How long does a guest speaker talk for?
When it comes to guest speaking, time is money.
The question of timing is a common one we receive at Pickstar, and the answer is provided by answering some important questions of your own! These include:
What allotment of time do you have for the presentation?
What is the age group of the audience?
Do you want there to be interactive activities incorporated into the presentation?
Are you wanting to have a Q&A session at the end of the speech?
Each of these factors are massively important to both the smooth running of the event and success of the presentation, and must be clearly communicated with the speaker prior to the event.
From our experience, here’s a bit of guidance for how long a speaker should present for:
10-15 minutes
Perfect for a product launch or staff day. Short and sharp, get a clear, concise point across without taking up too much time.
It also works well for a guest speaker joining a team meeting - either virtually or in-person. They’re able to provide some quick insights and then employees can get straight into their day with them in mind.
15-30 minutes
This is still a relatively short speech, but gives the guest speaker a bit more time to delve into a topic or story, plus give some time for questions at the end. An ideal length for sporting clubs wanting athletes to come out and motivate their team.
30-45 minutes
Our experience tells us this is a good length of time for a school group. It’s typically around the length of a normal lesson and with a short Q&A added onto the end, it can be a good length for a guest speaker in this environment.
45-60 minutes
This seems to be the sweet spot for most organisations based on post-event feedback. It’s long enough to really get into some meaty topics for the guest speaker, but not so long that people start to fade with concentration.
60 minutes +
For a guest speaker, this is becoming quite a long engagement. While the differences between guest speakers and keynote speakers can be subtle, this length of speech is probably more suitable for a keynote speaker where they are addressing more technical, industry specific topics.
Want to understand more about hiring a guest speaker? Click here to read about what determines how much a guest speaker will charge, or read our full budget guide here.
How to secure the best guest speakers for your event.
For the best way to guarantee a great guest speaker share their unique and valuable insights on a range of topics, look no further than Pickstar for your guest speaker event. We have Australia’s largest and most diverse roster of sports stars, business leaders, political figures, and entertainers all with the ability to engage and inspire any audience.
With fast response times, you can organise a guest speaker for your event with no obligation until all parties have agreed, making planning your event a breeze.
To get started, book one of our popular guest speakers today or contact us if you have any questions - we’re here to help.
Want to understand more about hiring a guest speaker?
Read our informative blogs on how to find guest speakers, how to invite speakers to an event, how much a guest speaker charges, how to introduce a guest speaker, how to thank a guest speaker, and our top guest speakers of 2022.