July 08 2013  The One Thing Your Keynote Should Do Before the
Speech  By David McMillin, Staff Writer  You know what’s really
refreshing? When the speaker on the stage seems to really know
what matters to the audience in front of them.  When I saw Jason
Jennings open the PCMA Education Conference in Denver, the
acclaimed author and leadership speaker delivered more than a
canned keynote address. Jennings showed that he took his opening
speech more seriously than adjusting a few lines and inserting
the term “meeting professionals.”  SEE ALSO: 5 Quotes for
Meeting Professionals to Live By  How does he do it? In addition
to an hour-long discovery call with the organization, Jennings
says he asks to talk to 10 people who will be in the audience to
learn about them, their challenges and their goals. Before he
began his speech on June 25, he provided a recap of those
challenges and goals that helped everyone in the room recognize
how well he understood their day-to-day hurdles.  Jennings said
that five key elements