“Everyone enjoys a fitting reply; it is wonderful to say the right thing at the right time!”

-Proverbs 15:23 (New Living Translation)

About 150 years ago, before people watched YouTube, they watched debates. The Lincoln/Douglas debates were very important politically. They were also very entertaining. 

When Stephen Douglas accused Abe Lincoln of being two-faced, Lincoln responded with a classic “zinger.” He said, “If I had another face, do you think I’d wear this one?”

As an event host, you will want to showcase your wit. When you learn what a “zinger” is– and how and when to use it– you will be giving your audience a verbal treat. 

With Twitter, you are familiar with “tweets.”

Zingers are more like…treats. 

Hostess makes some delicious cupcakes that are called “Zingers.” But what exactly is a “zinger” in the context of public speaking and emceeing?

One dictionary describes “zinger” as “a striking or amusing remark.” Collins Dictionary says that a zinger is a “witty remark or something that is lively, interesting, amusing, or impressive.”

That’s a good definition! 

When you add zingers into your repertoire (and look up repartee, too– another fun one to know when it comes to the words you use), wonderful things happen. Let’s unpack it a little more. 

See Related: You – How To Be A Great Emcee

A Zinger Is…

Short and to the point

Like most good one-liners, there’s typically a set-up and a punch line. But get this: usually the “set-up” is what’s happening during the event, and the zinger is the punch line itself. 

For instance, if someone in the program was talking about houses, you might add in Zsa Zsa Gabor’s line:

“Speaking of houses, Zsa Zsa Gabor once said, ‘I’m a wonderful housekeeper– every time I marry a man, I keep the house.’” 

You get the idea. The objective of a zinger is to interject quick, playful humor into the program (at appropriate times, of course).

Use what’s happening at the moment to set the table for your short and to-the-point witty remark. 

Sarcastic (usually)

You must be careful here because sarcasm often has a sting to it. Whenever possible, you want the zinger to be self-inflicted, not aimed at the audience, and certainly not aimed at the meeting planner or other speakers you’ll be sharing the stage with. 

If the audience likes you and trusts you, you can get away with a touch of sarcasm. But again, be very careful and make sure not to say anything that might offend anyone in attendance. 

Follow the rule I’ve been repeating throughout this book: When in doubt, leave it out.

Said at just the right time

As you may know, one of the crucial elements of humor is timing. You don’t want to force a zinger into an event.

You want to have it ready in your mind (or on a 3×5 card) and insert it if, and only if, it adds a spark to the moment. 

Think of a zinger as a flavoring on a great meal: it’s not necessary, but it enhances the taste. 

When You Learn to Use Zingers:

1. You will feel ready to insert hilarity into any program.
2. You will wow the audience with a well-placed one-liner.
3. You will develop a good reputation as a funny master of ceremonies.

Here are a few things to keep in mind as you begin to practice adding these quick-witted remarks into your work as an emcee:

When You Learn How To Be Witty, Remember…

What a witty remark looks/sounds like to an audience

The impression the attendees should have when you share a zinger is, “How in the world did he come up with that?” 

The truth is, you may have delivered that particular zinger dozens of times before, but to the audience, it feels like you said just the right thing at just the right time. To them, it will feel like a very spontaneous remark– which makes it all the more amusing. 

Why you should have some zingers ready to roll off your tongue

I probably have access to about a hundred zingers that I’ve used in the last 30 years of my career, but I find myself going back to a few favorites over and over again.

It gives me a sense of freedom and confidence knowing that I can draw upon them as needed, almost like a Rolodex of clever remarks in my mind. 

You can practice zingers even when you’re not onstage. I want to encourage you to try them out in your work environment, at home, or even in some of your email exchanges with friends or coworkers. This is how you will know whether they work! 

Where to find zingers

I published an entire book called Comedy Comes Clean that’s packed full of zingers. The subtitle is “A Hilarious Collection of Wholesome Jokes, Quotes, and One-Liners.” 

