and empower individuals and organisations.

Informing and Educating 

One crucial purpose of a keynote speech is to inform and educate the audience. Keynote speakers, such as those from Shapiro Negotiations , bear a wealth of knowledge and expertise in their respective fields, making them valuable resources for disseminating information. 

By sharing insights, research findings, and trends, keynote speakers help the audience gain new perspectives and expand their knowledge base. A well-crafted keynote speech should provide valuable takeaways, leaving the audience with actionable information they can apply personally or professionally.

Motivating and Inspiring

Another essential purpose of a keynote speech is to motivate and inspire individuals. Keynote speakers often weave personal anecdotes, success stories, and lessons learned into their speeches to ignite passion, instil belief, and create a sense of purpose among the listeners. 

A powerful keynote speaker can touch hearts, awaken dormant dreams, and propel individuals toward positive change. By sharing their journeys and triumphs, speakers connect with the audience on an emotional level, leaving a lasting impact.

Setting the Tone and Creating a Theme 

Keynote speeches also play a crucial role in setting the tone and creating an event or conference theme. As the opening or closing act, a keynote speech sets the stage, captures the audience's attention, and establishes the overarching message of the event. 

It is vital to align the keynote speech with the event's objectives and desired outcomes. Hence, if you crafted a keynote speech, it should have a cohesive and memorable experience for attendees, tying together various presentations and sessions under a unifying theme.

Building Credibility and Enhancing Brand Image 

Keynote speeches provide a platform for individuals and organisations to build credibility and enhance their brand image. When industry experts or thought leaders deliver compelling speeches, they position themselves and their organisations as authorities in their respective domains. 

A successful keynote speech can have a long-lasting impact on an individual's reputation. It can catalyse future opportunities, such as invitations to speak at other events or collaborations with influential figures.

Facilitating Networking and Collaboration 

In addition to disseminating knowledge and inspiring individuals, keynote speeches serve as catalysts for networking and collaboration. Large conferences and events attract professionals from various industries, providing an ideal environment for connecting with like-minded individuals. 

Keynote speakers often become the focal point of attention, attracting eager attendees to engage in meaningful discussions, exchange ideas, and explore potential collaborations. Leveraging the momentum generated by a keynote speech is crucial to fostering valuable connections and creating opportunities for collaboration.

Conclusion 

In summary, the purpose of a keynote speech extends far beyond delivering a memorable presentation. It involves informing and educating the audience, motivating and inspiring individuals, setting the tone and creating a theme, building credibility and enhancing brand image, and facilitating networking and collaboration. 

A well-crafted keynote speech can leave a lasting impact, spark change, and shape the trajectory of individuals and organisations. By recognising the multifaceted purpose of a keynote speech, we can fully appreciate its role in transforming events and empowering audiences worldwide.

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7 Steps To Preparing A Great Keynote Speech

• Presentation design /
• Public speaking

We’ve talked a lot about how you can become a keynote speaker and we’ve also covered some key tips on how best to deliver a speech. One aspect that has been slightly overlooked is speech preparation. Today we’re going to list 7 key steps to prepare a great keynote speech.

Before we begin, this post is meant for speakers who are at the beginning stage of their speaking career, speakers ready to take their speaking business to the next level or just anyone interested in presenting a speech in front of an audience, however big. 

Also read: 17 Presentation Techniques For A Great Keynote

1. Choose a theme for your speech

If you’re a beginner, you’re probably given an indication of what the theme of your keynote speech should be. For experience speakers, the scenario might be more along the lines of “It doesn’t matter what you talk about, everyone will love it anyway!”. In both cases, you still have some serious planning to do regarding the theme of your speech.

There are three basic types of speeches: educational, motivational and entertaining. Begin by deciding which of these you want to accomplish as your general purpose. Whatever you choose, remember that you’re going there to offer value to your audience, not to brag about who you are, what you’ve done or how much you like yourself. If you’re not educating, motivating or entertaining your audience, in other words if you aren’t delivering any real value, don’t do it.

Select a core message that you want to convey, based on your theme. Make sure that it contains:

Clarity: Aim to express your core message in a single sentence. If you cannot do this, you need more clarity.Passion: Your core message must be something you believe in.Knowledge: What do you know about this core message? Can you draw stories from personal experience? Have you researched the topic?

2. Create a presentation outline

This is the first step we ask all of our clients to do before jumping into designing the entire presentation. Structuring your ideas is essential to both the delivery and the design of your keynote speech.

Many speakers, experienced or not, sadly skip this step more often than not. Like Andrew Dlugan points out, an outline is a blueprint for your presentation. That means:

It highlights the key logical elements. i.e. what points are being made to logically support the core message?It highlights the key structural elements. e.g. introduction, body, conclusion, stories, high-level conceptsIt links these elements together in a sequence, perhaps allocating very rough timings.It can also map out the transitions between elements, although this may be deferred to a later stage of preparation.

Also read: 18 PowerPoint Dos and Don’ts

3. Start filling in each section

Use keywords. This will help you convey a clear message and keep your audience’s attention. It’s also of great help to you when creating the flow of the presentation. Start with the topic of your presentation, your principal keyword will derive from that and will most likely be comprised in the presentation title. The structure of your presentation will give you another set of keywords.

Be brief and clear. Don’t crowd your slides. Instead, opt for no more than 2-3 sentences per slide and keep in mind your keywords. Think of them more like statements than sentences.

4. Make it visually attractive

Use visual elements to illustrate your ideas. Graphs and charts can help show relationships, comparisons, and change. Make sure to use these visual graphics to enhance your message and increase understanding. Too much of anything can lead to over stimulating your audience and losing their attention.

The relationships between the colors you’re using are also important. Limit the use of color to 2 to 4 colors/shades. Use colors that will stand out and will be easy on the eyes (dark backgrounds and light text is a good case practice.)

Featured Download:  10 Steps to Becoming a Keynote Speaker

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5. Tell stories

Tell stories and anecdotes to help you illustrate your ideas and your research. This will definitely make your presentation more effective and memorable. In a UCLA study , students were asked to recall a series of speeches they had heard. Only 5 percent remembered any individual statistic, while 63 percent remembered the stories presented in those speeches.

“Things are not what they seem. It’s that to get people to sit on the edge of their chair or to get them involved in your story, the audience has to constantly discover something new.”

Howard Suber, UCLA

6. Connect with the audience

Invite your audience to engage with you. This will get them emotionally invested and it will differentiate you from inexperienced, nervous speakers.

