Hosting a speaker is an excellent project for any group. It will attract the attention of the media, generate interest in your group, and can be done at any time of the year.

Click here to view "How to Present a Public Program," one of CampusReform.org's most valuable Activism Resources for a more detailed explanation of the process of successfully bringing a speaker to campus.

HOW TO TAKE ACTION

1. Decide on a topic. What does your group want to be the focus of the event? What information do you wish the audience to learn? Combine these ideas into an engaging topic/title for the speech.

2. Determine what you can afford. Your main expenses will be the speaker’s total fee (flight, housing, food, and honorarium) and advertising. If your group has no budget, there are many people who will speak for free, such as clergymen, politicians (especially ones running for office), professors, and representatives from local non-profits. Better yet, there are conservative organizations like the Leadership Institute that may help pay for your event.

3. Reserve space on campus for the event. Contact the Student Activities Office and attempt to reserve a facility near the most high-traffic area available. Prepare to be flexible to fit your speaker’s schedule. Estimate the total attendance of the event, and pick a room that will fit roughly 2/3 that number. This may seem counterintuitive, but remember: The success of an event is not just based on the actual success of the event, but also on the perceived success of the event. A tight space will make your event look successful to the media (whom you will invite) and, subsequently, to the readers/audience of that media outlet. A packed room will also make your speaker happy.

4. Schedule a speaker. When you call a potential speaker (or the speaker’s scheduler), state your name and the group and school you are from. Then state the specific topic on which you want this person to speak and the length of the proposed speech. Next, give the date on which you would like the event to be held.

5. Solidify the cost. If you intend to pay with grant money, make that clear to speaker. Explain that you have exactly X number of dollars for the speaker’s fees and expenses and cannot pay more. The speaker may be willing to settle for a lower fee because you are a student group: Appeal to his or her desire to assist young conservatives by explaining how leftist your school is and how desperately it needs a conservative voice. Once an agreement has been made, ask if the speaker will need any multimedia equipment for the speech or any other special accommodations while visiting your college.

6. Invite allied organizations. Ask other organizations on campus or in the outside community you think would be interested in celebrating conservatism to contribute to the purchase of supplies or set up a booth at the speech. This is a great way to strengthen cooperation between different groups in the conservative movement, and to increase attendance and volunteers in the form of members of the other groups.

7. Advertise! Success depends on how well you publicize your event, so you should advertise early and often. This doesn’t necessarily mean paid advertising; “earned media” may work even better for you. Click here to learn several important publicity measures to use before, during, and after the event.

8. Create a schedule. Organize which people will be at the event at what time. Make sure you have at least one person who can talk to the media there or available to be immediately contacted at all times; you never know when members of the media will appear.

9. Prepare for opposition. Keep a video camera available at all times, and record any aggression -– both verbal and physical. If some behaves belligerently, ask why he or she objects to your exercise of your right to free speech.  For more information on how to deal with opposition on campus, reference "Fight Back."

10. Set up for your event. Make sure that any audio and video equipment is working in advance, and arrange the seating as you think best.

11. Host your speaker! Be sure to place your group’s name and logo in front of the podium so it is captured in all media shots of the speaker. Keep your members enthusiastic, positive, and welcoming throughout.

12. Advertise! (again) The fact that your event is over does not mean that your public relations work is done. Earned media can be extremely useful to you. Click here to learn several important follow-up publicity measures to do after the event is finished.