Booking a keynote speaker knowledgeable in trending topics provides valuable insights and perspectives on the most important issues facing your industry. Professional guest and keynote speakers deliver engaging presentations on a range of topics, from emerging technologies and environmental sustainability to workplace diversity and mental health.
By booking a speaker with knowledge of current trends, companies inspire and motivate their employees while driving innovation to stay ahead of the competition. Here are our top 12 speaking topics for 2023.
Sustainability and corporate responsibility
Companies face mounting pressures in 2023 from consumers, investors and other stakeholders to embrace environmental sustainability. But transitioning to a business model of environmental, social and governance (ESG) can prove challenging without adequate buy-in. Not all staff may be aware that ESG opens investor opportunities and elevates brand affinity. A professional speaker with expertise in the issue can educate your teams while motivating them to assist in your efforts.
Creativity and innovation
Corporations must continually adapt to a rapidly changing world. Innovation allows businesses to gain an edge in existing markets and to create new ones with a Blue Ocean Strategy. Creativity thought leaders such as Christopher Chapman and Michael Gelb bring expertise and science to the realm of creative thought. Such public speakers and executive consultants help you unlock your company’s single greatest asset: the creativity of your leadership and teams.
Enhanced customer experience
We usually think of customer service as the person we visit or call to change an order or register a problem. Increasingly, companies seek to enhance the broader customer experience. That is, what the client or potential client experiences at every point of contact with the company. A positive customer experience builds loyalty, and speakers such as Jeffrey Gitomer provide the insights you need to stay ahead of the curve.
Employee engagement and retention
Even with a potential recession looming, finding and keeping employees has proven challenging. Retention usually provides the best cost-benefit, making engagement and retention a trending keynote topic in 2023. Employee engagement experts such as Daren Martin have thrived along with fellow thought-leader Cy Wakeman, a specialist in corporate culture who helps you remove drama from the workplace.
Employee health and well-being
Part of employee retention includes keeping your workplace healthy and happy. Building greater well-being doesn’t mean they’ll live stress-free lives. Rather, it means assisting them in understanding the tools needed to build resilience and remain productive. This year, corporations continue to follow the trend in promoting greater well-being for their employees. Resilience expert Anne Grady and health experts like Shawn Stevenson assist companies in building better mindsets to stay on top.
Personal finance
Financial literacy is a considerable asset for employee well-being. Lack of financial responsibility and understanding among associates directly impacts the company bottom line. Employees and leadership facing financial problems may become distracted, seek new or secondary employment and have poor work attendance. Often, basic financial wellness programs can pull your executive staff or team members back from the edge so that they regain focus, clarity and creative productivity at work. Top financial speakers such as Sharon Lechter and Anthony O’Neal continue to trend in 2023 for their ability to engage audiences with sound financial practices.
Entrepreneurship and startups
Data collected by the U.S. Small Business Administration shows that there were 33.2 million small businesses in the United States in 2022. Top business coaches and speakers like Billy Goldberg specialize in helping entrepreneurs and creative talent use heart-centered leadership for a long-lasting impact. For established companies, they also assist in guiding your teams to take a more entrepreneurial approach of personal responsibility and better relationship-building.
Diversity, equity and inclusion
Many top brands are taking the lead in raising awareness of and combating systemic bias externally while promoting a more inclusive work culture internally. A trending topic for 2023, companies have many reasons to book a diversity, equity and inclusion speaker. These influencers provide education, promote a more positive work culture and even promote innovation through inclusivity. Celebrity keynote speakers such as Mally Roncal provide lasting benefits in a fun, engaging way to help your company thrive today and in the future.
The future of work: AI integration
Artificial intelligence technologies such as ChatGPT, Palantir’s Foundry and other platforms assist with everything from improving supply chains to writing and graphic design. But these technologies also raise concerns. A 2022 Pew Research Center study found that, of respondents who are “more concerned than excited” about an increase in the use of AI, 19% worry about the “loss of human jobs.” Keynote tech speakers help your teams better understand the role of AI as a partner while providing insights to best leverage this digital transformation.
Emotional intelligence and self-awareness
While emotional intelligence (EQ) has been recognized as important for decades, AI technologies may have, in part, moved the ball further down the field in its favor. After all, machines can crunch numbers and provide optimal decisions. But only self-aware humans can motivate, inspire, build teams and understand the broader impact and ethics of decisions made. The shift toward EQ is fully embraced by speakers such as top self-awareness coach, organizational psychologist and author Tasha Eurich.
Leadership in the new normal
For many, we’ve moved to the post-pandemic age. But COVID-19 didn’t disappear. We’ve simply adapted to its existence. Many of the changes we made in the crisis such as remote or hybrid work schedule adoption have become the new normal. Still, challenges remain for many employees and their leadership. Business and training speakers such as Jairek Robbins deliver virtual keynote addresses to keep your teams working cohesively regardless of their respective locations.
Change management
One commonality among trending speaking topics for 2023 has been “change.” And while change has occurred throughout history, it seems that it’s coming faster than ever. Top keynote and business speakers specializing in change management can help guide you through turbulent waters with clarity and assurance. Dan Thurmon and others provide valuable insights into how to manage change effectively to maximize outcomes while minimizing disruption.
