Event planning is not just for event planners. Even if you’re not the official event planner in title at your company, as CEO, President, or VP of Marketing you likely have a large voice in planning your company’s events.

Here’s what you need to know about these six trending keynote topics and some of our best speakers from each topic.

Storytelling for Business

Storytelling is a hot topic from the boardroom to the breakroom. And rightly so. The most important thing you need to clinch any deal is a story. Why? Because stories create an emotional connection between the listener and the facts. Moreover, all of us are prewired to understand the world through narrative, so using story makes it easier for people to understand information.

Speakers:

Matthew Luhn worked at Pixar studios for over 20 years as a story artist and animator. His story credits include, Toy Story 1-3, Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, Cars, Ratatouille, and Up. He says it’s all about storytelling, not story selling because when we utilize data to tell a story people are more likely to retain the information and feel personally connected to the story and the storyteller.

Peter Guber is the CEO of Mandalay Entertainment Group. He has produced or executive produced films that garnered five Best Picture Academy Award nominations, including winning Best Picture for Rain Man. He is also the author of the New York Times bestseller Tell to Win: Connect, Persuade, and Triumph with the Hidden Power of Story.

Matthew Pollard is a sales and rapid business growth keynote speaker who shares how to create a sales system to use stories to sell your products and services.

Disruption

Are you worried about falling behind in a disruptive world? If you’re like most business leaders you have seen how the communication revolution of the internet, social media, and mobile phones has disrupted every aspect of business from selling to marketing to human resources. When facing disruption, a business can stand in the way of change, try to delay it, and lose market share. Or, they can adapt and survive.

Speaker:

Frits van Paasschen, author of The Disruptors’ Feast: How to Avoid Being Devoured in Today’s Rapidly Challenging Global Economy. As a former CEO at Starwood Hotels and Resorts, Coors Brewing Company, and Nike’s President of Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, van Paasschen has seen firsthand how the communication revolution has disrupted business practices.

Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity is a shifting, rapidly changing landscape flush with obscure jargon, archaic principles, and a misunderstanding of how attacks occur. Espionage is the greatest threat to cyber defense because spies have evolved into hackers and humans are the weakest link in any cyber defense system. The best cyber attackers embrace advances in technology to carry out traditional espionage goals, such as obtaining personal information. Think of the recent Equifax hack: The majority of cyber attacks are now works of espionage.

Speaker:

Eric O’Neill worked as an FBI counterterrorism and counterintelligence operative, where he helped capture the most notorious spy in U.S. history, Robert Hanssen. Eric is also a national security attorney and a corporate security consultant. The best cybersecurity experts work like a spy hunter and O’Neill knows first hand how to capture a spy.

Technology Futurist, Automation, and the Internet of Things (IOTs)

The new rule in technology seems to be, “anything that can be automated and connected will be automated and connected.” The analyst firm Gartner predicts  by 2020 there will be over 26 billion connected devices…that’s a lot of connections. Technology futurist speakers are in high demand as companies turning to these experts to find out what they can expect in the not so distant future and how they can prepare for it.  

Speakers

John Ellis was formerly a Global Technologist and Head of the Developer Program at Ford Motor Company. His consulting firm, Ellis & Associates, serves clients in the world where automotive, consumer, connectivity, and software intersect. He is an expert in the “zero dollar economy” and how Big Data will quickly become the new currency.

Kevin Surace is a futurist and disruptive innovator. He created the first smartphone and virtual assistant, soundproof drywall (QuietRock), and building materials with lower carbon footprints, such as EcoRock and ultra-energy-efficient windows.

Politics/ Economy

With the current volatility and tension of the global political and economic climate, political and economic speakers have become a go-to for Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, and associations. The political speakers’ category is expansive and contains experts who specialize in topics like the economy, national and global security, geopolitics, civil rights, and sustainability.  

Speaker:

Peter Zeihan is a geopolitical strategist who specializes in global energy, demographics, and security. His worldview merges the realities of geography and populations offering a deep understanding of how global politics impact economic and market trends. Zeihan has predicted several recent geopolitical events including Brexit, the shale revolution, the rise of populism, and the U.S. backing away from the world as a global superpower.

Motivational/ Inspirational

This is one topic that never goes out of style; but recently, there’s been a surge in motivational speaker requests. With all that is going on in the world—politically, economically, climatically—everyone could use a little inspiration and positivity.

Speakers:

Life is Good founders John and Bert Jacobs built a 100 million dollar positive lifestyle brand that spreads the power of optimism. Bert and John were inspired by stories of people facing great adversity. These stories inspired the creation of a fully integrated business model dedicated to helping kids in need. Life is Good donates at least 10% of its annual net profits to the Life is Good Kids Foundation to positively impact over 120,000 kids daily who face poverty, violence, and illness.

Robyn Benincasa is a world champion adventure racer, a CNN Hero, former corporate sales expert and a full-time firefighter who advises organizations on building World Class Teams of their own. She will inspire and motivate any individual or team to succeed against all odds.

On a lighter note, don’t forget, a motivational speaker can speak on many different topics and too many different types of audiences (but fear not, most of them don’t live in a van down by the river).

For More Trends in Keynote Speaking:

Conference and Meeting Theme Ideas

Top Business Keynote Speaking Topics

Top Booked Keynote Speakers

The content writers at BigSpeak Speakers Bureau are Experts on the Experts. They hold doctoral, masters, and bachelors’ degrees in business, writing, literature, and education. Their business thought pieces are published regularly in leading business publications. Working in close association with the top business, entrepreneur, and motivational speakers, BigSpeak content writers are at the forefront of industry trends and research.