Plan an inclusion of the audience in your presentation somewhere. It can be a slide with a question, a game or just an empty slide to help you connect with people and re-gain their full attention. You can try different things, from a simple show of hands, to requests for brief personal input, to role playing and games, to small group exercises- and their merits.

7. Rehearse, Rehearse, rehearse

By rehearsing your presentation several times you’ll be able to put yourself in the shoes of your audience and see what improvements you can make.

You can even record yourself giving the presentation. This will enable you to also work on your speaking rate and body language. It’s also a useful exercise for people who get nervous when they speak in public.

You should also try these mobile presentation apps.

Are you ready to take your presentations to the next level?

Our team can help with everything from researching your project, writing the content, designing and building your slides, and even creating handouts.

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The Speech That Made Obama

By Mark Leibovich

• July 27, 2016

Twelve years ago, almost to the day, Barack Obama’s flight from Springfield, Ill., landed in Boston around 4 a.m. He paced around the lobby of the Back Bay Hilton, ran into his campaign press secretary, Robert Gibbs, and together they contemplated the keynote speech Obama would deliver to the Democratic National Convention the next night. Sleep was not in the immediate plan for Obama, who was then running to become the only African-American in the United States Senate. He would head out again at 6 a.m. to tape “Meet the Press,” “Face the Nation” and “Late Edition” on CNN. It was not the normal Sunday morning regimen for little-known state lawmakers.

But then, things had become aggressively abnormal for Obama since John Kerry had picked him to be the keynote speaker at his nominating convention. Obama figured this was a moment in time and that the fuss would subside soon enough. “I’m not someone who takes the hype that seriously,” Obama told me when I met him a few hours later.

He was making the rounds of a brunch hosted by the Congressional Black Caucus held aboard a docked cruise ship in Boston Harbor. I was assigned to write an article on Obama, then 42, that same day, and met up with him as he boarded the boat. Obama addressed me as “the guy from The Washington Post,” my employer at the time. He kept telling me, and the many people that kept rushing up to him, that he was desperate for a nap. I found this somewhat audacious and endearing. He seemed to have somewhere between eight and 12 seconds of political nicety in him for everyone before he would declare what he would rather be doing (“I need a nap”) and move on.

He was never a natural, draw-energy-from-the-crowd politician like Bill Clinton or even George W. Bush. When we could steal a few seconds, Obama kept emphasizing to me that this was all temporary, that the fuss would all end soon enough. He had some experience with riding small waves of national acclaim, after all, having been named the first African-American editor of The Harvard Law Review several years earlier. “After about two weeks, all the stories were written and everyone left me alone,” he said.

That, of course, never happened in this case. Normalcy would be an early casualty of what would come next for Obama, beginning with that 2004 keynote. It’s not really clear, in retrospect, whether Obama really believed he was a mere “flavor of the month, or the flavor of the week, or whatever,” as he told me; or whether he was deftly practicing the faux modesty required of a politician otherwise amply equipped with self regard.

But it’s hard not to look back on those flavor-of-the-month days in Boston as Obama prepares to make his last speech as a sitting president to the Democratic Convention. He could very well allude to that keynote from the lectern tonight, no doubt contrasting, as he likes to do, his black hair of then with the deep gray of now. He could very well invoke the unifying themes that he struck in what was the first national convention after 9/11. “There’s not a liberal America and a conservative America,” Obama said in one of that speech’s most quoted lines. “There’s the United States of America.”

The speech became a touchstone of national unity and a soaring manifesto of hope that would form the foundation of his 2008 presidential campaign. It would also represent, strikingly, the exact opposite tenor of Obama’s two terms in office. He is no longer a flavor of the month, and today’s flavor is a very different one of division.

Obama will stand on the convention podium tonight in the midst of a fractured, tense and violent time in America. The 2016 presidential campaign has served as a bizarre and awful corollary to a stretch that can seem frighteningly off the rails. Obama will make his address tonight a few hours after the Republican nominee, Donald Trump, said today in a rambling news conference that he hoped the Russians would hack into his opponent’s email to reveal the contents of Hillary Clinton’s missing emails.

In the perversity of this atmosphere, Democrats seem to be sensing a moment of bipartisan opportunity – a kind of backdoor unity campaign that could bring mainstream Republicans into their camp. The big speeches of Monday and Tuesday nights were both strikingly nonpartisan and included easy nods to the other side. Michelle Obama emphasized the shared imperative of picking a president best equipped to ensure better futures for children. “This November, when we go to the polls this is what we’re deciding,” she said. “Not Democrat or Republican, not left or right.” Bill Clinton last night quoted Newt Gingrich’s praise of his wife and also mentioned her past collaboration with another longtime Democratic boogeyman, Tom DeLay. It’s as if the Democrats are almost nostalgic for having normal, familiar Republican opponents and engaging in a retroactive normalization of past partisan norms. What a bizarre year.

And now comes Obama, in what many will see as a valedictory coda to his 2004 debut. It’s a big speech for Obama, no doubt. It feels bigger than the usual, even for an old gray pro that set out 12 years ago, thinking he could rest soon enough.

Mark Leibovich is the chief national correspondent for the magazine.

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Four Tips for Delivering a Great Keynote