There are many sources for one-liners that are apropos for various situations. I recommend that you collect books filled with short quotations.

Aphorisms are also great to use. The difference between an aphorism and a one-liner is that generally with an aphorism, there’s some embedded wisdom in the quotation. 

One instance of this might be director Billy Wilder’s line, “If you’re going to tell people the truth, you better be funny or they’ll kill you.” 

When to say them (and when not to!)

One of the worst things you can do is to attempt to cram a witty remark into a situation that doesn’t call for it. 

I was once invited to preside at a memorial service and the spouse of the deceased asked me to throw in a lot of jokes. As I was reading the room (filled with a lot of mourners), it was obvious to me that weaving in a bunch of zingers was not appropriate for the setting. 

The best time to share a zinger is when the audience least expects it, but you also need a situation in which something has been said or done onstage to set you up for your witty remark. It’s a delicate balance that you will master with practice! 

Please note: Some of the best zingers are lines you have already learned and memorized, but sometimes you say just the right thing at just the right second by trusting your instincts. Some of the best zingers ever created had to start somewhere. 

Example: About 75 years ago, a server in a nightclub dropped a tray and it crashed very loudly to the ground. The comedian on stage said, “Oh, just set that anywhere.”

He got a huge laugh, and stand-up comedians have been stealing that line for decades ever since. 

You may come up with a wonderful on-the-spot zinger that becomes an ongoing part of your repertoire. 

How witty people deliver a zinger

Remember that zingers are not stories. They’re not long jokes. They’re not skits or sketches.

They usually consist of only one or two lines that pack a punch, so you want to deliver them in a punchy way. 

Don’t deliver a zinger under your breath. It’s very important that the audience hears every word, or the zinger won’t land. Make your brief comment, pause, then POW– hit them with the zinger. 

Now that we have covered what makes a zinger effective and how to deliver them, let’s go over some specific examples of some of my favorites. 

Bonus: X Factors – How To Be A Great Emcee

Examples of Zingers!

When dismissing attendees who have just been served lots of meals and snacks:

ZINGER: Until we eat again…have a great night!

–

When the audience has just witnessed an inspiring performer or speaker:

ZINGER: Well, if that doesn’t light your fire…your wood is wet!

–

When a professional musician or other artist demonstrates an incredible skill:

ZINGER: Just imagine what he will sound like when he goes full-time!

–

When you are reminding attendees about tomorrow’s start time:

ZINGER: Be on time. Don’t make the mistake I did. I asked the front desk for a wake-up call. The guy said, “OK. You’re overweight and you need a new haircut.”

–

When you make a mistake on stage:

ZINGER: Hey, I put the FUN in dysfunctional!

–

When you are moving donors into the fundraising part of the program:

ZINGER: My wife and I recently raised our standard of giving. 

–

When you are inviting the audience to make a commitment:

ZINGER: I always give 100%. Unless I’m donating blood. 

As I mentioned earlier, you have to be careful with zingers. You don’t want them to be badly timed, forced, or in poor taste.

You must be able to read the room and have a certain level of confidence that your audience will be amused by what you’re about to say. Let’s talk briefly about a few other mistakes to avoid when delivering your zingers.

Mistakes to Avoid

1. Using too many in your program

Zingers hit so hard because they are rare and unexpected. If you start peppering in too many, your audience will come to expect them, and your zingers will lose their impact.

You don’t want to be overly “cheesy,” for lack of a better word. Limit your zingers to occasions where they will really pop. 

2. Using insulting or inappropriate one-liners

This will have the opposite effect you’re looking for. As the event MC, your role is to delight attendees, not to disturb them. It wouldn’t be appropriate to make the leaders of the company the butt of a joke, for instance.

Another important note: It’s probably a good idea to stay away from content that is overly political or religious. The last thing you want to do is offend your audience or embarrass the organization that hired you to emcee their event. 

3. Delivering a zinger with passive tone and body language

Zingers are most effective when you deliver them properly. Their impact comes not only from the words but from your tone and open body language as well. A great line needs to be delivered with confidence! 

