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Sample Letters to Invite Keynote Speaker/Motivational Speaker for Speech

These letters can be used by a school to invite a guest speaker to deliver a speech. You may modify the sample according to your needs and circumstances.

Guest Speaker Invitation Letter Example

Visitor Speaker Invitation Letter Example

Dear [Doctor, Hon. Mr, Mrs, Ms, etc.]

I hope this message finds you well. I am respected to welcome you to be the visitor speaker at [event name]. Our occasion is to be held on [date] at the [venue] in [location]. You are an amazing motivational speaker, and I do not think anyone is there who does not know your name.

(Name of the event) is to be conducted throughout the day occasion being facilitated by [names with titles/affiliations]. We anticipate that our group of spectators should be in the area of [ number]. We will probably bring individuals from the nearby network together to give them motivation about what our non-benefit association wants to accomplish with our program to spread awareness about cleanliness. We need to incite discourse about the program and bring issues to light, which we expect will likewise raise assets, and gifts.

Your discussion will be taped, and an alter will appear on our site and other online networking channels, for example, YouTube. We accept that your “voice” will be useful to everybody in our association and similarly invested people who go to the occasion.

From your resume on [website], I note that you take talking commitment at no charge. In any case, as you are out of state, we would be pleased to cover your movement costs. We will likewise give you an individual colleague from our group who will deal with every one of your courses of action, air terminal exchanges, and so forth, and be available to manage your needs during the day of the occasion.

If you don’t mind, let me know by [date] whether you would be keen on talking. Connected is the schedule of the occasion and some foundation data on the topic we speak to and our patrons for this undertaking.

Much thanks to you for setting aside the effort to peruse our welcome, and I particularly anticipate getting a notification from you soon.

Guest Speaker Invitation Letter to invite them and spread personal hygiene awareness

Dear Sir/Madam,

I hope this message finds you well. I am respected to welcome you to be the guest speaker at [event name]. Our occasion is to be held on [date] at the [venue] in [location]. You are an amazing motivational speaker, and I do not think anyone is there who does not know your name. I thought it would be an amazing honor for us if you could come to the seminar that will be conducted specifically for you and educate our students on Personal Hygiene and the diseases associated with not keeping ourselves clean.

Your discussion will be taped, and an alter will appear on our site and other online networking channels, for example, YouTube. We accept your “voice” will be useful to everybody in our association and to similarly invested people who go to the occasion. Plus, you being a researcher, validates your words.

If you don’t mind let me know by [date] whether you would be keen on talking. Connected is the schedule of the occasion, and some foundation data on the topic we speak to, and our patrons for this undertaking.

Best Regards,

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Invitation Letter For Guest Speaker: How To Draft It Right!

In this article, I’ll share my insights and provide a comprehensive guide on writing an effective invitation letter for a guest speaker, complete with customizable templates to get you started.

Key Takeaways: Understand the importance of a well-crafted invitation letter. Learn step-by-step how to write an effective invitation letter for a guest speaker. Discover tips and tricks for personalizing and enhancing your invitation. Gain insight from a real-life example of a successful guest speaker invitation. Free Template : Utilize the provided template to simplify the process.

The Importance of a Thoughtful Invitation

The invitation letter is often the first point of contact between you and the potential speaker. It reflects not only the essence of the event but also your professionalism and attention to detail. 

A well-written letter can make the difference between a speaker accepting or declining your invitation.

Personal Experience: Captivating a Renowned Speaker

In my experience, the most successful invitation I sent was to a well-known industry expert. I focused on personalizing the letter, highlighting how their expertise perfectly aligned with the theme of our event. 

The result? They accepted, and their session turned out to be the highlight of the event.

Step-by-Step Guide: Writing the Invitation Letter

Start with a Professional Format

• Use official letterhead if available.
• Include your contact information and the date.

Personalize the Greeting

• Address the speaker by name.
• Avoid generic salutations like “Dear Sir/Madam.”

Introduce Yourself and the Event

• Briefly mention your role and organization.
• Provide an overview of the event (purpose, audience, theme).

Explain Why You Chose Them

• Highlight their achievements or expertise relevant to the event.
• Make them feel valued and important.

Provide Specific Details

• Date, time, location of the event.
• Expectations regarding their contribution (e.g., keynote speech, panel discussion).

Discuss Logistics

• Mention arrangements like travel, accommodation, and honorarium if applicable.

End with a Call to Action

• Encourage them to respond by a specific date.
• Provide your contact information for any queries.

Close Professionally

• Use a formal closing, such as “Sincerely” or “Best regards.”
• Include your name and position.

Guest Speaker Invitation Letter Sample

[Your Name] [Your Position] [Your Organization] [Your Contact Information] [Date]

[Speaker’s Name] [Speaker’s Title] [Speaker’s Address]

Dear [Speaker’s Name],

I am [Your Name], the [Your Position] at [Your Organization]. We are hosting [Event Name] on [Date] at [Location], and I am writing to cordially invite you to be our [Type of Participation, e.g., keynote speaker].

Your extensive knowledge in [Speaker’s Expertise Area] aligns perfectly with our event’s theme, [Theme], making your insights invaluable to our audience of [Describe Audience].

We expect your session to be approximately [Duration] long. [Provide details about any specific topics or formats, if applicable]. In recognition of your contribution, we are offering [Mention Honorarium, Travel, and Accommodation arrangements].

We would be honored to have you join us for this event. Please let us know your availability by [Response Deadline], and feel free to contact me directly for any further information or discussion.

Looking forward to the possibility of your participation.

Best regards,

[Your Name] [Your Position]

Tips for a Successful Invitation Letter

• Personalize : Tailor your letter to reflect the speaker’s accomplishments and relevance to your event.
• Clarity : Be clear and concise about the event details and expectations.
• Respect : Show respect for the speaker’s time and contribution.
• Follow-Up : If you don’t receive a response, a polite follow-up can be effective.

Your feedback is valuable! Did this article help you understand how to write an effective invitation letter for a guest speaker? Leave a comment with your thoughts or questions.

Related Posts

• Guest Speaker Request Letter Sample: Free & Effective
• Thank You Letter for Invitation to Conference
• 5 Event Participation Email Templates That Get Results

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: How do I write an effective invitation letter for a guest speaker?

Answer: In my experience, the key to crafting an effective invitation letter for a guest speaker is to be both professional and personal. Start by addressing the speaker respectfully by their title and last name.

Clearly state the purpose of your event, the date, and why you believe they would be the perfect fit. Don’t forget to mention how their expertise aligns with the theme of the event. 

Additionally, include logistical details like the venue, expected audience size, and any compensation or accommodations provided. Close with a personal touch, expressing genuine enthusiasm about the possibility of them speaking at your event.

Q: What should I include in the invitation letter regarding the event details?

Answer: When I write an invitation letter, I make sure to include key event details to give the guest speaker a clear understanding of what to expect. 

This includes the event’s date, time, location, and duration. I also describe the event’s purpose, theme, and audience. If it’s a recurring event, I mention its history and the success of past editions.

Additionally, I outline the expected audience size and composition, as this helps the speaker tailor their presentation. Lastly, I always mention any specific topics or themes they should focus on in their speech.

Q: How do I address compensation and logistics in the invitation letter?

Answer: In my letters, I address compensation and logistics transparently and upfront. I specify any honorarium or fee offered, along with details about travel arrangements and accommodations, if applicable.

I mention whether the organization will cover travel expenses, provide accommodation, and provide any other perks like dining or networking opportunities.

It’s also important to include information about the technical setup, like the availability of audio-visual equipment and any assistance they will receive on the day of the event.

Q: Should I include a deadline for their response in the invitation letter?

Answer: Yes, definitely. In my experience, it’s crucial to include a response deadline in the invitation letter. This helps in planning and ensures timely communication.

I usually provide a specific date by which I’d appreciate a response, giving them enough time to consider the invitation while also keeping my event planning on schedule.

I gently remind them that the invitation is time-sensitive and express my eagerness for their participation.

Q: How do I personalize the invitation letter to make it more appealing?

Answer: Personalizing the invitation letter can significantly increase the chances of a positive response. I always research the guest speaker’s recent work, publications, or speeches to reference in the letter.

This shows that I am genuinely interested in their expertise. I make it clear how their specific experience or perspective is relevant and valuable to the event. 

Personal anecdotes or expressing admiration for their work can also make the invitation more compelling. Lastly, I ensure the tone is warm and welcoming while remaining professional.

Related Articles

How to choose a guest speaker, guest speaker request letter sample: free & effective, 10 questions: getting the most out of speaker sessions, 3 samples of invitation letter for guest speaker: must-read, 3 proven templates for successful speaker invites, 12 thoughts on “invitation letter for guest speaker: how to draft it right”.

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This post was incredibly helpful in demystifying the process of writing a guest speaker invitation letter; the real-life example and step-by-step guide are particularly insightful!

What should my email subject be for a guest speaker invitation?

When I’m picking a subject line for inviting a guest speaker, I’d go for something straightforward but catchy that shows what the event is about and why they’re important for it. Like, “Hey, Come Speak at [Event Name]! Share Your Know-How with [Audience/Industry/Community]”.

This kind of subject line is friendly, to the point, and makes it clear why I’m reaching out. It helps the speaker get why they’re special for the event and what they’ll be diving into. Keeping it clear but short is key because a good subject line really ups the chances of the email getting noticed and read.

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Invite your speakers + performers

Inviting speakers to give a talk at your event takes more work (and finesse) than you might think. You should know how to craft a great invitation, and the information your prospective speakers need to know.

What makes a good invitation?

Your speaker or performer’s invitation should be a formal letter or email, outlining the reasons why you’re inviting them to your TEDx event.

Below is a simple outline of an invitation to help guide you. Unless you suspect your speaker or performer may not have internet access, email is generally the best way to send an invitation.

[Your event logo can be placed as the header, if you have it] [Date]

Dear [hopeful speaker],

I hope this message finds you well. I'm honored to invite you to speak at TEDx[eventname], an independently organized TED event happening in [month and year]. I am a huge fan of [your work] – and the way you [are so impressive at that thing you do] – and would be so excited if you would join us.

TEDx[eventname] is a full-day event being curated by [curators’ names with titles/affiliations], with an audience of about [#] in [place]. Our goal is to bring together bright minds to give talks that are idea-focused, and on a wide range of subjects, to foster learning, inspiration and wonder – and provoke conversations that matter.

Your talk would be filmed and an edit will be hosted on the TEDx YouTube channel. Just as with all speakers, we would work together ahead of time to craft the talk. Your talk could be up to [#] minutes, on any themes or topics you're interested in -- [a few suggestions].

TEDx[eventname] is tentatively scheduled for [date]. We believe your voice would be a critical addition to the TEDx[eventname] stage. Please let us know by [date] whether or not you’d be interested in speaking. Thank you for reading, and we very much look forward to hearing from you.

Best, [Name] TEDx[eventname] Curator [website]

Create an invitation schedule

You’ll want to create a schedule for inviting your speakers/performers, in case some of your first choices decline your invitation.

Send your invitations in phases, not all at once.

Sending out your invites should be a 4-step process:

• Send out a “first batch.” This first round of invites should go to your top choices of speakers – not any speakers you’re on the fence about.
• Wait for replies. Give yourself a designated amount of time for replies. If you need to follow up with anyone, send them a gentle nudge that you’d love to hear from them.
• Assess next steps. Once you’ve received responses from your first batch of potential speakers, look at your list and replace speakers who have declined with second choices to invite.
• Send another batch and repeat!

When a speaker says no...

If a speaker/performer says they are not available or are not interested in speaking at your event, don’t fret. Be graceful and thank them for considering the opportunity. If it feels appropriate, you could also ask them if they have any recommendations for other speakers.

Your speaker has accepted! Now what?

Once a speaker accepts your invitation, you’ll want to get on the phone, Skype, or meet in person to give them more information about the event, and discuss the idea for their talk.

The goal of your conversation is to communicate the following:

Explain what a TEDx Talk is

As you know, a TEDx Talk is much different from a lecture or speech. Be prepared to explain what a TEDx Talk is and how it’s different. A speaker may have already heard of TED, which is a plus, but you should still ask speakers what they like about TED and TEDx Talks, and discuss how they’re unique.

Let speakers know what your expectations are

You’ll want speakers to be sure they know what your expectations are of them, which are:

• Speakers are required to write an outline and/or script and slides
• Speakers are required to be contactable before the event, and have occasional check-ins with you
• Speakers will rehearse their talk for weeks or months in advance, and will attend at least one rehearsal with you, including dress rehearsal

Talk about what your speaker's “idea” might be

Finding your speaker’s idea is one of the most important steps you’ll take. Think of yourself as a journalist who needs to find a good angle for a story.

Line up some questions to help a speaker identify their idea. Here are some that could help draw it out:

• What's a controversy in your field that a general audience would understand?
• What's a common misconception you'd love to clear up?
• Why is this idea important, and to whom?
• Who would disagree with you, and why?
• How did you carry out this idea in your own work?
• What's the big idea behind your new project? How did you sell that idea to funders and collaborators?

You may not find the idea in your first conversation with your speakers. If not, at least get your speakers to start thinking about a very specific argument or idea that will both intrigue a general audience and satisfy other field experts.

If after your talk, both you and your potential speaker are ready to move forward with crafting a great TEDx Talk, add this new speaker to your official roster of TEDx speakers!

Explain and collect their speaker release

Each speaker must sign the TEDx speaker release form before they present. Have them review and agree before rehearsals begin. Keep the signed forms for your records. We will request this if their talk is chosen for wider sharing on TED channels.

Next: Prepare your speakers and performers

• If you’re unsure or on the fence about a potential speaker, instead of sending a formal speaker invitation, reach out more informally, saying you think their work is great and you’d love to explore the idea of having them talk. Get on a call or meet with them, and assess from there.

Basic components of a speaker invitation

• The name, date, and venue of the event
• The theme or focus of the event
• Why you think they would be a great speaker for your event
• Why it would benefit them
• How they can contact you

• Invitation To Give A Talk Email

The templates are invitations to give a talk, sent via email, to experts in various fields. Each template has a different subject line, and the content of the email varies slightly, but the general purpose is to invite the recipient to share their knowledge and expertise at an event or conference. The templates aim to convey a professional and respectful tone while highlighting the value and benefit of the recipient's contribution to the event. By providing details on the date, time, and venue of the event, the templates make it easy for the recipient to decide whether they are available and interested in participating.

Here are five templates for an invitation to give a talk:

Subject line: Invitation to give a talk at [event name]

Dear [Speaker Name],

We are excited to invite you to give a talk at our upcoming [event name]. We believe that your expertise and insights would be of great value to our audience.

The event is scheduled for [date and time], and will take place at [venue or online platform]. We understand that your time is valuable, and we will make sure that your talk is well-organized and productive.

Please let us know if you are available to give a talk at our event, and we will provide you with further details.

Thank you for considering our invitation.

Best regards,

[Your Name]

Subject line: Invitation to give a talk on [topic]

We would like to invite you to give a talk on [topic] at our upcoming event. We believe that your experience and knowledge would be of great value to our audience.

The event is scheduled for [date and time], and will take place at [venue or online platform]. As a speaker, you will have the opportunity to share your insights and engage with the audience during the Q&A session.

Please let us know if you are available to give a talk on [topic], and we will provide you with further details.

Subject line: Invitation to give a TED-style talk at [event name]

We are excited to invite you to give a TED-style talk at our upcoming [event name]. We believe that your unique perspective and experience would be perfect for this format.

The event is scheduled for [date and time], and will take place at [venue or online platform]. Your talk would be an integral part of our program and provide a thought-provoking experience for our attendees.

Please let us know if you are available to give a TED-style talk at our event, and we will provide you with further details.

Subject line: Invitation to give a talk at [conference name]

We are excited to invite you to give a talk at our upcoming [conference name]. We believe that your expertise and insights would be of great value to our attendees.

The conference is scheduled for [date and time], and will take place at [venue or online platform]. Your talk would be an opportunity to share your research and engage with other experts in the field.

Please let us know if you are available to give a talk at our conference, and we will provide you with further details.

Subject line: Invitation to give a talk on [topic] for our [organization name]

We would like to invite you to give a talk on [topic] for our [organization name]. We believe that your experience and knowledge would be of great value to our members.

The talk is scheduled for [date and time], and will take place at [venue or online platform]. As a speaker, you will have the opportunity to share your insights and engage with our members during the Q&A session.

Please let us know if you are available to give a talk on [topic] for our organization, and we will provide you with further details.

We are delighted to extend our professional proofreading and writing services to cater to all your business and professional requirements, absolutely free of charge at Englishtemplates.com . Should you need any email, letter, or application templates, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at englishtemplates.com. Kindly leave a comment stating your request, and we will ensure to provide the necessary template at the earliest.

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What to Say in a Guest Speaker Letter of Invitation

Apr 5, 2022 | Events

Getting a speaker to come to your conference or seminar to give a speech begins with a carefully crafted speaker letter of invitation. Start here!

If you’re wondering how to invite someone to be a guest speaker at your event, we’ve got you covered! The perfect speaker invite letter will spark excitement in your first-choice speaker and inspire them to accept your invitation promptly and enthusiastically. In this blog, we’ll detail everything you need to know about how to invite a guest speaker, from the earliest planning stages to drafting a formal speaker invitation letter.

Why Invite a Guest Speaker

How to invite a guest speaker.

Reaching out to potential guest speakers can be a daunting task – after all, these are experts or even celebrities in their field! While drafting the perfect guest speaker invitation email or letter may seem challenging, breaking the process down into separate tasks can help.

Once you have a completed, tiered list of potential guest speakers, create a general timeline for sending out your invitations. You should begin contacting potential speakers well in advance of your event, on the order of months or even a year beforehand. A phased approach is the wisest plan of action, and should look something like this:

• Send Out First Choice Invitations: Your first round of invitations should focus on your first-choice speakers. For especially sought-after speakers, it is important to notify them of your interest early to better your chances of fitting into their busy schedule.
• Wait for Replies: Decide on a set window of time during which you will wait for replies from your first-choice speakers. As your designated window starts to come to a close, feel free to send a gentle nudge to those who have not yet replied. If/when a speaker declines your invitation, send a gracious thank-you for considering it and move on.
• Assess & Send Out Second Choice Invitations: If a first-choice speaker replies to your invitation and accepts, congratulations! If not, once you’ve received responses from all your first-choice speakers, take a look at your list of second-choice speakers and send invitations to them.
• Rinse & Repeat!: Once you’ve sent another batch of invitations, you’ll repeat the “wait and reply” process until you receive an acceptance. If you’re lucky, you won’t have to look far beyond your first few second-choice speakers to get that exciting acceptance!

Budget Accordingly

Once your speaker has accepted, you’ll likely jump on a phone call or Zoom call to further discuss the details of your event. The purpose of this call is to communicate your expectations of the speaker and, likewise, to familiarize them with the event and its goals.