It’s probably safe to assume that very few people actually enjoy public speaking. But for certain roles in events and marketing, it’s a necessity. Keynote addresses in particular, are often critical to communicating a business’s core message and introducing new products, services or company initiatives. Whether in-person or online, a keynote speech has the power to set the tone for the entire event. Speakers need to convey confidence and enthusiasm, maintain a consistent tone and deliver a clear and impactful message that boosts a call to action. Whether you’re preparing your next keynote address or trying to improve your public speaking skills in general, here are four important tips to keep in mind. Understand Your Audience When you’re speaking to a room full of people, especially to deliver a major keynote address, it’s critical to have a solid understanding of who your audience is and what they’re hoping to learn or gain from your speech. When developing the content and overall message, it’s essential to think of it from the audience’s point of view. A good place to start is by doing some research and diving into the who, what, where and why as it relates to your audience. Who are they? What are they trying to achieve and/or what’s important to them? Where are they coming from? Why are they listening to you speak and why are you speaking to them? “Understanding your audience is vital for any public speaker, but it's especially important for keynote speakers since it's vital that they establish rapport with their audience and also because they set the tone for the entire event,” writes Laura Spencer in this article on delivering an effective keynote speech. A keynote address is meant to inspire action, deepen the connection between audiences and a company or business and should leave a lasting impression. Content is the foundation for all of it. And by taking the time to clearly understand what your audience needs and wants, you’re laying the groundwork for a long-lasting relationship with your audience. Don’t just think of your audience as a crowd, but instead as individuals all hoping to learn and grow. By addressing them as real people with real goals, you’re opening the door to a more personal experience which can help make your speech that much more impactful. “One big trick in speaking to your audience is to treat your public speaking as if you are just speaking to one person at a time,” says cross-cultural business speaker and communications expert Jessica Chen . “The more personal the conversation, the less nervous you will become and the more it will resonate with those listening. It’ll feel like you’re talking to them, not above them.” Slides are Important, but They Aren’t Everything Slides are usually one of the core additions to any keynote address. And while it’s absolutely important to have a direction for your speech and to build a roadmap, a great keynote helps create a connection with the audience. Relying on slides or repeating what’s on them verbatim makes it harder to build an intimate relationship with the people watching and listening. It also makes it that much harder to pivot if any technical issues pop up. “Knowing your transitions and flow is important, but not as much as knowing the key insights you want your audience to walk away with,” notes Inc . The main takeaway is to think of slides as more of a guide and not the be all, end all. You’re up there to deliver important information but also to inspire and tell a story. Approach your keynote address with authenticity and be yourself. Public speaking is no easy task, but taking a moment (or a few) to breathe, relax and get comfortable with your audience can go a long way in building trust, affinity, and even a sense of fun. So yes, slides are perfect for helping the keynote move where it needs to go, but it’s more about delivering an honest and personal message that will resonate with audiences and leave them feeling informed and excited. Rehearsing is the Most Important Component The idea of having to give a keynote address can feel nerve wracking. To alleviate some of the pressure and ease the process, one of the biggest things you can do is rehearse. And when you think you’ve practiced enough, go back and do it a few more times. There are so many reasons why rehearsing your speech is essential to making it a success. Practicing gives you the opportunity to hone your content and finetune it until it flows well, is easy to understand and delivers a memorable message. It also lets you refine your intonation and delivery. A great keynote address should leave audiences feeling excited, motivated and inspired. Taking the time to craft the right speech and ensure it will connect with your audience is what it’s all about. Another reason to rehearse is to be able to memorize your words as best you can. When you don’t have to rely on looking at a sheet of paper the whole time, you can look out at your audience and establish more of a relationship with them. It also helps you to be prepared in case any unexpected issues arise. “The more you rehearse and become comfortable with the content, the freer you'll be to take chances, experiment, and truly focus on your delivery, rather than trying to remember what comes next,” notes Melanie Deziel , an international keynote speaker and founder of Storyfuel , in an article published on Hubspot. Another thing to consider when rehearsing is putting together your own practice audience. Find a relaxing or cozy spot and ask some trusted family members or friends if they can listen and share their thoughts. You can even record yourself speaking and play it back to see if you’re moving too fast or where you want to change your delivery. The tactics you can use when practicing are endless but the most important thing is to do it. Conclude on a Thoughtful Note The way you end your speech is just as important as how you open and deliver it. Whether it's abrupt or meandering, the wrong kind of ending can leave your audience with a less than stellar impression and reduce the impact of your overall message. The goal is to provide a thoughtful conclusion that resonates with audiences, reinforces your key themes, and prompts action. “Whether you’re facing a parole board or delivering Q4 sales results, your speech is only as good as your conclusion. There’s no single best way to wrap up, but my general rule is to always write out your conclusion in advance and memorize it,” says speech trainer, journalist and author John Bowe . “Look them in the eye and give them something to remember after the presentation is over.” Using these keynote address techniques may not calm all of your nerves, but taking the time to prepare, understanding what your audience wants, and concluding in a memorable way will ensure you accomplish your goals and make an impact.

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Biden’s speech at the Holocaust remembrance ceremony, annotated

By Zachary B. Wolf and Annette Choi , CNN

Published May 7, 2024

President Joe Biden talked about the documented increase of antisemitism in the United States during the annual US Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Days of Remembrance ceremony at the US Capitol building. Every recent president has made remarks at least once at the event, but Biden’s remarks came as pro-Palestinian protests have disrupted classes and commencements at multiple US universities . At times, rhetoric at those protests has veered into antisemitism, offended Jewish students and sparked a fierce debate about free speech.

Biden talked in-depth about the Hamas terror attack against Israel on October 7, 2023, and the Israeli hostages that remain in captivity . He did not mention Israel’s heavy-handed response, which has not only destroyed much of Gaza and cost tens of thousands of lives but has also driven a wedge between Biden and many progressives, particularly on college campuses. See below for what he said , along with context from CNN.

Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Thank you, Stu Eizenstat, for that introduction, for your leadership of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum . You are a true scholar and statesman and a dear friend.

Speaker Johnson , Leader Jeffries, members of Congress and especially the survivors of the Holocaust. If my mother were here, she’d look at you and say, “God love you all. God love you all.”

Abe Foxman and all other survivors who embody absolute courage and dignity and grace are here as well.

During these sacred days of remembrance we grieve, we give voice to the 6 million Jews who were systematically targeted and murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators during World War II. We honor the memory of victims, the pain of survivors, the bravery of heroes who stood up to Hitler's unspeakable evil. And we recommit to heading and heeding the lessons that one of the darkest chapters in human history to revitalize and realize the responsibility of never again.

The Days of Remembrance commemoration has been an annual event since 1982. Every US president since Bill Clinton has spoken at least once at a remembrance event.

House Speaker Mike Johnson spoke shortly before Biden and tried to compare the situation on college campuses today with that on college campuses in Germany in the 1930s.

Never again, simply translated for me, means never forget, never forget. Never forgetting means we must must keep telling the story, we must keep teaching the truth, we must keep teaching our children and our grandchildren. And the truth is we are at risk of people not knowing the truth.

That's why, growing up, my dad taught me and my siblings about the horrors of the Shoah at our family dinner table.

Shoah is the Hebrew term for the Holocaust.

That's why I visited Yad Vashem with my family as a senator, as vice president and as president. And that's why I took my grandchildren to Dachau , so they could see and bear witness to the perils of indifference, the complicity of silence in the face of evil that they knew was happening.

Biden visited Yad Vashem , Israel’s Holocaust remembrance site, in 2022 as president.

As vice president, he toured the Nazi concentration camp outside Munich in 2015 with his granddaughter during a trip for an annual security conference.

Germany, 1933, Hitler and his Nazi party rise to power by rekindling one of the world's oldest forms of prejudice and hate — antisemitism.