When you are hosting a live meeting or making any presentation, never underestimate the power of inserting a well-timed quote, one-liner, or zinger!

These short, funny, statements will help you build rapport with your audience and make you look wonderfully witty in the process. And to your listeners, a zinger can feel like a burst of spoken sunlight that brightens the event! 

Keep Reading: Introduction: The History Of Emcees – How To Be A Great Emcee

—

This is an excerpt from Adam Christing‘s forthcoming book, “How To Be A Great Emcee: The A to Z Guide to Hosting Events” by America’s #1 Master of Ceremonies. Follow along as new chapters get posted to this blog category each week. 

The post Zingers! – How To Be A Great Emcee appeared first on Adam Christing.

“If you are looking for a helping hand– there’s one at the end of your arm.”

-Yiddish proverb

Nearly all 26 letters of this A-to-Z guide have been focused on the event, the audience, and how to please the meeting planner. 

In this chapter, we will discuss the most important player of all: YOU. While it’s true that you are not the star of the show, the role of master of ceremonies is vital to the success of the event. 

Remember, you are the glue that holds the entire program together. Without you, the event would fall apart. 

In this chapter, I want to share nine things that you can do/be before, during, and after the event to be the best emcee YOU can possibly be. 

As we have talked about in previous chapters, the planning that goes into how you will approach and handle your role as event MC is essential. There are many things to consider and many decisions to be made in the days, weeks, or even months leading up to the big day.

Here are nine of the most important things to keep in mind prior to the event. 

See Related: X Factors – How To Be A Great Emcee

Before the Event

#1. Your clothes

The way you dress not only creates an impression upon the audience, but it also affects the way you feel. This doesn’t mean you have to wear brand-new clothes when you’re emceeing an event.

Wear clothes that are appropriate for the event and that make you feel great about yourself. You should feel comfortable and look professional.

#2. Your warmth

A smile is all it takes to convey your warmth and excitement about the event you have been hired to emcee. Dale Carnegie, who trains thousands of public speakers, once said, “Your smile is a messenger of goodwill.”

You will be surprised how many positive comments you get when you simply smile at the beginning, throughout the middle, and at the end of your MC duties for an event. Shake out your nerves before the event by practicing your smile!

#3. Your joy

I had an acting coach once who was a superstar in her field. I asked her what her number one suggestion was that she gave to all great actors. She said to me, “Oh, that’s simple. I tell them to experience joy even if they’re doing something or presenting something that might be sad or challenging– to have joy that they get to be the one presenting it.” 

The audience will love what you’re doing when you love it.

#4. Your preparedness

Have you noticed that we talk about this concept a lot? That’s because it makes you look good when you know you know what you’re talking about. At the risk of sounding repetitive, I want to reiterate how important it is to be prepared.

Don’t make the mistake of showing up to the venue without having done all your homework. As a representative of the company or organization that hired you, it is your job to cross all your T’s and dot all your I’s before the event. 

#5. Your experience

The best way to become a great MC is to emcee every event you possibly can. Whether these events are paid or for free, nothing takes the place of stage time. 

Malcolm Gladwell talks about the 10,000 hours you may need. You may not be able to put in 10,000 hours right away, but the more hours you do put in as a master of ceremonies, the more power you’ll feel from your experience. Nothing can replace it!

#6. Your mindset

With everything you do, you are conveying to the audience not only how you feel about them, but how you feel about yourself. Your mindset needs to be this: I’ve been invited to host this event and I’m going to do a great job. I have been asked to be here for a reason, and I’m lucky to be able to do it!

Your attitude affects everything you do, so take some time to mentally prepare yourself before you go on. Make sure you are in the right mindset before you step onto the stage. 

#7. Your willingness to serve

This goes beyond just serving in your hosting capacity. It also includes looking for ways that you can be of service to the client, the organization, the meeting planner, and even the people who don’t often get much applause– for example, the AV team, the catering team, and servers, et cetera. Your willingness to go the extra mile to help everyone feel prepared will go a long way. 

