1 Have a backup plan

One of the best ways to prevent speaker cancellations from ruining your conference is to have a backup plan in place. This means having a list of potential speakers who can fill in at short notice, or having some pre-recorded sessions or webinars that you can stream instead. You can also ask your confirmed speakers to prepare some extra content or Q&A time in case they need to extend their sessions. Having a backup plan will give you more flexibility and confidence to handle any unexpected changes.

2 Communicate with your speakers

Another important tip is to communicate with your speakers regularly and clearly. Make sure you have their contact details, confirm their availability and attendance, and remind them of their obligations and deadlines. You can also send them a welcome package with all the information they need to prepare and deliver their sessions, such as the agenda, the venue, the audience, the technical requirements, and the feedback process. By communicating with your speakers, you can build trust and rapport, and reduce the chances of them cancelling or forgetting their commitments.

3 Communicate with your attendees

If a speaker cancellation is inevitable, you need to communicate with your attendees as soon as possible. You can use email, social media, or your event app to inform them of the change and apologize for any inconvenience. You should also explain how you are going to replace the missing session, and what benefits they can expect from the alternative. You can also offer them some options, such as switching to another track, attending a networking session, or requesting a refund. By communicating with your attendees, you can show them that you care about their experience and satisfaction, and minimize any negative feedback or complaints.

4 Learn from the experience

Finally, you should learn from the experience of dealing with speaker cancellations and use it to improve your future events. You can collect feedback from your speakers and attendees, and analyze what went well and what went wrong. You can also identify the reasons for the cancellations, and see if you can prevent them or mitigate them in the future. For example, you can offer more incentives or support to your speakers, or have more stringent contracts or policies. You can also review your backup plan and see how you can make it more effective or efficient. By learning from the experience, you can enhance your skills and reputation as a conference organizer.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?