Guest Speakers

Using the form below, you can request a Guest Speaker to give a talk on campus or online. Please note, we require at least 20 working days' notice from the proposed date of your event to conduct our background checks.  Before submitting a request, we suggest you read the document at the bottom of this article.

 Why book a Guest Speaker? 

• Inspire and Educate: Share industry insights, life lessons, or hands-on skills.
• Attract New Members: Big names or niche experts draw attention and curiosity.
• Create Networking Opportunities: Create a space for members to connect with thought leaders and peers.
• Boost Revenue: Ticketed events with speakers are a great way to generate more funds for your Society and future projects.
• Run a specialised session: Bring an industry specialist to lead on a unique and exciting activity.

Finding the perfect Speaker 

• Ask your members: What topics excite them? A specific academic topic? Creativity? Leaderships skills or workshops that would support their learning?
• Look around on Social Media: Platforms like LinkedIn are a good place to start looking for potential guests, and a great way to discover experts eager to chat with students.
• Collaborate with Other Societies: You may find that you share areas of interest with another society. This might help you get a better idea of what kind of speakers you'd like to invite. 
• Reach out to other Societies: Seeing what societies from other universities are doing can give you an idea of possible activities and speakers. Don't be afraid to reach out to them and ask them for advice!

Ready to invite your Speaker? Here's how it works:

1. Choosing a speaker: Once you've done your research and have chosen the perfect guest speaker, have an initial conversation with them to see if they'd be willing to host an event for your society. Don't agree to anything yet! You may only confirm their attendance once we give you the thumbs up. Instead, pencil in a possible date and time for the event, as well as an agenda of the activities they'll run - you'll need this information to complete the next steps.
    
   
2. Complete your risk assessment: Guest Speaker events require their own risk assessment. When developing this, think about the activities they'll be running and the hazards that are associated with these, e.g. if they're a notorious person, they may attract a large number of people, or their topic might be triggering for some audiences. If you need help developing this, please let us know and we'll be more than happy to help. 
3. Fill out a form: Once you have your risk assessment ready, you'll need to submit an event proposal. Make sure to select "Guest Speaker" as your event type. You will need to provide us all the details on your event, as well as your guest speaker. When providing the description of the activities they'll be leading, be as thorough as possible, as this will help us understand your event better and successfully run our background checks. 
   If you already have a room booked, please make a note of this in your request. 
4. Get an update on your request: Once we complete all the necessary checks, we'll get back to you with an update on your request. If needed, we'll guide you on the additional steps you may need to take in order to get approval for your event. 
   You may officially invite your guest speaker to your event once you receive confirmation for your guest only. 
   
   
5. Advertise!: After you receive confirmation, you can start advertising your event and confirming dates with your guest speaker. When planning your events, it's important that you plan ahead and leave enough time to advertise and confirm your events with the relevant people.