[tab name=’Guidelines’]

Guidelines : Inviting Speaker

Inviting Speakers to Meetings

Guidelines and Alternate Phrases

• Invite the person to speak, giving the date, time, place, and purpose of the event.
• We think you’re an outstanding teacher, educator, and trainer. Because we look for the best, we are inviting you to speak to our Forum Club on the evening of October 6 at the Hyatt Regency in Wakesville. Our monthly meetings center on ….
• Would you consider giving our group a brief overview of your company’s products and services in an upcoming staff meeting? If so, any of our next three meeting dates are open: March 12, April 9, and May 4.
• We want to extend to you an invitation to speak to our group of sales reps when they convene in Atlanta, August 16, 1:00 to 5:00 p.m., for their new-product orientation. Your keynote address will set the tone for ….
• Add appropriate details about the event and the audience to help the speaker tailor his or her comments to the occasion. The more specific you are in your invitation, the more pleased you’ll be with the presentation.
• Most registrants will be first-time attendees.
• Your listeners will have had from five to 10 years’ experience in the industry.
• The audience will be an unusual mix: 70 percent will be males in their mid-to-late twenties, and 30 percent will be females in their retirement years.
• The audience will have heard previous presentations on … and, therefore, will be more interested in the … aspects of the subject.
• We are more interested in how-tos than theories.
• I’ve enclosed programs from the last two years so you can get an idea of the caliber of speaker and the cutting-edge presentations we’ve had in the past.
• Our focus this year will be quite different from previous years in that this year we hope to give attendees help with ….
• Mention any fee or honorarium and explain how the speaker should handle any related expenses such as for travel, audio-visual equipment, or handout reproduction.
• We encourage you to use handouts and will pay up to $200 for the printing of our materials.
• If you want us to print any session materials, we must have your originals by May 9. After that date, we ask you to pay your own reproduction costs.
• We will, of course, reimburse your travel expenses.
• Would it be possible for your company to pick up the cost of your travel?
• We will pay your fee of $4,500 for the keynote address.
• Our honorarium is $1,000 for the day’s briefing.
• We can offer an honorarium of $400 for the presentation.
• We understand your fee will be $7,500 plus expenses.
• Include any expectations about a paper or abstract in the conference proceedings, if the meeting is a formal one associated with a convention.
• We encourage you to submit an abstract of your comments for inclusion in our Conference Proceedings manual.
• As part of your participation in the program, you will be expected to submit a paper outlining your key ideas for those unable to attend your session.
• If you can help us with a written abstract of your speech, the members always appreciate such back-on-the-job reference materials. Of course, such a paper keeps your name and work in front of the audience.
• Ask for a reply by a certain date, keeping in mind you must select another speaker if the response is negative.
• We need your answer by May 4.
• We’re hoping for your positive reply by May 4.
• Would you please let us know by May 4 if you can address our group?
• By May 4, we will have to have all our speakers confirmed. If you find you’re immediately available, it would be most helpful if you could send us your answer even before that date.
• Show eagerness about having the speaker accept your invitation.
• We’ve seen a tremendous interest from the members in your topic.
• Your title and subject have raised quite a few eyebrows; we’re eager to hear the elaboration.
• We’re expecting great things.
• I hope the next phone call will be yours, telling me you’ve decided to accept our invitation.
• All of us are anxiously waiting to get your views on ….
• Your comments are always so succinct yet so provocative; we are eager to hear you.
• We are eager to hear your innovative solutions to the industry’s worsening situation.
• We know your talk will both entertain and inspire us.
• We know your presentation will enlighten as well as motivate us.

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[tab name=’Example 1′]

Example 1: Guest speaker invitation letter

Company Name or Letterhead
Address
City, State Zip

Date

Addressee
Address
City, State Zip

Dear Ms. Grant:

We’ve heard you’re an outstanding motivational speaker, both because you’ve “been there” and because your technical expertise matches your enthusiasm. That’s why we want to extend to you an invitation to make a 20-minute presentation at our upcoming ICGGB meeting, May 3-7, in Las Vegas. Your presentation would be part of a panel response to the topic “Making the Media a Repeat Customer.”

