# What Goes Into a Highly Customized Keynote? THIS!
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As someone who has been a main-stage keynote speaker for 33 years, one of my points of pride has long been the degree of customization that I've put into my work. I've delivered massively customized keynotes for organizations in the agriculture, insurance, manufacturing, automotive, healthcare, construction, and other sectors. Many of the speakers bureaus that book me know this; many of the folks who find me directly and book me comment that's the reason they've decided to work with me. Given that most of the meetings and events industry is speaking about the need for speakers that can deliver real insight, real value, and customized work, I thought I'd reinforce that I've been known worldwide for doing that for over 33 years. You want customized insight? Find the speaker who actually does it, not just talks about it. With that, it's not often I get to share an example of the effort that goes into creating world-class insight, but here's a great example. A few weeks ago, I spoke at the recent BIFMA 360 Leadership Conference in St. Petersburg, where I took a hard look at the "era of acceleration" currently transforming the furniture manufacturing industry. (BIFMA = Business & Industrial Furniture Manufacturing Association.) How customized was it? Take a look at my slide deck - the full thing is right there. I don't often share these, but I'm particularly proud of what I put together. To encourage them to keep moving forward, I also shared, post-event, a deep-dive summary, and a video recap that collectively outline the mindset required to survive—specifically, my mantra to "Think BIG, Start small, Scale fast!" How did I encourage them to think about tomorrow? I told them about what things would look like in exactly 10 years! The slides and article guide you through "Project Aura," a hypothetical 2035 scenario where we build a "phygital" workspace using digital twins and bio-responsive materials. These resources outline a 10-step roadmap—from "cognitive briefs" to "product-as-a-service"—illustrating how technologies such as generative AI and 3D printing are reshaping the entire manufacturing lifecycle. I also filmed a summary YouTube video as a refresher of what I covered in the keynote. It brings these concepts to life with practical leadership strategies for today. In it, I discuss the importance of building an "Xbox Room" to allow young engineers to experiment with new tools and the necessity of hiring "rebels and misfits" to shake up the current skill set. The video serves as a passionate reminder that we are in a time where trends can go "supernova" and change an industry overnight. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHm7JLDEXTM Crucially, I warned them of the dangerous "barbell structure" forming in the industry - big companies are doing all these things, and small and medium-sized manufacturers are falling behind. I challenged these leaders to "kill the innovation killers" (the excuses that hold you back) while building the "experiential capital" necessary to avoid becoming the hollowed-out middle. Overall? My key guidance was not to try to avoid what must be done - and to do that, they needed to shift their mindset from why they 'can't' to why they 'must! Last but not least - I killed it in the exploratory call! Clients often end up talking to a few speakers, and you've got to work harder to help them understand that you are different and are willing to go the extra mile for them. To accomplish that, I had them come into my home broadcast studio, with a highly customized TV studio setup with their name and branding - and with a customized exploratory slide deck to take a look at the issues they might be thinking about. Take a look at what I prepared here. This is just for the exploratory call. I can tell you - this sealed the deal. After all, when they first met me, this is what they saw. (Well, not exactly - I just took a screenshot, and right now I'm in informal mode in the studio!) I detail all of this customization work at - where else! - customization.jimcarroll.com. Take a moment, take a look! This is but one example of highly customized content - there is a LOT more I can share. A few short examples: Medical device technology for ATS Medical Technology here Future of healthcare for Home Depot here Energy and utility trends for WSPP here Big trends for the Office of the Prime Minister of the UAE here Take a look at any of those, and you will see slides that are extensively researched, rich in content, and powerful in insight. How far am I willing to go? This far - > I do know my name was put out there for the 2026 Orange Business Conference in Bratislava, Slovakia. I thought I'd spend a little bit of time to give them a custom shoutout outreach, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=167lHWQvwVI&feature=youtu.be Sadly, I didn't get the gig - I was too late in getting this video out there! But hey, I do know - if you want to have cake, you need to put in the work! Do you really need to understand tomorrow? You really need customized insight? Bottom line: I give a damn. I put in the work. I take pride in the moment that a client thanks me for going above and beyond what they encounter with other speakers. Call me. Reach out!      

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Source: https://jimcarroll.com/2026/02/what-goes-into-a-highly-customized-keynote-this/