Make contracts clear Politicians or celebrity speakers often expect to bring their spouse or aides. If other parties are involved, put down in writing as understanding about lodging and food reimbursement. If you have retained your speaker far in advance, there are sometimes opportunities for the speaker to arrange other engagements near your meeting which could mean savings through shared travel expenses. If you would like your speaker to attend social events before or after the presentation, be sure the speaker is aware of this well in advance. In many cases, the speaker spends those final hours in preparation to have the right mind-set for your meeting.
Speakers are usually happy to attend extra events if given sufficient notice.
Be aware, however, that some speakers prefer not to attend social events and some charge extra for this time. Be sure to get the speaker's photograph and biographical information so the your publications may present thorough information. Send the speaker as much information as possible about your organization including company newsletters, annual reports and any relevant meeting bulletins. Send the speaker copies of any material mentioning his or her presentation. Many speakers and seminar leaders have written books and produced cassette tapes of their programs.