A Keynote is a general session, where all attendees or employees are present. It's usually an hour, though some are 20 to 90 minutes.
Most importantly, a keynote:
- Sparks the audience’s curiosity, wanting to learn more on a subject matter
- Inspires the audience members to make a positive change
- Should have a point of view, while presenting new ideas, and thought-provoking content.
A keynote does not give the "12 steps to happiness and here's how to do it"... that’s a breakout or a workshop.
There are two essential elements to a great keynote.
- The first is relevance. The content and the message of your presentation must be about something that is currently important in the lives of the audience. Today many speeches fall into the category of “This is interesting and cool…but it really it really does not have anything to do with me.” Remember it’s all about the audience and their needs, not just what you want to tell them.
- The second element of a great keynote is that it must move people into action. You need a call to action that serves as a catalyst for listeners to change their behavior in some positive way. Otherwise why take the time to hire you and listen to you? It really doesn’t matter if you are talking to 20 people in small setting or on the big stage, your effectiveness and you’re your speaking success depends on these two factors.