Booking a Speaker for a Team Away Day? Read This First
Before you get anywhere near comparing speakers, there's a question worth asking first: does this away day actually need one?
It's a question a lot of organisers skip. They start browsing speaker bureaus because that's what away days seem to involve, without stopping to check whether an external voice is solving a real problem or just filling a slot in the agenda. Sometimes the honest answer is that your own team, with the right structure, could run a better day than any speaker could parachute into. Other times, an outside voice is exactly what's needed – someone with no stake in the internal politics, who can say the thing your team needs to hear without it costing them anything the next day.
So before the how, it's worth settling the whether.
When an external speaker genuinely helps
A speaker earns their place when they bring something the room can't generate on its own: outside perspective on a problem everyone's too close to see clearly, permission for people to be honest because the speaker has no stake in the internal politics, or expertise on a topic – kindness, productivity, leadership – that benefits from someone who's spent years studying it rather than picking it up as a side interest. If the day's main need is simply time and space to think as a team, you may not need a speaker at all. If it needs a jolt of outside thinking or a framework nobody in the room can supply, that's when booking one makes sense.
What to look for once you've decided you do
Relevance matters more than fame. A speaker who has genuinely lived the problem your team is wrestling with will land harder than a bigger name talking about a topic they were briefed on last week. Look for someone who wants to brief properly beforehand – asking about your team, your context, what's actually going on – rather than one who'll turn up and deliver the same session they gave yesterday to a different logo. And look for a framework people can carry out of the room: a way of thinking or a specific change they can make on Monday, not just a feeling that fades by Tuesday.
Questions worth asking before you book
Ask the speaker what your team will be able to do differently after the session. Ask whether they'll do a briefing call to understand your specific context, not just your industry. And when you check references, ask what changed afterwards – not whether people enjoyed it. The pause that question produces usually tells you everything you need to know.
Where the speaker fits into the day
A good speaker is one part of a well-designed day, not the whole of it. How you structure the hours around them – the pacing, the space to reflect, what happens after everyone goes home – matters just as much as who's on stage. If you're planning the shape of the day itself, this piece on designing an away day that actually changes behaviour covers that ground in full.
I speak at team away days on kindness at work and leadership, and always brief properly before the day so the session fits what your team actually needs. Here's how booking works.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to book an external speaker for a team away day?
Not always. An external speaker is worth it when you need outside perspective on a problem your team is too close to see clearly, or expertise on a topic like kindness or productivity that benefits from years of dedicated study. If your day mainly needs time and space to think as a team, you may not need a speaker at all – a well-designed internal session can work just as well.
How much does it cost to book a speaker for an away day?
Fees vary widely depending on the speaker's experience, the format (in-person or virtual) and the length of session. It's worth asking for a rate card upfront so you can compare like for like, and checking whether the fee includes a briefing call, since that's often where the real value is added.
What should I ask a speaker before booking them for an away day?
Ask what your team will be able to do differently after the session. Ask if they'll do a briefing call to understand your specific context. And when checking references, ask what changed afterwards rather than whether people enjoyed it – that question reveals far more about real impact.
How is booking a speaker different from designing the away day itself?
Booking a speaker is one decision within the broader job of designing the day. The speaker brings expertise or outside perspective; the design of the day – the pacing, the structure, what happens after everyone goes home – is what determines whether that input actually sticks. Both matter, and neither substitutes for the other.