His rule didn't begin with mass murder. It started slowly across economic, political, social and cultural life — propaganda demonizing Jews, boycotts of Jewish businesses, synagogues defaced with swastikas, harassment of Jews in the street and in the schools, antisemitic demonstrations, pogroms, organized riots.

With the indifference of the world, Hitler knew he could expand his reign of terror by eliminating Jews from Germany, to annihilate Jews across Europe through genocide the Nazis called the final solution. Concentration camps, gas chambers, mass shootings. By the time the war ended, 6 million Jews, one out of every three Jews in the entire world, were murdered.

This ancient hatred of Jews didn't begin with the Holocaust. It didn't end with the Holocaust either, or after, even after our victory in World War II. This hatred continues to lie deep in the hearts of too many people in the world and requires our continued vigilance and outspokenness.

The Holocaust survivor Irene Butter wrote for CNN Opinion in 2021 about Adolf Hitler’s rise and echoes of Nazism in the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack.

That hatred was brought to life on October 7th in 2023. On the sacred Jewish holiday, the terrorist group Hamas unleashed the deadliest day of the Jewish people since the Holocaust.

Read mo re about Hamas .

Driven by ancient desire to wipe out the Jewish people off the face of the Earth, over 1,200 innocent people — babies, parents, grandparents — slaughtered in their kibbutz, massacred at a music festival, brutally raped, mutilated and sexually assaulted .

Evidence of sexual violence has been documented. Here’s the account of one Israeli woman who has spoken publicly about her experience.

Thousands more carrying wounds, bullets and shrapnel from the memory of that terrible day they endured. Hundreds taken hostage, including survivors of the Shoah.

Now here we are, not 75 years later but just seven-and-a-half months later and people are already forgetting, are already forgetting that Hamas unleashed this terror. That it was Hamas that brutalized Israelis. It was Hamas who took and continues to hold hostages. I have not forgotten, nor have you, and we will not forget.

On May 7, 1945, the German High Command agreed to an unconditional surrender in World War II, 79 years ago.

And as Jews around the world still cope with the atrocities and trauma of that day and its aftermath, we've seen a ferocious surge of anti s emitism in America and around the world.

In late October, FBI Director Christopher Wray said reports of antisemitism in the US were reaching “ historic ” levels.

Vicious propaganda on social media, Jews forced to keep their — hide their kippahs under baseball hats, tuck their Jewish stars into their shirts.

On college campuses, Jewish students blocked, harassed, attacked while walking to class . Antisemitism, antisemitic posters , slogans calling for the annihilation of Israel, the world's only Jewish state.

Many Jewish students have described feeling intimidated and attacked on campuses. Others have said they support the protests , citing the situation in Gaza.

Last month, the dean of the University of California Berkeley Law School described antisemitic posters that targeted him.

Too many people denying, downplaying, rationalizing, ignoring the horrors of the Holocaust and October 7th, including Hamas' appalling use of sexual violence to torture and terrorize Jews. It's absolutely despicable and it must stop.

Silence. Silence and denial can hide much but it can erase nothing.

Some injustices are so heinous, so horrific, so grievous they cannot be married – buried, no matter how hard people try.

In my view, a major lesson of the Holocaust is, as mentioned earlier, is it not, was not inevitable.

We know hate never goes away. It only hides. And given a little oxygen, it comes out from under the rocks.

We also know what stops hate. One thing: All of us. The late Rabbi Jonathan Sacks described antisemitism as a virus that has survived and mutated over time.

Together, we cannot continue to let that happen. We have to remember our basic principle as a nation. We have an obligation. We have an obligation to learn the lessons of history so we don't surrender our future to the horrors of the past. We must give hate no safe harbor against anyone. Anyone.

From the very founding, our very founding, Jewish Americans , who represented only about 2% of the US population , have helped lead the cause of freedom for everyone in our nation. From that experience we know scapegoating and demonizing any minority is a threat to every minority and the very foundation of our democracy.

As of 2020, Jewish Americans made up about 2.4% of the US population, according to the Pew Research Center , or about 5.8 million people.

So moments like this we have to put these principles that we're talking about into action.

I understand people have strong beliefs and deep convictions about the world .

In America we respect and protect the fundamental right to free speech, to debate and disagree, to protest peacefully and make our voices heard . I understand. That's America.

The complaint of many protesters is that Israel’s response to the terror attack has claimed more than 30,000 lives and destroyed much of Gaza .

But there is no place on any campus in America, any place in America, for antisemitism or hate speech or threats of violence of any kind.

Whether against Jews or anyone else, violent attacks, destroying property is not peaceful protest. It's against the law and we are not a lawless country. We're a civil society. We uphold the rule of law and no one should have to hide or be brave just to be themselves.

To the Jewish community, I want you to know I see your fear, your hurt and your pain.

Let me reassure you as your president, you're not alone. You belong. You always have and you always will.

And my commitment to the safety of the Jewish people, the security of Israel and its right to exist as an independent Jewish state is ironclad, even when we disagree.

My administration is working around the clock to free remaining hostages, just as we have freed hostages already, and will not rest until we bring them all home.

My administration, with our second gentleman's leadership, has launched our nation's first national strategy to counter antisemitism. That's mobilizing the full force of the federal government to protect Jewish communities.

But we know this is not the work of government alone or Jews alone. That's why I’m calling on all Americans to stand united against antisemitism and hate in all its forms.

My dear friend — and he became a friend — the late Elie Wiesel said, quote, “One person of integrity can make a difference.”

Elie Wiesel , the Holocaust survivor, writer and activist, died in 2016.

We have to remember that, now more than ever.

Here in Emancipation Hall in the US Capitol, among the towering statues of history is a bronze bust of Raoul Wallenberg . Born in Sweden as a Lutheran, he was a businessman and a diplomat. While stationed in Hungary during World War II, he used diplomatic cover to hide and rescue about 100,000 Jews over a six-month period.

Read more about Wallenberg , the Holocaust hero and Swedish diplomat who was formally declared dead in 2016, 71 years after he vanished.

Among them was a 16-year-old Jewish boy who escaped a Nazi labor camp. After the war ended, that boy received a scholarship from the Hillel Foundation to study in America. He came to New York City penniless but determined to turn his pain into purpose. Along with his wife, also a Holocaust survivor, he became a renowned economist and foreign policy thinker, eventually making his way to this very Capitol on the staff of a first-term senator.

