You’ve done it — you’ve grown your event, and it’s ready for a celebrity speaker. So how do you book one?

Celebrity speakers are in another league. When someone reaches a certain level of fame, they have whole teams working for them to handle their reputation. 

That means they won’t speak at just any event. The event needs to be worthy of their time, and you need to understand exactly what that means for the celebrity you’re trying to book. 

If you feel like your event is significant enough — with a large enough budget — that it could attract a celebrity speaker, it’s worth it. Celebrity names generate more buzz than most promo efforts because of our tribal desire to associate ourselves with celebrities in any way possible. 

Keep reading to find out:

• The definition of a celebrity speaker
• Reasons to book a celebrity speaker
• How to book a celebrity speaker for your event

► Who “qualifies” as a celebrity speaker?

Before you start hunting for your perfect celebrity speaker, let’s define who qualifies as a “celebrity”.  

A true celebrity is someone who receives broad public recognition. “Broad public recognition” means that someone’s fame transcends specialty, in that people from many professional backgrounds, geographies, and cultures would recognize the celebrity. 

If you want a more straightforward marker of celebrity, it’s someone who has a Wikipedia page. People who aren’t “broad” celebrities can have Wikipedia pages, but there likely isn’t a true celebrity out there who doesn’t have one. 

Niche celebrities exist within certain industries, but it’s arguable as to whether or not they are “true” celebrities. Robert Sapolsky, for instance, is famous in the field of neuroscience, and some enthusiasts may have read his books or seen his lectures — but that doesn’t mean he has broad recognition. 

For the purposes of your event, it may be more than enough to book a niche celebrity in your field. Your goal is to draw a crowd, and especially if you’re in an academic field, niche celebrities may be the right call. 

This article, however, will cover booking people with broad celebrity status because there are some important nuances that can mean the difference between success and a misfire.   

► 7 reasons to book famous celebrity speakers

Celebrities draw a crowd. People will want to attend an event that allows them to say they were in the same room as a famous person. But that’s not the only reason why you should book a celebrity speaker for your event.

1. Celebrity speakers bring more endorsements.

A celebrity speaker is a master key that unlocks many doors, including endorsements.

When you book a celebrity speaker, it’s an implicit endorsement for your event. You’re signaling to other high-profile people: “This person thinks my event is worth their time, and so should you.”

Bonus points if you secure a celebrity speaker before your event promotion cycle begins; with the celebrity’s permission, you can scream their involvement from the rooftops and attract additional high-profile endorsements for your event. The snowball effect is real!

2. Celebrity speakers generate organic reach before, during, and after the event.

Paid promotion, especially on social media, isn’t what it used to be. Social media advertising is more expensive than it’s ever been, and Apple’s latest changes to data tracking have stripped away much of the “personalized” in “personalized targeting” — but true organic brand awareness can make up for it.

A celebrity name is one of the best tools you have to encourage word of mouth and organic reach for your event. Once people hear you’ve booked a celebrity speaker, the event will practically promote itself after a small nudge.

3. Celebrity attracts more celebrities.

Want to book more celebrity speakers in the future? Book one, and the rest will follow. 

Booking your first celebrity guest speaker may be a challenge (more on that below), but your second, third, and fourth ones will likely take 50% of the work once you unlock the first one.

4. Celebrity speakers make people care about a cause.

When you think about Angelina Jolie, the first thing you think about is her acting career. The second thing you think about is her humanitarian work with refugees.

Angelina Jolie brought mainstream awareness to the refugee crisis through her work with the United Nations. Thousands of people who had never known about the Cambodian genocide, for example, learned about it because of Jolie’s speeches at various events. 

If you’re running an event that’s attached to a cause, a celebrity can amplify your message beyond the event itself.

5. Celebrity speakers create a memorable event experience.

When was the last time you saw a celebrity guest speaker for yourself? We bet you talked about it for days afterward. 

