Keynote Speaker · Alexander Grabner-Jarlung
The slot
no one wants.
The speaker
no one forgets.
Alexander Grabner-Jarlung is The Graveyard Speaker, the keynote built for the room that's already given up.
The Problem
You know exactly which
slot we're talking about.
Right after lunch. The audience sits back down, full, slow, eyes glazed. Energy is at the floor. Maybe it's the first talk on day two, the morning after your conference dinner. Either way, the room is technically alive, but only technically.
You've seen speakers try to power through it. Slide after slide. A forced joke that lands nowhere. The graveyard slot doesn't just hurt that talk. It drains the momentum of the entire event.
You don't need a speaker who survives it.
You need one who was built for it.
Meet Alex
This is the slot
he asks for.
Not because he has something to prove. Because he has a method.
Alexander Grabner-Jarlung has spent 15 years on stage. Trained and mentored directly by David JP Phillips, the communication researcher with over 150 million views and clients from Google to Microsoft to the United Nations. Alex has taken everything David spent 7 years studying across 5,000 speakers and turned it into a live experience that does one thing above all else:
Wakes rooms up.
He does it with humor that doesn't feel forced. With energy that doesn't feel fake. With a structure that delivers real skills, so the audience leaves with something they actually use.
“The crowd was completely gone after lunch. Alex had them on their feet inside 8 minutes.”
The room on its feet.
Every time.
The Offer
The Graveyard Talk
How to make sure your message lands, even when the crowd is tough.
This is not a survival keynote. It is a demonstration.
While Alex teaches your audience how to communicate in difficult conditions: flat rooms, skeptical stakeholders, disengaged listeners, he is simultaneously doing exactly that. The talk is the proof of concept. The method is alive on the stage in real time.
Why most communicators lose the room before they say a word
The structural difference between a message that lands and one that disappears
How to read a room fast and adjust your delivery in real time
The humor principle: how to be genuinely funny without being a comedian
The energy transfer: how one person's state changes a group's state
Frameworks the audience can use the very next morning
Length
45–90 minutes
Formats
Keynote · Q&A · Workshop
Whitelabel
Tailored to your agenda
How it works
What to expect
when you book Alex
01
Brief call
We learn your event, audience, and what you need the room to feel by the end.
02
Preparation
Alex reviews your agenda, researches your industry, prepares custom material.
03
Showtime
Alex takes the stage. The room wakes up. Real skills, not theatre.
04
After
Optional follow-up resources, networking, or extended workshop sessions.
About Alex
Built for this. Literally.
Alexander Grabner-Jarlung didn't stumble into the graveyard slot by accident. He went looking for it.
After 15 years as a professional speaker across Europe and beyond working with everyone from fast-growing startups to Fortune 500 names like Oracle and Microsoft, Alex noticed a pattern. The hardest crowds produced the best results.
He trained under David JP Phillips, whose TEDx talks have amassed over 150 million views worldwide. From David's research across 5,000 speakers and 110 identified communication skills, Alex built a live method that works specifically when the conditions are worst.
He is not the speaker for the easy slot. He is the speaker for the one that matters.
15
years on professional stages
150M+
views from David JP Phillips' research
5,000
speakers studied · 110 skills identified
F500
Oracle, Microsoft & beyond
He's spoken for
“I was honestly nervous about the slot. Alex didn't just handle it, he made it the highlight of the whole conference.”
“Our team came in sluggish. They left fired up. Funny, sharp, and practically useful. Rare combination.”
“We've booked a lot of speakers. Alex is the one people still talk about three months later.”
FAQ
Quick answers
Can the talk be customized for our industry?+
Yes. Alex researches your audience, sector, and event theme before every engagement. The Graveyard Talk is a framework, not a fixed script.
What if our slot isn't actually a 'graveyard' slot?+
The method works in any room. A wide-awake afternoon crowd is, for him, a pleasant bonus.
How far in advance do we need to book?+
As early as possible for date security, though Alex does take last-minute bookings when available.
Can Alex do a virtual keynote?+
Yes. The method adapts to virtual delivery. Contact us for details on virtual formats and requirements.
What are the fees?+
Fees vary by event format, location, and scope. Contact us for a tailored quote, we respond within 24 hours.
Book Alex
Your graveyard slot
just found
its speaker.
Tell us about your event and we'll get back to you within 24 hours.
Email: hello@headgain.com