Defining a yearly theme as a speaker can be a game changer. It’s not just about having a focus, it’s about staying relevant, fresh, and engaging in a competitive speaking world.
Why Every Speaker Needs a Yearly Theme
So, what does it mean to have a yearly theme? If you’re a speaker specialising in a topic like leadership, you can’t just repeat “leadership, leadership, leadership” endlessly. It starts to feel, well, a little beige.
Instead, think of your yearly theme as an exciting new angle within your area of expertise. It keeps your work fresh, relevant, and, most importantly, engaging.
1. It Challenges You to Evolve
Creating a new theme each year pushes you to develop fresh content and keynotes. This keeps you growing and evolving as a speaker. When you’re continually exploring new ideas, your presentations stay vibrant and impactful.
2. It Drives Your Content
Your yearly theme becomes the foundation for all your content, your speeches, blogs, articles, videos, and marketing. It gives a clear direction and ensures that everything you produce has a cohesive and powerful message.
3. It Encourages Repeat Bookings
Event organisers who have booked you in the past want to see growth and new insights when they invite you back. Having a fresh theme every year shows that you’re dynamic and adaptable, a speaker who consistently brings something new to the table.
Back in the Day
Years ago, speakers would often create one keynote per year. That would be their topic for the next 12 months, and they’d build everything around it. While the speaking world has changed, this concept of having a fresh focus each year still holds true.
For me, a big part of my repeat bookings comes from always offering new ideas and themes. I look at what’s current, what’s relevant, and what will truly resonate with audiences.
Setting Your 2025 Theme
Once you’ve nailed down your theme, it becomes the foundation for your year. Your keynotes, marketing, and content strategy can all be built around it. For example, my focus for 2025 is all about humanising your business.
In a world dominated by AI, I see a massive opportunity in honing and embracing human skills. While I’m not anti AI, I believe that staying human-centric is what will differentiate businesses and entrepreneurs in the long run. That’s why every speaker needs a yearly theme, it ensures you stay focused, relevant, and ahead of the curve.
What’s Your 2025 Theme?
Now it’s over to you. What’s your theme for 2025? How will you build your campaigns, content, and marketing around it? This approach isn’t just a way to stay relevant, it’s a powerful tool to stand out as a speaker.
Take the time to define your theme. It’s one of the best ways to ensure your evolution, your message, and your career keep moving forward.
