424 18.2 Speaking for Special occaSionS and purpoSeS
Keynote Addresses
A keynote address is usually presented at or near the beginning of a meeting or
conference. The keynote emphasizes the importance of the topic or the purpose
of the meeting, motivates the audience to learn more or work harder, and sets
the theme and tone for other speakers and events.
The hardest task the keynote speaker faces is arousing audience interest.
Legendary musician Bruce Springsteen wryly acknowledged this challenge when
he delivered his keynote speech at the 2012 SXSW music festival in Austin, Texas:
How important can this speech be if we’re giving it at noon? It can’t be
that important. Every decent musician in town is asleep....^14
One way in which a keynote speaker can interest or inspire is to incorpo-
rate examples and illustrations to which the audience can relate. The late Texas
congresswoman Barbara Jordan delivered keynote addresses at two Democratic
National Conventions, one in 1976 and the other in 1992. Note how she used
specific examples in this excerpt from the 1992 keynote:
The American dream... is slipping away from too many. It is slipping
away from too many black and brown mothers and their children; from
the homeless of every color and sex; from the immigrants living in com-
munities without water and sewer systems. The American dream is slip-
ping away from the workers whose jobs are no longer there because we
are better at building war equipment that sits in warehouses than we are
at building decent housing.^15Commencement Addresses
Cartoonist Garry Trudeau has said that the commencement address was invented
largely in the belief that outgoing college students should never be
released into the world until they have been properly sedated.^16Accept an Award
- Thank the presenter. First, you should thank the person making the presentation and the
organization that he or she represents. - Thank your supporters. It is also gracious to thank a few people who have contributed
greatly to your success—but resist thanking a long list of everyone you have ever known,
down to the family dog. - Comment on what the award means to you. You may also wish to reflect on the larger
significance of the award to the people and ideals it honors. - Consider your audience. Finally, try to find some meaning the award may have for your
audience—people who respect your accomplishments and who may themselves aspire to
similar achievements.
How To