Everyone has heard stories of a great after dinner speaker but many people do not actually know what is required of an after dinner speaker, the roles they can perform and the process involved in hiring an entertainer.

So here is everything you need to know about an after dinner speaker, especially useful if you are hosting an event and need inspiration for post-meal entertainment.

Picking A Speaker

When choosing who you would like to speak at your event you need to think about the audience and what message you want to get across. If your event is a business related dinner, you can pick an entertainer who has a relationship with business, either through being a well-known business leader or through knowing your particular industry very well. An after dinner entertainer with knowledge of your audience will be able to entertain them and add some humorous anecdotes into their speech.

The same goes for sporting events, club events or charity events. If you are trying to raise money for a particular cause choosing a celebrity who has been through a similar experience or has been a long time supporter will give them more of a connection with your audience.

What Does An After Dinner Speaker Do?

The main function of an after dinner speaker is of course their speech. The event organisers should communicate with the speaker prior to the actual speech, addressing what they want included in the content, how they want their audience to react and if they would like any extra services from the speaker.

Some of the extras that the people you hire are happy to perform include celebrity auctions for charity or table-mingling so that attendees have the chance to meet the speaker face to face. These can make your event extra special and will really make it memorable for the people who attend.

And this really is the main reason why you would want to hire an after dinner speaker; for work dinners you might want to reward or motivate your staff, at charity functions it could help with increasing donations and gaining more supporters, an entertainer really can make a huge difference.