Doing Economics

3.7 Giving Keynotes
Eventually you may get to a point where you are prominent enough in the
profession to get asked to give keynote addresses at conferences.
Because there will typically be only a handful of keynotes per
conference, giving one is an honor, and it should be treated as such. In most
cases, being asked to give a keynote means that the conference organizers
will pay for your travel, food, and lodging during the conference, and that
you may get an honorarium for your trouble.
Given the foregoing, it is only fair that, as keynote speaker, you give
special attention to what you will be talking about in your keynote. The
only thing worse than attending a “keynote” wherein the speaker uses the
occasion to present their paper du jour is attending the same kind of
presentation during a conference dinner, because in the latter case, the
audience is captive.
So when you are asked to give a keynote address, think about why you
were asked. In most cases, people will want to hear about much more than
your latest paper. How do you see the field evolving over the next five to
ten years? In which direction do you see a research agenda—not your
research agenda, but a research agenda that includes yours—headed? If you
were just starting to write your dissertation, what would you be investing in,

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or what would you be working on? What else would you do differently if
you could go back to the start of your career? What are some of the big
questions in your area of research you wish you had time to look into, and
would like to see the answers to?
With prominence in the profession—especially with the kind of
prominence that gets you invited to give keynote addresses—you must
come to the realization that you have “arrived.” Instead of pushing for one
more peer-reviewed article, it is now your job to lift other people up.