Thank you for inviting Sarah to speak at your event!
The following recommendations are based on Sarah’s 16+ years of professional speaking experience and what she has pinpointed as an ideal behind-the-scenes set-up and process of working together.
Basic Assets
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Introduction
Sarah is open to a "casual introduction," but if a formal introduction works best for your event, please use the introduction below:
Have you ever found yourself saying “It’s more difficult than ever to engage people,” or “Young people aren’t joiners,” or “We have to change but we don’t know where to start"? Our speaker today has the solution to those concerns and more.
Sarah Sladek has been named a Talent Economy influencer and a Global Leader in Business Strategy. Organizations worldwide have leaned on her expertise to modernize, engage younger generations, and realize unprecedented growth.
Sarah is the founder of XYZ University, a leading research and strategy firm which studies belonging and generational trends, and Membership U, a learning community for membership professionals.
In addition, Sarah is the award-winning author of six books, a podcast and web show host, a Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program graduate, and a member of Forbes Business Council. In 2024 she was one of 50 people invited to the inaugural White House Business Leaders Summit.
Sarah has devoted her entire career to helping organizations understand 'kids these days', grow communities, and compete in a rapidly-changing marketplace.
Please join me in welcoming her to the stage!
Preferred Bio
Sarah Sladek has been referred to as a social equity expert and recognized as both a Global Leader in Business Strategy and a Talent Economy Influencer. Organizations worldwide have relied on her insights to plan their futures, foster cultures of relevance and belonging, and realize growth.
Leaders who seek Sarah’s expertise tend to want a different outlook for their organizations, but they aren’t sure how to make it happen. They feel stuck. Overwhelmed by change, turnover, conflict, and decline.
Sarah has the solutions to these challenges and more.
Since 2002, she has dedicated her career to understanding the concepts of engagement and belonging and answering these core questions:
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Why are organizations experiencing more turnover, disengagement, and decline than ever before?
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Why are younger generations less likely to feel like they belong?
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Is sustainable change possible?
Sarah studies belonging through the lens of social change and generational influences, alongside trends and shifts in organizational cultures, workforce development, consumerism, and economics. She refers to this comprehensive approach as Next Gen Intelligence(TM). Using this approach, Sarah has successfully turned organizations around, bringing them to a place of increased relationship-building and revenue generation.
Sarah is the founder and CEO of XYZ University, a next gen research and strategy firm, and Membership U, a learning community for membership professionals. She is the author of six books. Her latest book, MemberShift: Why Members Leave and the Strategies Proven to Bring Them Back, received the Silver Nonfiction Book Award.
In addition, Sarah is a web show host, podcaster, member of Forbes Business Council, and contributing writer for Boardroom magazine. She was recently named to the global list of Women Who Advance Associations, and she’s prominently featured in the Jobs of Tomorrow docuseries currently streaming on Tubi. Her expertise has been prominently featured in international media, and she has keynoted events throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, and Europe.
Backed by years of experience and supported by solid research, Sarah Sladek is committed to helping organizations plan for their futures and prosper in the new economy.
Audio/Visual for Live Presentations
Stage Set-Up & Mic
A podium is not needed. However, if a podium is already on stage, Sarah will use it as a stand for her laptop and requests it is placed to the side of the stage and not in the middle. In the absence of a podium, Sarah requests a table be placed on or near the stage for her computer. Whether Sarah is placing her laptop on a podium or table, the area needs to be wired accordingly for power, projection, and sound. Sarah prefers to use a wireless lavalier microphone. Her second choice is a headset. No handheld mics, please.
Slides
Sarah customizes her presentation deck for each presentation. Her slide decks are designed in standard format and contain numerous slides which are almost entirely comprised of photos, images, and graphs. As a result, Sarah doesn’t typically share her slide deck, but she will make exceptions upon request. If the slides need to be adjusted for widescreen projection, please let Sarah know during the Client Onboarding Call.
Sound & A/V
Sarah will need Internet access during her presentation to successfully launch an audience participation poll. Audience members will participate in the poll using their mobile phones. In addition, reserving a sound output feed is required because her presentations include embedded videos and music. If internet and sound capabilities are unavailable, please alert Sarah right away so she can adjust the presentation accordingly.