#8. Your unique personality

No one else on earth has your unique set of skills, your DNA, or your special qualities– so let them shine! As you get ready to emcee an event, it might be helpful to take a personal inventory of your favorite traits about yourself and figure out how you can use them to enhance your role as master of ceremonies.

Remember, you have a lot more to bring to the table than you think, so look for positive ways you can put your unique spin on things. 

#9. Your background

When Johnny Carson took over one of the longest-running television shows in history, The Tonight Show, Jack Parr said to him, “You’ll use everything you ever learned.” 

The same applies to you. Your educational background, your work background, your faith background, your hobbies, and your passions are all things you can draw on in preparation for your role as the event MC. Your myriad experiences are your greatest resource in getting ready to take the stage. 

During the Event

#10. Your connection with the audience

The first thing I always want to do when I approach the event is to ask myself, “How can I best connect with this crowd?”

It might be the way I dress or a certain phrase that I say, but mostly it’s just my desire to feel a heart-to-heart connection with them. Look for ways that you can connect with your audience during the event, and they will enjoy your work all the more. 

#11. Your sense of humor

You don’t have to be a clown to share the fun. Don’t make the mistake of thinking you have to be a professional comedian. The emphasis here is on your unique sense of humor– and you’ve got one! As long as it’s appropriate, don’t be afraid to laugh with your audience. 

#12. Your desire to involve attendees

The more you can bring camaraderie to an event and engage your attendees, the better. This has been mentioned throughout this book for a simple reason: It matters. People want to feel included. They want to feel invested.

As the event MC, part of your job is to give people the opportunity to be actively involved in what is happening. This will make the event both more meaningful and more memorable for them. 

#13. Your likability 

What’s the biggest secret to being likable? Liking others. When you like your audience first, they’ll like you back. Try it!

#14. Your love for what you’re doing

I’ll be honest with you– I don’t love every single aspect of being a master of ceremonies. Things like the shuttles to and from airports and dealing with baggage and hotel check-ins can be a drag.

But I do love bringing people joy, and I love helping meeting planners fulfill their missions. What do you love about being an emcee? Love it even more, and the audience will know. 

#15. Your humility

I want you to really understand this: Humility does not mean thinking poorly of yourself. It means that you lead from a sense of gratitude and service. Sometimes it means putting other people and things before yourself.

It also sometimes means continuing to put forth your best effort, even when you are tired and you don’t necessarily feel like it. People can tell when you really care, and they will appreciate you for it. 

#16. Your ability to relax

It’s hard to make an audience feel relaxed when you yourself don’t pause to take a deep breath before you go onstage. Continue to breathe deeply, in and out, in between presentations.

If you are nervous, anxious, or even slightly agitated, the audience will pick up on it. Remember, you set the tone for the event. Your ability to relax will help you, the event host, make sure the program goes smoothly.

#17. Your conviction

Just like they say, a great message isn’t taught– it’s caught. Your conviction will be transferred to your listeners. Your goal is to have them believe what you believe, e.g., “This is a wonderful organization.” Your enthusiasm should be robust and contagious. Remember, if you’re excited, they’ll be excited. 

#18. Your fun side

Don’t confuse this with joke telling. This is about enjoyment. If you’re having a great time, they will, too. When the time is right (when it’s appropriate), let your playful side show. Have some fun with it!

Bonus: Welcome & Wrap-Up – How To Be A Great Emcee

After the Event

#19. Your friendliness with audience members

It really goes back to what I hope you learned in kindergarten– make friends. I go out of my way to mingle with audience members whenever I have time, especially prior to an event kickoff. I want to learn names. I want to memorize faces.

I want attendees rooting for me as I walk up to the platform. The more time you spend getting to know members of the audience, the more engaged in the event they will be.

#20. Your gratitude to the leaders and the event producer

One of the first things I do when I arrive at a venue is seek out the leaders and the event producer. I not only introduce myself, but I thank them sincerely for trusting me with their event. 