That Jewish refugee was Tom Lantos and that senator was me. Tom and his wife and Annette and their family became dear friends to me and my family. Tom would go on to become the only Holocaust survivor ever elected to Congress, where he became a leading voice on civil rights and human rights around the world. Tom never met Raoul, who was taken prisoner by the Soviets, never to be heard from again.

Read more about Lantos , the longtime congressman and Holocaust survivor who died in 2008. Lantos worked for Biden early in his career.

But through Tom's efforts, Raoul’s bust is here in the Capitol. He was also given honorary US citizenship, only the second person ever after Winston Churchill. The Holocaust Museum here in Washington is located in a road in Raoul’s name.

The story of the power of a single person to put aside our differences, to see our common humanity, to stand up to hate and its ancient story of resilience from immense pain, persecution, to find hope, purpose and meaning in life, we try to live and share with one another. That story endures.

Let me close with this. I know these days of remembrance fall on difficult times. We all do well to remember these days also fall during the month we celebrate Jewish American heritage, a heritage that stretches from our earliest days to enrich every single part of American life today.

There are important topics Biden did not address. He referenced the October 7 attacks on Israel but not Israel’s controversial response, which has drawn furious protests. He failed to mention Gaza, where Israel’s military campaign has killed so many, and which has led the World Food Programme to warn of a “full-blown famine .”

A great American — a great Jewish American named Tom Lantos — used the phrase “the veneer of civilization is paper thin.” We are its guardians, and we can never rest.

My fellow Americans, we must, we must be those guardians. We must never rest. We must rise Against hate, meet across the divide, see our common humanity. And God bless the victims and survivors of the Shoah.

May the resilient hearts, the courageous spirit and the eternal flame of faith of the Jewish people forever shine their light on America and around the world, pray God.

Thank you all.

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• Defence and armed forces

London Defence Conference 2024 Defence Secretary keynote

Secretary of State for Defence Grant Shapps gave a keynote speech at the London Defence Conference at Bush House, London on 22 May 2024.

Good morning. Welcome to London. Welcome to the London Defence Conference. And welcome to Bush House.

The iconic building from which the BBC World Service broadcast their very last programme in July 2012.

Now, it was a time of comparative optimism and harmony.

There was talk of a so-called golden era in UK-China relations. Russia was a member of the G8. Nuclear talks were ongoing with Iran that would lead to the 2015 Iran Nuclear Deal.

And in London right here, we were sprucing ourselves up for the Olympics and I imagine in complete secrecy, her late Majesty the Queen was conducting her final few practice parachute jumps.

Now, you may recall that the UK went on to have our most successful ever Olympic games, winning 65 medals, as it turned out, the exact same number as Russia.

Four years later, we discovered how Russia had done so well and it had nothing to do with their sportsmanship.

The World Anti-Doping Authority in a 144-page Maclaren report found that: “The Russian Olympic team corrupted the London Games on an unprecedented scale…”

The report detailed the central role of Russia’s Internal Security Service - the FSB - in a systematic doping conspiracy and cover up.

It was a sobering reminder that not everyone plays by the rules or plays with the same honour.

The Olympic values of excellence, respect, and friendship had lost out to state-sponsored cheating, hostility, and ruthlessness.

Now, wind the clock forward to today and Russia and other autocratic states are using that very same playbook.

Ruthless rule-breaking, narrow self-interest, this time not just for sport but to advance their strategic, political and economic goals.

In January, in my Lancaster House speech, I warned that the world had moved from a post-war to a pre-war era.

An axis of authoritarian states led by Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea have escalated and fuelled conflicts and tensions.

They have increasingly been working together.

And today I can reveal that we have evidence that Russia and China are collaborating on combat equipment for use in Ukraine.

As we saw from Putin’s state visit to Beijing and the 64% growth in trade between Russia and China since the full-scale invasion…they’re covering each other’s back.

But this isn’t some distant problem.

Attacks on Iranian journalists and Ukrainian-linked businesses right here in London. Apparent intelligence operations targeting Border Force and parliamentary staff and cyber-attacks on government, business, and our critical national infrastructure… all of that puts Britain on the frontline of malign activity.

In response to this continuing hostility and our more dangerous world, the UK has been at the forefront, backed up by our actions and our resources. We are leading by example.

Specifically, the government has committed to spend 2.5% of GDP on defence by 2030.

Injecting a £75 billion cash boost into our defence budget over the next six years.

We have increased our support to Ukraine, giving our largest ever gift of military equipment since this war started and it’s starting to arrive.

We’ve also increased our military aid to £3 billion and we’ve also committed to do that year after year, at the very least until the end of the decade.

But we haven’t stopped there.

We’ve provided the biggest land component to NATO’s Exercise Steadfast Defender, the alliance’s largest exercise since the end of the Cold War.

Our Royal Navy has intercepted Houthi drones and missiles in the Red Sea… our Royal Air Force has intercepted Iranian drones targeting Israel.

We are procuring new multi-purpose warships for our Royal Marines taking the total number of Royal Navy ships in the Navy’s pipeline to 28, fuelling a new golden age of shipbuilding.

We’ve committed an extra £10 billion to rebuild and expand our munitions stockpiles.

We’ve ringfenced at least 5% of our defence budget to game-changing research and development.

We’ve signed a treaty with Italy and Japan to build sixth generation fighter jets.

Agreed with our AUKUS partners the US and Australia to open-up cooperation on advanced military capabilities with other nations.

The Joint Expeditionary Force, led by the UK, has carried out its first operational deployment.

And we’ve been at the forefront of efforts to bolster NATO and a wider global democratic alliances.

So, all in all we are doing our bit.

Yet when it comes to strengthening our collective deterrence no one has done as much as Putin.

Because, the single most obvious outcome of Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine has been NATO’s expansion to 32 members with Finland and Sweden joining in the last year.

Plus, members everywhere are spending more money on our collective deterrence with two-thirds now on track to meet the 2% spending target this year.

Meanwhile, Poland has become the alliance’s leading per capita spender on defence and Germany has reversed decades of hesitant defence policy to build-up its own forces and make a huge contribution to support Ukraine.

Yet despite the undoubted progress, I do not believe we have collectively gone far enough.

The democratic world is saying the right things and mostly doing the right things but not on the scale, or with the pace, that this critical moment demands.

And we must be realistic that, while our alliances are strong, many nations continue to sit on the fence hedging their bets or worse are only too happy to provide an alternative market for Russian oil and energy.

So, to strengthen collective deterrence I am pursuing a proactive approach to reinforcing our partnerships and alliances.

