Phase 4 · Event Day
How to Introduce a Keynote Speaker
The emcee is usually the natural person to introduce a keynote speaker. A CEO or another leader can do it well, too. The Mollie Plotkin Group supplies the written stage introduction before the event, but the speaker's entrance may involve more than someone reading those words.
What makes up the stage entrance?
- Spoken introduction: The words the emcee or leader reads to welcome the speaker. This is the part the Mollie Plotkin Group always provides.
- Introduction video, if used: A video that plays as part of the introduction. It needs its own playback cue and should not repeat a long spoken biography.
- Walk-on music, if used: Music played as the speaker comes onstage. The Mollie Plotkin Group normally provides the song name; your team obtains the file.
- Walk-off music, if used: Music for the speaker's exit after the keynote. This belongs in the run of show, even though it happens after the introduction.
The written introduction is the constant. Which other elements belong in the sequence depends on the speaker and the program.
Choose the person who will introduce the speaker
Decide whether the emcee or a member of leadership makes more sense for your program, then tell the Mollie Plotkin Group who will receive the introduction. If that person has a genuine relationship with the speaker, a more personal introduction may be appropriate. Share that context with us so we can tailor the supplied copy to the audience and the introducer.
If the introducer wants to change the wording, check whether the supplied introduction is marked required or preferred. A required version should be read as written; a preferred version allows some flexibility while keeping the essential information. Even a personal introduction should use the supplied copy to get the speaker's name and credentials right.
Use the stage introduction, not the biography
| Material | Best use |
|---|---|
| Stage introduction | Read aloud just before the keynote. It connects the speaker to this audience and leads into the presentation. |
| Short biography | Use for social media and compact event promotion. |
| Long biography | Use for background and longer-form event materials. |
Reading the biography aloud can turn the introduction into a list of credentials and take attention away from the reason this audience is here to hear the speaker.
Hand the right materials to the event team
Once the sequence is decided, make sure the people running it have what they need:
- Introducer: Give them the spoken copy, check the speaker's name pronunciation and have them read it aloud before the event.
- Production team: Give them any video and music files being used, with time to check playback.
- Run of show: Mark the end of the spoken introduction, any video and walk-on cues and, if planned, the music for the speaker's exit.
Building a Run of Show for a Keynote Speaker covers where those cues belong in the event schedule. Presentation Deadlines, Slides and Content Policies covers the separate presentation-file handoff.