You’ll want to be prepared with a brief overview of the event, including its date(s), location, purpose and audience, and be ready to discuss potential topics for the speaker’s presentation. If there are additional requirements for your speaker – for example, perhaps the organization hosting the event requires all speakers to provide a written outline or script for approval in advance of the event – be sure to share those as well.

During this call, ask the speaker if they have any needs they can share upfront, such as AV requirements for their presentation . Give them the opportunity to ask questions of you and provide as much information as you can. While you may not have all the logistics of the event set in stone at this time, share as much as you know (such as travel arrangements, accommodation details, etc.) and establish lines of communication for further coordination.

How to Approach a Guest Speaker

The lists have been made, the timeline has been set and the budget has been squared away – you’re ready to approach potential guest speakers! So, what’s the best way to do it? These days, email is the quickest and most direct way to contact prospects and therefore tends to be the preferred method for many popular speakers. A guest speaker’s website may list an email address or have a fill form available to reach out regarding guest speaking opportunities.

Guest Speaker Invitation Email Template

A guest speaker invitation should include information relevant to the speaker regarding the event and speaking opportunity. It’s important that the speaker understands why they might be a good fit for your event, and why it could be beneficial to add your event to their calendar of appearances. More than that, though, your first interaction with a potential speaker should include the basics: What, when, where, and why.

Core Components of a Speaker Invitation:

• The name, date(s), and venue of the event
• The topic, theme or focus of the event
• Reasons why they would be an ideal speaker for your event
• Why it would benefit them
• How they can contact you

Invitation to Speak at a Conference Template

Below is a template for inviting a guest speaker that you may use to invite speakers to your conference, seminar or other corporate event. For each area in [brackets], sub in the details of your event. Feel free to customize this template to include additional information or personalization as you see fit!

Dear [SPEAKER],

I hope this message finds you well! I’m reaching out today with an exciting speaking opportunity for your consideration. I am honored to invite you to speak at [EVENT NAME], an event focused on [DESCRIPTION OF THE PURPOSE AND AUDIENCE OF YOUR EVENT.] The entire [EVENT NAME] team is enthusiastic about your work and feel you would be the perfect person to address our audience of like-minded professionals.

[EVENT NAME] will take place in [VENUE, INCLUDING CITY AND STATE] on [DATE(S)]. We are currently anticipating an audience of about [ATTENDEE ESTIMATE #]. Our goal is to [GOAL OF THE EVENT.] We believe your voice would be a critical addition to that conversation given your extensive work in [AREA OF EXPERTISE.] Your talk could be up to [#] minutes on any themes or topics you’re interested in – our team would be delighted to work with you in advance to hear your ideas and determine the particulars of your speech.

Please let us know by [DATE] whether you may be interested in joining us at [EVENT NAME] as a highly-anticipated speaker. Thank you for your time and consideration, and we very much look forward to hearing from you.

Best, [NAME] [POSITION] [CONTACT INFORMATION] [EVENT WEBSITE]

Inviting a Speaker for a Webinar

Keynote speaker letter of invitation.

If you are inviting a guest speaker to be the keynote speaker at your event, your formal speaker invitation letter should convey the prestige of that position. Be sure to state early in your letter that your organization would be honored to host you as the keynote speaker of your event and detail your appreciation for the speaker’s body of work.

This is an ideal opportunity to express genuine admiration for specific papers the speaker has written or previous speeches they’ve delivered. Do not be overly effusive or casual, but do add some personalization to your invitation to help the reader see that you truly understand their unique impact on their area of expertise.

Get Your Speaker on Stage at the Heritage Center of Brooklyn Center.

You’ve found the perfect speaker – now what? Time to get them on stage at the Heritage Center! Our experienced team of event planners can help you mount an extraordinary corporate event featuring your guest speaker. With our wide variety of event spaces , full suite of AV equipment and tech , and hands-on support throughout your event, you can rest assured that your conference or seminar will be one to remember! Contact us today to get started!

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7 Things to Consider While Writing a Formal Guest Speaker Invitation

Choosing the right guest speakers is one of the most important aspects of organizing a conference, workshop, or any other special event. 

In this article, let’s take a deep dive into the benefits of writing guest speaker invitation emails , the tips to writing them well, and two sample formal guest speaker invitations to help you get started. Read along!

 7 Ways to Write Guest Speaker Invitation Emails :

Your guest speaker invitation emails should contain details about the occasion and speaking opportunity. The event speakers in question need to know why they could be a good fit for your event and why it would be desirable for them to add it to their schedule of engagements.

1. Begin with a Polite Greeting:

Use the speaker’s full name to address them, followed by a formal salutation like “Dear” or “Hallo”. Be professional in your words and tone. Avoid the use of  colloquial language or slang when addressing the guest speaker or anywhere in the body of the e-mail.

Follow these steps for writing a formal guest speaker invitation letter:

• Subject Line: The subject line should contain the crux of the invitation.
• Include Salutation: Always start your letter with an appropriate salutation. Do write the recipient’s name, and put their first and last names down on paper along with the title. For example, ‘Dear John Britania,’.

The salutation should end with a comma and a line break. Always try to get the recipient’s full name before sending a letter to them.

In the rarest case, if you don’t know the recipient’s name, you can use a greeting such as Hello/ Hi/ Dear Madam/Sir, To whom it may concern or Greeting of the day. 

• Address Appropriately: Ensure you investigate the right way to address the person you are approaching, whether an invitee at a graduation ceremony or a business conference.  
• Specify Issuing Date: Do mention the release date of the guest speaker invitation. You can use any format to specify the Date, such as ’10/03/2023′, ’10 March 2023′, or ‘March 10, 2023’.

Use these templates to begin your invitation email:

• We’re happy to have you here.
• Having you as a guest speaker will be an honour for our organization.
• We would be grateful to have you visit.
• Please grace our event.
• We want to welcome you on behalf of our company.

Using sentences like this at the start of the letter shows that you respect and are happy to invite someone to your event.

 2. Introduce your Organization:

Introduce your company or group and briefly describe what it does.

• Use a Letterhead: Letterheads serve as a formal representation of your company’s existence. When you are writing a formal invitation, this point is crucial. Include the letterhead of your company at the very top of the document.
• Give a brief about your company: Explain About your company in brief. Include information such as Date of formation, global presence, and available products and services.  
• Mention Your Company’s Contact Information: Since this is the address where guests will email their RSVPs, this step is essential. After including your letterhead, you must have the company’s contact information first.

3.  Explain the Purpose of the Event:

Clearly describe the purpose and intent of the event, including the time, date, and place. Explain the event’s goals and how the audience is likely to benefit from the speaker’s expertise.

Depending on the type of event, set yourself to achieve a particular goal or objective. However, this might vary. The information below might include events such as:

• Providing instructions or training: The event, such as a conference, workshop or seminar, could be created to instruct or teach participants about a specific subject or required role.
• Networking: The event’s purpose may be to allow guests to network with others in their field or community members.
• Fundraising: The event’s purpose could be to raise money for a specific cause or group.
• Celebration: These events celebrate achievements or momentous milestones, such as graduation, anniversary, inauguration, or product launch.
• Launching a good or service: A trade exhibition or product launch are examples of such events whose main purpose is to market a specific good or service.

Explaining the event’s purpose to guest speakers and prospective participants is crucial. So that they know the aims and objectives of the event will also help you ensure that everybody is on the same page and pursuing the same goal.

        4. Highlight the Speaker’s Expertise:

The invited speaker’s distinguished credentials and remarkable accomplishments in their specialized field make them a highly respected and valued addition to our event. With a wealth of experience and expertise, they have established themselves as a recognized authority, earning the trust and confidence of their peers and audiences alike. 

Their extensive track record of successful speaking engagements and event-related contributions further exemplifies their reputation as trusted and esteemed professionals in their field. 

By highlighting their notable achievements and relevant experience, event organizers can showcase their deep respect and appreciation for their expertise while providing them with a platform to share their invaluable insights and knowledge with their audience.

The following advice can help you draw attention to the speaker’s qualifications:

• Professional background: Describe the speaker’s professional history in detail. You should highlight their relevant experience, education, or certifications.
• Accomplishments: Be sure to call attention to any noteworthy successes or honours the speaker has received, such as articles, research, or a project that was a success.
• Relevance to the event: Describe how the audience members and the event can benefit from the speaker’s knowledge. It may include particular abilities, information, or perceptions the speaker brings.
• Reputation: Mention the speaker’s status in society or a particular field and any noteworthy contributions they have made.
• Social media presence: If applicable, include the speaker’s social media accounts or personal website to show their online popularity and reach.
• Testimonials: Provide testimonials from previous events or partnerships to highlight the speaker’s worth and knowledge.

You can influence an ideal speaker to accept your invitation by explaining the significance of your event. At the same time, you can share their profile on the conference website or social media platforms to attract potential attendees and market the event/conference. 

Suppose you invite a business leader to be the keynote speaker at your scheduled event. In that case, your formal speaker invitation letter should express the importance of that role with a cover letter.  

 5. Offer Logistical Information

Describe the event’s logistics, including travel arrangements, hotel accommodations, and other necessary details. If budget constraint is not an issue, include compensation details in your email. 

The logistics offer should spotlight the given factors:

• Travel Expenses
• Accommodation if needed
• Any other requirements from the guest’s side

6. Be Courteous and Respectful:

Despite having a busy schedule, express your gratitude for their participation and applaud the engaging speakers for their time. 

Keep these points in your mind while concluding your invitation:

• Thank the receiver for taking the time to consider your invitation.
• Say how much you hope to see them at the event. Include the day on which you intend to speak to the concerned person overall if you plan to do so to get a response.
• Include the timeframe by which you expect the recipient to confirm their attendance if you wish them to do so through email or by completing a form.

Once your speaker has accepted, you will likely jump on a phone call, email or Zoom call to further discuss the details of your event.  

7. Include Contact Information:

Provide the potential speakers with your contact information and encourage them to contact you if they have any concerns or queries.

If you are sending a formal invitation letter on behalf of your organization, then add your designation. It will make it simple for anyone to contact you with any inquiries about your event.

Check these things before hitting the send button:

• Before sending your business letter, give it one more review.
• Verify that the spelling is accurate, the grammar is acceptable, and the punctuation is appropriate.
• Ensure that your writing is free of jargon and incomplete sentences.

Ensure you contact the invitee again after emailing to get any updates after their availability confirmation. A prompt and polite follow-up can improve an adequate response.

Whether or not the guest speaker accepts your invitation, please show your appreciation for their time and thoughtfulness. Thank them for considering your suggestion and for their work in the field.

Prepare for the worst-case scenario:

It would be best if you started reaching out to possible speakers well in advance. Your guest speaker list may include the company CEO, Director, founder or an expert from the Sales, IT or Marketing department, or a celebrity/social media influencer. Approaching them may look daunting, but being prepared with a backup plan can save you. 

• Invite your preferred guests: This phase should include first-choice speakers. Notify them at the earliest so that they can ensure they are available for your event and don’t get caught up in their busy schedule. If someone doesn’t respond, feel free to give them a gentle and polite reminder. If the first group of speakers deny your request, send a warm ‘thank you’ to consider the invitation and move on.
• Invite your second-choice guest: Do not feel disheartened by getting rejected; prepare yourself with a second-batch list. Send an invitation to your alternative-choice speakers/ backup speakers. 

You can build an event website and share it in your invitation. Having such an approach to inviting guest speakers is a reliable action plan.

Benefits of writing guest speaker invitation emails

Inviting guest speakers to events, conferences, or webinars can have a multitude of benefits for both the host and attendees. A guest speaker at your event might enhance the overall attendee experience. The name of a reputable guest speaker alone can boost the credibility of your conference or webinar. 

Guest speakers bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise, which may boost attendance at your event and help your attendees get valuable insights. Most often than not, guest speakers also help provide relevant content for future marketing materials or social media posts, which increases event visibility, enhances the attendee experience, and potentially increases event ROI, all of which can contribute to increased audience turnaround the following year.

Thus, we see how inviting guest speakers can add significant value to an event, conference, or webinar, helping in different ways to engage attendees, establish credibility, and create opportunities for future growth and success.

Take a look at a few sample guest speaker invitation letters that we have drafted below, with a hope that it  helps you to pen down one accordingly.  Dear [Name of a Guest Speaker],

I’m writing to extend a speaking invitation to you for our upcoming [Trade Expo Event] on [Event Date] at [Event Location]. We [briefly describe your organization’s mission] as [Organization Name].

Our audience would benefit significantly from your vast experience in [Guest Speaker’s Field], and we would be honoured if you could join us. Your depth of knowledge in [Speaker’s Area of Specialisation] would be a great asset to our event.

Our audience comprises [Target Audience], and your insights and perspectives would be particularly relevant to them.

We would be pleased to pay for any necessary lodging or travel costs. If you require any particular arrangements, do let us know.

Thank you for considering our invitation. We appreciate your positive response.

Best regards,

[Your Name]

[Designation & Company name with logo]

[Your Contact Information]

Guest Speaker Invitation Letter Sample 2:

Dear [Guest Speaker Name],

I’m inviting you to talk at our forthcoming [event name] on behalf of [Name of Institution]. Your knowledge and experience in this area would be constructive for our students, who are eager to learn more about [Topic].

The gathering will take place at [Venue] on [Date] and last for [Duration]. We look forward to having the [number of attendees] faculty members and pupils present.

We’d like to hear from you for [Duration] minutes on [Specific Subject]. We will happily provide materials or tools to help you prepare for your talk.

Although we know how busy you are, it would be an honour if you could join us as a guest speaker. We would gladly pay for your travel costs and any additional expenses you may have.

We appreciate your consideration of our offer and look forward to hearing from you.

Warm regards,  

[Designation & Institute logo]

Key Takeaway

Our blog has everything you need to get your guest invitation letters right. That’s why we hope you consider everything and draft a letter that assures your guest speakers that they’re in good hands. When you take care of the nitty gritty, you are more likely to get an optimistic response.

Inviting a guest speaker is a great chance to gain in-depth knowledge and insights about a particular topic that they’re an expert in. Inviting guest speakers to an event provides opportunities for attendees to network with and establish valuable connections for future collaborations. 

They can offer a distinctive viewpoint, encouraging participants to gain a fresh perspective and act accordingly to meet the desired goal. A good speaker will also ensure you get maximum participation, which is only likely to improve the event’s or organization’s reputation.

Suppose you are an event organizer looking for esteemed speakers from diverse fields and genres. In that case, Eventible’s Gazebo Speaker Directory will help you find passionate and experienced people to speak at your next event. You can write a great guest speaker invitation email per the recommendations and tips above to invite the best speakers from across industries. Likewise, if you are a speaker and wish to create a page for yourself on Eventible’s Gazebo Speaker Directory , fill out this Google form! 

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Alison Bensch

Senior director of global events, cloudinary, proudest of.

In both cases, we had to figure out how to take what are historically in-person events and translate them into engaging virtual experiences with a team of just two in-house event marketers, counting myself.

ImageCon is our flagship customer summit. In 2021, more than 1,700 people across 107 countries registered for the two-day event, which included 20 virtual sessions designed to help retailers unleash the full potential of their visual media.

Our hosted event series included about 8 virtual events across North America and EMEA markets. To drive up attendance and engagement, we hosted unique virtual cooking and mixology classes, wine tastings, tequila pairings, and more, with celebrity chefs and bartenders such as Marcus Samuelsson, Julio Cabrero, and Amanda Freitag.

Rockstar Mode

ImageCon was a success, in part, because we secured high-quality speakers and focused on providing true value to attendees by creating sessions to optimize their usage of the Cloudinary platform to improve their business. We featured customers in the content by doing customer spotlights. We also improved the production level of the summit by partnering with an agency.

I am proud we were able to pull off a high-quality event of this scale while managing 30 other events for the year.

Prior to the pandemic, our hosted event series consisted of in-person dinners and intimate happy hours. We wanted to recreate these virtually, without making them feel like webinars. We succeeded, in part, because we invested in high-quality talent to attract participants and create fun, memorable moments we probably could not have pulled off in-person.

We also took pains to make the events as easy as possible to attend, for example, by mailing guests meal kits or drink kits with everything they needed to participate. Of course, everything was branded, right down to the salt and pepper. We know our attendees’ time is precious, so we encouraged them to involve their family and were sure to include enough food and/or drink to share.

After the experience, we broke out into small groups, allowing people to network with peers and Cloudinary team members, who led discussions on relevant industry topics. Thus, attendees topped off a great culinary or cocktail experience with valuable learnings that could help their business. In fact, I see us continuing with some of these virtual events even after we have resumed in-person ones.

Our on-demand event content is now a powerful sales enablement tool for our sales team, who share session recordings with prospective customers, as well as existing ones who are considering adding on a new capability. We will continue to measure the performance of this content.

For the hosted events, we evaluate success by measuring pipeline acceleration. So, we consider where event guests are in their consideration process before attending the event. We use the event, and event follow-up, to help move the prospect or customer to the finish line. We usually see prospects who engaged in marketing campaigns were more likely to close, and close faster, than those who did not attend an event.

While this is harder to measure, we know our event series keeps the Cloudinary brand top of mind and deepens our relationship with customers. We document the positive feedback we receive from attendees and sales reps for internal use and marketing purposes.

Survivor Mode

Another challenge was creating an event strategy against a backdrop of so much uncertainty. I have seen industry colleagues invest resources in planning in-person events, only to have to rejigger in the final hour. I made the decision from the onset of the year to plan for virtual events, given our small team and resources. This allowed us to create more effective and engaging virtual events from the start and maximize our budget.

Nothing beats in-person events, and I am excited to be moving forward with these in 2022. But I plan to continue with digital and hybrid events, as well, for a number of reasons. When done right, they can be more memorable than in-person ones, and certainly more convenient. They also allow me to engage people across a wider geographic region (all of Europe for example or across the US), which leads to cost-savings and unique and widened interactions for our attendees.

Annie Yuzzi VP

Global corporate events and experiences, sumo logic, bethany roskin murphy, director of global events, drift, charlene kate ditch, founder, charlene kate events, gabrielle d., global events director, automation anywhere, gerilynn marburger, director, global events, hewlett packard enterprise, hollie ashby, senior manager, cxo and third party events, palo alto networks, lindsey cohen, director- event marketing, snyk, ceo & chief event strategist, liz king events, nicola kastner, vice president, global head of event strategy, sap, rachel russell, field marketing manager, even, samantha calle, associate director, xandr, margaret shaeffer, head of field marketing & events, linearb, traci depuy, head of global events, salesforce, dale rickert, global conference head of greentech festival, matthew lin, head of marketing, beetc, emilie watrob, head of event marketing, zs, katherine leong, director, corporate events, gainsight, sr. director, marketing technology (brand and events), salesforce, karim youssef, creative director, dpw, elizabeth thomas, head of global events, elastic, gerry schneider, vp events at wearedevelopers, director, global events at hewlett packard enterprise, mike kalyan, event and seminar marketing manager, shrm.

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How to introduce a speaker — the art of giving (and receiving) a great introduction.

