Ingredients of Rocking Emceeing:

What is MC or Emcee? The master of ceremonies or the host of ceremonies where the job is to stage the event, performance, or party. Usually, a master of ceremonies introduces speakers, makes announcements, and engages with the audience to keep the ceremony agenda flowing as smoothly as possible. While being a master of ceremonies might seem daunting, there are a few ways you can nail your responsibility as MC, and radiate confidence and charisma to keep the ceremony entertaining for all.

So you’ve been drafted to be an emcee at an upcoming seminar, awards ceremony, or other events?

Don’t panic. You can do it, and do it well. You can even enjoy it.

If you don’t want to fumble awkwardly on stage or humiliate yourself with bad jokes, then you need to plan well in advance. Do your homework to ensure your presentation energizes the room and connects with the audience. Follow these tips for emceeing like a pro.

#1. Know your Event and Your Audience:

Knowing who you are presenting to is key. Why? Because it dictates the tone you set for the event. For example, the tone and audience for a wedding will be very different than that of an annual gala dinner or a business conference, or a fundraiser. The audience for a popular music concert will have different expectations than an annual block party for the community. Your content as an emcee will be different from one event to another so you have to know your audience and know how to cater specifically to them.

#2. Introduce Yourself:

You’d be surprised how many emcees forget to introduce themselves. People want to know who you are and how you are connected to this event.  Here is the opportunity to build credibility and authentically connect with the audience. Introduce yourself, within  20 seconds of who you are. My suggestions are your name, where you’re from, your family, and some kind of connection to the event. This is why emcees who are not well known, might lead with a story of how they got involved with a particular organization or even a short video that serves as an introduction. This also helps establish a connection with your audience.

#3  Rehearse Scripts Beforehand:

There may be times when you need to improvise when on stage but for the most part, the presentation should be well planned and practiced. Along with a willingness to rehearse, the emcee should also have dedicated time to rehearse. This is so important, especially when introducing people. Have you ever heard an emcee introduce someone and flubbed up the person’s name?! You really want to avoid this at any cost. This is why getting scripts beforehand and working out those names is crucial. Another reason why you want to practice your script is to be more confident while addressing the audience and make eye contact with them more frequently. Reading from a paper word for word won’t allow you to do that.

#4 Set the Stage on Fire with your Energy and Positive vibes:

The last thing people want to hear from an emcee is a dull and low-energy presentation.  Fire-like energy and positive vibes only! Simply put, your audience feeds off of your energy. If you are dry and cold your audience will definitely be dry and cold. If you project good, positive vibes, your audience will sense that as well. The energy you give off has a direct effect on the atmosphere and tone of the whole event so bring those positive and energetic vibes on stage.

#5 Be prepared for Anything:

A great MC must always be on their toes and be prepared for any unforeseen situation.  Live events are notorious for having slight hiccups: a server might spill a drink, the wrong music might play, sometimes the mic does not work, or the scheduled speaker might be on their way back from the bathroom. Keep control of the event by being ready and positive to smooth over any distractions or mishaps to keep the mood light and keep the event ongoing without any hiccups.

#6 Control the timing of the proceedings: 

Timing is the most important for any event and an emcee will have ultimate control over the timing of event proceedings. Always make sure that you are on top of your time management. If one segment overruns, see if you can recover by cutting some time off another segment. If one segment is too short, you can drag the next segment out. Ultimately, you will have to ensure that the event starts and ends on time and that ensures the success and failure of the event.

#7 Craft the Closing:

A strong closing is important. Thanking the sponsors, the VIPS, and especially the audience should not be overlooked. It’s good manners to also thank everyone who helped to put the event together. People are likely to remember your closing statement more than your opening, even years down the road. So make sure to craft a big closing speech that will leave everyone with something to remember, like a group activity, question, or last dance.

So, by following these easy steps you can overcome the anxiety of facing stage fear.