Keynote speaking formats are being innovated by the best speakers who are hungry to deliver more impact, more transformation, and more bang for the buck. This reflects the changing appetites of audiences who are just as hungry for events that transcend the conventional but also speaks to the realization by companies and conferences that a keynote speech can be pushed to new heights and deliver outsized ROI for the business (both impact and commercial value).
Unpacking The Classic Keynote (20-45 Minutes + Q&A)
Typically 40 to 45 minutes long—though it can be anything between 10 minutes and an hour—the classic, conventional, and traditional keynote is what most people think of as a keynote speech.
A thought leader stands up on stage and shares their mission and/or message in an informative, compelling, and inspiring way. At least, that’s what should happen.
The classic keynote speech serves as the cornerstone of many conferences, embedding a powerful narrative in a 20-45 minute format that captivates audiences through eloquence and expert insight.
When done right, its structured delivery is engineered to inspire the audience with what is possible and often sets the thematic tone for the event, offering a high-level framing (at the start) or summary (at the end) of the topic.
With its time-honored format, the classic keynote operates within defined parameters. These can curb the potential for spontaneity, interaction, and meeting audience needs but also ensure a streamlined and hopefully impactful delivery of content. It represents a concentrated distillation of expertise, drawing listeners into a carefully curated intellectual journey.
The key benefit of conventional keynotes is that they are much easier to buy, book, and brief. They are quick, don’t take up too much time from the rest of the conference, and it’s super easy for a halfway decent speaker to show up and leave a good impression.
Core Benefits of Standard Keynote Presentations
When designed and delivered with excellence, a 45-minute keynote can:
Efficiently condense decades of experience into minutes with a powerful narrative arc that engages
Introduce and contextualize the topic for the event or conference and get everyone in the right frame of mind
Provoke and inspire ideal next steps for the audience to take after the event or conference
Transmit the right energy and instill the right “vibe” for the rest of the event
Provide clear takeaways, strategic insights, and an authoritative voice that elevates discussion
Create a shared experience—a collective moment of inspiration—that resonates beyond the event, fostering lasting connections among participants
Works particularly well with informative keynotes (e.g., security or a futures topic)
Be motivational and even inspirational when designed and delivered well (but rarely transformational)
Most people in any area of business can be trained to deliver a single 45-minute keynote competently
The Limitations of the Classic Keynote Format
No matter how good the keynote speaker is, a 45-minute keynote has some constraints within the format:
Tired & Often Tiresome: Audiences are so used to this format that if the speaker is not exceptional, they can get bored, distracted, and dismissive.?Lack of Interaction: They typically feature a one-way communication that limits audience engagement.
Rigidity in Structure: The format can be too prescriptive, allowing little room for depth of content or deviation into whatever is energizing people in the room.
Surface-Level Coverage: In the interest of time, complex topics may only be touched upon superficially, which can be very dangerous
Easily Forgotten: Attendees usually receive information passively, which may affect retention, development, and immediate application.
One-Size-Fits-All Approach: Content is uniformly delivered, which may not resonate equally with all segments of an audience.
Low ROI On Costly In-Person Events: Missed opportunities to use leverage the cost of holding an in-person event to create moments of magical cohesion and togetherness (particularly important in internal leadership meetings like top 100/200/300 events)
Limits Interactivity & Change: The format is inherently constrained in depth, scope, and impact
Inability To Deliver Ambitious Event Goals: Difficult for the keynote to contribute much to driving change or transformation, as these rely on engagement, participation, and practice
With difficult topics that reach the core of modern-day business challenges—like those I specialize in, such as digital/business transformation, transformational leadership, breakthrough innovation, AI + leadership (including dangers and ethical innovation), and high-energy yet accountable teamwork—the shortness and expert-user nature of the format affords the speaker very little time to weave a story that meets the complexity and nuance of the topic; or involve the audience in starting to think about improving or changing their mindsets and behaviors.
This can be very dangerous in today’s VUCA world as it can create the illusion that things are simpler than they are, usually degrading executives’ capacity to rise to the challenges they face. Add to this that people rarely change through hearing a keynote–or reading a book–no matter how awesome, conventional keynotes are not always the best choice for ambitious event producers.
This is why, about a decade or more ago, I started experimenting with and pushing myself to create more experiential and also more interactive keynotes.
New Keynote Speaking Formats That Can Deliver Maximum Value For Your Event
In the ever-evolving landscape of corporate events, the quintessential, commanding presence of a keynote speaker behind a podium remains a familiar sight. Paint a mental picture — a room full of industry professionals hanging on the words of an expert with collective inspiration bubbling up.
Yet this traditional format is no longer the sole option for event planners and event producers striving for outsized impact and major ROI on the investment of getting so many people together in one room.
Keynote speaking formats are being innovated by speakers like me who believe that keynote speaking has the potential to unlock transformative impact and so deliver more bang for the buck. This reflects the changing appetites of audiences who are just as hungry for engagements and interactions that transcend the conventional monologue. It also speaks to the realization by companies and conference organizers that a keynote speech can be pushed to new heights and deliver outsized ROI for the business (both impact and commercial value).
For example, you can use one of the innovative formats I outline below to bring strategic coherence and emotional togetherness to a team or entire business unit that has been struggling or that has a bold opportunity to seize.
You can galvanize a large group of association members or conference attendees to move toward coherent and collaborative action and spread the word by sharing the event’s ideas and memes with the world at large.
Or you can initiate and accelerate the urgent change needed in the top 100/200/300 leaders of an organization so they leave feeling a sense of “in-it-togetherness” but also that they are equipped with some key tools, language patterns, and techniques to make it happen.
Little wonder that I am getting lots of inquiries for more experiential, immersive, and interactive keynotes. I love these emerging types of speaking, but they’re not without considerable risks.
I have witnessed mistakes made time and time again that undermine the investment, leaving the audience members feeling diminished and destroying value rather than creating it. These errors undermine event ambitions and damage reputations but can be easily avoided if you understand what these formats can do—and, crucially, how to get them right the first time.
In this article, I will share the key differences between a conventional keynote, a more immersive or experiential keynote, and an interactive keynote (that has some kind of workshop element). I will then highlight some of the important factors to consider to get each one right—minimizing risks and growing the gains—and how to choose the right keynote format for your event.
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