A good introduction is essential to get a speaker off to a good start. The tendency for event hosts to go casual and say a few non-substantive words — or worse, to try to make a joke at the speaker’s expense — hurts both the speaker and the meeting. Here’s why, and how to give a good intro that will help the speaker — and the event — succeed.

Audiences want several things from a speaker, and some of them right away. First, audiences begin by asking why — why should I pay attention? Why should I care? Why is this going to be important to me? If a speaker is successful, the audience will start asking how — how do I get started? How do I make this my own? That’s success for a speaker — moving the audience from why to how.

Second, audiences test speakers for a few things: trust, credibility, likability. On these items, they’ll give a speaker a little time, but they make unconscious decisions very quickly, and those unconscious decisions are hard to turn around. So it’s better to get it right from the start.

That’s where the introduction comes in. An introduction can help answer the why question. And an introduction can help establish credibility, especially, but also trust and likability. The result of a good introduction is to greatly increase the likelihood that the speaker will do well. At least, she’s off to a good start.

A good introduction should answer 3 questions

A good introduction should answer 3 questions: why this speaker, on this subject, to this audience? A little humor is permitted, but an introduction should never denigrate the speaker, even in fun. The idea is to build the speaker up in the audience’s mind.

As an example, here’s a short introduction I provide for my own speaking engagements

Here at XXXXXXX, we live and die by our communications successes and failures. So it is with special excitement that I’m pleased to welcome Dr. Nick Morgan to our annual gathering. Nick is one of America’s top communication theorists and coaches. He has coached people to give Congressional testimony, to appear on the Today Show, and to take on the investment community. His latest book, Trust Me: Four Steps to Authenticity and Charisma , was published by Jossey-Bass last year. And he has one of the best blogs on communications.

Have you ever wondered why you can’t take your eyes off some charismatic public figures, while others put you immediately to sleep? Nick is going to demystify charisma and storytelling for us today, giving us lots of practical ideas we can immediately put to work when we’re back in the office on Monday…

Please join me in welcoming Dr. Nick Morgan!

I’ve often noted that a celebrity speaker can be mediocre and yet the audience can report that it had a good time. The reason is that the celebrity has already been ‘introduced’ to the audience — the audience knows the celebrity by advance reputation. The work of a good introduction is to raise the speaker to celebrity status for the purposes of that occasion.

Always end with an applause line for the speaker — “so please join me in welcoming Jane Doe!” — to allow her time to get up on the stage and ready to go. And it’s a very good idea to shake the speaker’s hand as he or she goes by on the way to the lectern. Shaking another person’s hand is grounding and comforting, and will help the speaker get off to a good start.

In terms of body language, the handshake gives the audience the sense that it has met the speaker close up, because a good introducer is the representative of the audience. So when the speaker and introducer shake hands, a bond is formed with everyone.

So don’t neglect the introduction.

It’s up to the speaker to prepare a good introduction

And speakers, prepare a good one. Don’t assume that the folks in charge will have a credible intro ready to go. Make it easy for them and write it yourself. You need the boost so that you can show up in front of that audience with credibility, trust, and likability.

Without a carefully prepared script, here’s what can go wrong. At best, the person introducing you, blandly reads your your bio that she’s printed from your web site. At worst, you get introduced by an enthusiastic ad-libber, and he starts by saying, “I’m not going to read the intro they sent me.” He adds some irrelevant comments about how he met you the evening before over the Spilled Bloody Mary Incident (his fault, not yours). What’s supposed to be charming self-deprecating humor is awkward and goes on too long. The rest of the introduction gets lost in the verbal shuffle, and the host gets key facts wrong, stumbling over the sentence structure and some unfamiliar words. He leaves out mention of your book, and ends with another half-hearted attempt at humor. You walk on stage to the sound of a lot of single hands clapping.

If you want to avoid this sort of disastrous incident and be guaranteed to get your speech off to the best possible start every time, create a DVD intro that showcases you and your history with some drama and excitement. The video will put you in the best possible light and get the audience keyed up to see you. You can do this in a carefully scripted 3-minute video, and the cost can be quite reasonable. In any case you should mentally amortize the cost over all the introductions that won’t be botched from here on.

What should go into those 3 minutes? Answer the question why? Why are you cool, why is your speech important, why should the audience care. Give a few salient details about your accomplishments, and end with the music amped up and the cheers already rolling in. Have the last words of the voice over be, “Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome (You)!” and the applause will follow naturally. The great thing about video (with a compelling soundtrack) is that it can touch the emotions in a way that’s much harder for your host to do, statistically speaking.

It’s all about quality control. Create your own intro video and you’ll never have to suffer a botched intro again. Get the intro right, and the speech is half done.

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About the author: nick morgan.

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56 Comments

I am presenting a workshop to our employee self-help group at the Social Security Administration next week. The topic will be: “How to be a better meeting participant & take better notes”. They asked me for my bio. It is usually is read or paraphrased as an introduction. I have never been happy with the “Read the Bio” approach, but couldn’t elaborate a better method. I will share your posting with our core group so that the speaker introductions are more effective for the participants.

Your information eloquently states exactly what I want to hear from a speaker introduction and makes my job of writing up my own much easier!

Nancy, thanks for the comment and good luck with the event!

[…] Helpful Resources How to introduce a speaker — the art of giving (and receiving) a … […]

Nick……3 years later and your writing is still helping others. this is a fab piece, thank you!!!

I agree 3 minutes tops to introduce a speaker or anyone, a band, etc. and the introduction should not be read the audience came to see the band, speaker, etc. not the introducer

Love this! Doing my first speech and wanted to really nail and introduction knowing it could put me on good footing to start. I appreciate you writing and sharing this Nick.

Good luck, Thomas, and thanks for the comment!

I was asked to be an MC recently on a graduation ceremony for the first time in my life and truly speaking, this article comes to my rescue. Thanks so much Nick.

Great to hear — good luck, Joram!

I am going to be the master of ceremony on a graduation party for the 1st time today. Hopping these tips will help me a lot…I thank u so much.

From Duds wait

How can we write a good introduction for for a TED event speaker but is still in High School? (meaning s/he did not achieve much professionally or does not have much experience)

Talk about her enthusiasm, energy, vision — the things that great high school students have in abundance. An intro doesn’t have to be a resume — in fact it shouldn’t be.

thanks nick for all that information.. i think im ready to go and nail it this Friday!!!!

Break a leg!

Thank you! This was helpful to me in introducing a major artist at an upcoming event.

Thanks, Clara, for the comment. Glad it was helpful.

Thanks a lot for the useful tips, I am going to introduce my book in church.

You’re welcome — good luck with the introduction!

I am going to be MC at a graduation.. need help on how to introduce speakers

Search MC on our site and you’ll find some posts on how to do that well.

Thank you! This is very helpful for a first-time intro writer!

Thanks, Gretchen, and good luck!

Do you need to introduce a person in by their profession? Like this is Engineer Sam or this is Architect Sam? How about the teachers, do we need to introduce them as Teacher Sam? I just want to know because some people I know introduce them by their profession. And when do we need to use their profession.

Hi, Dennis —

An introduction answers several questions for the audience: why this person, why this topic, why this audience, why now. The speaker’s profession is almost always included in that answer. Not always (imagine someone talking about being a recovering alcoholic, for instance), but almost always.

Hello Sir Nick, I am invited to speak on a graduation day.. can i ask for a nice idea on how the they will introduce me on that day ..i want a very short introduction.. How i am going to start?

Yes, ask yourself, what is the one thing in my work that I am most passionate about? Then, get the introducer to tell a brief story that illustrates that passionate expertise. When you go on stage, then, be ready to talk about a related subject, since you will now appear to be expert in that area, thanks to the intro.

Woman’s Club meeting. Program within meeting. Who introduces program? Vp in charge of programs or chairman of the program?

Either one can; depends on VIP status of speakers. If more important, Chairman. If less important, VP is fine.

What exactly are you waiting for? And who does the thank you

The same person who does the intro should do the thanks.

Hi mike, Can i ask for a basic script to intoduce a physicians and profisors in a ceremony , i have asked to be MC for the first time on my life, my event will be held on the next sunday Oct 15-2017

Thank you in advance. Aisha.

Hi, Aisha – each introduction is different — that’s the whole point of them. For a basic outline, answer the following questions: (1) Who is the person (what have they accomplished that’s relevant to this audience?); (2) What is their area of expertise (that is relevant to the audience?); (3) why is the topic (and the speaker) important right now?. Always end with the speaker’s name.

Hi Dr. Nick,

I have been told to introduce a few couple of Physicians at a Conference. It is a medical conference and the audience are also physicians. I have been given the CV of speakers and I need to highlight their expertise, experience and accomplishments.

Any Tips, Please?

1. Don’t read the CV. Just give highlights in the form of a story relevant to the audience. 2. Ask the speakers for a human detail or story or two. 3. Tell the audience why this speaker is important to this audience today.

As I am a TMOD of the meeting. How do I introduce a word and a thought master? Please help as this is my first time and I don’t want to screw this.

Start with why this person is so impressive — what wows you about him or her. Say a few words about what the topic is and why it’s relevant to the audience. And then explain why now is a particularly good time to hear from this speaker. End with the speaker’s name, and start the applause.

Hello Sir Morgan,

Today I learnt that speech of introduction is equally important to the actual speech by the speaker. Thank you for the wonderful tips. It’s useful for my Speech course at my university.

Thanks, Inba.

Good morning Mr. Morgan; Can this introduction be used for a sermon introduction as well? How can I include their character and love to teach and share ministry into this introduction ? I am new at this and really want to do a good job. The topic is on family Reunion and this person is a minister in the family.

Hi, Trina — yes, you certainly can use the general structure here for a sermon introduction. You would include the details you mention under the heading of “why this person,” because the character, love to teach, and share ministry are presumably all good reasons for this person to speak. Hope that helps.

I’M ASKED TO INTRODUCE A PARAMOUNT CHIEF TO CHAIR AN OCCASION. THIS WILL HELP ME.

[…] were reviewing the stats on this blog recently, and one of the surprising numbers is that the blog post that consistently gets the most views is one I did over a half-dozen years ago on how to introduce a speaker.  I suppose that’s where […]

Nick, This is a great resource for students in public speaking courses. You inadvertently have help hundreds of students get good reviews and great grades.

Shawn, that’s a good thing, right?

Hey nick, I have to welcome series of speakers and I really dont want to end with “Lets welcome him/her with huge round of applause”. ao, can you put out the alternatives for “to present his/her speech”. Thanks much for the article, btw.

Hi, Prithak — If I understand your question, it’s how to end each introduction? You should always end with the person’s name, as a trigger for the applause: “Please welcome James Blunt!” Don’t vary that formula. The variation comes in what you say about the person before the ending of each introduction.

Thanks for mentioning how they need to provide a good introduction. Having someone that is prepared can be nice. Choosing a good master of the ceremony could help a lot.

This is really amazing. It’s a very grateful blog for me. Thanks for sharing it.

This is an amazing article that I found through Brian Dodd. This will help me to help the speaker when we have special ministries come to our church.

Thank you, Sis, for the article, it was very helpful and I got new insight. I really appreciate it, I hope you are given health so that you can continue to write useful articles like this.

Thanks for sharing it, its really amazing

Youth conference speaker significantly impacts the youth listening and attending the conference, so it has to be motivational and inspirational. In this connection, the speaker should be reliable and trustworthy. Audiences expect various things from a speaker, some of which they wish for immediately if a speaker succeeds.

I’m introducing my daughter as Mother’s Day speak at my church on Sunday. Please give me some tips on how to introduce her She’s a great mother for over 20 years 30 years. She has to find boys Christian boys and she’s a great speaker.

Good introductions are short, and answer 3 questions: Who, what, why. Who is this speaker (very brief relevant bio); what is her subject mater that she is going to talk about; and why is she uniquely qualified to talk to this audience?

Great job, this blog is very informative. Thank you

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How Do You Invite Speakers to Speak for Free at Your Event? (Updated 2023)

• May 25, 2017

Not-for-profit organizations have a limited amount of funds. It makes event organizing a real challenge. One of the main attention-getters, is a guest speaker , preferably one who will speak for free.

The primary source of funding for non-profit events is pro-bono services and sponsorship. There are a variety of free speaker resources for event organizers to approach. To find the right person for the job, organizers must look at their criteria and then send a “spellbinding” invitation to a few chosen candidates.

Where to find free speakers

Before you can invite speakers for free, or ask anyone to do anything really, you need to determine the purpose of the event and the topics it will cover. This forms the basis for your speaker profile search. For example, for a teen outreach program, the best speaker will be one who has a speciality in youth programs and youth motivation. Here are a few simple tips to follow when searching for a guest speaker for your event:

• Look for someone well known and living locally this keeps the expenses as low as possible. A local celebrity speaker who has knowledge of your fundraising charity will eliminate out of state travel and accommodation expenses.
• For example, to find speakers, reach out to public speaking groups in your area, such as Rotary or Toastmasters. There is often a member of a local “good deed organization” who will gladly offer to speak on their own experiences in dealing with the type of charity project or event topic that you are hosting. They are always glad to work for free.
• Use your donor email-marketing list. Send out emails to your particular contact in every organization to find out if they can give you any leads on good “free” speakers. This word-of-mouth recommendation is often the best route because the speakers know the subject and the donor community responds well to anyone worth their salt.
• Online searches have turned up some fantastic speakers who work for no charge and are all too willing to give their time and knowledge on a variety of subjects. While you’re at it, look at these sites:

GigMaster, American Speakers, Brooks International, Speaker Match Speaker’s Bureau.

These sites show speakers by geographic location, topic, and fee. If you find a speaker that suits your needs but charges a fee, it’s worth making contact to explain the organization your event is supporting.

Build your event website and host multiple speaker sessions with Gevme. Try Gevme for free

How to write a proposal/ invitation for speakers

There’s quite a bit of work and a whole lot of finesse involved in asking people to speak at your event. Do you know how to craft an outstanding invitation? One that will grip the reader and generate empathy for your worthy cause.

Your invitation should be a formal email (or letter). Outline the reasons why you’ve chosen them as the best person to speak at your event.  As with every letter, the invitation should reflect your organization’s values and add a dash of your own personality. Good guest speaker invitation letters will be clear and easy to read, respectful and contain all the background information the guest speaker needs to make a decision in your favour.

What could you offer a speaker?

It’s only fair to offer someone who’s willing to speak for free at your event, a little bit of something in return.

If you’re the event organizer, you’ll be short on time to do everything, but you must remain the primary contact person for your guest speaker until they’ve agreed to do the honor.

How to convenience a speaker to speak for free at your event?

Once that’s done, you can introduce your speaker to their own personal “gofer” to take care of everything from the time the guest speaker comes on board. Offer the services of a personal assistant in your letter of invitation. You’ll be amazed at how favourably people respond when they know that everything will be taken care of, and all they have to do is speak on their favourite topic.

Let the guest know that your organization will provide:

• travel expenses and free accommodation if they’re from out of town or state
• personal assistant to take care of all their needs, such as airport collection, hotel check-in, event itinerary, introduction to event management, sponsors, etc.

Build your event website and host multiple pre-recorded or live speaker sessions with Gevme. Try Gevme for free

Guest Speaker Invitation Letter Example

Dear [ address them by their formal title, e.g.,.Doctor, Hon. Mr, Mrs, Ms, etc.]

I hope this message finds you well. I am honoured to invite you to be the guest speaker at [event name] Our event is to be held on [date] at the [venue] in [location]. We know that you are a terrific speaker and our attendees and delegates will gain much from your talk on[subject/theme/charity group].

[eventname] is an all-day event being hosted by [names with titles/affiliations]. We expect our audience to be in the region of [ number]. Our goal is to bring people from the local community together to give them inspiration about what our non-profit organization is hoping to achieve with our program for [state the charity objectives – include the type of people being assisted]. We want to provoke discussion about the program and raise awareness, which we hope will also raise funds and donations.

Your talk will be filmed and an edit shown on our website and other social media channels such as YouTube. We believe your “voice” will be beneficial to everyone in our organization and to like-minded individuals who attend the event.

I note from your resume on [website] that you take speaking engagements at no charge. However, as you are out of state, we would be delighted to cover your travel expenses. We will also provide you with a personal assistant from our team, who will take care of all your arrangements, airport transfers, etc. and be on hand to deal with your needs during the day of the event.

Please let me know by [date] whether you would be interested in speaking. Attached is the itinerary of the event and some background information on the charity we represent and our sponsors for this endeavor.

Thank you for taking the time to read our invitation, and I very much look forward to hearing from you soon.

The internet is full of useful sites offering sample invitation letters. Here are a few we thought would be a good place to start. Check out this sample invitation letter here or this one here for a few good ideas on how to get your letter started.

Guest Speaker Thank you Email After an Event

Guest Speaker’s Name

Dear (Name),

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for the stirring speech you gave yesterday. Everyone present at the occasion was not only in awe of your knowledge but also greatly impressed by your presenting style.

It was a great pleasure to listen to your wise words and learn so much from them. I take this opportunity to thank you on behalf of our entire administration and students who were captivated by your talk.

I am extremely grateful to you to touch on the subject of (topic) in your speech and create so much awareness regarding the same. It would be our immense pleasure to invite you once more to spread awareness around the subject in the near future. Thank you once again!

When you have decided on a few likely speakers, send out the first batch of email letters. If you have put your expected response day for a week from the date of “delivery,” then you have a week to wait. Once you have had [or not] a reply, send out a gentle reminder to any people who haven’t written back. It will depend on the response to your initial request.

Assess the response: check the list and replace those who have declined with second-choice invites. Send another batch of invitations and repeat the process until you’re successful.

Whatever you do, reply to everyone, even those who turned you down. Be gracious in your response; you never know when you might have to call on them again. Perhaps next time you’ll get lucky with someone who likes your attitude, even if they couldn’t oblige on the first occasion. 

Although finding a speaker to speak for free at your event may become tedious at times, Gevme seamlessly handles the logistics of delivering the speaker session to your attendees. Try Gevme for free

This post is written by Chris Bouchard, a regular contributor to the Gevme blog. Chris is a consultant for non-profits and social entrepreneurs. Find more information on his website  www.revgensolutions.com .

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How to Introduce a Speaker in Any Setting (And Amaze Your Audience)

Hrideep barot.

• Body Language & Delivery , Public Speaking , Speech Writing

Importance of a Good Introduction

If you’re reading this, kudos to you as you are one of the few people who actually take out the time and effort to craft a great speech introduction.

Many times we feel that if we ourselves aren’t the main speaker, why take out any time to work on a great introduction?

But here’s the thing, as the introductory speaker, if you want your audience to be excited for the speaker who is about to come on the stage, a strong introduction is important.

As an audience member, if I have never heard of the speaker (or even if I do know a little bit about her) I won’t be very open to their speech simply because I don’t know how credible the speaker is .

Sure the speaker could herself say those credentials when she comes on the stage. But true credibility is added when the praise comes from a third person (that being you in this case). 