Laptop Use
Sarah prefers to use her laptop (MacBook Pro) and a clicker to advance her slides. She will bring her own VGA and HDMI adapters. Her multi-media presentations include downloaded and customizable features (unique fonts, embedded music, app-based audience polls, etc).
Note: Transferring the file to someone else’s computer will severely compromise the quality of Sarah’s presentation which is why she prefers to use her own computer.
Tech Check
Sarah will arrive on-site early for a tech check and presentation set-up, working in collaboration with the A/V team. Please confirm the timing of the tech check during the Client Onboarding Call.
Audience Interaction
Sarah likes to engage the audience. Depending on room set-up, length of presentation time, audience size, and social distancing protocols, she will customize these activities and may request additional materials (flip charts, notecards, microphones) be provided. If there are concerns or limitations to these activities, please discuss with Sarah during the Client Onboarding Call.
Q&A (Optional)
Sarah is willing to do a 10-15-minute facilitated Q&A immediately following her presentation. By ‘facilitated’ we mean that someone comes on stage with Sarah with a few questions at the ready. This person should be able to keep the entertainment going with a ‘talk show’ style approach to the Q&A. Sarah has learned from experience this approach creates the best audience experience.​​
Break or Book Signing (Optional)
It is recommended a break and book signing for attendees is scheduled immediately following Sarah’s presentation. Sarah’s presentations are often followed up with people wanting to buy her book, ask questions, or simply say hello. This is a great way to further engage the audience and revenue-share on book sales.
Recordings & Photos
If an audio or video recording of Sarah’s speech is being taken, please alert her team at least 4 weeks prior to the presentation date and request permission. In most cases, Sarah will agree to being recorded, but only after ensuring the appropriate paperwork is signed to protect her intellectual property. The client will also be asked to share a copy of recordings with Sarah’s team. Clients may take photos before and during Sarah’s talk but please, no flash photography during the presentation. Please share photos with Sarah’s team. We’d be happy to share the photos via our social media channels and tag your organization in the posts!
Travel Service
Air travel out of the Richmond, Virginia airport is preferred, and can be booked by either Sarah or the client. This can be discussed during the Client Onboarding Call.
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Sarah does everything she can to avoid flight delays. The flight should be booked to arrive the day prior to her presentation and should be scheduled to depart the day following her presentation.
Hotel Booking
Sarah prefers to stay at Hilton properties. Please book a hotel room for her for a minimum of two nights. If fewer nights are needed, Sarah will confirm this during the Client Onboarding Call.​
Hotel Room Request
Kindly book a nonsmoking room which does not have an adjoining/connecting room (two individual rooms separated by a locked doorway). If she’s staying in a hotel with an entertainment or conference venue, she requests to be on an upper-level floor. A good night’s rest is important to her work as a performer. Please send confirmation of the hotel booking at least three weeks prior to the time of travel.​​
Scheduling & Logistics
Car Service
Unless the presentation venue is located far from the nearest airport and a rental car is required to access it, it is recommended the client book professional car service for Sarah to and from the airport and event venue. Kindly send confirmation of the car service booking to Sarah at least three weeks prior to the time of travel.
Time Together
Sarah would enjoy meeting with representatives of the organization prior to her speech! Dinner the night before with executives or board is ideal if travel and scheduling permits. This interaction is helpful for personalizing the presentation for your group, but also gives your team the opportunity to leverage the time Sarah has on-site.
Arrival Time
Sarah prefers to arrive the night before.
Dietary Needs
Sarah has no allergies or dietary preferences.
Event Day Needs
Media & Marketing
Sarah understands the importance of pre-event promotions. Please tag her on social media posts for the event and forward any article or newsletter mentions. She and her team will share, like, and otherwise help promote her appearance at your event. In addition, if you are pitching media or writing articles for publication, Sarah is open to being interviewed in advance of the event.
Video Message
Some clients appreciate it when Sarah records a brief video message, urging attendees to register for the conference and share some of the key take-aways they will gain from her talk. If you’d like Sarah to do this, please incorporate it into event promotions and give Sarah a deadline for submitting the recording to your team.