may be a Meeting Planner/Organizer involved. Likely, the event would have to be larger in scale for them to gain revenue from the venture, however many volunteer their time and expertise to worthy causes. Their role is to oversee the logistics of the entire event. A larger event can be broken down to smaller mini events. They may engage you take on the role of emceeing a specific portion of the larger scale event. This can provide challenges for you. More about this later.
You can also have a client or event sponsor taking on an active leadership role. While they have a vested interest in the success of the event, after all they are paying for it, they may not have the organizational skills and everything else that you bring as a Master of Ceremonies. Their involvement may not be helpful.
Taking charge does not mean acting as a military general where only you know the battle plan. It isn’t about issuing orders that must be followed. It is helpful to think of your role as being that of an orchestra conductor. While strategy is necessary, the event goes much smoother if everyone is working from the same page. I don’t have a musical background but I do know that the conductor leads the musicians to play from the same page, together and adding to each other’s sound. When that doesn’t happen … I guess that’s what they call Jazz!
A helpful tip is to insist on the client designating a single person to be the go-to-person to solve problems. Quite often there can be last minute changes to the agenda or on-the-spot input that can change the agenda. Simply insist that all changes to the agenda and announcements come from the designated client representative. That way the client is in control of the meeting and you look good in their eyes.
An Emcee should have the ability to “ACE” an event.
The three A’s:
•Awake - make them laugh and they will pay attention.
•Alert - look forward to your next quip.
•Alive - even if the speaker you introduce bores them, they will anticipate your return, expecting more fun.
The three C’s:
•Current - talk about today’s news events or this event.
•Clever - intellectually funny, not silly.
•Concise - say it quickly, make your point, get off.
Should the client request a serious set of introductions then you employ...
The three E’s:
•Excitement - about the person or company.
•Enthusiasm - about what they do.
•Energy - to keep attention even if the subject is dry.
“The right Emcee can make or break your event. It is important to position yourself as the right person.”
Source: Unknown
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Get Organized: Event organizing can be a lot like cat juggling
As the Emcee your role is to create order from chaos. Quite often your client has an idea about the way they want their event to flow but really don’t know how to make it happen. That’s where you come in. I liken emceeing to cat juggling. Metaphorically speaking of course! Sometimes the cats fly where you want to and sometimes they have a mind of their own and go where they want to.
Cats are like ideas. Your client likely has lots of them and they are flying all over the place. Your role as Emcee is to get those cats flying in formation i.e. to get all of those ideas to make sense.
Get Organized Think logistically: Consider all aspects of your event
The Five Ws and an H provide the framework for writing any good story. They also serve well to perform a strategic analysis of any event that you are organizing. We will break them down to logistical questions that you should ask as the first step in organizing an event.
Who:
•Who is the client? Contact info?
•Who do you report to?
•Who do you approach during the event if there is a problem?
•Who will be participating or speaking in the program? Examples: keynote speakers, VIPs, dignitaries (Note: we talk about introducing speakers later and the information that you will need to collect from them.)
•Who will be in the audience?
What:
•What is the nature of the event?
•Is the event intended to be educational, informative, entertaining, thought provoking, to provide recognition? Any of the above, or all?
•What does the planned program look like i.e. structure, elements?
When:
•What is the date and time of the event?
•Will you have any duties to perform before or after the actual speaking portion of the event? Example: Meeting & greeting at a pre-meeting reception or post event get-together. Corralling guests from a reception to the main room.
•Are there any plans in place for rescheduling the event if unforeseen and insurmountable challenges occur?
Where:
•What is the location of the event i.e. the street address?
•What specific room will the event be held in at the location?
•Where will you be emceeing from i.e. is there a stage, head table etc.
•Are there any environmental concerns? Example: If your event is outside could weather have an effect on the program i.e. wind, rain, snow etc.
Why:
•What is the purpose of this event? What does the hosting organization hope to achieve? Are there any hidden agendas?
How:
•How will the hosting organization determine whether this event is a success or not?
•How will the hosting organization determine if your participation in the event is a success or not?
Think Logistically: What do you need to know that you don’t know but you really should know?
Thinking logistically is very much like being a detective. It can be quite frustrating to learn a detail
