What Makes a Great Big Idea Night Talk?

Tips for Speakers to Prepare for Your Talk

The first and most important thing to know about Big Idea Night is that it’s a community. 

Our idea of a successful night is seeing a room full of people who may not have met before but now they are having deep conversations and making new friends. 

We do this by facilitating the kinds of conversations that will lead to those connections. 

Your talk is an important part of this, but it also requires you to think beyond just the information you share. 

What will get people talking? What will having them adopt a new perspective? 

The goal isn't simply to teach people something interesting. It's to create an evening where ideas are shared, assumptions are challenged, strangers become friends, and people leave seeing themselves and the world a little differently.

Start with an Idea That Matters

The strongest talks are driven by a single, compelling idea.

It doesn't have to be revolutionary, but it should matter. 

It should challenge an assumption, solve a problem, offer a fresh perspective, or help people better understand themselves and the world around them.

Ask yourself:

• Why does this idea matter?

• What’s the change I’m looking to propose? 

• How does this intersect with the lives of people in the audience? 

• How would the world be different if my idea came true? 

• What would have to change in the world to make that happen? 

If you can answer those questions clearly, you're off to a great start.

Tell Your Story

Facts and ideas are important, but people connect on stories.

Help us understand why this idea matters to you by sharing a bit of who you are and how you got here. 

• What drew you to this work or caused you to care so deeply about this issue?

• What challenges, experiences, values, or moments have shaped your perspective? 

• What specific moments or observations brought this idea into your mind?

• Where have you seen a new possibility take place in real life?  

You don't need to tell your entire life story, but sharing a little of your own journey helps the audience understand not only what you believe, but why you believe it.

Raise the Stakes

One of the most common challenges we see is speakers explaining what something is without explaining why it matters.

Help the audience understand what's at stake.

What do we stand to gain if your idea spreads? What do we stand to lose if nothing changes? 

Paint an inspiring picture of what's possible, but don't shy away from the consequences of staying where we are either.

People remember ideas when they understand why those ideas matter.

Bring the Idea Home

A great talk doesn't stay abstract.

Help people connect your idea to their own lives, their work, their relationships, or their community. The more personal the idea becomes, the more likely it is to stick.

Also explore the ‘edge.’ Where are people on this idea now? Where would you like them to be? What is most challenging for folks in the space in between? 

An important and illuminating question we often ask speakers preparing their talk is:

What do you want people to do, think, or feel differently tomorrow because they heard your talk? And what’s stopping them from doing it today? 

The more specific your answer, the stronger your talk usually becomes.

The Conversation Is the Point

At Big Idea Night, we don't see discussion as something that happens after the talk.

The discussion is part OF the talk. 

This is one of the most important things that makes Big Idea Night different. 

We don’t want this to be a one way conversations where the speaker just presents to the audience for ~30 minutes, maybe a brief Q&A, and then everybody goes home. 

We want people to talk to each other and be actively engaging with the ideas as a primary aspect of the evening. 

As such, EVERY talk should include an opportunity for discussion INTEGRATED INTO THE TALK. 

Not some parting questions. Not a Q&A. But a moment (or moments) where your talk stops, you present the audience with a question or idea, and you ask them to discuss it amongst themselves. 

We believe people learn more deeply when they have a chance to wrestle with ideas together. It’s also an important opportunity for people to connect. 

The presentation creates a shared language. Then the discussion helps people process, challenge, personalize, and build on the idea.

So don’t think of discussion as a break from the presentation. 

Discussion is an essential part of the presentation. 

When people engage with the ideas and contribute their own experiences, they don't just remember you and your ideas better, they experience a shift that will create a more lasting impact.

* Bonus points for working the room, asking questions, creating a mix of small group discussions and larger room reflections too. 

Dream Big

One of our favorite questions to ask speakers is:

"If your idea succeeded beyond your wildest expectations, what would the world look like?"

Think it through on every level. 

What would your neighborhood look like? Your workplace? Your family? Your city? 

How would behaviors change? What problems would disappear? What new opportunities would emerge?

Sure, it might be a bit ‘pie in the sky’ but an important part of change is speaking these aspirations out loud. 

Maybe they’re not as far off as they seem and the real obstacle is simply that no one is willing to imagine something new is possible!

You don't have to have every answer, but giving people a compelling vision of what's possible helps them imagine their own role in creating it.

Lead the Change

Ask yourself:

If someone was deeply inspired by this talk, what could they actually do next?

Great talks don't just give information—they leave people with a sense of possibility.

Think beyond describing the problem or sharing an interesting idea. 

What actual change do you want to propose? 

And what will it take to get there? 

Give us a road map for actually making the change. 

It’s okay if it’s hypothetical and you don’t know every step. There might be other people in the room who do! 

What is a change that needs to happen, even if it feels unrealistic right now? What might be the first step towards that change? 

What communities need to come together? Who has the ability to influence this issue in ways others might not?

If there’s a mindset shift that’s needed, what new story do we need to tell? 

Nobody will be in a position to solve the entire problem. But many people in the room may have exactly the experience, resources, connections, or perspective needed to move an important piece forward.

Help them see where they might fit.

Be Honest With Us

As with all aspirational ideas, it’s common for the proponents of said ideal to not exactly be living up to it themselves. 

Why?

Because it’s hard! 

We’re asking speakers to dream big and propose something new, even if they don’t necessarily have it figured out yet. 

And what we’ll find is that in addition to the logistical, systemic, and resourced based challenges to making big changes, there’s also going to be a bit of an emotional barrier too. 

Somewhere someone is going to have to step out of line and make a sacrifice towards the sort of social and cultural changes we’re talking about. 

It’s not uncommon to be nervous about that being you. 

Or even if you have made the leap, you might be struggling in other ways. 

Whatever the case is, being honest about the challenges that YOU experience yourself around the ideas your proposing doesn’t take away from your idea. It makes it that much more powerful. 

In the End...

Big Idea Night is not about having a perfect presentation. 

It’s about creating a communal experience. 

The best talks ripple outward through conversations, relationships, new ideas, and actions that continue long after everyone has gone home.

This is created by people connecting over the course of multiple events and finding their common ground. 

As a speaker for this series, you are a facilitator in this change. 

That is the mindset we want you to have. 

That is the experience we're hoping you'll create.