Most public speakers are tuned to their audience. They want to ensure they satisfy their wants and needs. But their audience is not their customer. Sure, they have to please their audience, but they are not the speaker’s customer.

The public speaker’s customer is the meeting planner, the person who you need to satisfy to get called upon again to speak.

This article discusses what delights meeting planners, what irks them, and how to recover after you have made a mistake with your meeting planner.

Three Things That Delight Your Meeting Planner

Below are three things that delight your meeting planner

1. Flawless Reliability and Responsiveness

Your meeting planner juggles dozens of moving parts.

A speaker who promptly returns emails, confirms details early, and submits bios, headshots, and tech requirements on time is gold.

Sarah Michel, CSP, VP of Speaker Services, Velvet Chainsaw Consulting, says, “The best speakers are low maintenance, high impact. They’re organized, on time, and make my job easier.”

2. Customization for the Audience

Speakers who study the client’s industry, integrate relevant terminology, and tie their message to the event theme show they care.

Mentioning the company’s recent achievements or industry pain points can make your planner look brilliant to their bosses.

3. Professionalism On and Off Stage

Your meeting planner loves speakers who arrive early, dress appropriately, treat staff kindly, and respect the AV crew.

Staying for lunch or attending other sessions signals the speaker isn’t just a “show-and-go.”

So, three things that delight your meeting planner are (1) flawless reliability and responsiveness, (2) customization for the audience, and (3) professionalism on and off the stage.

As much as you would like to think you delight your meeting planner, sometimes you may inadvertently or, God forbid, purposely irk them.

Three Things That Irk Meeting Your Planner

Below are three things that irk your meeting planner:

1. Last-Minute Surprises or Demands

Changing AV requirements at the last minute or sending slides 5 minutes before showtime can derail the schedule and cause stress.

As one meeting planner said recently, “If you need a cordless lapel mic, don’t tell me the morning of the event!”

2. Going Over Time

Speakers who ignore time limits disrupt the entire schedule, encroach on networking breaks, and frustrate attendees.

One planner’s warning: “If you go over, I won’t book you again. It’s that simple.”

3. Self-Promotion from the Stage

Sneaky product pitches, unsolicited book plugs, or “salesy” stories feel inauthentic and violate trust.

Warning from meeting planners: “If your keynote sounds like a webinar funnel, you’ll never speak for us again.”

So, you get to decide whether to delight your meeting planner or not.

However, the three biggest things that irk your meeting planner are (1) last-minute surprises or demands, (2) going over time, and (3) self-promotion from the stage

So, how do you recover when mistakes are committed with your meeting planner?

How to Recover When You Make Mistakes with Your Meeting Planner

Great question — because even top-tier speakers can occasionally step on a planner’s toes.

Fortunately, graceful recovery is possible (and even reputation-enhancing) when handled with maturity and intention.

Here are three detailed things public speakers can do to recover from irking a meeting planner:

1. Own the Mistake Immediately and Apologize Personally

Reach out directly — not with a vague email or assistant’s note — but with a personal call or voice message.

Acknowledge what went wrong, avoid excuses, and offer sincere apologies.

It shows humility, responsibility, and emotional intelligence — traits planners admire and remember. A genuine apology builds more trust than pretending nothing happened.

Use phrases like “That was on me,” and “I see how it impacted your flow. I’ve learned from it.”

2. Offer a Concrete Make-Good

Go above and beyond post-event. Consider offering a free virtual Q&A, recording a short video thank-you to send to attendees, or waiving travel for their next event.

Tangible gestures say, “I value the relationship more than the transaction.” Planners will often forgive the mistake — and even advocate for you — if you show you’re invested long-term.

SpeakerFlow notes that speakers who offer bonus value after a mistake are “most likely to be rebooked despite the mishap.”

3. Request Honest Feedback and Adjust for the Future

After the dust settles, invite the planner to share candid feedback. Ask: “If you had one suggestion to help me serve better next time, what would it be?”

You’re showing growth, not ego. Planners want to know that you won’t repeat the issue, and they’ll appreciate your willingness to listen and evolve.

Recovery isn’t about perfection — it’s about professionalism under pressure. A speaker who handles a blunder with honesty, humility, and heart? That’s someone planners will happily hire again.

So, there are ways to delight your meeting planner, ways to irk them (avoid these at all possible), and ways to recover from your mistakes.

Your excellent reputation with your meeting planner can be lost because of your carelessness.

You have to engage with your audience, but remember. The meeting planner is your customer!

Call to Action

• Be professional by always considering your meeting planner’s wants and needs

• Avoid last-minute surprises or demands of your meeting planner

• Own your mistake immediately and apologize personally to your meeting planner.

References

• MeetingsNet article, What Meeting Planners Wish Speakers Knew (2021)

• SpeakerFlow article, What Meeting Planners REALLY Want From Speakers (2023)

• EventMB by Skift, Top Complaints About Speakers from Planners (2020)

• Forbes, Top Event Planner Pet Peeves (2013)

• PCMA (Professional Convention Management Association), The Speaker Mistakes That Drive Planners Crazy (2019)

• National Speakers Association podcast, Voices of Experience, episode. 342, “Behind the Curtain with Meeting Planners” (2022)

• Velvet Chainsaw’s Speaker Best Practices for Meeting Professionals emphasizes, “A sincere apology—timely and unprompted—can turn a mistake into an opportunity to build trust.”Source

• PCMA’s speaker relationship guide emphasizes that asking for feedback after a mistake “can turn tension into partnership when paired with genuine responsiveness.”Source

• PCMA (Professional Convention Management Association), The Speaker Mistakes That Drive Planners Crazy (2019)

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