People talk about two things when it comes to events: the food and the speakers. Some people may not remember most of the details of the content, but they remember how they felt about certain speakers over others.

When you book a celebrity guest speaker, you’re amplifying your attendees’ experience because of their proximity to someone famous. They can say to people they know: “I was there. I was in the same room as [celebrity], and this is what I thought of them.”

6. Celebrity speakers are professional performers.

You won’t need to worry about whether or not a celebrity speaker is entertaining. Their primary job is to entertain, so you can count on an engaging speech that will keep audiences enthralled.

7. Celebrity speakers grow social channels.

Tag a celebrity on your Instagram feed and watch the followers roll in. Even better if you can make an account takeover happen with personal content from your celebrity speaker. 

Remember how people love to be associated with celebrities? That means your audience will likely post photos and videos on their own feeds with your event hashtag the moment your celebrity speaker sets foot on stage.

► How to book a celebrity speaker for your event

Booking a celebrity speaker requires more effort than booking a motivational keynote speaker. Here’s what you need to do to book your first celebrity speaker:

1. Expand your budget.

Be prepared to pay at least $50,000 for a celebrity speaker. The big names can cost upwards of $150,000. 

If you’re flying someone in from another country, be prepared to pay more for travel costs as well. 
If you really want to book a celebrity speaker but don’t quite have the budget, try partnering with other organizations that can contribute to the cost. Corporate sponsors who may be interested in associating themselves with a celebrity may be able to help with fees as well. 

2. Start earlier.

Celebrities have whole teams of people working for them to manage their reputation. More people means more complexity — and you can bet those teams will be reviewing your agreement for every last detail. 

You’ll want to start the process of booking your celebrity speaker at least six months ahead of your event. The sooner you book them, the sooner you can include mention of them in your promotional efforts — which will attract more high-profile speakers. 

3. Do a lot of research on alignment.

Many celebrities are known for certain causes. We mentioned Angelina Jolie above, but there’s also Leonardo DiCaprio and Al Gore, who fight for the environment, Ricky Gervais, who fights for animal rights, and Oprah, who’s committed to youth education. 

If your event is for a specific cause, focus on celebrities who are known for supporting it. On the flip side, you may be wasting your time if you approach celebrities because you’re only interested in their name. 

Once you find perfect alignment, half your work is done — the rest will be about demonstrating your organization’s impact.

3. Do a lot of research on alignment.

Many celebrities are known for certain causes. We mentioned Angelina Jolie above, but there’s also Leonardo DiCaprio and Al Gore, who fight for the environment; Ricky Gervais, who fights for animal rights; and Oprah, who’s committed to youth education. 

If your event is for a specific cause, focus on celebrities who are known for supporting it. On the flip side, you may be wasting your time if you approach celebrities because you’re only interested in their name. 

Once you find perfect alignment, half your work is done — the rest will be about demonstrating your organization’s impact. 

4. Use a speakers bureau.

To help with your search, use a speakers bureau. A speakers bureau is a nice little centralized space for all the information you could want about your potential speaker, including specialties, availability, fees, and special requests. 

Not sure where to start? Check out our directory of celebrity speakers. 

Here are a few of the top celebrity speakers today!

5. Craft your pitch.

After you’ve settled on your budget and feel confident you’ve found some perfect-fit candidates, it’s time to craft your pitch. Here’s what you should include:

• Why your event aligns with their values
• Information about your audience and what they would gain from the appearance
• A monetary offer as a starting point
• Basic event details: location, name, size, and goals
• Bonus: If you’re a philanthropic organization, describe its biggest impact on your community

Booking your first famous celebrity speaker is an exciting milestone in your event planning process. Start your journey toward a successful event by booking your first famous celebrity speaker with eSpeakers Marketplace today. 

Booking your next motivational keynote speaker is an exciting milestone in your event planning process. Start your journey toward a successful event by booking your next motivational keynote speaker with eSpeakers Marketplace today.