To give you a little more detail about our audience: We are a national service organization of approximately 700 local chapters, providing public relations services to non-profit organizations. We serve the very large and the very small agencies–those who employ thousands to those who employ only two. In order to acquaint you with our organizations and some of the current issues faced by our members, I am enclosing a fact sheet and the latest issues of our trade magazines.

Because our members’ organizations are non-profit and because, consequently, we try to present our programs at a minimal cost, we cannot offer you an honorarium. In the past, we also have had panelists arrange for their employer to pay expenses. If your company will not agree to do that, we can reimburse for limited travel expenses ($300) and handout reproduction ($50).

We hope the no-pay predicament we always find ourselves in will not deter your participation. The networking opportunities have certainly been a bonus to the presenters in past years, and we think that will be the case again for you at this conference.

As you probably understand, the logistics of putting together such a meeting take time. Would you please let us know by January 4 if you can participate on our panel?

We would be so pleased to add your name to our distinguished guest list.

Sincerely,
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[tab name=’Example 2′]

Example 2: Invitation letter for guest speaker

Company Name or Letterhead
Address
City, State, Zip

Date

Addressee
Address
City, State, Zip

Dear Ms. Stevens:

We have received exceptional reviews of the team decision-making presentations you have been giving recently. We would be honored if you could conduct a day long seminar for our employees on June 12, 19–. The seminar would be held in our offices at 1430 Broad & Main, and would begin at 10:00 a.m.

Your demonstration would give employees the opportunity to experience different methods of group problem-solving methods without the pressures of deadlines and clients looming over them. We feel that your format of combined lecture and role-playing will provide them with both the theory and the opportunity to practice it.

The brochure we received from your office states that your fee is $900.00 for a full-day session. This is acceptable to us and we are willing to pay you on the day of the presentation.

We would like to notify the employees of the upcoming seminar as soon as possible so they do not schedule any other appointments on that day. If we could hear back from you by May 7, we would appreciate it.

We are excited about the possibility of being able to offer your expertise to our employees.

Sincerely,
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[tab name=’Example 3′]

Example 3: Sample of an invitation letter for an event

Company Name or Letterhead
Address
City, State, Zip

Date

Addressee
Address
City, State, Zip

Dear Dr. Mathesson:

After hearing your lecture on controlling expenditures at a recent conference, I felt it would be beneficial for our company if you would be able to lecture at our upcoming Corporate Conference, to be held in Buffalo, NY on January 10-12, 19–.

This three day conference at the Buffalo Hyatt will begin at 10:00 a.m. and end at 5:00 p.m.. I suggest submitting the abstract to the lecture you have already prepared. Because this conference’s focus is “Cutting Corporate Costs,” I’m sure your material will more than suit the needs of the conference planners. You are required to present one lecture during each day of the conference. You are welcome to attend the other lectures as well.

The company will pay for your hotel and flight expenses— our travel secretary can even make the reservations for you if you wish. We will also reimburse you for any expenses incurred in preparing your lecture materials and handouts. We are also offering a modest honorarium of $800.00.

We would appreciate a reply to this query by October 10. We realize that this is quite a bit in advance of the conference date, but if you cannot attend we will need to find a replacement speaker.

Dr. Mathesson, your contributions to corporate costs analysis in both the business sector and academia are well known. It would be an honor to include your name on our roster of speakers.

Sincerely,
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[tab name=’Example 4′]

Example 4: Invite speaker

Company Name or Letterhead
Address
City, State, Zip

Date

Addressee
Address
City, State, Zip

Dear Judge Woods:

We would like to invite you to be the Keynote Speaker at our upcoming Austin Attorneys’ Association Banquet on December 12 at the Regency Plaza. All the members of the AAA are well aware of the contributions you have made to Austin through your fifeteen dedicated years of service.

Do you think we might be able to persuade you to attend? Perhaps we can meet for lunch and discuss the topics to be presented at the banquet. Your immediate reply will be most appreciated.

Sincerely,
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