What should you do if a speaker freezes on stage?

Picture this: The conference you’ve been working on creating for the last year is finally happening! Everyone settles into their seats for the first speaker’s talk. Everything is going well–– the audience is engaged; they’re laughing and nodding along as the speaker provides valuable takeaways and inspiring anecdotes. 

You’re silently congratulating yourself on a job well done, relieved that all those months of hard work are finally over and now you can just sit back and watch. Then…right in the middle of their talk, the speaker freezes onstage. 

They can’t remember what comes next in their presentation. They stand there looking out at the audience with a blank expression. One second passes. Then another. And another. 

No matter how well you vet or prepare your speakers, no matter how many times they’ve given talks in the past, one thing I’ve learned from more than 3 years of event production (and 10 years as a trial lawyer before that) is that sometimes, this happens. When it does, what should you, as the event producer, do to get the speaker––and the event––back on track? 

• Prepare your speaker before they go onstage. Give them instructions about what to do if this scenario happens. Remind them not to panic. Explain that, no matter what, they cannot walk offstage. Instead, take a deep breath, grab a sip of water, or pause to read notes or review an earlier slide. When they’ve regained focus, they can pick up where they started. Or start over, if the freeze happened early on in the talk. 
• Reassure your speaker in case of a mess-up. For recorded talks, remind speakers that most mistakes can be edited out. If they trip on stage or stumble a line, it won’t be in the final video. Even if a talk is not recorded, most attendees don’t notice or remember a slip up anyway. 
• Lift the energy in the room as quickly as possible. If a speaker forgets what comes next in their talk and is struggling to get back on track, lead the audience in applause and cheering. This is the best way to lift the energy in the room, which will immediately help the speaker feel comforted and encouraged. Often this sense of support is enough to help a speaker find the courage and motivation to quickly get back on track. 

Finally, it’s a great idea to remind speakers that these kinds of moments happen even to the best, most seasoned, and most celebrated performers. Just look at Demi Lovato’s performance at the 2020 Grammys! She got emotional and stopped her performance. But with the crowd’s support, she started again. In the end, her performance was actually more endearing, more moving, and more inspirational because she was real and human onstage. 

Want more speaker insights? Check out TED speaker coach, Briar Goldberg, as she reminds speakers to always put the audience first. 

Looking to make your next event more memorable, or need help preparing for an upcoming speaking opportunity? Email me at [email protected] for more information.