Top 10 High Energy and Motivational Songs for Events, Conferences and Meetings in 2023
What is a walk-on song?
The purpose of walk-on songs is to capture the attention of attendees, engage their senses and raise the energy at your conference or event! Including music can be extra engaging for virtual and hybrid programming, breakout transition times and introducing speakers, topics and themes.
How do I pick walk-on songs for speakers, event sponsors and more?
A great walk-on song can set the tone, so how do you pick the right one? Here’s a few tips to get you started on picking your playlist for your conference or event:
What is the message/theme of what the speaker is talking about? If your keynote speaker is talking about relatability, a song about being together or closeness would make sense. On the opposite side, if your CEO is delivering a State-of-the-Organization message, what’s the tone of the message? If it’s “Hooray for a great year!” then something that echoes that positivity makes sense - but if it’s “What a hard year it has been” then a song talking about going through hard times and championing them makes sense
What is the message/theme of the entire event? For example, if your theme is THRIVE you’d want to pick songs that are uplifting, feel-good and motivational. If the message of your annual meeting is UNLOCKING US then songs about chains, locks, team, closeness and relationships may make more sense.
What do people want to walk onto? Customizing the music walk up music is a great way to motivate your speaker, have them put their stamp on the event and also communicate to the audience before the speaker begins on stage. Many professional keynote speakers have their own walk up music like I do that give subtle messaging about my keynote topic and sets the tone for the motivational keynote I am about to deliver!
What are some popular songs for your event in 2023?
Below are some of my favorite pump up songs for conferences, events and more in 2023! You can use this list for inspiration and use it for:
Upbeat music for conferences
Engaging music for virtual meetings
Conference music openers
Some of my favorite songs to get the crowd engaged and energized are…
High Hopes - Panic at the Disco A great choice if you want to inspire and motivate your audience, this song has a strong beat and memorable chorus that encourages the audience to think about big goals and get energy to achieve them!
Good Feeling - Flo Rida Feeling hopeful about the future, this song builds momentum and motivation through positive lyrics and a great beat!
Firework - Katy Perry Looking to inspire individuals? This song is great for franchise conferences, entrepreneur gatherings and sales conferences since it focuses on the individual and standing out brightly.
Get Lucky - Pharrell This iconic song is a great motivator at events because of it’s catchy beats and upbeat tempo.
Lovely Day - Bill Withers Universally beloved music like this song is a beautiful way to calm and unify attendees at an event. You can’t help but smile when this comes on, and a smiling audience is a good thing!
Got This Feeling - Justin Timberlake This motivational dance song was an international hit and why not? From the great tempo to positive lyrics, it’s a hopeful song that looks forward to good things ahead - like an awesome event!
Whatever It Takes - Imagine Dragons This is a great opening song and theme for an event in 1! Known for their powerful ballads and catchy beats, Imagine Dragons is one of my favorite bands to theme events on because of the power their songs deliver over the speakers!
Don’t Stop Me Now - Queen If you want to encourage continued success and look to new horizons ahead, this classic Queen song would be a great fit for your event and company that is achieving big goals with no sign of slowing down!
Harder, Better, Faster Stronger - Daft Punk This classic techno song has a chorus that unifies crowds and charges people up.
All I Do Is Win - DJ Khaled Want to celebrate? This song is all about winning, celebrating and achieving big goals. This song is especially great for sales summits, high performer gatherings and annual meetings where you are celebrating record-setting successes
Note: For many clients, I create custom playlist suggestions for their walk on music based on their theme, industry, speakers and company culture. Interested in learning more or seeing emails? Email me at hi@rachelsheerin.com.
Conferences and events can be supercharged with energy, motivation and theme using music throughout the event. By choosing songs for keynote speakers, emcees, transition times and more, you can add bursts of energy and unity during your event thanks to vision, planning and a great AV team!
Rachel Sheerin is an award-winning keynote speaker, emcee and burnout expert. Interested in learning more about Rachel for your event? Contact us today!