Take Tom Bilyeu for example. Tom is the founder and host of the company and popular Youtube channel – Impact Theory where he calls on highly acclaimed speakers, entrepreneurs, writers, athletes, etc. to interview them.

While the interviews are in themselves amazing, it’s the way Tom introduces each of his guests that blows my mind!

Take this clip for example:

The introduction shows that Tom has taken time and put a genuine effort into his research. It’s what makes his introductions so powerful.

And that’s why an introduction is important:

• It makes your audience excited for who they are about to see
• It makes the speaker feel genuinely acknowledged for being invited to that event

Without a good introduction, the audience will not have a strong enough reason to be open to the speaker’s ideas because they might not know the credibility of the speaker.

An introduction is also like a short speech . So it’s important you take your time out to craft and deliver one that does justice to both – the speaker as well as yourself!

Note: Want to take your communications skills to the next level? Book a complimentary consultation with one of our expert communication coaches. We’ll look under the hood of your hurdles and pick two to three growth opportunities so you can speak with impact!

Alright! Let’s jump into the tips of creating a splendid introduction. Whether it’s a seminar, conference, interview, church or just a small gathering, these tips are applicable in almost all scenarios.

Your work starts even before the introductory speech. The person who is invited to speak would be having certain credentials.

The way those credentials are communicated with high effectiveness is your job as the introductory speaker.

This is important as it’s what will get the audience excited and give them a reason to be engaged in a speech because of the credibility of the speaker.

Research can be of two types:

• You can actually meet or contact the speaker directly and ask her all the questions you would need to create a great introduction.
• The internet

If you have access to the speaker, then great! If not, use sources like LinkedIn to understand the work they have done in the past, or try and see if you can connect to someone close to them and get a bite from them for the introduction as well.

Once you know what all the speaker has done in her life and why she is an expert in the subject she is going to speak on, you have set yourself up for crafting a lovely introduction.

Keep it short!

One thing to remember when giving an introduction is to not get carried away! While your introduction is as good as a short speech , we must not forget the keyword here – short !

The main spotlight is for the speaker. So keep your intro short. Below 2 and a half minutes is usually a good space to be in. Exceeding 4 minutes is a little too much so make sure to not overstep your speaking time.

I remember seeing this one introductory speaker who just went on and on with his introduction. He spoke about things that weren’t even relevant to the subject of the talk. It was just a waste of time.

When you prepare your introduction, practice it and time yourself to ensure you aren’t taking up too much of the stage time.

We’ve made a short video on how you can make your speech more concise and clear so you communicate what’s relevant without taking up too much of your audience’s time:

Save the name for the end

The last word is the cue for applause in any introduction. And it’s best to save the applause for the speaker’s name.

Here’s an example of how NOT to do it:

“Our motto is ‘Communication is key’. So I’m very pleased to welcome John Brown for our special event today. John is one of the best speakers in the country and has been invited by several prestigious universities to share his ideas…(some more credentials)…So please join me in welcoming John Brown!”

The problem with this is that it gives out the applause factor in the second sentence of the introduction itself.

Instead, you should build up the speaker with her credentials and only reveal the name at the end of the speech (see ‘Introduction Speech Template’).

Again, look at Tom Bilyeu’s introduction. He never reveals the guest’s name until the end of the introduction. That’s what makes the applause so loud!

Lead the applause

As soon as you end your introduction, don’t simply wait for the audience to clap. Lead the applause!

In all likelihood, when done correctly, your audience will applaud as soon as you end your talk. But you should still assume the lead and begin the applause and let the audience follow just in case.

Receive the speaker with a handshake

When you introduce the speaker and call them out on the stage, don’t just walk off the stage .

Receive the speaker with a handshake. Usually, the audience will still be applauding when this happens.

We do this so as to properly acknowledge to the audience that our time on stage has come to an end and we will now be handing the spotlight over to the next speaker.

This is something that the international organization Toastmasters also harps on. Every time a speaker or role bearer gets on stage, she should shake the hand of the person from whom she is taking the stage from and shake the hand of the person when she is handing the stage over.

Like with most things in life, your introductory speech will be amazing if you put in the time to practice ! We wrote an article on simple but effective ways you should practice for a speech – even if it’s just an introduction speech! Check it out to get some ideas.

While our content and the speaker’s credentials might be amazing, it is our delivery and manner of speaking that will sell the audience on those credentials.

So research, practice, time yourself, video record yourself to see how you can improve.

While the spotlight is on the main speaker for that particular day, the stage is yours for those couple of minutes. And I believe any time you go on stage you should try and communicate with maximum impact regardless of the duration of the speech.

That’s when people notice you.

Here’s a checklist of things you must have in your introductory speech when it comes to content and delivery:

Introduce yourself

While you are here to introduce the main speaker, don’t forget to introduce yourself! If you’re in a familiar setting where you’re certain everyone (or at least 90%) of the audience already knows you, you can skip this part.

Otherwise, take a few seconds to point out what your role is in putting this event together and how you are related to the speaker (if in any way).

Pronunciation

There’s nothing worse than an introductory speaker who butchers the name of the speaker he is about to call on.

Take the time out to learn how exactly should you pronounce the speaker’s name especially if it’s an unconventional name.

Learn it, repeat it, master it.

Check if your speaker has any title such as Doctor, Sir, Captain, etc. and say the title along with the speaker’s name when you introduce her. It helps add more credibility to the speaker.

Qualifications

Your speaker would have certain qualifications that make her an expert in the field she is about to speak on. It doesn’t necessarily need to be only educational in nature.

Maybe she has written a book on the subject and gains her expertise from real-life experience as opposed to an academic degree.

Mention those qualifications.

Quick tip, don’t just list out the credentials in a mundane manner. Read the speech template below and see how the speaker crafts the introduction where the qualifications and credentials of the speaker are seamlessly woven together to craft a great introduction.

Subject of the talk

In your introduction of the speaker, don’t miss out on talking a little on the subject of the talk and why it is relevant to the audience.

Creative Ways to Introduce a Speaker

Instead of just stating out the speaker’s credentials and bio, make your introduction engaging by adding a short anecdote of the speaker.

Talk about a time you met the speaker or an interesting story you read about her in a publication.

You can even reach out to a close family member or friend of the speaker and ask them for a story that defines the speaker’s personality or establishes their expertise in the subject matter.

For some more information on how you can create a compelling narrative, we made a short but information-packed video on the topic of mystery, characterisation and takeaways which we HIGHLY recommend you check out, here:

Some speakers don’t necessarily have an honorific such as ‘Dr.’ or ‘Sir’, but that doesn’t mean that you cant give them a creative title of your own!

Tom Bilyeu does this often where he will add a title to the speaker right before saying the name. Here are some examples:

• Please help me welcoming…the ‘ human guinea pig ’ himself, Tim Ferris .
• Please help me welcoming…the ‘ master of motivation ’ herself, Mel Robbins .
• Please help me welcoming…the ‘ man who has been called the ultimate entrepreneur for the information age ’, Seth Godin.

I remember this one time, we were at a conference where the speaker was a gold medal cyclist.

The introductory speaker entered the stage on a cycle himself! As he came to the mike, he said, “Boy that was fun! But if you think I was awesome, you will be completely blown away by our next speaker!”

The introductory speaker was obviously being sarcastic about himself being an ‘awesome cyclist’. But it was different, fun, made the audience giggle and set the stage for the speaker .  

If the speaker you are about to introduce is an author, for instance, you can also start off your introduction by holding up the book and then move on to talk about the speaker’s credentials.

Think about what your speaker is famous for and see if you can include that profession as a prop in your introduction.

Instead of just talking in your introduction, maybe you can show a video that highlights what the speaker does and shows off their credibility.

I was introducing an entrepreneur of a HUGE advertising agency. Instead of talking about his credentials, I thought I’d just show it to the audience by playing a video of the agency’s culture , clients and some of the extraordinary work they have done.

It was a great visual way to showcase the speaker’s credibility and set the tone for the subject of the speech.

Introduction Speech Template

Here’s a template of how Tom Bilyeu introduces one of his guests :

“Hey everyone!  Welcome to Impact Theory. You are here, my friends, because you believe that the human potential is nearly limitless but you know that having potential is not the same as doing something with it. So our goal with this show and company is to introduce you to the people and ideas that’ll help you actually execute on your dream. Alright. To paraphrase Steven Pressfield, today’s guest is one of the greatest thinkers of our generation. He’s a multiple-time best selling author who’s written a seemingly impossible six books in the last five years! His mediation on stoic philosophy ‘The Obstacle is the Way’ is not only a true perennial seller, it’s been translated into more than 20 languages and has a devoted following of some of the most driven and successful people on the planet including NFL coaches, world-class athletes, entrepreneurs, TV personalities and even political leaders. By my estimation, it is one of the 10 most important books you must read if you want to develop a mindset for success. And even if this were his only book I’d sit at his feet to learn, but every book he has written delivers a similar level of impact. This guy is without question my intellectual man-crush Monday! The Systematic and practical nature of his thinking is so powerful it’s nuts, especially considering that he dropped out of college at 19 so he could apprentice with the master author, Robert Greene, and by all accounts, my friends, he learned his lessons very well as he went on from there not only to become an amazing author in his own right, but in his early 20s became the Director of Marketing for the billion-dollar public company American Apparel helping it achieve its astronomical level of success, and in the process, becoming one of the most sought-after voices in the field of media strategy. His incredible marketing tactics detailed in the book ‘Trust Me, I’m Lying’ not only became a best-seller, it helped him launch his own media-consulting company, Brass Check, which has advised companies like Google, Taser and Complex as well as world-renowned authors such as Neil Strauss, Tim Ferris and Tony Robbins. So please, help me in welcoming the best selling author of ‘Ego is the Enemy’ and most recently, ‘Perennial Seller’, the modern-day, philosopher king – Ryan Holiday.

Let’s break that introduction down:

We can clearly see that Tom has done his research by pointing out almost every accomplishment Ryan Holiday is known for. This is what gets the audience excited about the speaker and looks forward to the ideas that will be shared in the subsequent talk or interview.

Keeping it short

The introduction is in the appropriate time-span of 2-3 minutes. Considering the amount of information that had to be said, the timing is bang on!

Saving the name for the end

By saving the name for the end, Tom reserves the maximum applause when he finally reveals who the person is.

Leading the applause

Tom did not lead the applause here maybe because it’s a studio audience who are sure to clap for the guest. Additionally, the way Tom introduces the guest is good enough to stimulate applause without him having to lead it.

Receiving the speaker with a handshake

Tom goes a small step further and bro-hugs the guest to showcase his bond with him.

Without any notes and his amazing delivery, it’s obvious Tom has taken the time out to not only research but also practice and rehearse the introduction.

Notice how Tom uses voice modulation to make the audience feel how important Ryan’s accomplishments really are. A handy thing to keep in mind for any speech. You can read this article we wrote to learn all about voice modulation and tonality for effective speaking.

As I stated earlier with multiple examples, Tom adds in a nickname to the speaker here as well – ‘ the modern-day, philosopher king ’ – right before saying the name. It just adds so much weight to the introduction!

There’s a lot we can learn from this introduction whether it be a speaker you are introducing or an interview guest which is why I thought I’d break it down.

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Final Words…

I believe that a strong introduction should also be treated as a speech. It’s tempting to do a basic Google Search and little “rehearsal” right before going on stage.

But it’s only when you take the time out to research, rehearse and deliver with the intention to excite the audience about the speaker you are introducing, is when you will do justice to the introduction and set the stage for the speaker to create maximum impact!

You should also consider upskilling your public speaking at an overall level. If you’re serious about it, check out this online course called Acumen Presents: Chris Anderson on Public Speaking (hosted on Udemy). It’s helped me gain a lot of insight into delivering speeches (even if they are just introductory speeches) that people will remember. Being the founder of TED, Chris Anderson provides numerous examples of the best TED speakers to give us a very practical way of overcoming stage fear and delivering a speech that people will remember.

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Inviting Somebody to Speak or Perform

There may be occasions when you wish to have somebody to speak or to perform at your event. Perhaps the speaker will be a singer, a band, a well known sports personality or a comedian, or maybe you want to get somebody to give a speech or to lend gravitas to your particular event such as your local MP or Lord Mayor as a speaker, for example. It’s important to write a letter of invitation in such circumstances. Not only is it polite, your letter will also give a good indication as to the nature of the event itself and why you’ve invited this particular person or people to act as a speaker. That way, the recipient can determine whether or not they’d agree to attend.

With a letter of this type, in addition to the invitation itself, the tone and invitation wording of the letter should be complimentary towards the person and should briefly outline why you’ve asked them, specifically, to come to the event to be the guest speaker. However, it’s also important to remember that the person you’ve invited to come may be extremely busy, have other commitments that day or may simply be inundated with similar requests. Therefore, although you should be complimentary towards them in your letter, make sure you don’t overdo your invitation wording with excessive flattery which may well put them off.

When to Write the Letter

How to write the letter.

Dear Mr. West,

I am the youth club leader of Owlhead Youth Centre which is based just 5 miles from the Rovers’ stadium.

I have contacted you as I would like to invite you to speak to our members (all boys and girls between the ages of 11 and 16), as we have recently introduced a brand new community initiative entitled “Safer Streets”. Our community has suffered considerably over the past decade having had problems with teenage gangs going on the rampage. However this initiative, which was the brainchild of many of the boys and girls who attend the youth club, has seen a dramatic fall in the number of teenage related incidents in our community.

We still have a lot of work to do, however, as we aim to try to encourage many more youngsters to get involved in the sports and social elements of the Youth Club. It is our aim to offer facilities and activities to even more teenagers in order that they’ll be able to see the benefits of becoming involved which in turn will create ‘Safer Streets’.

Given that you originally came from a similar estate in the city and spent most of your childhood encountering similar issues, I am certain that you will see how such an exemplary role model such as yourself could have a positive effect on the youth around here if you could, perhaps, spare half an hour of your time to speak to our members and to tell them about your own experiences of growing up in the city.

Therefore, I hope you will accept this invitation and, if so, please could you arrange to contact me so that I can provide you with more details. I have also enclosed a pamphlet with details of our youth club and the 'Safer Streets' initiative.

Thank you in the hope that you can find time to help.

Yours sincerely,

Tim Ward (Youth Centre Leader)

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How to present someone for a speech?

• Thread starter hly2004
• Start date Sep 20, 2006
• Sep 20, 2006

If someone is asking a person (with higher rank, e.g., the dean) to make a speech in an school evening party, is it proper to say "Let's welcome xxx to give us a speech", or else?  

SombraPenumbra

Senior member.

It might be more formal to say something like, " Please join me in welcoming XXX, the (president/principal/leader) of XXX." Or perhaps you might say, "It gives me great pleasure to introduce XXX."  

excuses me i dont know and i want to ask the same question How to present someone for a speech?  

think you for your answer  

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How to Introduce the Next Speaker in a Presentation

Last Updated: March 21, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Patrick Muñoz . Patrick is an internationally recognized Voice & Speech Coach, focusing on public speaking, vocal power, accent and dialects, accent reduction, voiceover, acting and speech therapy. He has worked with clients such as Penelope Cruz, Eva Longoria, and Roselyn Sanchez. He was voted LA's Favorite Voice and Dialect Coach by BACKSTAGE, is the voice and speech coach for Disney and Turner Classic Movies, and is a member of Voice and Speech Trainers Association. 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 233,956 times.

Whether at work, school, or a professional conference or workshop, group presentations are something you might find yourself giving from time to time. Introductions are part of any public speaking , so it’s good to know a few guidelines for introducing the person who’s speaking after you in a presentation. We want to help you nail your next presentation , so we put together this list of tips to make transitional introductions a breeze!

Things You Should Know

• Summarize your main points briefly to wrap up your portion of the presentation.
• Introduce the next topic to shift the audience's focus into a smooth transition.
• Praise the upcoming speaker or offer a few details about them. Then, state the speaker's full name and professional title to finish the introduction.

Summarize what you just talked about.

• For example, say something like: “So, in conclusion , if global warming continues at the current rate, more than 140 million people could be displaced by 2050.”
• Or, say something like: “Well, that was a brief introduction to the projected effects of carbon emissions over the next 3 decades.”

Set the audience up for the next topic with a question.

• For example, if the next speaker is going to talk about the implications of AI for future generations, ask something like: “What if by the year 2075 there was no longer any need for humans in manufacturing jobs?”
• Or, if the next presenter is there to talk about cloud computing security, ask something like: “How often do you worry about security when you save your files to the cloud?”

Say the upcoming speaker’s name.

• For example, say: “Up next is Robert Sandoval…”
• Or, say: “Here now is John Mando…”

State the next presenter’s title or profession.

• For example, say something like: “Up next is Alex Bando, Marketing Director.”
• Or, say something like: “Roger Stoney is a former philosophy professor at Washington State University.”

Tell the audience what the next person is there to talk about.

• For example, after you state the person’s name and background, say something like: “He’s going to talk to you about 5 tried-and-true time management techniques for success that you can start using today!”
• Or, say something like: “Jill is going to speak about an exciting discovery she made while researching the behaviors of the Puget Sound’s octopus population last year.”

Praise the next speaker as you introduce them.

• For example, say something like: “Sarah is truly one of the most brilliant minds I’ve met in the world of physics and I can’t wait for you to hear what she has to say.”
• Or, say something like: “Alexa has been a close colleague of mine for almost 6 years now and she’s a great public speaker, so I know you’re really going to enjoy this.”
• If you don't know the person personally, you could do a little research about their achievements and say something like: "John has won global recognition for his books and is a leading authority on economics."

Add a fun piece of information or a joke.

• For example, say something like: “Besides being a leading expert in marine biology, Jill speaks 5 languages fluently. But don’t worry, this presentation is only in 1!”

Keep the introduction short.

• For instance, your first sentence is a summary of what you said, your second sentence is a question to frame the upcoming topic, then you can fit the next speaker’s name, title, and topic all into the next 1-2 sentences. Finally, you can end with a fun fact about the next presenter in your fifth sentence.”

Give the next presenter a cue that it’s their time to speak.

• You could say something like: “Come on up, Sam!”
• Or, say: “Welcome, Rachel.”

Rehearse your entire presentation at least twice.

• If you can’t rehearse with the speaker you have to introduce, you can still practice your whole section of the presentation up to the end of the transitional intro. Just imagine that the next speaker is sitting off to the side somewhere.
• It can help to film yourself practicing in front of a mirror and then watching the video back. You can also practice in front of a friend.

Expert Q&A

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/how-to-conclude-a-presentation
• ↑ https://hbr.org/2016/10/how-to-memorably-introduce-another-speaker
• ↑ https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wm-publicspeaking/chapter/introducing-a-speaker/
• ↑ https://www.meetingsnet.com/speakers-entertainment/4-tips-introducing-your-next-keynote-speaker
• ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6Xa1fq-oPo&t=120s
• ↑ https://hbr.org/2019/09/how-to-rehearse-for-an-important-presentation

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50+ different ways to say welcome to your guests

By:  Susan Dugdale  

The challenge of a welcome speech is to find alternate ways to express yourself sincerely without resorting to a string of undifferentiated "same-old, same-old" words and phrases that have become meaningless through overuse to greet your guests with.