To ensure they are bigger, stronger, more committed and above all, more prepared.

And that starts with the cornerstone of our military alliances, NATO.

Putin and his autocratic allies in Beijing, Pyongyang, and Tehran have been emboldened by 25 years of Western timidity towards their repression at home, and aggression abroad.

It’s time for the world to wake-up.

That means translating this moment into concrete plans and capabilities.

And that starts with laying the foundations for an alliance-wide increase in spending on our collective deterrence.

So, this summer I will make the unambiguous case for 2.5% to become the new NATO standard.

The second strand of my approach is to grow and reinforce our collective security.

Let me be absolutely clear - NATO is and always will be a voluntary defensive alliance.

But collective defence and deterrence is effectively a numbers game.

So I will also make the case for all those European nations which effectively benefit from NATO coverage that enjoy the benefits of freedom and liberty to come and join the Alliance.

When the bear is at the backdoor of European security we must come and stand together.

So, it is time for every European nation to step-up and for NATO to renew its case more proactively.

Thirdly, international rules work if they have global support and application.

So next week I will travel to the Shangri-La Security Conference in Singapore with a clear message that if our partners in the Indo-Pacific overlook illegal invasion in Europe it has consequences for international security everywhere including in at home the Indo Pacific.

My message will be simple. Help us to help you. Our security is your security.

But it is not enough just to make the case against advancing authoritarianism we must also do more to compete with it.

Democratic states must make a full-throated case for democracy and the freedoms that are dependent on the international order.

Which is why I will also offer to extend our military partnerships with countries in the Indo-Pacific.

Holding up AUKUS and GCAP as examples of what like-minded countries on different continents can achieve together in support of mutual security.

Now, all of this means we don’t just need more allies and partners we also need them to be more committed.

And just as it is no longer tenable for European countries to expect the US to subsidise our security, how can it be right that despite a sizable global coalition in the Red Sea it is only the US and UK who have struck Houthi targets to protect shipping.

Even though exporters and customers right across Asia and Europe benefit from the freedom of navigation.

Part of the answer is converting commitment into capability,

to encourage partners to play a bigger role in support of the world order.

So, we will step-up our training with defence allies on every continent. We will continue to help train Ukrainians, now nearly 70,000 of them since 2014.

And we will work closer with UK industry to strengthen exports of advanced British capabilities to our allies.

And it’s already happening for example, did you know that the UK has the largest order book for military maritime orders by value in the entire world and this is expected to grow even further.

Now, none of this will be easy.

The post-cold war peace dividend has softened attitudes towards defence spending across the West.

European societies have become used to seeing defence as really a second order priority.

It is hard for governments to change those mindsets overnight.

But we cannot afford to continue repeating the naivety we showed towards Russia’s doping in 2012. Because there is so much more at stake.

Just ask Yaryna from Kyiv, a combat medic with the Ukraine Marine Corps Reconnaissance division.  

Her company has been on the frontline without rotation since August 2021. Yaryna’s first military contract ended more than a year ago.  But despite having a daughter hundreds of miles away she chooses to fight on, recently joining a new unit near Kyiv, to be closer to her daughter.

Yaryna is clear about her motivation for risking her life and sacrificing so much…If Ukraine loses, she says: “We will lose our homes… our houses… our apartments will belong to Russians. We will be captured in Russian prisons…and then, when they finish their occupation…they won’t stop there, they will go to smaller European countries like the Baltic countries, and maybe Poland… and they will take all our reserves… to occupy the rest of Europe…and then all of Europe will be engaged in war.” 

Yaryna believes it is better to supply war-hardened Ukrainian fighters with the weapons they need to finish the war in Ukraine, rather than those with much less combat experience having to do so. 

I agree with Yaryna.  

Some will choose to view her warnings as alarmist.

Putin and his autocrat friends have a completely different world outlook to Western democracies.

It is bad enough their own populations have to suffer stifled rights and freedoms but it is unthinkable that they could force their vision of world order on us.

So, it’s time for democracies to really wake up to this reality.

The good news is that Ukraine, despite currently being under significant pressure, has evicted Russian forces from more than 50% of the land they first seized.

And Ukraine, despite having no Navy, is dominant in the Black Sea, where Russia’s fleet, the Black Sea fleet, has retreated out of reach of Ukraine’s long-range weapons and its impressive ghost army of surface drones.

These successes demonstrate that when the bravery of Ukraine’s Armed Forces is supported by brave decisions made by their leaders including mobilising more personnel, matched by timely military support from their allies - Ukraine still prevails.

Ukraine’s brave resistance to date demonstrates that corrupt and coercive tyrants and autocrats will never be able to match the determination of people for their sovereignty and freedom.

So, in our more dangerous world the UK will continue to lead by example and do everything we can to ensure our wake-up call is heard loud and clear.

Because today there is so much more at stake than those Olympic gold medals.

In 2012 it was doping and cheating in sport, today, it is about freedom, livelihoods and a secure world order.

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Watch the Microsoft Build 2024 keynote live here: More on Copilot+ and AI-enhanced PCs

New surface pcs with qualcomm arm chips were just the beginning.

The annual Microsoft Build developers officially conference kicks off today — but the tech giant has already revealed a laundry list of AI-centric hardware news. In a jam-packed Monday press conference, Microsoft unveiled one of the biggest changes to the Windows PC landscape in a long time. Copilot+ PCs , led by new Surface Laptop and Surface Pro models, are a promising new line of computers powered by Qualcomm Arm chips that enable significantly improved battery life without (if Microsoft is to be believed) the performance and compatibility compromises that have afflicted earlier Windows-on-Arm iterations over the past dozen or so years. Read our full wrap-up of the Surface/Copilot+ event for the details.

So what else does Microsoft have up its sleeve this week? Even more AI news, no doubt. With the hardware and Windows 11 news already on the board, CEO Satya Nadella and crew can provide even more detail on how the company's OpenAI partnership will further develop, and how Redmond will continue to counter Google's Gemini upgrades which were announced just last week.

You can follow along in real-time when the Build keynote starts Tuesday, May 21 at 12 PM ET/9 AM PT, and is scheduled to run for two hours. Watch the entire event live on YouTube (which is also embedded above) and at Microsoft's site (registration required).

If you want even more in-depth Microsoft Build news, there's also a second keynote session on Wednesday entitled Next generation AI for developers with the Microsoft Cloud . That one is scheduled for 11:30 AM ET/8:30 AM PT on May 22 and slated to run for 90 minutes.

