The meeting attendees are on the edge of their seats. They’ve gathered from across the country and the energy in the room is palpable as the opening keynote speaker, a well known celebrity, strides confidently onto the stage basking in the welcoming applause.
Within 20 minutes, the speaker has somehow managed to drain every ounce of energy out of the room. People begin shifting in their seats. Heads slowly nod. And, somewhere…a meeting planner begins to sweat.
Even amateur speakers understand the importance of starting and ending their speeches on a strong note. The same holds true for a meeting – whether it’s a one-day, offsite retreat or a three-day convention, how you open and close has a huge impact on the overall success of your event.
The use of the term “keynote” in the figurative sense referring to a “leading idea” dates back to 1783. The phrase “keynote speech” first appeared in 1905, and although many use the phrase to refer to any main-stage presentation, the term technically applies only to the opening speaker, the one who will ideally offer a leading idea and set the “key tone” for the entire event.
Starting and ending on a high note will continue to be a challenge to which meeting planners must rise in order to ensure a memorable event.
Perhaps the best measure of success might be when the meeting attendees ask that the convention closer kick off next year’s event?