And there's an additional question to answer. Is the event formal or informal? Your response will guide the language choices you make.

What's on this page?

• help to decide whether you need formal or informal language
• examples of informal and formal welcome speech openings
• 50+ different ways to say welcome 
• 28 example sentences  

Do you need to use formal or informal language?

Is the welcome speech you're preparing formal or informal?  

There are major differences. The words you use in an informal speech will be entirely out of place in a formal one. You need to know what is right for the occasion if you want your speech to be a success.

The video below explains the difference and provides six example speech openings to illustrate: three formal and three informal.

How to avoid repetition making your speech boring!  

Repetition of a familiar word is easy to do and totally understandable.

Sometimes we can't find the words we want, and we get stuck in a vocabulary rut, using the same phrase or word over and over, and over again, trying to make it cover multiple and/or different situations.

And yet we know, words are just like clothes. One size does does not fit all.

What's the solution?

Here's three suggestions to individualize or tailor your words to fit your event a little better. And they'll be more interesting for the audience to listen to!

With care you'll find most will adapt either formal or informal use.

1. Add an adjective to the word welcome

Try working in an adjective to describe the quality of your welcome more fully.

I've provided an example sentence or two alongside each adjective to show how it could be used in context.

I know some examples are much more successful, (smooth to say and read), than others.

Some, quite frankly, clunk a little. (I say this with a wry smile ☺!) 

If you decide to use the feature word in those that do, perhaps you'll find a way to use it more eloquently!  

What sort of welcome are you offering?

It could be a(n):

• warm  welcome " Luckily the weather is on our side today! The sun and I are pleased to offer you a warm welcome."
• hearty  welcome  "Here's a hearty welcome, big and warm enough to encompass you all! To say we are thrilled to see you is an understatement."
• cheerful  welcome "It's my pleasure to extend a cheerful welcome to you all! Your presence makes us very happy."
• cordial  welcome "Fellow members, please join me in giving our guests the most cordial of welcomes."
• sociable  welcome "Let's hear it for a sociable welcome! On the count of three, turn to your neighbor and say 'hello'. There are no strangers here, only  friends we are yet to meet."
• genial  welcome "It's my pleasant duty to bid you all a genial welcome."
• convivial  welcome "On behalf of my colleagues, I wish you all a convivial welcome. We are going to have a merry and enjoyable time together."
• agreeable  welcome "The flags are flying. The balloons are ready for release. It's a great day, one we've been planning and waiting for. I'm sure you'll concur, this is an agreeable welcome."
• pleasing  welcome "It's gratifying to look around and see so many familiar faces. That's a pleasing welcome to what I know is a going to be a great  conference ... "

Or maybe it's a(n):

• glad  welcome "It's a glad welcome we bring to you this morning, filled with the desires, hopes and dreams we all share."
• hospitable  welcome "We're delighted to offer the most hospitable welcome we can."
• amiable  welcome "Dear guests, look around you! An amiable welcome full of friendship is yours."
• gracious  welcome "Our desire is to extend a gracious and inclusive welcome to all of you. For now let's put aside our differences and instead celebrate what brings us together!"

What about a(n):

Then there's a:

• pleasant  welcome "You know what's great about these events? You are always assured of a pleasant welcome. This is feel-good central and we aim ..."
• companionable  welcome "Looking around I can see many familiar faces - peers, past and present colleagues. What a companionable welcome! It's great to see you all here ..."
• grateful  welcome "Many of you have made a huge effort to join us today. On behalf of us all, we are deeply appreciative and offer you our most grateful welcome."
• friendly  welcome "Today is the day we begin to learn to look through the eyes of others; to find out and experience what the world is like for them. It is also the day we grow bigger than our differences and offer to everyone regardless of historical rights and wrongs, a friendly welcome, an outstretched hand."

Perhaps a(n):

• appreciative  welcome "Wow, what a gathering we have here tonight. We've got dignitaries, celebrities, fans, and organizational members all brought together for one cause. Ours. Here's an appreciative welcome to you all."
• superb  welcome "Ladies and gentlemen, the room is ready. The tables are set. The band is playing our theme song. And the waiting staff are preparing to take your orders. This is a superb welcome, fit for royalty, and that's what you are to us."
• delighted  welcome "To our special guests; look around. See the smiles of everyone's faces? We are truly delighted to welcome you here today."
• favored  welcome "Ladies and gentlemen, tonight we have stars in the sky, and on stage. We are favored to welcome some the brightest the world has seen."
• honored  welcome "I look around the stage and am in awe with the collected expertise gathered here. We are deeply honored to welcome you."
• big  welcome "Here's to a big welcome for our guests; Lady Amelia Thistledown and Sir Roger Godfrey!"
• huge  welcome "Ladies and gentlemen, please give a huge welcome to ..."
• rapturous  welcome "Do you hear the applause? The audience joins me in a rapturous welcome! We are thrilled to have you with us today."

2. What about the guests you want to welcome?

Think about the guests you want to welcome as part of your speech. What sort of guests are they?  Is there a word, or two, you could use to describe them more fully?

Accurate descriptions of the people coming to the event, either as especially invited guests, or as members of the audience, helps build credibility and trust.

The care you take to find the right words is an excellent investment for everybody involved.

Could your guests be better described as:

• esteemed  guests?
• brilliant  guests?
• celebrated  guests?
• dear  guests?
• admired  guests?
• acclaimed  guests?
• cherished  guests?
• respected  guests?
• revered  guests?
• wonderful  guests?
• popular  guests?
• much-loved  guests?
• famous  guests?
• expert  guests?
• distinguished  guests?
• honored  guests?
• valued  guests?
• appreciated  guests?
• remarkable  guests?
• renowned  guests?
• knowledgeable  guests?
• treasured  guests?

3. What about the word "guests"?

Who are you talking to? Yes, everybody in the audience is a guest to your event but what could they be more accurately called? 

Are these people your:

• colleagues?
• associates?
• classmates?
• co-collaborators?
• fellow-travelers, nurses, teachers ... ? (insert the appropriate descriptor)
• affiliates?
• conspirators?
• companions?

And lastly, have fun experimenting!

Do try mixing and matching your words and phrases to fit the occasion. After all there are more flavors to "welcome" than vanilla!

Related pages:

• How to write a welcome speech - with a sample speech
• How to write a speech - step by step help - a good beginning point if you've never prepared a speech before.
• Back to top of phrases for welcome speeches
• Return to write-out-loud.com homepage

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15 Ways to Invite Someone to Give a Welcome Speech

A welcome speech is like a warm welcome a person gives to set the ground before an event officially begins. It helps to make the audience or guests know what to expect and feel more at home.

Most times a welcome speech is given by the host of the event; other times, a skilled personnel is selected. It depends on the type of function and the grade of persons that will grace the event. Whether an informal event or a formal one, a welcome speech is very essential and has to be done properly.

If you are hosting an event whether yours or on behalf of a person and you have someone in mind to give the welcome speech, then approach them and make your request.

In this article, I will be listing fifteen (15) ways to invite someone to give a welcome speech at your event. It ranges from funny, interesting, and polite methods.

Table of Contents

• We believe your words would set the perfect tone for our event. Can we count on you to deliver the welcome speech?
• Your insights and perspective would be invaluable as we commence our event. Would you be willing to deliver the opening remarks?
• Our event is about to start and we couldn’t think of anyone better to deliver the welcome speech. Would you be available?
• You have a way with words that inspires and captivates. We’d be thrilled if you could deliver the welcome speech.
• Oh my, I need a great addition to my event and I remembered your knack for engaging an audience. Would you consider giving the welcome speech?
• I’m hoping to kick off my event on a positive note, and I couldn’t think of anyone better than you to deliver the welcome speech. Would you be up for it?
• I’m planning an event and thought it would be awesome if you could start things off with a warm welcome speech. Would you be interested in doing that?
• I have a friend who is planning an event and she needs someone with a friendly demeanor to welcome everyone. I thought you to be the ideal person, would you be willing to give the welcoming speech?
• Okay, so I’m putting together an event agenda and I would be delighted if you can start things off with a warm welcome speech. I think you’d be perfect for it!
• Hello, I’m reaching out to see if you’d be interested in delivering the welcome speech at an official event. Your positive energy is just what we need!
• We’re looking for someone to set the stage for our event with a welcome speech. Are you up for the challenge?
• You’ve been chosen to give the welcome speech at the Company event. No need to panic, we have a backup plan involving cue cards and interpretive dance if things go south.
• If you agree to give the welcome speech at this event, we will reward you with endless applause, possibly a high-five, and a lifetime supply of virtual confetti.
• No pressure, but we need someone with wit, charm, and a knack for making people smile to give a welcoming speech, and you are the first person that came to mind.
• You have the rare talent of making a room full of strangers feel like old friends in a few minutes with your killer sense of humor and nerves of steel, so we thought you’d be the best person to give a welcoming speech at our event.

1. We believe your words would set the perfect tone for our event. Can we count on you to deliver the welcome speech?

Some people are naturally good with words, even if they are asked to come up with something impromptu; those are the ones you use this statement with.

• ‘We believe your words would set the perfect tone for our event.’
• ‘You think so?’
• ‘Yeah. Can we count on you to deliver the welcome speech?’

2. Your insights and perspective would be invaluable as we commence our event. Would you be willing to deliver the opening remarks?

If the event you are organizing surrounds a particular niche or industry, you may want to ask a person who has great knowledge in that area to deliver the opening remarks.

• ‘Your insights and perspective would be invaluable as we commence our event.’
• ‘I’m glad.’
• ‘’Would you be willing to deliver the opening remarks?’

3. Our event is about to start and we couldn’t think of anyone better to deliver the welcome speech. Would you be available?

This sounds like something you would use at an impromptu time. What this means is that you are sure that the person is within reach before you make your request.

• ‘Our event is about to start and we couldn’t think of anyone better to deliver the welcome speech.’
• ‘I’m honored.’
• ‘Would you be available?’

4. You have a way with words that inspires and captivates. We’d be thrilled if you could deliver the welcome speech

Some people are naturally gifted with the talent to motivate people the correct way. If that is what you need in the person who will deliver your welcome speech, then this is the right statement for you.

• ‘You have a way with words that inspires and captivates.’
• ‘We’d be thrilled if you could deliver the welcome speech.’

5. Oh my, I need a great addition to my event and I remembered your knack for engaging an audience. Would you consider giving the welcome speech?

You may have just concluded planning your event but deep down you feel like something is missing. Then, it suddenly comes to you, you need someone with a knack for engaging an audience to give a welcome speech.

• ‘Oh my, I need a great addition to my event and I remembered your knack for engaging an audience.’
• ‘Is that so?’
• ‘Yes, would you consider giving the welcome speech?’

6. I’m hoping to kick off my event on a positive note, and I couldn’t think of anyone better than you to deliver the welcome speech. Would you be up for it?

Positivity at the beginning of an event sets the mood for the whole event. Hence, if you can just find the right person who would come with a healthy dose of positivity, use this statement to ask them to deliver the welcome speech.

• ‘I’m hoping to kick off my event on a positive note, and I couldn’t think of anyone better than you to deliver the welcome speech.’
• ‘Would you be up for it?’

7. I’m planning an event and thought it would be awesome if you could start things off with a warm welcome speech. Would you be interested in doing that?

When using this response, it shows that you are still in the planning stage but you want someone to just give a warm welcome speech; this statement is the best for you to use at this point.

• ‘I’m planning an event and thought it would be awesome if you could start things off with a warm welcome speech.’
• ‘Will you be interested in doing that?’

8. I have a friend who is planning an event and she needs someone with a friendly demeanor to welcome everyone. I thought you to be the ideal person, would you be willing to give the welcoming speech?

This statement shows that you are asking on behalf of a third party. Maybe, he/she does not know anyone with a friendly demeanor but you do, or they do not have time to find the right person but you have just enough time.

• ‘I have a friend who is planning an event and she needs someone with a friendly demeanor to welcome everyone.’
• ‘I thought you to be the ideal person, would you be willing to give the welcoming speech?’

9. Okay, so I’m putting together an event agenda and I would be delighted if you can start things off with a warm welcome speech. I think you’d be perfect for it!

When the event you are planning is not a large one but you still need to start things off with a warm welcome speech, then this is the right statement to use to make your request.

• ‘Okay, so I’m putting together an event agenda and I would be delighted if you can start things off with a warm welcome speech.’
• ‘I’d be glad to.’
• ‘I think you’d be perfect for it.’

10. Hello, I’m reaching out to see if you’d be interested in delivering the welcome speech at an official event. Your positive energy is just what we need!

This statement indicates two things. First, that the event is an official one and secondly, that the person you are reaching out to is some distance away.

• ‘Hello, I’m reaching out to see if you’d be interested in delivering the welcome speech at an official event.’
• ‘Your positive energy is just what we need!’

11. We’re looking for someone to set the stage for our event with a welcome speech. Are you up for the challenge?

If the welcome speech is done just right, then the stage will be set for other activities that may follow. It’s usually a challenge as the person speaking is faced with different kinds of people.

• ‘We’re looking for someone to set the stage for our event with a welcome speech.’
• ‘Good for you.’
• ‘Are you up for the challenge?’

12. You’ve been chosen to give the welcome speech at the company event. No need to panic, we have a backup plan involving cue cards and interpretive dance if things go south

This statement indicates that the event is a company event and that the person will likely panic if asked to give the welcome speech. Hence, it comes with a backup plan that should calm the person’s nerves down.

• ‘You’ve been chosen to give the welcome speech at the Company event.’
• ‘Oh no, why me?’
• ‘No need to panic, we have a backup plan involving cue cards and interpretive dance if things go south.’

13. If you agree to give the welcome speech at this event, we will reward you with endless applause, possibly a high-five, and a lifetime supply of virtual confetti

If you intend to bribe the person with endless applause or a high-five, then this is the statement that you should use. Note that this statement may likely work better with children.

• ‘If you agree to give the welcome speech at this event, we will reward you…’
• ‘With what?’
• ‘…with endless applause, possibly a high-five, and a lifetime supply of virtual confetti.’

14. No pressure, but we need someone with wit, charm, and a knack for making people smile to give a welcoming speech, and you are the first person that came to mind.

When asking someone for something, it is advisable to start with an assurance (no pressure), a compliment (someone with wit, charm, and a knack for making people smile), before you arrive at your request (to give the welcoming speech).

• ‘No pressure, but we need someone with wit, charm, and a knack for making people smile to give the welcoming speech.’
• ‘Great! Go look for them.’
• ‘ You are the first person that came to mind.’

15. You have the rare talent of making a room full of strangers feel like old friends in a few minutes with your killer sense of humor and nerves of steel, so we thought you’d be the best person to give a welcoming speech at our event

Sometimes what we just need is a comedian or a person who has a killer sense of humor to make the strangers in the room feel at home and like old friends in a few minutes.

• ‘You have the rare talent of making a room full of  strangers feel like old friends in a few minutes with your killer sense of humor and nerves of steel.’
• ‘Wow, thanks for the compliment.’
• ‘So, we thought you’d be the best person to give a welcoming speech at our event.’

To End With,

Asking someone to give a welcome speech at your event should not be such a herculean task. Regardless of who the person is – whether a stranger, friend, or acquaintance – these statements will help you make your request effortlessly.

Please note that whether or not you are paying the person is based on an agreement between the both of you. Where the person does not request payment, you can appreciate him/her instead. Don’t hesitate to use one of these to effortlessly make your requests, and feel free to share with us your experience while using it.

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Step by Step Anchoring Guide

An anchor is a person who hosts an event and having the main role in narrating or hosting a program at school, college, university or anywhere else. When you are selected to host an event, you need to understand your responsibilities beforehand. You need to make sure that your skills are perfect and get opportunities to interact with people from different fields. You must continuously improve speaking skills and what it requires for a successful event is a lot of effort, preparation, and well-written script. The following article is a step by step Anchoring guide for function.

Related Article: Anchoring Tips (How to be a good anchor or compère)

Commencement

Yesterday was a dream, tomorrow is a vision,  but a day well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness and every tomorrow a vision of hope.

Carrying the same vision, we (insert name of the academy) family successfully completes 13 glorious and tremendous years of its existence.

Namashkar!!! Assalam-un-Alykom

(1st Anchor name) aur main (2nd Anchor name) Aaj ki is suhani sham mein aapka haardik abhinandan karte hain.

Check:   Best Commencement or Opening lines

Welcoming Guests and Audience

We extend a very warm welcome to our honorable Chairperson Board of Directors, Respected Director Sir, Members of the Board of Governors, Members of the Senate, Members of the Finance Commision, Deans And Divisional Heads, Faculty And Staff Members and all our friends.

1st Anchor:  We extend our heartiest welcome to the new members of our family, you are the hope, the forbearers of tomorrow, you carry the mantle. You are up for a breathing journey, enjoy the ride.

Check: More scripts for welcoming

2nd Anchor: (Insert inauguration date of the academy) the historical day when the foundation stone of our institution was laid. Its amazing to how we transformed from small rented premises in the (insert the address) Campus to a full-fledged innovative campus renowned for its marvelous infrastructure in such a short span of time.

1st Anchor:   Our institution was conferred the deemed university status in_________ and since then there has been no looking back. What more proof do we need that it has grown from a handful in a mere span of time.

Calling Chairperson for a Speech

After inviting the guests on to the dais and honoring them with bouquets, it is our tradition to have a welcome address. The anchor may invite someone representing the institute to welcome the guests and all the invitees one by one. You can use the following lines:

I would now request our Chairperson of Cultural Affairs to please escort our honorable to the die for the welcome address. Please, Sir.

Now we are going to listen and the most distinguished personality well versed shrewd personality none other than our chairperson and good excellent orator to address the audience.

Sample Welcome Speech:

The essential elements to cover in your welcome speech are:

• to specifically acknowledge any important guests to generally welcome all the guests, stating the name of the event and host and thank them for coming
• and to give a brief introduction of the host
• to give a brief introduction of the occasion
• and to give any especial welcomes i.e., to the important guests
• to introduce the next speaker if appropriate

I am really privileged to have the pleasant task of welcoming the distinguished gathering for the academy annual day celebrations 2k18. On behalf of the (insert the name of your academy) and on my own behalf, I warmly and respectfully welcome the chief guest Mr,/Miss (insert the name here). We are highly honored that you are amongst us today and we are indeed, grateful to him/her for graciously and readily accepting our invitation. We are eagerly looking for his address.

Let me extend my thanks to Mr./Miss (insert the name here) who had always been with us and his presence is always a morale boost for us. I thank him for making his presence despite his busy schedule.

