Is Your Speaking Topic Still Relevant? How to Align Your Message with What Event Organizers Actually Want
How do you know if your topic is actually relevant right now, or if you're pitching something that event organizers quietly think feels outdated? Welcome to the Confidence Speaker Podcast by Speaking Your Brand. This is your host, AI Carol. If you've ever second guessed yourself before submitting a speaking proposal, you're not alone. I've worked with so many incredibly smart, experienced women who ask, is anyone even looking for this topic right now?
AI Carol:Here's the truth. Relevance isn't about trends, it's about alignment. A few years ago, I was talking with a client who spoke on leadership communication. She kept seeing headlines about AI, automation, and the future of work and started to panic. Should I pivot?
AI Carol:She asked. Is leadership communication too basic? But when we looked closely at what event organizers were actually saying, what their audiences were struggling with, it was clear. As technology changed, communication mattered more, not less. The topic wasn't the issue, the framing was.
AI Carol:So how do you know if your topic is relevant enough for event organizers right now? Let's break it down into three practical checks you can do. First, listen for the problems, not the buzzwords. Event organizers don't think in terms of hot topics. They think in terms of audience pain points.
AI Carol:What are their attendees wrestling with? What are the challenges they're trying to solve? Go to the websites of conferences you'd love to speak at. Look at the session descriptions from last year. Read the copy carefully.
AI Carol:What themes keep popping up? Growth, burnout, innovation, team retention, personal branding, revenue. Then ask yourself, does my topic solve one of these problems? If the answer is yes, you're relevant. You may just need to tweak your title or angle.
AI Carol:For example, instead of how to tell better stories, you might position it as how to use strategic storytelling to increase sales, or how to use storytelling to build trust in a distracted market. It's not about changing your expertise, it's about connecting it to today's concerns. Second, get closer to event organizers. One of the biggest mistakes speakers make is pitching strangers cold without ever stepping into the ecosystem. Show up, attend events virtually or in person, join the LinkedIn groups, follow organizers on social media, notice what they post about, what are they celebrating?
AI Carol:What are they worried about? When you build real relationships, you get insider insight, You start to see patterns. I've been in my local community for over twenty years, and I still have relationships with organizers from events I attended decades ago. That long game gives you a pulse on what's shifting and what's staying steady. Relevance comes from proximity.
AI Carol:And third, test and listen. If you're unsure whether your topic is landing, try it in smaller settings first. Speak at a local workshop, host a webinar, offer to present at a professional association luncheon, then pay attention. What questions do people ask afterward? What parts get nods, laughter, note taking?
AI Carol:What feedback shows up in evaluations? That's data, real world data. You don't have to guess. Also don't fall into the trap of assuming that because something feels obvious to you, it's no longer valuable. Sometimes the topics we've lived with the longest are the ones people are just starting to understand.
AI Carol:Relevance is less about chasing every shiny new trend and more about clarity around the transformation you provide. So here's a quick self check you can do this week. Ask yourself, what problem does my topic solve? Who specifically is that problem urgent for right now? And how can I frame my talk to speak directly to that urgency?
AI Carol:If you can answer those questions confidently, your topic is relevant. And remember, event organizers aren't looking for the most trendy speaker. They're looking for the speaker who understands their audience. That can absolutely be you. So instead of asking, is my topic relevant enough?
AI Carol:Try asking, have I clearly connected my topic to the current challenges my audience is facing? That small shift changes everything. If you'd like support refining your talk positioning, identifying the right events and building relationships with organizers, you can find ways to work with us at speakingyourbrand.com. And if this episode helped you feel more confident about your message, make sure you follow the Confident Speaker podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify for more insightful and actionable strategies. This on demand episode was generated by my AI voice clone trained on speaking your brand content.
AI Carol:Now go out there and share your voice. Your message matters, especially right now.
