A keynote speech is given at political and industrial events as well as academic conferences to underline the message of the event or summarize what the event will be presenting to its attendees. The speaker is usually someone of notoriety within their sector who has achieved great things or is a big personality in their industry. Keynote speakers can boost their own careers through the speeches they give or have a positive impact on their audience.

Some of the more infamous keynote speeches in the US are those at the party conventions during the presidential campaign for both Democratic and republican candidates. Keynote speakers at these rallies have often gained international fame, for example, Barack Obama and his speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. p Sometimes they can influence the course of the election if they are delivered well with a strong message. There are keynote speeches given at political events across the rest of the world too.

You may have heard a keynote speech given by a celebrity or academic at a graduation ceremony for colleges or universities. These speeches are usually ones of celebration and have a light hearted message.

An event organiser will often use a keynote speaker to gain publicity for their event and more attendants, especially if the event is sponsored by a corporation or business. Picking a keynote speaker who is well known for his or her expertise in a certain sector, or is famous for their other accomplishments, will probably raise excitement among prospective attendees for a meeting or conference.

Typically a keynote speaker will talk for anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes depending on your specification. Many speakers are honoured to attend events and may not charge a fee because they earn positive publicity in their own right for their presentation. If the speaker is going to be paid, they will get a fee which will be decided on prior to the event, this is what usually happens at corporate or sponsored events.