1
"One of the biggest changes in keynotes over the years has been fewer widely recognized speakers in a given industry and more celebrities."
— Jerrie Williams, president, J Williams Agency LLC

2
"If keynote speakers are engaging and informative, attendees feel inspired, knowledgeable, and eager to learn more."
— Rod Alberts, executive director, North American International Auto Show

3
"Speakers don't need to come from your industry. It's more important that their content and energy inspire attendees."
— Benjamin Bothun, senior director, marketing, Impact XM

4
"We vet keynote speakers through several sources: speaking footage, their books, Fortune 1000 testimonials, and recommendations from reputable speakers bureaus."
— Kyle Crocco, content marketing coordinator, Big Speak Inc.

5
"An effective keynote teaches a relevant lesson to the audience and creates the impetus for people to act."
— Ben Baker, founder, Your Brand Marketing Inc.

6
"TED talks have greatly influenced keynotes. We now see more focused topics with personal experiences at the forefront."
— Jamie Zavoral-Brown, director of business development, North America, Bray Leino Events

7
"As face-to-face brand experiences move higher up the marketing priority chain, keynote sessions have become more strategic and more entertaining, with top-of-the-line live production."
— Erica Wiggins, director of marketing, George P. Johnson (a Project Worldwide agency)

8
"Speakers that are familiar with the audience's industry but do not work within it will most likely inspire new thinking."
— Canesha Appleton, speaker relations manager, A-Speakers Inc.

9
"An ideal keynote underscores the theme of the event and helps attendees understand the importance of the sessions they'll be experiencing."
— Mike Hamilton, president, Get Synchronicity

10
"Keynotes at CES have moved toward a storytelling approach that has proven to be a winning formula."
— Kara Dickerson, vice president, strategic partnerships and conferences, Consumer Technology Association