Staying on trend is more important for some events than others, but even if your event primarily deals with something relatively detailed, a global view from a renowned expert can provide some added inspiration. Keeping up with trends is only half the battle, hiring a keynote speaker can be a challenge in itself as well.
Here are some of today’s most popular subjects and keynote speaker ideas, as well as an example from Eagles Talent’s own roster of keynote speakers for each area.
1) Economics
This is a big topic and first up on our keynote speaker ideas. The global economy is undergoing drastic re-alignment, coming out of one the largest recessions in modern history, with a steady shift of production and economic growth in the far east and emerging economies. Add to this a layer of political uncertainty and change not seen on such a scale since the cold war and the world is a less certain but exciting place to be at the moment.
Global strategists and economists can give your audience a ‘macro’ view on what’s going on what the near future might hold.
Dr. James Canton (USA), available through Eagles Talent, is a renowned global futurist, social scientist, author, and visionary business advisor. As a former Apple Computer executive and high tech entrepreneur, he has been insightfully forecasting the key trends and technologies that have shaped our world.
The Economist recognizes him as one of the leading global futurists. He has advised three White House Administrations and over 100 companies.
2) Storytelling in Business
Emerging in boardrooms in the last few years, ‘storytelling’ is a hot topic at the moment. Why? When done well in business, storytelling gives customers and clients a good reason to buy from you in a world where differentiation is increasingly difficult.
By telling the story of your organization or the development of a new product, you can create a connection at the emotional level between the listener and the facts. Politicians know this well. Companies large and small are starting to recognize it, too.
Matthew Luhn (USA) is an accomplished storyteller, instructor, keynote speaker, and story consultant. With over 20 years’ experience creating stories and characters at Pixar Animation Studios, he is sure to be a big draw to any event.
3) Future Tech and Cities
‘Near’ future tech and the role of cities has fascinated people for decades. The disruption that future tech may bring, as well as the opportunities for businesses and entrepreneurs, tend to fire up any audience’s imagination.
The potential disruptive advances in transport tech, for example, such as driverless automobiles and the ‘circular economy,’ are on trend. As well as tapping into a desire to lessen human impact on the environment, they may also change the way we live on a daily basis. There are also plenty of opportunities for entrepreneurs, local business and franchisees.
Shara Evans (CAN) is a great choice for a speaker on this subject. As a keynote speaker, she weaves a narrative of a near future that is radically different from our current world, but clearly recognizable as the result of today’s latest technological leaps.
4) Diversity and Inclusion
Organizations are increasingly conscious that they need to represent their customers and empower talent from a diverse talent pool to better reflect the variety of the market. Many groups are still underrepresented in sectors of the economy. As a result, a lot of talent is being lost. Many ideas remain undeveloped.
Speakers can talk, often from bitter experience, about the challenges facing certain groups. They can express how changes to corporate culture and policy can make the best use of this talent pool. The wide range of topics includes career development, entrepreneurship, and worklife balance.
Amongst our range of great speakers, we are fortunate enough to offer Yassmin Abdel-Magied (AUS), a mechanical engineer, social advocate, writer, and self-confessed ‘petrol head.’
Yassmin advocates for the empowerment of youth, women and those from racially, culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. She is passionate about making ‘diversity’ the norm.
5) Motivational and Inspirational
Motivational and inspirational speakers never go out of fashion. Motivational keynotes are appreciated by audiences and event organizers alike, especially where the organizer is the employer of those attending.
Working with motivational speakers is a great way to end an event on a high. You can have the audience leave with energy and a feeling of wanting to take away the messages of the event. A motivational speaker will drive home a message so that people take what they have learned back to their workplaces and/or personal lives and take action.
While Eagles Talent has a huge range of motivational speakers, for a different take, check out Aaron Hurst (USA). A globally recognized entrepreneur, he is the CEO of Imperative, a technology platform that enables people to discover, connect and act on what gives them purpose in their work.
Aaron is a close advisor to many global brands and frequent speaker and writer on the development of the Purpose Economy.
That’s it for our five trending keynote speaker ideas. Feel free to contact us to learn more about our speakers or for help with your next meeting or event!
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