Microsoft Build 2024 news so far

Microsoft Surface and Copilot Event: Everything announced including new Surface laptops, Copilot+ PC and more

Microsoft Surface Pro Copilot+ hands-on: Slimmer bezels and AI smarts

The Surface Pro Flex is Microsoft's revamped keyboard for 2-in-1s

Here are Dell’s five new Copilot+ PCs

HP Omnibook X hands-on: Vintage branding in the new era of AI

ASUS’ first Copilot+ PC locks when you walk away and unlocks when you return

Intel-powered Copilot+ PCs will be available this fall

The Yoga Slim 7x is Lenovo’s attempt at a MacBook Air

Microsoft rebuilt Windows 11 around AI and Arm chip

AI isn't the star of Microsoft's Copilot+ PC push — improved Arm support is

With Recall, Microsoft is using AI to fix Windows' eternally broken search

Here are all of the just-announced Copilot+ PCs with Snapdragon X Chips

Microsoft Paint is getting an AI-powered image generator that responds to your text prompts and doodles

Microsoft unveils Copilot for Teams

Microsoft teams up with Khan Academy to make the Khanmigo AI teaching assistant free

This story was originally posted earlier and has been updated to reflect Monday's Copilot+, Surface and Windows 11 announcements and Tuesday's pre-keynote Build news.

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Administrator Samantha Power Introduces Kenyan President William Ruto During A Keynote Speech

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ADMINISTRATOR SAMANTHA POWER: Thank you so much, Dean [James] Steinberg. Thanks to everyone here at the Johns Hopkins Center for Public Innovation for your partnership. I want to say a special word of thanks to Senior Advisor John Podesta. Where is John Podesta? Fantastic.

Just to say to have one of the most effective and experienced leaders, really honestly in the history of U.S. public service, and to have him take up the role that Secretary [John] Kerry occupied before him, and to see the way in which future generations will benefit from John deciding really to dedicate, in all kinds of ways, the last – the most recent phase of his career 24/7 to combating climate change. The fact that climate change has become his life's work is something we're all better off for. So thank you so much, John Podesta.

My task today is a very simple one. And I'm really honored to be able to perform it, which is to introduce a man who actually needs very little introduction at an event on climate action, given his trailblazing leadership.

But before I talk about President [William] Ruto, I just want to situate us with two images. Two years ago, I visited Turkana County in northwest Kenya. It was just before the start of the fifth straight failed rainy season in the region, and the land was parched. The dirt, as far as the eye could see: cracked. Former crop fields lay barren, livestock were dying in mass. They lacked the water to quench their thirst, they lacked the grass to feed on. I spoke with pastoralist families who before the drought might have had 300 or 400 goat, cattle, camel, and now they told me if they were lucky, they might have two or three left in their herd. Suicides among pastoralists were up. Because what was one to do if you didn't have a herd to tend to and to maintain as your livelihood.

Flash forward to this year, and heavy rains fell faster than this dry land could absorb them. People who had struggled for years to keep their families fed and their farms running through the drought, now saw massive floods wash away homes, markets, entire communities, killing hundreds and displacing hundreds of thousands. We applaud the work of the Kenyan Red Cross Society to quickly respond, and USAID is honored to be their partner in supporting their efforts.

President Ruto has led efforts to respond to disasters, like the ones I've just described, effectively and promptly. He has led efforts to surge support to those on the frontlines of the climate crisis. But importantly, he has also refused to simply accept the idea that this crisis will resign us to a more dangerous, more unequal, less prosperous future. Instead, he is showing how nations can drive economic growth by investing in climate solutions, just as President Biden has done with the Inflation Reduction Act.

As President Ruto has said, “We must see in green growth, not just a climate imperative, but a fountain of multibillion dollar economic opportunities that Africa and the world are primed to capitalize on.” President Ruto is leading extraordinary efforts to take advantage of those opportunities. Already, as many of you know, Kenya generates more than 90 percent of its energy from renewable sources – making it one of the world's top clean power producers. But even that standout performance is not enough for President Ruto. He is leading a push to generate all of Kenya's power from renewable sources by 2030. And as a regional leader and a global leader to help other nations to make this same transition.

He hosted the inaugural Africa Climate Summit, which secured a remarkable $23 billion in funding for green projects across the continent. And last year at COP 28, he announced the Africa Green Industrialization initiative to help African economies develop the more sustainable products and services that the world needs – everything from solar panels to greener fertilizers to EVs.

Earlier today Senior Adviser Podesta, Ambassador Margaret Whitman, DFC head Scott Nathan, and I joined President Ruto and President Biden as they discussed the many ways that agencies across the U.S. government, from USAID to the Development Finance Corporation to the Millennium Challenge Corporation – and I’ll welcome Alice Albright here today – how we all together can further invest in Africa's green industrialization and drive mutual prosperity in the process.

President Ruto knows of what he speaks. He has a resume unusual for a head of state on any continent, with a PhD in plant ecology no less – uniquely tailored in his background to the energy, climate, agricultural and broader economic leadership that he is exercising. He understands better than anyone, the power of nature to heal the planet by doing everything from cooling ground temperatures to sequestering carbon to preventing floods by absorbing excess rainwater. He has announced a goal to plant 15 billion trees by 2032 to increase Kenya's forest cover from less than 10 percent to nearly 30 percent. And we, at USAID, have been honored to support Kenya's conservation efforts, helping the country restore ecosystems, protect wildlife, and establish carbon markets that will help Kenya benefit from the incredible value that safeguarding these ecosystems creates for our planet and our people as a whole.

It is easy to feel pessimistic about the climate crisis. But when I meet with President Ruto, I come away every time with a renewed sense of the limitless possibilities ahead, and a deepened motivation to get back to work.

Please join me in welcoming a man who has laid out an urgent vision for working together across continents, and across sectors, to keep our communities safe to protect the world's natural treasures and to spur economic growth that benefits us all.

Ladies and gentlemen, President William Ruto.

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USF President Rhea Law receives honorary degree, delivers keynote address at Stetson Law Commencement

• May 22, 2024

Honors and Awards

By Elizabeth Metcalf , University Communications and Marketing

University of South Florida President Rhea Law was recognized last weekend with an honorary Doctor of Laws degree during Stetson University’s College of Law Commencement.

In addition to receiving this distinguished honor, Law served as the keynote speaker, delivering an address to nearly 300 law school graduates at Stetson’s Gulfport campus.