And a warm word of welcome to (insert the name and position) we are waiting with full of ebullience to listen to your motivational words. A hearty welcome to our principal (insert the name). He has an indomitable spirit to maintain the discipline. His personal academic achievements are a source of motivation for us.

Now, I am pleased to invite all the committed teaching and non-teaching staff of (insert the name of the academy). My word of welcome goes next to all the invitees, the parents and the vibrant students of (insert the name of the academy).”I thank you all for attending .i look forward to wonderful events to follow. Thank you”

Also Read: Welcome Speech Sample in English

After the Speech:

Thank you, sir, your enlightened words would always enshrine in our hearts.

“Life doesn’t require that we be the best, only that we try our best.”

So friends try your best for success, try to be as efficient as possible. I wish you all the very best. Ladies and gentleman let’s contribute to the success of this management fest, tet’s create a history…

Now it’s activity time.

Dance:  Without taking much of your time, permit us to call our talented students to perform on the stage. There will be a fan dance by kids from class__________. The dance involves  various movements, figures and mesmerizing formations which engrosses its audience to the core.)

That was indeed a lovely performance. How captivating! the poetry of footsteps !! A blend of cosmic tune and divine music. 

Now HOLD YOUR BREATH FOR another dance performance CANDLE DANCE which perhaps is one of the oldest dance forms in the world. Dancing with flames bring us to a more elemental and archetypical state of mind. This mesmerizing, powerful and alluring candle dance performance requires full body integration.

Wow! incredible. The young dancers really held everyone captive. An essay on creativity. A firework of rapid moving steps. Awesome!

More Phrases: 

• Now we are going to have a very flamboyant and raucous event.
• Now, we are going to have a rocking performance by____________.
• Let’s give a big round of applause to___________, who is going to sing a melodious song for us.
• That was a splendid performance b___________.
• It was an incredible dancing performance by__________.
• Wow… what an amazing performance.

How to Request the Guest to Address the Audience

In most of the events after covering some activities, the anchor calls the guest to come on the stage and address to the audience. To do so, you can use the following lines:

• Ladies and Gentlemen, we rarely get this kind of an opportunity to listen to the words of great personality Mr./Ms/Sir/Smt/Dr./Prof______________________, So let us have the privilege of listening to the message of Mr./Ms/Sir/Smt/Dr./Prof____________________
• I Invite Mr./Ms/Sir/Smt/Dr./Prof____________ to address the gathering
• Now, let us have the pleasure of listening to the opening remarks of the Honourable principal.
• That was really an inspiring speech. Sir, On behalf of all the students of our college, I promise to put your words into practice
• Thank you, sir, for your cogent message, we are charmed by your sharp eloquence.
• Sir/madam, I thank you for making such a thought-provoking speech.
• Thank you, sir/madam, we have now come to know your secret of success, you have just now preached what you have practiced. I assure you that we would follow in your footsteps to reach the stars.
• That was really an amazing speech, wasn’t it (to the audience…).  Sir/Madam, I must tell you that you have got the gift of the gab (ability to speak easily and confidently in a way that makes people want to listen to you and believe you).
• Thank you, sir… Thank you for your words of wisdom.

Prize Distribution

Success is the maximum utilization of the ability that you have.

We now have the prizes for the competitions and events organized by the various classes. We thank all the organizers and members for their distinct contribution to the co-curriculum memorandum of our institution.

• To honor the abilities of__________students and to praise them. I would like to call upon our respected………………….to give away the prizes.
• Now it’s time to honor our students who excelled in academic part. I request our Chief guest to honor, the class toppers.
• Studies while others are sleeping; work while others are loafing; prepare while others are playing, and dream while others are wishing. Proving the proverb our students have excelled in various competitions.
• Any man’s life will be filled with constant and unexpected encouragement if he makes up his mind to do his level best each day. With the same zeal and enthusiasm, our students have achieved great height in various fields of education.

Related Article: 

• Best Anchoring Script for Convocation Ceremony
• Prize Distribution Script

Conclusion:

So friends try your best for success, try to be as efficient as possible. And as said by one of the greatest philosophers of all time Socrates “The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance.” So I would like to thank all of you to be a part of this event.

I wish you all the very best.  Thank you one and all.

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This article is amazing nd very helpful,thank u

I REALLY FELT VERY HAPPY AND AT THE SAME TIME EDUCATED, THANKS A LOT. MAY ALMIGHTY BLESS. WITH REGARDS. DR, I. M. MAKKUBHAI

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• Delivery Techniques →

How to Give a Speech: 10 Tips for Powerful Public Speaking

When we start preparing to give a speech, it can be a nerve-wracking experience. It’s completely normal—most of us feel a combination of excitement and nerves when we’re about to take the stage.

However, with some strategic planning and practical advice, you can make sure your speech is powerful and effective. In this blog post, we’ll explore how to give a speech that will leave your audience engaged and inspired.

We’ll examine 10 tips to help you build a powerful speech, from outlining your points methodically to crafting captivating introductions . Whether you’re a beginner or experienced public speaker, these nuggets of wisdom will help you take your next speech to the next level. Let’s get started!

Quick Review of Key Points

Preparing ahead of time is the key to giving an effective speech. Make sure to structure your speaking points, rehearse your delivery, and be aware of the needs of your audience for maximum impact.

How to Prepare for a Speech

Preparing for a speech is an essential step to public speaking success. It can help to build your confidence, create content that reaches the audience, and reduce performance anxiety.

Although it can be time-consuming in the beginning, preparation will ensure less stress and more comfort during delivery. Here are some tips to consider when preparing for a speech:

Practice : Before delivering a speech, practice it out loud several times. This will allow you to gain experience in speaking without an audience and increase your confidence when you do have one.

Practicing also helps to identify awkward moments in the speech or any difficult phrases which then can be changed or removed altogether. Additionally, it helps you determine where to pause for effect. Research : Depending on the topic of the speech , research should be done beforehand to gather information that is relevant and interesting for the audience. It is important to get acquainted with the language typically used by audiences to ensure a clear understanding of what is being said.

Additionally, relevant statistics and stories concerning the topic are a great way to draw in listeners and make the presentation more engaging .

Know Your Audience : When preparing your speech, be sure to consider who will be listening. For instance, if giving a presentation at work, include industry jargon that members would understand and include relevant topics from publications that might be familiar to the employees.

On the other hand, if consulting business professionals in their field then technical language may be easier for them to comprehend than laypeople or students.

By gathering valuable information about the topic and getting comfortable with a speech’s content and delivery through practice, speakers will gain more assurance during their talk as well as respect from their audience.

Preparing beforehand not only gives insight into how to engage listeners but also encourages more meaningful conversations after the event. Now that we have discussed how to prepare for a speech let us move on to creating an outline which will provide structure during delivery.

Create an Outline

After determining the audience and purpose of your speech, the next step to effective public speaking is to create an outline .

An outline serves as a roadmap to ensure that your speech has a logical flow and contains all important points. It also can help keep you on track during the speech itself, allowing you to stay focused and organized.

When constructing an outline, consider drawing up both a main point and sub-points for each portion of the speech. Both should be relevant to the goal of the presentation and backed up by facts and research.

Brainstorming can help in this process; try grouping your ideas together in clusters to make sure you cover all possible angles.

Furthermore, writing out exact quotations or figures can prove beneficial in forming a cohesive argument. At this stage, it is also wise to decide where transitions, humor, stories, or other engaging techniques will be included.

While there are differing opinions as to whether outlines should be memorized or simply used as a reference while speaking, many agree that they should serve their purpose – not only articulate the main thoughts of the speech but also assist the speaker with maintaining focus and preventing distractions.

The debate between those who advocate for memorization versus casual consulting touches upon issues such as rehearsal time, risk of errors in delivery, ease of practice versus actual performance and more.

Each side has valid arguments that should be weighed prior to deciding what type of approach best suits your needs.

Having a firmly constructed outline acts as a valuable tool when it comes time to deliver a powerful public speech. By actively utilizing this tactic, speakers may not only enhance their clarity and coherence, but also add structure and vibrance to their presentations.

Now that we have explored what goes into crafting an effective outline, let’s dive deeper into how we can best collect resources and research our topics for maximum impact.

Collect Sources and Research

Collecting sources and research is a crucial step for any public speaking engagement. It ensures that you have the necessary information to make strong points and back up your statements.

Before writing your speech, take time to research your topic to gain familiarity with different perspectives, facts, and counterpoints. This will help you to craft an argument that can stand up to scrutiny while also adding a breadth of knowledge to your speech.

Interviews can be a powerful source of evidence and anecdotes, so try to include one or two relevant interviews in your research process. Relying solely on secondary sources such as books and articles can lead to a narrow scope of understanding.

Interviews provide an opportunity to hear directly from an expert and create an interesting dynamic in your speech by adding personal experiences as well as commentary from a professional.

In research it is important to stay objective. Gather a variety of perspectives and be open-minded about their merits. Don’t forget to consider both sides of the argument when researching for your speech.

Doing this allows you to understand the opposing perspective and enables you to anticipate potential counter arguments from your audience.

By acknowledging them beforehand, you may increase the persuasive power of your speech by showing confidence in the points you make.

Once you have collected all sources, review them carefully and separate the most pertinent information from the less useful material.

Synthesising this information into concise yet impactful points is a critical part in delivering powerful talks without overloading your audience with too much data or going off track during your speech delivery.

Organizing Your Speech

Before you start putting your words together, it’s important to consider how the different parts of a speech fit together. By taking the time to organize the ideas in your speech , you’ll be able to deliver a presentation that is well-constructed and easy to understand.

One way to help with organizing your speech is to write an outline . An outline is like a map or plan that will provide you with a framework for each section of your speech.

Start by writing out your main points and then include additional details underneath each one. This will help keep your speech focused and provide direction for where you are going next.

Another approach for organizing your speech is known as the “inverted pyramid” method. This structure starts with your conclusion at the beginning of the speech, and then works backward by providing more explanation and detail as it moves toward the introduction.

This method can be helpful when speaking about topics that are unfamiliar to the audience since it doesn’t require them to wait until near the end of the presentation to learn what you’ve been talking about.

No matter which organization approach you choose, make sure to practice it before giving your speech so that you are comfortable with its flow. Lastly, remember that it’s ok to adjust things while you speak if they don’t seem or feel quite right.

Now let’s take a look at how we can use these organizing techniques to actually put our speeches together – starting with structuring our speech.

Structure Your Speech

Creating a strong structure for your speech will ensure that the audience stays engaged and understands your main points. As you are developing an outline, map out how you want to begin and end your speech.

Break up the information into smaller sections with either verbal or visual cues so that your audience can clearly see how you are transitioning between topics . Consider adding humor judiciously throughout your presentation as this could help engage the audience and lighten any tension.

The length of your presentation is also important. You will want to make sure that you include all of the necessary information without going over time.

Oftentimes less is more; if you can say it in five minutes why use ten? Make sure that you practice timed rehearsals so that you can gauge how long you’re actually speaking.

In contrast, avoid trying to pack too much content into one presentation as this could overwhelm both you and the audience. If needed, offer supplemental reading materials for those who may be interested in delving further into the subject matter.

Paragraphs can also be helpful when organizing large amounts of content within the body of your presentation. Utilizing paragraph breaks gives your audience a break and helps to highlight key ideas or summaries before moving onto a new topic area.

Finally, it is crucial to remember what your desired outcome is from the presentation; plan accordingly by ensuring that the beginning, middle, and end serve their respective purposes and adhere to that goal.

With careful deliberations, structuring a successful presentation can be achieved with relative ease.

Having established a solid structure for your speech, it’s important to focus on another key element: rehearsal. The next section will discuss the benefits of practicing before delivering a powerful public speaking performance.

Rehearse Your Speech

Rehearsing is integral to giving a successful speech. When you rehearse your presentation, you give your mind an opportunity to become familiar with the notes and concepts that you are presenting. It also increases your confidence and reduces anxiety or self-doubt.

In fact, studies have found that those who rehearsed their presentation had higher scores in public speaking performance and language proficiency evaluations.

When it comes to how much rehearsal is enough, opinions are divided. Some people believe that over-rehearsing can lead to a more robotic speech with less natural emotion and connection with the audience .

On the other hand, others argue that no matter how well-versed someone is on the topic, additional rehearsal time improves both the delivery of the speech and memorization of key points and facts.

Ultimately, it’s important to practice until you personally find the most comfortable level for yourself, as this will ultimately result in a more engaging delivery.

Finally, if at all possible, try to practice in front of a friend or colleague for honest feedback on any elements that need improvement before the big day. Rehearsal dedication may be tedious, but it results in big rewards on stage–enabling you to deliver your content with clarity, confidence, and poise.

With thoughtful preparation complete, it’s now time to step into the spotlight and give your speech!

Giving Your Speech

The key to success when giving a speech is to be well prepared and confident. Every individual’s preparation process will vary, but the basics should stay the same.

Start by studying your content, understanding the material and being able to repeat it in your own words. Clarify any potentially difficult points. Create visual aids like PowerPoint slides or handouts that supplement the key ideas in your speech.

Practice your public speaking skills with informal conversations with friends and family or rehearse it alone in front of a mirror. Use visualization; imagine yourself confidently delivering your speech. Consider addressing a practice audience if possible to become more accustomed to a live size group.

On the day of the event, arrive early and plan for any potential obstacles: What if my computer doesn’t work? What if I forget something? Allow sufficient time for setup and check-in.

When you are ready to give your speech, take some deep breaths, focus on the positives, and distract yourself from any anxious thoughts with positive affirmations. Remember you have prepared diligently for this moment, you are well prepared and you will succeed!

Start strong by engaging the audience immediately with an attention grabbing opening statement. Speak clearly and make sure that everyone can hear and understand your message.

Slow down and emphasize points as needed throughout your presentation. Be aware of pace, volume, and tone of voice: too fast/monotone can confuse/bore listeners while pauses add a dramatic effect that keeps their interest piqued.

Ultimately, giving a successful speech will depend on knowing your material well enough to speak confidently in front of your audience without hesitation or missteps.

When you do make a mistake (and they happen!) don’t panic – know that mistakes are inevitable but don’t be discouraged; get back on track as soon as possible and continue at the same energy level you had before the mistake occurred.

Having successfully given your speech, take a moment to reflect on what went well and what could be improved upon for next time before transitioning into the next step: mastering delivery.

Master Your Delivery

Mastering your delivery is the key to an effective speech. Without purposeful body language and careful emphasis on certain words , your speech may lack wow-factor and prevent listeners from tuning in. Following these simple tips can help you get started with delivering an engaging and memorable speech:

The most important part of delivery is practice. Rehearse and perfect your speech ahead of time – this allows for more natural flow and confidence during your presentation. It also helps to create pauses between sentences for clarity, emphasize key points, and not be too casual or stiff.

Practicing inflections and varying tones adds interest to your speech by keeping listeners’ attention.

Additionally, it’s important to project your voic e so everyone in the room can hear you; make sure you’re speaking loud enough but don’t feel pressure to shout or yell at any point unless that’s part of the atmosphere of the event.

It’s also crucial to maintain good posture while speaking – stand tall with both feet on the ground, keep your back straight, hold yourself up without gesturing too much or leaning against a podium if applicable.

To further engage listeners, use purposeful hand gestures as they help emphasize certain points and add visual interest – however, avoid overusing them as it can hinders communication.

Make meaningful eye contact with audience members throughout the presentation – otherwise you might come across as unenthusiastic or bored with what you’re saying which deters attention away from the content itself.

By mastering your delivery, you can boost the impact of your presentation considerably – providing a memorable experience for your audience that stands out from others’. As such, it’s worth investing time into practicing ahead of time until delivery feels comfortable and second nature.

Having said this, making use of visual aids such as PowerPoint slides can greatly improve the impact of a speech once delivery has been mastered – let’s look into that next.

Use Visual Aids

Using visual aids can help presenters express concepts more clearly and engage the audience.

Visuals are particularly useful when conveying complex information, such as data, trends, or statistics — they impart meaning at a glance. But some public speakers may wonder if visual aids can be distracting or unnecessary.

Even though visuals can attract attention away from a presenter’s verbal delivery, carefully designed visuals can actually support the speech and help provide clarity. If done well, visuals are effective for capturing an audience’s interest and helping them to better understand the content being presented.

For example, a graph or chart should relate to the points made in the speech and should be discussed in more detail during its appearance onscreen. The presentation can also include larger images that effectively reinforce the ideas conveyed in the speech.

Videos and sound clips are other powerful forms of multimedia that could be employed to make the speech more meaningful.

To ensure that visuals enhance the message of the presentation, key factors to consider include relevancy to topic, good graphic design or aesthetics, accurate size to prevent distortion or blurriness, and seamless integration into the keynote slides or printed handouts .

In this way, visuals offer an opportunity for presenters to demonstrate their creativity and keep their audiences interested in what is being said. Thus, used wisely and aptly, visuals can add tremendous value to speeches by presenting arguments more efficiently and driving home important points. Now let’s explore effective techniques for speech giving that will allow you to craft and deliver your speeches with confidence.

Effective Techniques for Speech Giving

There are a number of effective techniques for giving a speech that will help you deliver it with confidence and poise.

First, practice your delivery in advance. You should practice both in front of a mirror or recording device to check for any distracting habits such as talking too quickly or mispronouncing words.

Second, use simple, clear language and short, concise sentences. Avoid overly technical terms and jargon that may leave your audience confused.

Third, work to establish a connection with your audience by using appropriate facial expressions and hand gestures while speaking.

Fourth, utilize effective persuasive techniques such as presenting evidence, strong arguments supported by facts, personal anecdotes and vivid metaphors.

Finally, articulate an organized structure for your speech. Your speech should have an introduction, body and conclusion to clearly communicate the main point and provide the audience with the necessary context to understand it better.

While these techniques may sound intimidating at first, they can be learned over time with practice and will make all the difference in how successful your speech delivery is received by your audience.

To build on these skills further , the next section will provide tips on how to build confidence when giving a speech.

Building Confidence

Building confidence is key when giving a powerful speech, as it will enable you to deliver the speech in a more poised and credible manner.

To create this confidence , start by understanding that any hesitation or butterflies prior to your speech are completely normal and should not be feared. Instead, view them as natural states of anticipation for something exciting, knowing that you are about to give an amazing speech.

Next, understanding who your audience is and tailoring your speech to meet their expectations will help build your confidence.

Familiarizing yourself with their interests and knowledge on the subject matter ahead of time can equip you with the understanding needed to respond appropriately if questions arise or objections surface during the speech.

Further, practice is key when building confidence for a public speaking engagement . Rehearsing with friends or colleagues before hand will give you an opportunity to learn where problem areas are within the content of your speech, as well as help solidify your delivery by becoming more comfortable with each step.

Checking sound levels in the room you’re presenting in coupled with learning where exits/emergency locations are located within that space can also help alleviate stress levels and boost self-assurance while delivering the speech.

Finally, wearing comfortable clothing and dressing professionally adds an extra layer of confidence when speaking in public.

