Beurs van Berlage

What makes a great Keynote?

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Beurs van Berlage

The Beurs van Berlage is a hotspot that cannot be missed during your visit to Amsterdam. It is the vibrant meeting point in the heart of the city. One thing is certain, there is always something to do in the unique historical building! Have a bite to eat in one of our restaurants, visit the Tony's Chocolonely shop for the tastiest chocolate, order the most delicious fish dishes in The Seafood Bar, rent a bicycle or use one of the lockers in the Bike Rental and discover the secrets of Sherlocked. Check out events and the expositions in our calendar.

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Is it the speaker or the topic? Actually, we’ve conducted years of research on this question.

Blog What makes a great Keynote?

5 March 2019

Quick: What does makes a great keynote address—Is it the speaker or the topic?

Actually, we’ve conducted years of research on this question. It’s easy, when your office is strategically positioned on the mezzanine that overlooks the most prestigious meeting hall in Amsterdam—the place where Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima were married.

From our perch at the Beurs van Berlage Conference Centre, we’ve seen hundreds of presentations, most successful, with only the occasional epic fail.

So, speaker or topic—which is it?

We say the speaker rules the day. Here are ten truths about the conference’s starred attraction:

  • An excellent keynote speaker can make any topic interesting. (Consider the Global Bed Bug Summit.)
  • A great keynote speaker need not be a celebrity. A forceful speech and a command of market trends can do the trick.

3) You can tell you’re in the presence of a great keynote speaker when the audience goes silent. That’s why we’re nostalgic for the 2016 Start-up Fest in Amsterdam: Apple CEO Tim Cook delivered

the lead presentation—and the hall became as silent as a nineteenth-century library.

Who is your favorite keynote speaker of all time?

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