“President Law is a tireless leader whose impact you can see throughout the Tampa Bay region and the state of Florida,” said Benjamin Barros, dean of Stetson University’s College of Law. “I couldn’t think of a better person to inspire our spring 2024 graduating class to do great things.”

Law, a Stetson alumna whose legal career spans several decades, opened her address by thanking the faculty, staff and students at Stetson Law for presenting her with an honorary degree — an honor she will cherish for years to come.

“My Stetson education has served me well,” Law said. “During my years leading my law firm, I could attest to the fact that the lawyers coming from this remarkable institution were always well-prepared for the rigors of law firm practice. You have chosen well by attending Stetson University, and I am confident your future is bright.”

Law with members of the Commencement platform party before the ceremony

Stetson University President Christopher Roellke presents Law with an honorary doctor of laws and introduces her before her keynote address

Law with Stetson College of Law Dean Ben Barros

Law’s advice to the graduating class centered on three main themes: the importance of believing in oneself, remaining open to new opportunities and maintaining one’s credibility in practicing law.

A first-generation college student who earned her bachelor’s degree while working full-time at USF, Law emphasized the importance of “betting on yourself,” while recounting her law school journey and her decision to cash out her retirement fund to finance her studies.

Concerned about entering law school later in life than many of her peers, she sought advice from the dean of the college, who introduced her to a woman in her 70s who was also enrolled at Stetson Law and about to earn her degree.

“I thought that if she could do this, I could, too,” said Law, who also uses her role at USF to emphasize the importance of providing lifelong learning opportunities. “It was that mindset, that desire to embrace the unknown, that led me toward many other opportunities throughout my career.”

Law, who led Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney’s Florida offices before becoming USF’s eighth president, shared personal stories from her years as an attorney in several areas of practice to illustrate the importance of remaining open to new opportunities.

“As lawyers, you will have unlimited opportunities to impact lives and create meaningful change,” Law said. “Whether locally or globally — the possibilities are endless. To be effective, you must be open to opportunities and search out pathways to enhanced purpose. This will add meaning and joy to your practice.”

The final theme of Law’s speech centered around the importance of protecting one's credibility and professionalism while practicing law.

“Be mindful of your responsibilities — both to your clients and the profession you represent,” Law said. “To practice law is a great honor, and it is an equally great responsibility. By letting your character be your compass, you can accomplish incredible feats, and change the world for the better.”

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Israel’s Netanyahu to address US Congress soon, Johnson says

R epublican US House Speaker Mike Johnson said on Thursday Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would soon address a joint meeting of Congress amid heightened tension with President Joe Biden over the Israeli leader’s handling of the war in Gaza.

Delivering a keynote speech at the Israeli embassy’s annual Independence Day reception, Johnson, the top congressional Republican and a critic of the Democratic president’s Israel policy, said it would be “a strong show of support for the Israeli government in their time of greatest need.”

Such a speech is sure to further anger progressive Democrats critical of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and Biden’s support for it. Netanyahu has closely aligned himself with Republicans.

The diplomatic gathering in Washington comes amid strains between Biden and Netanyahu over a US push for Israel to do more to protect Palestinian civilians in the war against Hamas militants in Gaza.

The embassy gave equal billing to Democratic US Representative Pete Aguilar, who shared the high-profile platform with Johnson at a more subdued event under the shadow of the Gaza war.

“As Americans, we reaffirm our commitment to Israel’s sovereignty,” he said.

Speaking first, Johnson said to applause: “Tonight I’m happy to announce … we will soon be hosting Prime Minister Netanyahu at the Capitol for a joint session of Congress.”

Successive US administrations have usually sent a high-level official to the Independence Day receptions.

Vice President Kamala Harris, who in recent months has called the situation in Gaza a “humanitarian catastrophe” and has urged a ceasefire, delivered last year’s keynote, mostly extolling US backing for Israel.

An Israeli official said this year the embassy wanted to honor lawmakers in a bipartisan way in appreciation for congressional approval of billions of dollars in new US military aid.

The reception took place on the same night as a White House state dinner for Kenyan President William Ruto, which the Israeli official said created a scheduling conflict for cabinet members.

Several less senior Biden aides were in attendance, including Derek Chollet, Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s counselor.

The White House declined comment when asked whether it was consulted about the invitation to Netanyahu or whether Biden, who has denied an Oval Office meeting to the Israeli leader, might see him in Washington.

Johnson and Aguilar both condemned the International Criminal Court prosecutor’s decision this week to seek arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his defense chief, Yoav Gallant.

The prosecutor also asked for warrants to capture Hamas leaders responsible for the deadly Oct. 7 cross-border attack on Israel, which triggered the Gaza war.

Johnson took a veiled swipe at Biden, saying “some leaders” have sought to withhold “vital weapons” from Israel.

Biden has paused one shipment of bombs and warned he could delay others if Netanyahu carries out an all-out ground offensive in the refugee-packed city of Rafah in southern Gaza. But the flow of weapons has mostly continued.

Security was tight around the National Building Museum where the reception was held. A small group of pro-Palestinian protesters shouted “shame on you” at guests exiting the event.

One person held an Israeli flag stained red to simulate blood. Another on a megaphone accused Israel of war crimes.

On Tuesday, Johnson said he was close to inviting Netanyahu, a right-wing leader who had warm relations with former President Donald Trump.

Johnson, a Trump ally, had issued Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer an ultimatum to sign a letter inviting Netanyahu or else he would only speak to the House of Representatives.

Schumer had signaled he was open to Congress hosting Netanyahu, despite declaring in March that the Israeli leader had “lost his way” and calling for new elections in Israel.

Johnson did not specify a date for Netanyahu’s speech.

Addresses to Congress are a rare honor generally reserved for the closest US allies.

Netanyahu has already given three speeches, most recently in 2015.

That year, Republican leaders invited him without consulting Democratic then-President Barack Obama, as Netanyahu joined them in an unsuccessful bid to derail Obama’s international nuclear deal with Iran.

Dozens of Democrats boycotted Netanyahu’s last speech, raising the prospect that some could stay away this time.

Johnson, struggling to keep his fractious Republican House majority intact, has been a prominent voice in the US political divide over Israeli policy.

Politicization of the issue has intensified ahead of the November election in which Biden is running against Trump.

In contrast to past years’ gala celebrations, this year’s reception, marking the 76th anniversary of Israel’s founding, was billed as a “solidarity event.”

Israel is fighting to wipe out Hamas militants who attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and seizing 253 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

Palestinian authorities say more than 35,000 people have been killed during Israel’s campaign in Gaza.