Having a speaker cancel after painstakingly planning a meeting or event is probably a meeting planner’s worst nightmare. After all, event organization doesn’t happen overnight, and finding an alternate speaker or some way to fill an empty time slot is NOT something any meeting professional wants to be doing at the last minute.

If you want to be sure your event goes well despite a hiccup in your speaking lineup, professional speaker Thom Singer offers these suggestions:

1. Always have a plan B.
   Keep handy the contact information of one or more “backup” individuals who could be called upon in case of the emergency need of a last minute speaker.
2. Consider your agenda and past or future speakers.
   If you are missing your keynote speaker and your event spans more than a single day, perhaps one of your other break-out speakers could step up to fill the keynote spot and vice-versa.  Also, speakers who have previously participated in your organization’s events may be willing to come back for an encore presentation on short notice. Or, a speaker who is lined up for a future event may be willing to give a talk early.
3. Create a roundtable.
   Choose a few questions that are relevant to the topics covered at your event, select a Master of Ceremonies, and take advantage of an opportunity to crowd source knowledge and best practices from the experts in your audience.
4. Allow time for networking.
   There’s always room for more time to mingle. Encourage attendees to connect with each other during time that would otherwise be filled with a speaker’s presentation.
5. Create an “Expert Panel.”
   Do you have thought leaders in attendance at your event? Invite four to six of them to participate in a moderated Q&A session with your audience.

Click here to read more on Singer’s suggestions.