What to put in a speaker invitation pack
A speaker who gets a warm email and nothing else will ask ten questions, and some of them will be the ones you have not yet decided.
The short answer
A good invitation pack lets a busy speaker decide yes or no without a call. It states the event, the session purpose, the audience, the proposed time window, what you ask of them, what you can and cannot yet confirm, how to reply and by when.
Anything not yet decided is written as open with an owner and a date. Do not state fees, travel or consent terms unless your committee and finance have approved them in writing.
What the pack contains
| Part | What to say | Status to check before sending |
|---|---|---|
| The event | Name, organiser, date window, region, format. | Dates confirmed or marked as a window. |
| The session | Purpose, audience, format, planned length, other speakers if agreed. | Approved by the programme owner. |
| The ask | Talk or moderation, preparation expected, rehearsal or briefing call, slide deadline. | Deadline dates agreed. See slide deadlines. |
| What the organiser offers | Only what is approved: for example listed support items. | Finance and committee approval in writing. |
| Fees, travel, accommodation | State the position as approved, or write that this will be confirmed by a named contact. | Finance. Visa and tax questions go to advisers, not to the invitation text. |
| Recording and use of material | Say recordings may be made and that permission will be requested separately. See recording permissions. | Whether the event will record at all. |
| Reply | Who to reply to, by when, what happens if the speaker declines. | Named liaison and reply date. |
Order of work
- Confirm the shortlist and the backup order with the committee. See selection criteria.
- Fill the pack with the speaker briefing generator, leaving unknown fields open.
- Check each commitment in the pack against approvals: nothing promised that is not approved.
- Send from a named person with a reply date and record it in a confirmation tracker.
- Move to the backup only after the reply date or a decline, and follow the committee's rule on timing.
What to leave out until it is decided
- Any amount, rate or payment timing for honorarium. Handling is covered in honorarium administration.
- Hotel, flight or visa support, until finance and the relevant adviser have confirmed what is possible.
- Names of other speakers who have not agreed to be named.
- Promises of audience size, sponsor presence or media coverage.
- A broadcast or recording right, until the permission wording is agreed.
Tone and length
Two pages are enough: a short covering note and an attachment. A speaker should find the date, the ask and the reply deadline within a minute.
Write in the register your audience expects. A formal association may expect a letter from the chair. A smaller forum may be comfortable with a short email from the programme owner.
Worked example · Fictional example
An invitation for a plenary session
Fictional organisation and figures. No real person is named.
A fictional professional body invites a speaker to a 30 minute plenary in a one-day conference in the second half of the year. The pack gives a date window, the audience profile and the session purpose, and asks for a reply within two weeks.
On fees, it says that the committee has not yet confirmed whether an honorarium applies and that a named contact will respond once finance decides. On recording, it says permission will be sought in a separate form. The speaker replied with questions on audience level only, which the pack could answer.
Use this yourself
Speaker invitation pack template
Copy and fill in. Leave any unknown item as: Not yet decided, owner, date. Do not insert names, fees or consent wording that has not been approved.
- Event name, organiser and date window (or confirmed date):
- Region or location (venue to be confirmed, if not yet fixed):
- Session title and purpose:
- Audience profile and expected size range:
- Format and planned length:
- What we ask of you: talk, moderation, preparation, rehearsal or briefing call:
- Deadlines: confirmation, biography, slides, technical check:
- What the organiser will provide (approved items only):
- Fees, travel and accommodation: approved position or Not yet decided, owner, date:
- Recording and use of material: permission to be requested separately:
- Contact person and reply-by date:
- What happens if you are unable to accept:
Handle it in-house, or bring in help?
Your team can usually handle this when
- The committee has approved the speaker list and terms.
- One person can send, track and answer replies.
- Few speakers and no complex travel.
Outside planning help earns its fee when
- Terms are not agreed, and invitations are already going out informally.
- Many speakers have different needs, including travel from overseas.
- Replies, questions and approvals are scattered across several people.
Need invitations sent in the right order?
A conference project lead can draft the invitation pack with you, check each commitment against approvals, send and track replies, and bring backup names in only when the committee has agreed. Fees, visas and tax stay as questions for your finance team and advisers. Send your draft invitation and shortlist.
Questions organisers ask
Should the invitation state a fee?
Only if your committee and finance have approved it in writing. Otherwise say the position will be confirmed by a named contact. Ask finance about tax treatment before any figure is sent.
How long should we give a speaker to reply?
Set the date from your own programme deadlines, and allow time to move to a backup if needed. Write the date in the invitation.
Can we invite two speakers for the same slot?
Avoid it unless the committee has chosen that approach and is ready to explain it. A ranked backup list is clearer and fairer. See backup speaker plan.
Related resources
Content record: Draft. Written from the cited sources and checked by automated rules; not yet independently reviewed.