Building Confident Event Speakers

To engage, inspire and add more value to your event

A conference speaking opportunity is a step up from a day-to day-presentation. It requires a different set of skills and knowledge to do well. When your Speakers grasp this, they can deliver a compelling performance that leaves your audience inspired and adds value to your event.

If your contributors could benefit from support to perform at their best, the AAE’s In-House Speaker Training is here to help.

Delivered by an experienced trainer and ICF Coach and designed for Associations, the training will equip your Speakers with the knowledge and skills to excel. Their improved performance will enhance the delegate experience and increase the value and reputation of your event.

PLUS when potential contributors realise that you are prepared to invest in them, it increases the likelihood they will step forward, expanding the scale and diversity of your pool of contributors. 

This training will support your contributors to deliver their best performance.


Who should attend
  • Inexperienced speakers who wish to speak with confidence and effectively
  • Experienced speakers who want to raise their professionalism in speaking

Sample Agenda Outline
  • The four Ps: Preparation, Practise, Performance, Personal Confidence
  • Preparation: The three sides of effective planning and four storylines to work with.
  • Practise: Practise that gets results, including working to time and taking questions.
  • Performance: What to nurture and what to avoid around body language and voice.
  • Personal confidence: Boost confidence levels, before, during and after your slot.
  • Practical matters 1: What to do in the run up to the speaking opportunity.
  • Practical matters 2: The key choices that make your presentation effective.
  • Action plan: Next steps: what will you do next to take this forward.

Learning outcomes
  • A framework they can apply to become a confident speaker
  • Knowledge of the skills required to speak successfully, and how to apply them

High value for in-house training
  • Relevant and specific to associations: with the trainers' deep knowledge of associations and experience in training association executives
  • Flexible: delivered onsite or remotely via video platform, timed and tailored to fit your schedule
  • Tailored content: the tutor will shape the session to your requirements
  • Practical and interactive: with practical and actionable advice, space for sharing, discussion and questions, plus time to create an action plan to make the most of the takeaways
  • Supported: all participants receive a welcome pack with the agenda, a biography of the trainer and suggested preparation and post-training reading and resources

About the Trainer

John Scarrott, a former membership director, and an ICF Credentialed Coach, combines his knowledge of associations, speaking and chairing experience and 10 years training and coaching.

John Scarrott is an AAE training and coaching partner. He has been working with AAE members since 2014. Prior to focusing on training and coaching John spent seven years as a Membership Director. He has spoken in the UK, Europe, Australia and India.

John has trained Speakers, Facilitators and Chairs for associations including, among others, the AAE, World Bladder Cancer Patient Coalition, the Association of the European Self-Care Industry, British Veterinary Nursing Association, Institute of Physicsand the British Parking Association.

John Scarrott

Testimonials

While I was Director of Membership at the Royal Society of Biology, I engaged John to provide in-house training for our student members who were being invited to speak at our annual Accreditation conference. John delivered a tailored session for 21 of our students.

The training led to a raised standard of speaking from the students. Their feedback following the event referenced the training having sparked an increase in confidence, having a value in the future, and also a transferable value into other related areas. Added together, the investment in John’s training represented a win in the present and a win in the future for the students and the Society.

Rachel Lambert Forsyth: Chief Executive, British Pharmacological Society

 

Following your training session on conference speaking and chairing, our Forum went very well. We noticed that all the speakers, many of whom were first times, and moderators have done truly well and with increased confidence this time around.

Alex Filicevas, Executive Director, World Bladder Cancer Patient Coalition 

I wanted to change my thinking and approach to public speaking. I booked on to the Public Speaking Masterclass run by John Scarrott. I followed his plan, put it into action. And it worked! Someone from the audience where I was speaking came up to me and said "you are a brilliant presenter!” and the organiser said, ‘That was exactly what I was looking for.’ I met the brief for the audience and the organiser. A double win. Applying the insights from John’s training has led to a step change for me in my belief about myself as a speaker. I now find myself saying ‘I actually rather enjoyed that!’ And looking forward to my next opportunity to speak.

Helen Gregson Chief Executive Officer, European Society of Endocrinology

As well as:

I booked on to the Public Speaking Masterclass run by John Scarrott. I followed his plan and it worked!

Very engaging, I like how John practiced his techniques and provided examples.