If possible, bring an additional outfit on hand during the presentation in case of spills or accidents that would require a quick change between sections of the talk. Having this back-up plan in place can aid in keeping peace of mind at ease throughout the speech.

In conclusion, building confidence prior to a public speaking event can mean the difference between a good and great delivery of your message.

By taking into account each of these tips you can ensure that this part of your preparation runs smoothly and sets you up for success when delivering powerful speeches.

With a well-crafted note card of talking points and strong sense of self-assurance, it’s time to start speaking with passion!

Speaking with Passion

As a public speaker, your audience expects you to engage not only with your words but also with your emotions. To share the most impactful message, it is important to speak passionately about your subject.

Doing so will make your speech more memorable and thereby more effective in convincing your audience of its legitimacy.

The power of speaking authentically with emotion lies in its relatability and connection. Showing feelings allows people to connect with you as a person rather than just a speaker. It opens the door to understanding through empathy and active listening .

Examples might include adding personal stories , telling jokes, or displaying your feelings openly during the delivery of your message.

However, not all topics lend themselves easily to expressing emotion. If the subject matter is overly complex or technical there may be less opportunity for emotional expression—but this doesn’t mean those conversations can’t incorporate emotion.

Even if faced with a difficult situation such as death or financial turmoil, emotions can still be conveyed in a respectful way that keeps audiences engaged.

Remember that how much emotion you show depends on the type of audience you’re sharing it with—using sensitivity when delivering passionate speeches helps avoid awkwardness or embarrassment for any attendees who may find opinionated language uncomfortable for whatever reason.

Striking the right balance between being straightforward and showing compassion takes practice, so take the time to develop a style that works best for you and improves upon each performance.

Finally, incorporating passion into a speech gives it life and makes it relatable and engaging—which are essential elements to speaking effectively.

Having passion means giving ourselves permission to take ownership over our stories, making them deeply personal in order to reach our goals and touch people’s hearts in meaningful ways. With that said, let’s move on to discussing how we should tackle dealing with challenges while giving a speech.

Dealing with Challenges

The process of delivering a speech can be challenging, but it is also rewarding. Difficulties can arise during the process that may threaten to derail your success. To ensure you are adequately prepared for these possible pitfalls it is important to consider strategies for proactively mitigating the risk of encountering these challenges. 1. Public Speaking Anxiety: Many people experience some form of anxiety when asked to speak in public. There are a number of techniques available to combat this fear and increase confidence, such as deep breathing exercises, mental rehearsal, positive self-talk and visualization of success.

Learning about the audience, creating an engaging presentation and using props or visual aids can also help reduce anxiety levels and create a better overall experience for both the speaker and the audience. 2. Unfamiliar Topics or Audiences: When presenting on unfamiliar topics or to an unknown audience it can be difficult to prepare effectively.

In this situation it is important to conduct research on the topic and familiarize yourself with the needs of your audience so that the content is tailored accordingly. It is also helpful to use humor or stories related to the topic in order to engage your audience and make them more receptive to your message. 3. Lack of Support: If you lack support from family, friends, colleagues or mentors, it can be difficult to push through difficult conversations or speeches without any additional motivation.

To overcome this challenge, seek out peer mentorship opportunities or find compatible online communities where people discuss similar topics or objectives. Here you can share ideas, provide feedback and learn from others who have experienced similar issues. 4. Time Constraints: One of the biggest challenges when giving a speech is managing your time effectively in order to deliver an effective message without going over allotted timeslots and boring your audience .

To successfully address this challenge try setting manageable goals for each section of your speech and practice regularly. Replicating real-time conditions as closely as possible will help you stay within time constraints when delivering your speech on the day itself. In conclusion, there are many potential challenges you may face when giving a speech or taking part in a public speaking event – but with proper preparation and practice they are easily managed if approached correctly.

With knowledge of techniques for dealing with such scenarios comes increased confidence when stepping up to the podium – further improving your chances of delivering an effective speech that resonates with your audience members.

Responses to Frequently Asked Questions

How should i end my speech to leave a lasting impression.

The best way to end your speech is by reinforcing your main point and summarizing the key takeaways. You should also encourage the audience to take action, whether it be to sign up for a newsletter, make a donation, or visit your website for more information. This final call to action will not only leave a lasting impression on the audience but will also help you achieve any goals you might have had when making your speech in the first place.

What techniques can I use to keep my audience engaged during my speech?

One of the best techniques for keeping an audience engaged during a speech is to keep it interactive . Ask questions throughout the presentation, as well as allowing for audience input and discussion. This can help to keep people’s attention and create a more engaging experience.

Another great tip is to use humor. Even if you don’t consider yourself a natural comedian, sprinkling in a few jokes here and there can break up the monotony of long speeches and keep people interested. Humor can also help to make points stick in people’s minds, making them easier to remember.

Finally, try to be enthusiastic about the content of your speech. If you show too much indifference or lethargic behavior, it will discourage your audience from paying attention and taking your message seriously.

Instead, be passionate about what you are saying so that the energy of your words carries into the room and engages your audience with excitement.

How can I use storytelling to make my speech more interesting?

Storytelling is a powerful tool that can be used to make any speech more interesting. Telling stories in your speech will help engage the audience and make your message stick. Here are some tips for using storytelling in your speech:

1. Choose stories that are relevant to your message and audience. Think about stories that will best illustrate the point you are trying to convey, or evoke emotions in your listeners. 2. Use vivid descriptions and visuals when telling your story. Be sure to include details such as setting, character descriptions, dialogue and plot points. This will help to bring the story to life for your audience. 3. Make sure the story you are telling has a strong conclusion or moral at the end. This will help add emphasis to your message and make it memorable. 4. Practice telling stories out loud before delivering a speech with them. Rehearsing will help you deliver your story more effectively and with more confidence in front of an audience. By using these tips, storytelling can be an effective tool to make any speech more interesting, engaging, and persuasive!

How can I prepare for my speech effectively?

Preparing for a speech effectively is essential to delivering an impactful and memorable presentation. Here are some tips: 1. Have a clear goal in mind. Before starting to prepare, ask yourself what the purpose of giving the speech is: what message do you want to convey? Defining this will help to structure your content and focus your research. 2. Research thoroughly. Make sure you understand the subject matter well, so that your delivery sounds confident and inspiring. Using facts and data will strengthen your arguments and make your talk more convincing. 3. Outline your speech. Make a rough outline of how you want it to go – from beginning to end – well in advance of the actual presentation. This will give you a strong foundation upon which you can craft an engaging talk with an effective narrative arc that keeps audiences interested and engaged. 4. Practice regularly. Rehearsing your speech out loud several times is key to ensuring that you know it well enough to feel comfortable when delivering it live in front of an audience.

5. Time yourself. Record how long it takes for you to go through your entire speech, so that you can adjust the length as needed before delivering it live – remember that most speeches should last no more than 10-15 minutes. 6. Identify potential questions from the audience and prepare answers before hand. Knowing ahead of time what kind of questions people may ask can help reduce the anxiety of not knowing what comes next, enabling you to stay confident when speaking in public. 7. Work on building up confidence levels before delivering a speech. Visualize yourself succeeding in delivering a great presentation; practice relaxation techniques such as deep breathing or positive self-talk; or use props during practice sessions such as water bottles or stress balls if needed to remain calm during the real thing!

What strategies can I use to reduce my anxiety when giving a speech?

1. Plan Ahead: Create an outline of your speech beforehand and practice it multiple times to become familiar with the content. Doing a trial run with the audience can also help you get used to speaking in front of people.

2. Visualize Success: Positive visualization is a great way to reduce anxiety before giving a speech. Imagine yourself confidently delivering the speech while feeling relaxed and composed.

3. Get Organized: Make sure you have all the materials necessary for your presentation, including notes, slides, etc., to reduce any additional stress that may come from not having what you need when you speak.

4. Take Deep Breaths: Before and during the speech, take a few deep breaths as this will help calm nerves and make sure your breathing is regulated throughout the duration of your presentation.

5. Speak Slowly: It is common to feel anxious while giving a speech and try to rush through it too quickly. Speaking slowly helps maintain composure while delivering your message effectively and clearly.

6. Pay Attention to Your Body: Your posture, stance, movements , facial expressions can all influence how confident you appear to your audience and how nervous you may be feeling inside. Check in with yourself frequently throughout the presentation and correct any tense body language or physical actions if needed.

7. Focus on the Audience: If you notice that your anxiety levels are growing as you present, shift your focus onto the audience instead of yourself as this will help refocus your attention away from negative thoughts that may arise from fear or insecurity.

8. Make Eye Contact: Establishing eye contact with your audience is a key confidence-builder for public speakers—it shows that you’re strong, engaged with them, and receptive to feedback or questions they might have regarding your speech topic .

9. Practice Positive Affirmations: Positive thoughts will boost your self-confidence as well as your mood which can help increase performance quality significantly during speeches or presentations in general—so don’t forget to tell yourself “you can do it!” several times throughout the day leading up to the event!

10. Seek Support of Friends & Family: Many experienced public speakers suggest seeking support of close friends & family members prior and during their speeches—not only does it allow helpful critique regarding content but it also creates a more comfortable atmosphere while speaking which can reduce pre-speech jitters drastically.

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Statement from President Joe   Biden on Iran’s Attacks against the State of   Israel

Earlier today, Iran—and its proxies operating out of Yemen, Syria and Iraq—launched an unprecedented air attack against military facilities in Israel. I condemn these attacks in the strongest possible terms.

At my direction, to support the defense of Israel, the U.S. military moved aircraft and ballistic missile defense destroyers to the region over the course of the past week.  Thanks to these deployments and the extraordinary skill of our servicemembers, we helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles. 

I’ve just spoken with Prime Minister Netanyahu to reaffirm America’s ironclad commitment to the security of Israel.  I told him that Israel demonstrated a remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks – sending a clear message to its foes that they cannot effectively threaten the security of Israel.

Tomorrow, I will convene my fellow G7 leaders to coordinate a united diplomatic response to Iran’s brazen attack.  My team will engage with their counterparts across the region.  And we will stay in close touch with Israel’s leaders.  And while we have not seen attacks on our forces or facilities today, we will remain vigilant to all threats and will not hesitate to take all necessary action to protect our people.

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Highlights from Day 3 of Trump’s hush money trial

What to know about trump's hush money trial.

• Former President Donald Trump's hush money trial resumes in New York City for the third day today with jury selection. Twelve jurors have been seated so far, with new additions today including a man who works in investment banking and a security engineer.
• Tuesday's proceedings in state Judge Juan Merchan's courtroom were marked by fiery exchanges over Trump's behavior and old Facebook posts of prospective jurors.
• Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records related to a $130,000 payment made to adult film actor Stormy Daniels at the end of the 2016 election cycle to keep her quiet about her allegation that she and Trump had a sexual encounter. Trump has denied the affair.
• Catch up with what you missed on Day 2 .

Trump returns to Trump Tower

Megan Lebowitz

The former president's motorcade has returned to Trump Tower after the third day of the hush money trial.

Meet the 12 jurors at Trump’s hush money trial

Rebecca Shabad is in Washington, D.C.

All 12 jurors, plus an alternate, were selected this week to serve on the jury after they made it clear to both sides that they could render a fair and impartial verdict.

Prosecutors and the defense team whittled down a pool of nearly 200 people to 12 jurors and an alternate after having grilled them about their personal histories, political views, social media posts and ability to remain impartial despite any opinions they might have about the polarizing former president.

Here's a brief description of each juror.

Read the full story here.

Trump attorney asks who the DA plans to call as first 3 witnesses

Zoë Richards

Trump attorney Todd Blanche asked whom the district attorney's office plans to call as its first three witnesses. Joshua Steinglass of the DA’s office refused on the basis that Trump has been tweeting about them.

Judge Merchan said he does not fault the DA’s office for its position. Blanche said Trump will not tweet about the witnesses, which Merchan said Blanche cannot promise, and he told him to treat the information as “attorneys’ eyes only.”

Merchan declined to order the DA’s office to name its first three witnesses, and Steinglass did not otherwise agree to do so.

Trump continues criticizing the case after court proceedings end for the day

Trump addressed reporters after court was dismissed for the day. He said that he was supposed to be in states like Georgia, New Hampshire and North Carolina to campaign but that instead "I've been here all day" for an "unfair trial."

Trump held up a stack of news stories and editorials that he said were critical of the case. He continued railing against the trial. "The whole thing is a mess," he said.

Trump did not respond to shouted questions from reporters.

Judge gives instructions to newly sworn-in jurors

Matt Johnson

Judge Merchan gave instructions to the jurors who were sworn in minutes ago. Among them: Do not discuss the case.

The jurors were then escorted out of the courtroom and walked past the defense table, from which Trump stared at them.

Court ends for the day. Dismissal on Monday and Tuesday will be 2 p.m.

Gary Grumbach

The court has decided that 2 p.m. will be the trial end time next Monday and Tuesday.

Here's the gender breakdown of the 12-person jury

Ginger Gibson Senior Washington Editor

The jury is seven men and five women.

Jurors are sworn in

The jurors selected today to sit on the panel were sworn in, vowing to hear the case in a "fair and impartial manner."

Trump watched as they raised their right hands for the swearing-in.

Jury selection will continue tomorrow for the six alternates.

Twelve jurors have been selected

The court has now seated 12 jurors.

“We have our jury,” Judge Merchan said when the 12th juror was picked.

The next six jurors selected will serve as alternates.

“I’m hopeful we will finish tomorrow,” the judge added.

Potential juror says she was a Bernie Sanders supporter when posting critically about Trump

A potential juror has been brought back into the courtroom for questions about her social media posts.

As she read one of her posts to the court, she said she was a Bernie Sanders supporter at the time.

“I was in a disturbed frame of mind during that election cycle," she said, adding that she no longer holds the positions expressed in the post.

Two more jurors seated, bringing the total to seven

Two new jurors have been seated, bringing the total seated back to seven after two were dismissed earlier.

The jurors are a man who works in investment banking and a man who is a security engineer.

Trump attorney questions juror's social media posts about former president

Alexandra Marquez is based in Washington, D.C.

Susan Necheles, a Trump attorney, is challenging Juror No. 430 for cause.

She alleges that the juror's posts through 2020 were vitriolic and that the juror called Trump a “racist, sexist narcissist” on social media.

Necheles also said the juror said, “Trump is an anathema to everything I was taught about Jesus … and could not be more fundamentally un-Christian.”

Defense lawyer cites book of journalist who is in the courtroom

Trump lawyer Susan Necheles referred to New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman's book "Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump and the Breaking of America."

Haberman, who is covering the trial, is in the courtroom as part of the small pool of journalists allowed inside to share information about the jury selection process.

Prospective juror says it was pretty difficult not to have strong feelings about Trump during his presidency

One potential juror said it was pretty difficult not to have strong feelings or conversations about Trump during his presidency.

"There’s so much information about him everywhere. So no matter how you feel, you’re seeing things online," she said. "I mean he was our president, everyone knows who he is.”

One juror says they're a centrist and 'everybody needs a chance'

Jillian Frankel

One juror who was just questioned during voir dire told Necheles that they are a "centrist."

The juror added, "Everybody needs a chance, regardless of who they are, to be innocent until proven guilty.”

Court takes brief break to discuss strikes

The court has taken a brief break to discuss which jurors each side would like to strike.

Both the prosecution and defense have four remaining preemptory strikes. Both sides could each request that jurors be struck for cause.

Potential juror shares encounter with Trump and ex-wife 'shopping for baby things'

One prospective juror, who says they were born and raised in Brooklyn, described encountering Trump and his ex-wife Marla Maples once while they were "shopping for baby things" at ABC Home, an iconic Manhattan home goods store known for quirky, upscale decor.

Trump and Maples were married in the 1990s and share one daughter, Tiffany Trump.

Prospective juror says she doesn't have 'strong feelings' about Trump

One prospective juror told Trump's lawyer, "His politics aren't always my politics," but said she agrees with him on some policies and disagrees with him on others.

"But as a human being, that's a different topic," she said.

Asked about social media activity, she said, "Politics just seems like a nasty thing to be posting about during a national crisis."

She added, "I just don’t have strong feelings about President Trump at this point...I don’t post about him.”

One juror previously met Trump's lawyer

One of the jurors being questioned by Steinglass says she previously met one of Trump's attorneys.

Asked by Steinglass if this juror could remain impartial despite that, the juror said she had no concerns about her impartiality.

Prosecution refers to 'accomplice liability' to explain case theory

Laura Jarrett

For the second time in a week, the prosecution has used a notable example of “accomplice liability” in explaining their theory of the case to the prospective jurors.

Steinglass says that Mr. Trump is being held liable just like a husband who hires a hitman to kill his wife would be — even if the husband is in a different city when it happens, he’s still criminally liable.

One juror says she's concerned she knows too much about the case

One prospective jurors who said during the questionnaire that she had read Mark Pomerantz's book and was worried she knows too much about the case.

"I’m worried that I know too much," she said. “And academically, I know I have put it to the side. I’m worried that it’s going to seep in, in some way.”

Pomerantz is a former prosecutor who once oversaw the Manhattan District Attorney Office’s investigation into Trump.

Trump appears skeptical as voir dire begins

Trump watched skeptically as Steinglass asked the jurors whether any of them felt the district attorney would have to prove more because Trump is not like any other defendant.

Trump's body is not turned toward the jury or Steinglass, but his head is. Blanche and Bove are watching Steinglass and the jury more intently.

Trump then scribbled on a piece of paper and handed it to Bove, who shared it with Necheles. She then had a short exchange with Trump.

Judge Merchan says voir dire of prospective jurors will begin

The judge told the group of 18 prospective jurors that previously went through the questionnaire that they will now be questioned by both sides, with the prosecution up first.

Court back in session

Merchan is back on the bench and court is back in session. Attorneys for both sides will now question prospective jurors.

Spotted outside of the courthouse: former GOP Rep. George Santos

Former Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., was spotted outside of the courthouse. He did not answer a question from NBC News about what brought him here today.

Santos was ejected from Congress in December after he was federally charged with crimes like wire fraud and money laundering. He has pleaded not guilty. He is currently running for Congress in New York as an independent.

Court goes on a lunch break

The court has recessed for lunch until 2:15 p.m.

Juror dismissed after tying Trump to Berlusconi

One juror was just dismissed after disclosing that he was born and raised in Italy and then comparing Trump to Silvio Berlusconi, the former prime minister of Italy.

Berlusconi, who died last June, was an infamous womanizer and was convicted of tax fraud in 2013.

Potential juror says he's a few credits short of a college degree

One potential juror said that while he graduated from high school, he is a few credits short of a college degree, "which kills my parents."

A cold courtroom

Blanche, Trump's lawyer, just asked if they could make it warmer in the courtroom, saying, "it’s freezing" in the room.

Merchan agreed, "It’s chilly in here, no question."

Merchan excuses Juror No. 4

After they had a conference with the juror, Merchan announced he's excusing juror No. 4, who had previously been seated and sworn him. His prior arrest was questioned by the DA.

