How to Make Your Keynotes Come Alive: Creating Interaction and Engagement in a Post-COVID Conference World
The return of live conferences has brought new expectations for speakers. With COVID shutting down the conference industry for years, associations and organizations are eager to bring back in-person events. However, today’s conference attendees want more than just a passive experience. They crave connection, both for information and networking and meeting planners are keenly aware of this shift.
For years, networking mostly happened outside the keynote sessions—in the hallways, during breaks, and at social events. But now, meeting planners are asking speakers to facilitate that connection within the keynote. (especially in association keynotes)
Interaction needs to happen right there in the room (where it happens…lol), and it’s the speaker’s job to create those opportunities. This shift means we, as speakers, have to rethink how we engage and interact with our audiences. Simply talking/teaching/preaching at them isn’t enough anymore.
Here’s the key distinction: engagement gets your audience to nod, smile, or think. Interaction gets them to talk, share, and participate. This difference is critical because studies show we learn more when we speak and write than when we listen. Today’s audiences need interaction to feel connected and to retain what they’re learning, and that’s what planners are asking us to deliver.
Start with Interaction in the First Two Minutes
You’ve likely missed your chance if you wait to introduce an interactive element until halfway through your keynote. By that point, it’s tougher to get people to participate. The trick is to get the audience engaged within the first two minutes of your presentation. This sets the tone early: they’re part of the experience, not just passive observers. Watch the Zoom video, and you will hear how the group shared their ways to get the audience engaged and interactive in the opener.
One of the best ways to immediately introduce interaction is by incorporating Q&A segments throughout your keynote. But telling the audience how the Q&A will work up front in your opener is crucial. Will they raise their hands? Use an app? Shout out answers? Set the expectation early so they’re ready to participate when the moment comes.
- Lightning Rounds of Q&A: Rather than saving questions for the end, allow for mini-Q&A sessions after each chunk of your presentation. This keeps the energy up and provides real-time clarity. I recently did this during an association’s keynote, and it sparked conversations during and after my keynote. Also, the audience connected with me and continued the conversation during lunch.
And this requires some planning. Before your keynote, talk to the meeting planner about the room setup. How the room is laid out can make or break your interactive segments. If you plan to have people partner up or engage in group discussions, ensure the seating arrangement allows for that. A little forethought here will ensure that your interactive pieces run smoothly.
Techniques to Make Your Keynote Interactive
Here are some proven techniques that can bring your keynote to life and encourage interaction:
- Game Show Format – David Arvin’s Keynote at 2024 Influence shows a great example of quiz show and shout-outs
- Turn part of your content into a game show. Ask the audience to shout out answers or compete in friendly challenges. This keeps the energy high, and people engaged.
- Turn part of your content into a game show. Ask the audience to shout out answers or compete in friendly challenges. This keeps the energy high, and people engaged.
- Shout-Outs
- Sprinkle shout-outs throughout your talk.
- Sprinkle shout-outs throughout your talk.
- Pair and Share
- Have the audience discuss an idea with their neighbor for a minute or two. This will break the ice and get them talking and sharing their thoughts and ideas. It’s essential when you do pair and share to set up the situation. Give them time to think of something before you have them share.
- Have the audience discuss an idea with their neighbor for a minute or two. This will break the ice and get them talking and sharing their thoughts and ideas. It’s essential when you do pair and share to set up the situation. Give them time to think of something before you have them share.
- Open-Ended Questions
- Ask the audience open-ended questions that get them thinking. For example, “What’s one challenge your team currently faces?” This invites reflection and participation.
- Ask the audience open-ended questions that get them thinking. For example, “What’s one challenge your team currently faces?” This invites reflection and participation.
- Music
- Music is a great way to engage a multigenerational audience. In my keynotes, I play music and make it a fun game, taking the audience down memory lane. Each generation recognizes and connects to different songs, sparking energy in the room. “Name that tune” contests are fun and if you include a chunk on the generations it’s lots of fun.
- Music is a great way to engage a multigenerational audience. In my keynotes, I play music and make it a fun game, taking the audience down memory lane. Each generation recognizes and connects to different songs, sparking energy in the room. “Name that tune” contests are fun and if you include a chunk on the generations it’s lots of fun.
More Ways to Drive Interaction
In addition to the techniques mentioned above, here are more ways to infuse interaction into
your keynote:
- Audience Polling/Live Surveys: Use tools like Slido or Mentimeter to get real-time feedback from your audience. It’s a simple way to engage everyone at once and tailor your talk based on their responses.
- Word Clouds: Create a word cloud in real time by asking the audience to submit one word that describes their biggest challenge. This will give you a visual snapshot of the room’s collective mindset.
- Interactive Storytelling: Pause during a story and ask the audience what they think happens next. This keeps them engaged and invested in the outcome. “Turn to your neighbor and share what you think will happen next!’’
- Physical Movement: Don’t be afraid to get your audience moving. Whether it’s standing up to vote or doing a quick stretch, physical activity can break the monotony and refocus attention. Remember that some in the audience have them stand or raise their handthank you Robyn.
- Content Quiz or Trivia: Incorporate a quiz or trivia segment related to your content. You can either have teams compete or ask individuals to answer on their own.
- Social Media Integration: Encourage your audience to post their thoughts or key takeaways on social media using a designated hashtag. This creates a sense of community beyond the room itself. PS the planners love this!
- Lightning Rounds of Q&A: Rather than saving questions for the end, allow for mini Q&A sessions after each section of your talk. This keeps the energy up and provides real-time clarity. I recently did this during an association’s keynote and it sparked conversations a during and after my keynote. Also the audience connected with me and continues the conversation during lunch.
The Energy Shift
At the end of the day, interaction is about energy. You’re not just delivering content—you’re creating an experience. When the audience is engaged, they’re less likely to be on their phones and more likely to be fully present. That energy shift happens when people feel like they’re part of the keynote, not just listening to it.
For speakers, this is an exciting time. We have more tools at our disposal to connect with our audiences in meaningful ways. As conferences return to in-person formats, the demand for interaction will only grow. By integrating these interactive elements into your keynote, you’ll not only meet the expectations of today’s meeting planners but also create memorable, impactful experiences that resonate long after the event is over.