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When students start university, they often find the idea of engaging with industry speakers energising. For educators, guest speakers are a way to diversify their content and provide authentic learning, which stimulates debate in the classroom. Through their presence, outside speakers reinforce something we increasingly believe: while students certainly learn from academics, many of whom have industry experience themselves, they also need to hear from people who are working in industry and business today. 

Students, however, must be present in the lecture theatre to engage with visiting experts. What happens when those learners don’t show up?

Poor student attendance has significant costs in this regard: fewer guest speakers want to return; sparse student audiences mean academics don’t ask industry speakers back because they are embarrassed; weaker industry links; fewer industry-led projects; placements and networking opportunities are lost; and students are less aware of employer expectations. Another of these less-discussed drawbacks is the loss of social transformation. This reduced contextualisation, this loss of value co-creation opportunities, this loss of human-centred connections and chances to see how industry works is upsetting, to say the least. 

So, what can we do?

The early bird catches the guest speaker… 

As educators in industry-focused fields, we need to get in early, before student attendance falls. Moving industry speakers to the beginning of the module has several benefits. At the beginning of the semester, a higher attendance rate gives more students the opportunity to encounter the realities of the profession before they immerse themselves in theory. Students get excited for the topic; they begin to understand why the concepts matter because they have heard . 

• Why subject-aligned career talks matter – and how to deliver them
• Teaching future-proof skills: lessons from degree apprenticeships
• How professional practitioners help connect crime theory with real-world investigations

It also allows our industry speakers to interact with a broader profile of students; they will likely meet a much more representative sample of our cohort than the grouping that may attend in later weeks. In our experience, one unexpected outcome is that attendance seems to stay relatively high as the weeks go on. 

Frame speakers so students are excited to hear them speak

Be intentional about the guest speakers that you bring in; invite a balance of less experienced and more expert professionals into the room. This provides students with a greater sense of how they might engage with a subject at different points in their career, and illustrates how a topic aligns with practice. 

Speakers who are at the start of their career demonstrate to students the next step they will take when they finish university. It fosters a conversation that peer groups can connect with. Students often feel more comfortable talking with these individuals and asking questions. 

Having this opportunity early on can embolden them to engage more confidently with more expert speakers throughout their studies, enhancing both their experience and that of the guest speaker.  

Prime speakers to support the intended learning outcomes

Academics play a role in setting speakers up for success. Guidance on the purpose of a talk is something that is often forgotten when guest speakers are brought in. Having that initial conversation with the guest speaker about who the students are, what you are trying to achieve in the lecture and how your intended learning outcomes (ILOs) fit in with the module and the programme itself can boost student engagement with the guest speaker. 

Ask the speaker if they are happy to connect with students on social media networks such as LinkedIn. If yes, encourage students to make contact with them before or after the talk. Connections that happen before the talk can encourage attendance of students, as students wish to show their face.

Advice for helping students get the most from speakers…and running better sessions

1. Ask students to prepare questions in advance. This could be done in the first seminar as an icebreaker. Group the questions so they focus on the ILOs of the module; if time allows, this is something the students could do. Remind students that asking questions of this guest speaker will help them become more confident about asking questions in professional situations such as an interview for a graduate role. 
2. Outline how the ILOs fit with industry practice, and that the session is an opportunity to engage through the guest speaker. This can lead to higher assessment success, particularly when the industry session forms part of a reflective assessment element.
3. Highlight that they can connect with the speaker on professional networks.
4. Never forget the power of refreshments. Tea and coffee (and cake, if budget allows) are usually a winner.
5. Ask for student feedback. Applying all these tips will not always ensure a successful session. Guest speakers aren’t created equally and getting responses about what worked and what didn’t can help to inform improvements for next time. 

Industry speakers provide something that a recording cannot; they bring not just an opportunity for understanding the current practice but for connecting with professional culture, networking opportunities, unscripted discussion through student engagement, and the chance to ask the questions that students want the industry professional to answer. Industry speakers offer an informed, personal perspective on their discipline, which can be invaluable for students who are still learning the ropes in their field. 

If we lose that connection because lecture theatres are empty, we lose something that no recording can replace.

Treasa Kearney is director of education for marketing in the School of Management at the University of Liverpool. Anna Egan is the head of the department of finance and economics in the Faculty of Business and Law at Manchester Metropolitan University.

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