Seated juror 'expressed annoyance' about his personal information becoming public

A seated juror was called for questioning, with prosecutors inquiring about whether or not he was truthful in answering questions about his past criminal history.

Following a conference between the juror and Merchan, the judge said, the juror "expressed annoyance about how much information was out there about him in the public.”

And Merchan sealed the portion of the transcript where he says the juror discussed "highly personal" information.

Trump left the courtroom while decision on Juror 4 being made

Trump exited the courtroom at 11:45 a.m. He returned about eight minutes later.

One prospective juror works in law enforcement

One potential juror said that he has worked in law enforcement for 34 years and, in his spare time, he has season tickets to New York Rangers games and enjoys going to Yankees games.

Dismissed juror has "satirized Mr. Trump, often" online

Another dismissed juror, Mark, spoke to NBC News' Vaughn Hillyard outside the courthouse, telling him that he determined he couldn't be fair and impartial because, "I have satirized Mr. Trump, often, in my artwork."

Mark added, "There’s no way that Blanche — who’s not going to rely on the kindness of strangers — would permit me to be on the jury ... There’s no way that after my online presence ... that they would regard me to be fit to serve."

Mark's online comedy hadn't yet come up in the process when he raised his hand to signal he couldn't be fair and impartial, but he was sure Trump's lawyers would figure it out.

"It would be a waste of their time and, frankly, as a taxpayer, our money —for me to clog up the process," he added. 

Juror 4 has arrived

The person previously seated on the jury has come into the courtroom. He is going to be asked about crimes he or his wife are alleged to have committed, after they were unearthed by the DA's office.

Court takes a brief break

The court has taken a brief break.

One juror has read part of Michael Cohen's book

One of the jurors responding to questions said she has read several pages of "Disloyal," a book by Michael Cohen, Trump's former personal attorney, who is a potential witness in this case.

The juror said she read part of the book for unspecified "business reasons." Earlier in her questionnaire, the juror said she works in publishing, but it's unclear whether the book was directly related to her job.

Prospective juror says while he doesn't have strong beliefs aboutTrump, he does read The New York Times

A prospective juror who was just questioned said that while he doesn't have any strong opinions or firmly held beliefs about Trump, he does "read the news, New York Times and so forth."

The same person said he follows Trump's Truth Social posts, as well as Michael Cohen on X.

Potential jurors say they have read Trump's "The Art of the Deal"

One potential juror who said she subscribes to The New York Times, mainly for the crossword puzzle, said she read Trump's "The Art of the Deal" book decades ago.

The juror also said she has a relative who works for the Justice Department.

Another juror, who said he works in finance, also said he read "The Art of the Deal."

Questionnaire highlights tension points for potential jurors

The potential juror being questioned now by the judge encapsulates how tough it is for some working professionals called for jury duty in Manhattan to say they cannot be fair and impartial. This is a person who is a practicing attorney. 

She appears not to want to say publicly she can’t be fair, notwithstanding some deep sighs we can hear from her. She also clerked for a federal judge and discussed the case with him, so she’s treading carefully.

Dismissed juror: Trump "looked less orange" than I expected

One dismissed juror spoke to MSNBC's Yasmin Vossoughian outside the courthouse following her exit from the case.

"Everyone was shocked, everyone was frozen," said the woman, identified only by her first name, Kat. She recounted the moment she and fellow prospective jurors walked into the room and realized they'd been called for the Trump trial.

“We went into the courtroom and we saw Donald Trump ... I was shocked, I was sitting in the second row, like 6 feet away," she added.

Before showing up for jury duty, “I didn’t really [follow the case], I was too busy," Kat said, but added that she just became a U.S. citizen in August and realized, "I feel the duty, I’m a citizen and I have responsibilities.”

Asked about how Trump looked in the courtroom, Kat said, "He looked less orange" than she was expecting.

She added, “He doesn’t look angry or — I think he looks bored, like he wants this to finish.”

Potential juror said she discussed former Manhattan DA Mark Pomerantz's book with others

Summer Concepcion

The first potential juror said she had discussed the case at length with co-workers, including a book written by Mark Pomerantz , the former Manhattan district attorney who led the investigation into Trump’s alleged financial crimes . She said she hasn't read any of the books written by Michael Cohen or Trump.

The woman also disclosed that she attended the Women's March after Trump took office.

48 prospective jurors excused after signaling they can't be fair or impartial

After Judge Merchan told the pool of prospective jurors to raise their hand if they can't be fair and impartial, 48 out of 96 were excused.

Trump again closes his eyes while Merchan reads jury instructions aloud

Katherine Doyle

Trump again closed his eyes while Merchan read aloud jury instructions. He didn't open them when his lawyer Emil Bove passed a note to Blanche in front of him.

Merchan is soft-spoken and his voice has a relaxing tone. Trump is seen moving his head back and forth while his eyes remain closed.

Trump yawned as Merchan reached the end of the jury instruction.

Juror issues raise questions about trial timeline

The fact that we now have one juror dismissed already this morning and one potentially on the rocks (for apparently not being forthcoming on the questionnaire) shows the challenges in predicting when a final slate of 12 jurors will be empaneled. 

It also shows how waiting several more days before the opening statements runs the risk that more jurors will drop out as they sleep on the gravity of being involved in this case.

DA's office says Trump has violated judge's gag order seven more times

Prosecutor Chris Conroy handed up a new order in response to Trump's social media posts. The DA alleges that Trump has violated the judge's gag order seven more times and he wants the posts included in the hearing scheduled for Tuesday.

Yesterday, the former president complained about the jury selection process and Conroy said that "most disturbingly" Trump quoted a Fox News host suggesting that "undercover" liberal activists are lying to get onto the jury.

Conroy said the DA's office is still considering options in terms of sanctions prosecutors are seeking.

Merchan raises concerns about "the veracity of Juror #4’s answers"

After discussion about the gag order, Merchan said he had concerns about one of the jurors and how truthfully the person had answered questions.

One of the questions on the juror questionnaire asks if the juror or any of their family members were accused of a crime.

Joshua Steinglass of the DA's office told Merchan that they discovered an article featuring a person with the same name who was arrested in Westchester in the 1990s for tearing down political advertisements.

Merchan implores the press to use 'common sense' when reporting jurors' descriptions

Merchan asked reporters to use "common sense" when describing the jurors' physical descriptions.

"There was really no need to mention that one of the jurors had an Irish accent," he said.

A juror has been excused from duty

Juror 2, the oncology nurse, has been excused from duty. As court started today, Merchan told lawyers on both sides that the juror called and conveyed that after sleeping on it, she had concerns about being fair and impartial.

She had concerns about her identity becoming public and said that friends and family have already inquired about whether she is a juror. The juror added that given these outside influences, she was concerned about her ability to be fair and impartial.

An oncology nurse, a corporate lawyer and a man with "no spare time": Meet the first 7 jury members of Trump’s hush money trial

The first seven people were selected to serve on the jury in Trump’s  hush money trial  in New York on Tuesday after they made it clear to both sides that they could render a fair and impartial verdict.

They were chosen on the second day of the trial after prosecutors and the defense team whittled down  a group of 96 potential jurors . At one point, Merchan  admonished Trump after he observed him  audibly mouthing something  in the direction of one of the jurors, who had been asked about a social media post she made the day Joe Biden was declared the winner of the 2020 election.

“I won’t tolerate that,” Merchan said. “I will not have any jurors intimidated in this courtroom.” Trump’s lawyers ultimately eliminated the woman from the jury pool.

The seven chosen so far were sworn in Tuesday and directed by Merchan to return to court Monday.

Twelve people will be seated on the jury, and each side will select alternates. The trial is expected to last as long as eight weeks.

Read more on the seven jurors selected so far.

Day 3 begins

Merchan has taken the bench — a few minutes early — and started Day 3.

Trump is taking a phone call at the defense table

Trump is using his phone in the courtroom, openly flouting the rules of the courtroom. Blanche just told him to stop and Trump tucked the phone in his pocket while looking annoyed.

Prosecutors seek to ask Trump about civil fraud, E. Jean Carroll cases and more if he testifies in hush money case

Dareh Gregorian

Prosecutors from the Manhattan district attorney’s office said in a court filing yesterday that they plan to ask Trump about the  costly verdicts  and findings of wrongdoing in his numerous civil cases if the former president decides to  testify in the criminal case  — though the permissibility of that line of questioning remains to be seen.

The prosecutors said they intend to ask Trump about the judgment in New York Attorney General Letitia James’ civil fraud suit against him and his company, as well as a pair of verdicts in lawsuits brought by writer E. Jean Carroll. The judgments in the three cases total  almost $550 million  and include findings that Trump  committed fraud  in the AG’s case and that he is liable for  sexual abuse  and  defamation  in the Carroll case.

District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office also plans to mention findings by the judge in the civil fraud case that Trump  violated a gag order  and “ testified untruthfully  under oath” during the trial.

Prosecutors said they want to be able to bring up those findings — which  Trump is appealing  — “to impeach the credibility of the defendant” if he takes the witness stand.

Trump said last week he  “absolutely“ plans to testify  but is under no obligation to do so.

Trump lawyers in Florida classified docs case seek more time to meet deadlines in order to "defend him in New York and before this Court"

In a filing today, Trump’s legal team representing him in the classified documents against him in Florida are seeking more time to meet deadlines in order for them to “defend him in New York and before this Court.”

Trump’s lawyers argue that their client and his counsel “cannot prepare — or even discuss — the required filings anywhere but an appropriate SCIF (sensitive compartmented information facility), a virtually impossible task given” the former president and his lawyers Blanche and Emil Bove’s involvement in the hush money trial.

“The special counsel’s office argues President Trump’s constitutional rights are ‘not implicated’ because his counsel has had ‘months to prepare the submissions at issue’ and will ‘only be in trial four days a week in New York,’” Trump’s lawyers wrote in the filing. “This premise is untethered to reality and disregards the substantial motion practice that has occurred before this Court.”

Trump departs Trump Tower

Brittany Kubicko

Trump has left Trump Tower and is headed to the courthouse for Day 3 of his hush money trial.

Fiery exchanges over Facebook posts and Trump’s behavior mark second day of trial

Jonathan Allen

The first seven jurors were selected for Trump’s hush money trial Tuesday amid a battle over prospective jurors’ old Facebook posts and calls to “lock him up” and the judge’s warning that the former president should not try to intimidate the panelists who will be deciding his fate.

“I will not have any jurors intimidated in this courtroom. I want to make this crystal clear,” Merchan told Trump and Blanche outside the jurors' presence. Merchan told Blanche his client was “audibly” saying something in the direction of the juror while she was “12 feet away from your client.”

Merchan said that he didn’t know what Trump was saying but that he’d been “muttering” and “gesturing” at the juror, and he directed Blanche to talk to his client about his behavior. Blanche then whispered something into Trump’s ear.

The incident underscores Trump’s penchant for acting up in court and the problems his lawyers might have keeping him in check. He spoke loudly in front of jurors during the E. Jean Carroll defamation trial and at one point stormed out of his civil fraud trial — two trials he appeared at voluntarily. His presence is required in the criminal case, and the trial could last as long as eight weeks.

The current drama came on the second day of jury selection as seven jurors were selected for the case. The jury is anonymous, so their names weren’t used in open court, but panelists include a lawyer, a salesman, an oncology nurse, an IT consultant, a teacher and a software engineer. The seven were sworn in and told to return to court Monday.

Read the full story here

The first jurors have now been chosen for Trump’s criminal hush money trial after a cross-section of Manhattan residents openly revealed their views of the likely GOP nominee. NBC’s Laura Jarrett reports for "TODAY."

On trial off-day, Trump complains about jury selection process for his criminal case

Trump ripped the jury selection process in his historic New York criminal trial yesterday, the day after the first seven jurors were selected out of a pool of almost 100 people.

Posting about the hush money trial on its scheduled off-day, Trump — who has repeatedly accused the judge in the case of being biased against him — suggested incorrectly that he should be entitled to unlimited strikes of potential jurors in his criminal case.

“I thought STRIKES were supposed to be ‘unlimited’ when we were picking our jury? I was then told we only had 10, not nearly enough when we were purposely given the 2nd Worst Venue in the Country,” he wrote on Truth Social before he decried the criminal cases against him as “election interference” and part of a “witch hunt.”

Under New York law, each side does have an unlimited number of strikes “for cause,”   but Merchan, the judge presiding over the case, can decide whether or not that cause is worthy of a strike.

The two sides are also entitled to a limited number of “peremptory strikes” — potential jurors they can dismiss. Because Trump is charged with a Class E felony, which is a lower-level felony, he and prosecutors are entitled to 10 peremptory challenges each. (The number goes up to 20 for defendants facing the highest level of felony charge, Class A.)

While Merchan has dismissed scores of potential jurors who said they could not be impartial or had scheduling conflicts, he has dismissed only two for cause in the two days since jury selection began . One was a person who had written “lock him up” of Trump in a 2017 social media post. Merchan denied some other Trump cause dismissal requests, including one for a woman who had posted on Facebook about celebrating Joe Biden’s 2020 election win.

Trump’s attorney Todd Blanche then used one of his peremptory challenges to remove the woman.

Read the full story

Trump hush money trial resumes with jury selection after day off

Jury selection is set to resume in former President Donald Trump's hush money trial in New York City after a break in action yesterday.

With seven jurors already having been selected from a pool of 96, the schedule for today will focus largely on questioning potential jurors in a second group of the same size to see whether they can be fair and impartial when it comes to Trump. State Judge Juan Merchan has said he hopes to have 12 jurors, as well as alternates, selected by the end of tomorrow.

Prosecutors and lawyers for Trump will have less opportunity to dismiss potential jurors going forward, because both used six of their 10 peremptory challenges Tuesday.

While both sides can make an unlimited number of challenges for cause, it is up to the judge to decide whether to grant those challenges and strike those jurors. Merchan dismissed two jurors for cause Tuesday, one of whom had posted a “lock him up” message about Trump on Facebook, but he denied some other challenges.

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How will Israel respond to Iran’s attack and could it cope with a war?

A red line has been crossed from an Israeli security standpoint but none of the options for retaliation are without risk

Israel’s war cabinet – Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister; Yoav Gallant, the defence minister; and Benny Gantz, a former defence minister and centrist Netanyahu rival – have spent the last two days deliberating how to respond to Iran’s first ever direct attack on the Jewish state.

The salvo involved more than 300 missiles and drones, the majority of which were intercepted with the help of the US, the UK, France and Jordan.

It is widely expected that Israel’s next steps will have to be calibrated along two axes: the country must take some sort of action to demonstrate to Iran that such an unprecedented show of force cannot pass without consequences, but at the same time must take into account Tehran’s threat that it will strike again “with greater force” if Israel retaliates. None of the options are without risk.

Will Israel respond?

While the destructiveness of the Iranian strikes could have been much worse , with just one casualty reported, a seven-year-old girl, a major red line has still been crossed from an Israeli security and deterrence standpoint.

The important questions on a response are how and when: while statements from Gallant and Gantz have implied that a direct Israeli response to Tehran is not imminent, Netanyahu is yet to make a formal decision.

The chief military spokesperson, R Adm Daniel Hagari, has made it clear that Israel is keeping its options open. “Over the last few hours we approved operational plans for both offensive and defensive action,” he told reporters on Sunday.

What are the issues Israel needs to consider before it responds to Iran?

There are three main factors Israel must weigh up before it responds, according to Raz Zimmit, a research fellow at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies who focuses on Iran.

“One, how Iran will respond, since they have made it very clear that Israeli retaliation will be met with an even harsher reaction,” he said. “Secondly, the US position. Biden is not interested in escalation and wants to close this round of fighting. And third, ever since [7 October], Israel has been trying to avoid opening new fronts so it can focus on fighting Hamas in Gaza.”

What kind of action will Israel take?

Any direct attack on military or infrastructure targets inside Iran would almost certainly trigger all-out war, although some hardline Israeli security establishment figures may view this weekend’s developments as a window of opportunity to go after Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Covert actions that Israel has already used against Iran many times – cyber-attacks, hitting Iranian assets in third countries such as Syria, or not claiming responsibility for an attack on, say, a drone manufacturing site – are also on the cards.

It would be difficult for Tehran to directly blame Tel Aviv for such an attack as it would mean admitting that the country is vulnerable to Israeli operations on its soil.

Could Israel cope with a war with Iran, given it is already fighting in Gaza?

Analysts and former military officers are confident that Israel would emerge better off than Iran if the two sides do go to war: the country has prepared for a multi-front scenario for years.

That said, a wider conflict in which Lebanon’s powerful Iran-backed militia, Hezbollah, would certainly also be involved would be the most serious threat facing Israel since the 1973 Yom Kippur war.

A regional war would require huge amounts of weaponry, ammunition and air defence missiles, with some reports surfacing that there have already been munition shortages in the war in Gaza. Without the advance warning given for this weekend’s strikes, it is much more likely that Israel’s sophisticated multilayered air defence system could be overwhelmed.

Normal life in Israel would also come to a halt: 75% of the military is made up of reservists. Major infrastructure such as power stations, water supplies and transportation are likely to be affected and the impact on the strong economy would be immense.

What about Iran?

Iran is one of the most militarised states in the region, with a standing army of at least 580,000 and a stockpile of 3,000 ballistic missiles, according to western estimates.

However, the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has made it very clear over the last six months of war in Gaza that Iran does not wish to be dragged into a wider conflict. Iran’s economy and people are already suffering under extensive UN, EU and US sanctions.

Iran attacked Israel after the 1 April strike on an Iranian diplomatic compound in Damascus that hit a diplomatic building and took out the highest-ranking Iranian commander to be killed since the US assassinated the Quds force leader Qassem Suleimani in Iraq in 2020.

“The Iranians decided they had had enough. They took a risk but they calculated that if they did nothing vis-a-vis Israel after that attack then Iran’s deterrence would be compromised,” Zimmit said.

Would the US get involved in an Israel-Iran war?

The outcome of a war would greatly depend on how much support the US, Israel’s most important ally, would be willing to give.

Its resources have already been strained by the war in Ukraine, to the point where Israeli officials have complained that they are not receiving requested weaponry from the US, and Biden is loth to wade into a Middle East conflict, particularly in an election year. The US has said it would not join Israel in any direct attack on Iran.

The UK foreign minister, David Cameron, said on Monday that western countries were mulling extra sanctions against Iran.

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Live Middle East crisis live: Blinken calls for calm as Iran official says no plan for immediate retaliation to reported Israeli missile strike

Israel has mounted airstrikes on Iran, US confirms, as Tehran plays down attack

What we know so far about Israel’s strike on Iran

Iran and Israel playing with fire as old rules of confrontation are torn up

What’s in Isfahan? The city home to Iranian nuclear facilities

US to impose new sanctions against Iran after its air attack on Israel

Netanyahu aims to trap west into war across Middle East, says Iranian diplomat

Middle East conflict risks sharp rise in oil prices, says IMF

IDF chief of staff says Israel will respond to Iran missile attack

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