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.
One of the first questions I always ask conference organizers is: What is the audience profile, and what is their level of knowledge regarding the topic I’ll be presenting?
Why is this important? If I don’t know who I’m speaking to, there’s a high chance that I’ll misjudge the content level—either it will be too basic and the audience will soon lose their interest, or the content will be too advanced and leave them confused.
What do I need from organizers?
In order to decide what my lecture will be like at a conference, I’m looking for information about:
- The professional background of the audience – Are they marketing professionals, technical experts, managers, or something else? Will the audience be filled with students, high school students, fellow specialists, or clients?
- Their familiarity with the topic – How well do they understand digital analytics or any other subject I’m discussing? Is my lecture intended for an audience that is familiar with my work?
- Their goals – What do they hope to learn from my presentation? Are there people among them who:
- decide on future projects – decision makers
- seek for some advice or hack
- want to get some deep information on topic
- or the audience is made up of future colleagues who have yet to hear the basics of my work
What does this mean for organizers?
When organizers have a clear understanding of their audience, they can:
- Better plan the conference program – ensuring that speakers and topics align with the interests and knowledge levels of attendees
- Improve audience satisfaction, as the content will be tailored to their needs
What if organizers don’t have such information about the audience?
Well, if the organizer can’t clearly define their audience, it’s a sign they should reconsider their event planning. Without this crucial information, there’s a significant risk that the presentations won’t meet their goals or provide the expected value.
When I know these details, I decide on:
- the direction my lecture will go
- whether it will sell me, the company I work for or the business I do
- what’s in it for me: will I get a new job after the lecture, gain some new colleagues, do a good PR, learn something new, or just have fun listening to others.
Unfortunately, several times based on the answers to this question it can already be seen that the audience will not benefit too much from my lecture, so I politely decline such invitations.
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 🙂