When someone invites me to be the lecturer at their conference, they usually get a list of questions from me first. Questions that help me prepare myself for the lecture and to create the unique experience for the audience.
At first, these questions cause panic and fear among the organizers, but they soon realize these questions can help them prepare themselves better for the organization of the conference.
Most of them tell me the approximate duration of the conference in the first email, but only a few clearly specify how long my talk should last. More often, I get something like:
“You have 30 minutes… but if it’s really good, you can go longer.”
Unfortunately, that doesn’t help me much – because preparing a 15-minute talk is very different from preparing a 30- or 45-minute one. And that vague “longer” doesn’t make it any easier.
Why is the exact duration important to me?
Preparing a talk is not linear. A 15-minute talk is not half as much work as a 30-minute one – it can take more time to prepare.
In shorter talks, every sentence must be carefully crafted. There’s no room for warm-up, for context, for casual interaction with the audience. Everything has to be choreographed and rehearsed.
In longer talks, I can provide more background, add examples, and tell stories. I can rely on rhythm and adapt to the audience’s reactions.
So the duration is not just a technicality. It defines how I prepare, what I can deliver, and what I shouldn’t try to squeeze in.
It’s not the same: 10, 20, 30 or 45 minutes
Each duration has its own structure and expectations:
- TED-style talk (<15 minutes) – requires exceptional preparation; every sentence must carry weight
- 15–20 minutes – often short sponsored talks; informative, but limited in depth
- 20–30 minutes – standard talk format at most conferences
- 30–45 minutes – keynote format; allows broader context and narrative
- 60+ minutes – workshops; requires careful energy and audience management
Also, length affects pricing. A well-crafted 10-minute talk can take more effort than a 30-minute one where I have time to develop the story. So yes, sometimes shorter = more expensive.
The worst talk I ever gave
Once I was booked for a 60–90 minute workshop. That’s what it said in the email I received a few months before the event. But right before I went on stage, the organizer said:
“Oh no, you can talk for three hours, no problem!”
And so I did. I thought: finally, I’ll have time to explain everything properly.
Huge mistake.
It turned out to be the worst talk of my life.
In my eagerness to explain everything, I went way off track. The intro was too long, I lost focus with too many tangents, and the rhythm fell apart. I had no timer in sight and lost track of time.
I talked a lot, but said very little. In my head, all I could hear was:
“You need to stretch this out. You need more stories. You need to fill those extra two hours.”
By the time I realized I had only 20 minutes left and was only halfway through the material, panic kicked in. I rushed through the rest of the slides and never got to deliver the key messages – at least not in the way the audience deserved.
To this day, it’s the talk I regret the most. And the organizer never invited me again, even though we still occasionally talk. I can’t blame him.
(It’s not like I didn’t have the time. 😀 )
That’s why I always ask: How long will my talk be?
If you tell me I have 30 minutes – great.
If you say I only have 20 – even better, I’ll trim the talk and stick to the point.
But if you say: “As long as you want,” I’ll ask:
“How much time do you actually have in the schedule?”
and
“How long can the audience really stay focused?”
When I know how long I have, the audience gets the best version of my talk.
What the organizer should know
If you want speakers to be relaxed and well-prepared – just tell them the exact duration. And do it early enough.
That doesn’t mean we can’t improvise or adapt.
But good preparation starts with clear information about the length of the session.
If you don’t tell me – I’ll have to ask.
And you know I always ask a lot of questions. 😉
Take a look at other questions for conference organizers, which help me prepare myself for the audience.
Also, if you want me to help you organize your event or to hire some great speakers, do no hesitate to contact me 🙂