5 Keynote Speakers for Your 2027 Kickoff Event

For a 2027 kickoff event, consider Kyle Scheele for creativity and innovation, Ryan Leak for teamwork, Brittany Hodak for customer experience, Alex Weber for confidence and performance, and Valorie Burton for resilience. The right choice depends on what your team needs to do differently after the event.

Whether you are planning a January sales kickoff, a leadership meeting, or a company-wide gathering, start with the outcome rather than the speaker's name. What should employees be ready to change, improve, or put into action when they return to work?

Below, compare five speakers from Premiere Speakers Bureau's 2027 kickoff lineup, explore the goals their messages support, and find practical ideas for carrying the conversation beyond the keynote.

Which Speaker Fits Your 2027 Kickoff Goals?

We organized this shortlist around five priorities: creativity, collaboration, customer loyalty, confident action, and resilience. These are different starting points for your event, not a one-size-fits-all ranking. Match the message to your audience and the challenge you want the keynote to address.

Watch videos from all five kickoff speakers to compare their presentation styles and messages.

Kyle Scheele: Spark Creativity and Turn Ideas Into Action

Consider Kyle for innovation-focused kickoffs, creative problem-solving, and teams ready to challenge familiar ways of working.

Kyle Scheele helps organizations approach creativity as a skill people can develop rather than a talent reserved for a few employees. His How Ideas Work keynote introduces the IDEA Cycle, a framework for generating, developing, and putting ideas into action.

Choose this direction when your 2027 goals require fresh thinking, not just more effort. Use the message to start a conversation about where ideas get stuck, which assumptions deserve another look, and how employees can contribute to innovation.

In feedback published on Kyle's speaker profile, ELECTRI International said he "went above and beyond to understand our audience" before its winter meeting for executives from across North America.

Book offer: For events taking place between now and March 1, 2027, attendees receive a copy of Kyle's new book, How Ideas Work. Mention the book offer when discussing your event with Premiere Speakers Bureau.

Planning idea: After the keynote, ask each team to choose one idea to test during the first quarter. Give it an owner, a first step, and a review date. Do not let the best idea leave the event as a photo of a whiteboard.

Ryan Leak: Build Stronger Teams Across Different Personalities

Consider Ryan for leadership kickoffs, cross-functional meetings, and organizations focused on communication and collaboration.

A new year brings new goals. It does not automatically resolve the friction between the people responsible for reaching them.

Ryan Leak, author of How to Work with Complicated People, addresses that challenge in his keynote of the same name. His program explores understanding different personalities, managing conflict, and building more effective working relationships.

For a corporate kickoff, consider Ryan when success depends on people working better together. Connect his topic to the handoffs, disagreements, and expectations that affect how your teams operate, particularly when several departments share responsibility for the same goal.

Planning idea: Ask each department to identify one recurring communication problem and agree on one behavior to change. Keep the discussion focused on improving the relationship, not naming the most complicated person in the room.

Brittany Hodak: Make Every Employee Part of the Customer Experience

Consider Brittany for sales kickoffs, customer experience initiatives, and company-wide meetings focused on customer loyalty.

What should your customers experience differently because of the goals you are setting for 2027?

Brittany Hodak is a customer experience expert and the author of Creating Superfans. Her keynote and SUPER Model connect everyday employee actions to stronger customer relationships, emphasizing that customer experience is everyone's responsibility.

For a sales kickoff, use this topic to connect winning business with the experience customers receive afterward. For a broader company meeting, make it the starting point for a shared conversation across sales, service, operations, and leadership.

Planning idea: Have each department identify one customer interaction it influences and one improvement it can make within 30 days. Include the internal handoffs that customers may never see but still feel.

Alex Weber: Build Confidence and Turn Setbacks Into Progress

Consider Alex for motivational kickoffs, ambitious sales goals, and teams preparing to perform through challenges.

Big goals can create excitement and hesitation at the same time, especially after a difficult year.

Alex Weber draws on his experience as an American Ninja Warrior competitor, coach, and author in his leadership and performance keynotes. His UNSTOPPABLE program addresses setbacks, self-doubt, and taking action in high-pressure moments.

Consider Alex when you want an energetic keynote that opens a practical discussion about pursuing important goals. For a sales audience, connect the message to how people prepare, respond to rejection, and take the next productive step.

Planning idea: Ask attendees to identify one important action they have been postponing. Have each person commit to a first step during the week after the kickoff and choose someone who will check on their progress.

Valorie Burton: Strengthen Resilience and Create Positive Momentum

Consider Valorie for leadership meetings, change-focused kickoffs, and teams navigating pressure or uncertainty.

Not every team needs a louder call to push harder. Sometimes the more useful conversation is how to respond when the work becomes demanding.

Valorie Burton, founder of the Coaching and Positive Psychology Institute, draws on applied positive psychology in her speaking. Her Rules of Resilience keynote explores reframing challenges, developing supportive habits, and responding to pressure and uncertainty.

For your 2027 kickoff, consider Valorie when resilience needs to be part of the plan for achieving goals rather than an afterthought. Use the topic to discuss how employees and leaders can handle obstacles while maintaining direction.

Planning idea: Ask attendees to identify one predictable challenge in the year ahead. Have them outline what they can control, what support they need, and what a constructive response would look like.

How to Choose the Right Speaker for Your Kickoff Event

Choose the outcome first, then the speaker. Complete this sentence before reviewing your shortlist: "Thirty days after our kickoff, we want our team to..."

Be specific. "Feel inspired" is a starting point, but "test one new idea," "improve a customer handoff," or "address disagreements earlier" gives you a clearer basis for comparing keynote topics.

Next, consider the audience. A sales team pursuing new accounts may need a different emphasis than managers leading through change. Watch speaking videos, review the programs, and share your audience's priorities when requesting recommendations.

Finally, plan the follow-through. The activities suggested above are ways to extend the conversation within your organization. Build time into the agenda for discussion, and ask managers to revisit the commitments afterward. A keynote should support your event strategy, not be expected to carry the entire year.

Frequently Asked Questions About 2027 Kickoff Speakers

When should we book a speaker for a January 2027 kickoff?

Start checking availability once you have a likely date, audience, and budget range. You do not need a finished agenda to begin. Share any flexibility in your schedule and identify alternative speakers before finalizing your choice.

How much does a kickoff keynote speaker cost?

Request a current quote for your specific event. Send Premiere Speakers Bureau your preferred speaker, date, location, and event format. Ask what the quote includes and confirm whether travel or other expenses need to be budgeted separately.

Which speaker should we consider for a sales kickoff?

For a customer experience and loyalty theme, consider Brittany Hodak. For confidence and overcoming setbacks, consider Alex Weber. A sales kickoff centered on collaboration, innovation, or resilience may call for a different emphasis. Start with the challenge your team needs to address, then match the keynote to that goal.

What information should we provide when requesting speaker recommendations?

Share your event date, location, audience, estimated attendance, format, theme, and budget range. Include the outcome you want the keynote to support. These details help Premiere recommend speakers who fit both the purpose and practical requirements of your event.

Find Your 2027 Kickoff Speaker

Start by exploring the videos and full biographies in Premiere Speakers Bureau's 2027 kickoff speaker lineup.

Then send us your date and location to check availability and current fees. Include your audience, theme, and budget so our team can help you compare options.

Have a different focus? Share what your team needs to accomplish, and we will help you explore additional speaker recommendations.

Request Speaker Availability and Fees for Your 2027 Kickoff