LeAnn Thieman

Speaker Hall of Fame

Every year, the National Speakers Association selects 5 people to be inducted into the Speakers Hall of Fame (CPAE). Established in 1977, the Council of Peers Award for Excellence is a lifetime award for speaking excellence and professionalism given to speakers who have been evaluated by their peers and judged to have mastered seven categories: material, style, experience, delivery, image, professionalism and communication. The award is not based on celebrity status, number of speeches, amount of income or involvement in NSA.

Criteria for Selection

• Material: Is the “speaking material” significant, valid and original? Does the speaker have the credibility to speak on the topic? Is a significant amount of the material from the speaker’s own experiences or expertise?
• Style: How well do the speaker’s personality and style mesh? Has the speaker developed a distinctive personal platform style?
• Experience: How much professional and non-professional speaking has the speaker actually done?
• Delivery: How proficient are the speaker’s mechanics of delivery? Is the delivery polished and in keeping with the individual’s style?
• Image: What type of image has the speaker developed among the public, clients, and peers?
• Professionalism: How does the speaker deal with clients, meeting planners, and other speakers? Does the speaker stay on time during the presentation, stick to the subject, and upgrade material? Is the speaker sensitive to the diversity within today’s audiences? Does the speaker reflect what the CPAE Selection Council considers to be professionalism?
• Communication: Is the speaker able to get a message or points across to the audience? How does the speaker relate to the audience? Is the communication appropriate to the situation?