You will likely have already spoken to these people on the phone in the days or weeks leading up to the event, but you still want to make a good in-person impression and establish a solid working relationship with them. 

#21. Your forward thinking

It’s tempting to think only about this particular event that you’re hosting. Forward-thinking means being concerned about how this event will impact the organization in the days, weeks, months, and even years after it happens. Your goal is to create lasting memories that reflect the many positive qualities of the organization that hired you.

#22. Your feedback

You never want to force your feedback on the event organizers. What I like to say at the conclusion of the event, in private conversations with the leaders and meeting planner, is something like this: “Melanie thank you so much for having me here. I would love to share my thoughts with you in an email or a phone call with you in the next week. Would that be helpful?”

This shows them that you care enough to follow up, but you’re not being pushy about it. The point here is to offer your feedback but give them the option to decline it. 

#23. Your ongoing communication

Remember that the purpose of emceeing an event from your perspective is not just to have a “gig,” but to develop an ongoing business relationship with the buyer and/or event organizer. 

Just like in any good relationship, it requires more than once-a-year communication. Remember these wonderful people that you’ve just worked with and send them birthday cards, holiday greetings, updates on what you’re doing, and articles that might be of help to them. Look for ways you can continue to bring value by staying in touch.

#24. Your recommendations for next time

What I mean here specifically is that you want to be thinking about how you can position yourself as a helpful advisor to them. Can you recommend keynote speakers they might not know about?

Do you have any good suggestions for venues, videos, or books? Do you have any other recommendations that might make their next meeting an even bigger hit (besides you emceeing again, of course)? 

#25. Your being a part of the team

As I’ve mentioned elsewhere in this time, the best compliment you can get is, “Hey, how long have you worked with us?” When you get this compliment, it means that you have made people on and off stage feel like you are part of their organization.

#26. Your professionalism

These days, showing up early, doing your homework, and caring make all the difference. Your professionalism will make you stand out. Never compromise when it comes to doing great work, even when it means doing more than you are paid to do. 

#27. Your value

I saved perhaps the most important thing for last. If you continually think about ways you can bring value to the audience, value to the organization, and value to the meeting planner, you will be…invaluable. 

The key to becoming a great event MC is the person you see right in the mirror. So, invest in yourself. Invest in your appearance. Most of all, invest your heart in the work of hosting. You’ll be so glad you did!

Keep Reading: Zingers! – How To Be A Great Emcee

—

This is an excerpt from Adam Christing‘s forthcoming book, “How To Be A Great Emcee: The A to Z Guide to Hosting Events” by America’s #1 Master of Ceremonies. Follow along as new chapters get posted to this blog category each week. 

The post You – How To Be A Great Emcee appeared first on Adam Christing.

“Everyone needs a secret weapon, an X-Factor.”

-Xavier Van De Lanotte, Author of Our X Factor

X-Factors are hard to define.

They are qualities or skills you possess that make you feel more powerful, make you look cool, and give you an advantage in a sport, competition, or another endeavor. X-Factors give you a certain edge or appeal in many situations.

I have discovered five such X-Factors when it comes to being an eX-traordinary master of ceremonies. 

If I could give you five secret weapons, five special advantages that will tip the odds in your favor when you are emceeing an event, it would be these five “X-Factors.”

See Related: Welcome & Wrap-Up – How To Be A Great Emcee

Five X-Factors to Help You Succeed as an Event Emcee

#1. Spend time with company leaders prior to the meeting.

Share a meal the night before the kickoff. Few things will help you feel more connected to another person than breaking bread with them, so make it a point to hang out with the key leaders prior to the start of the event. 

Usually, this is lunch, dinner, or cocktail time prior to the first meeting. Use this time to get to know the leaders personally. What makes them tick? What are some of their values? Most importantly, what makes them excited about the company and the event you are emceeing?

Attend the welcome reception and introduce yourself to the stakeholders. Find out who the movers and shakers are. Sometimes it’s not just the meeting planner or even the CEO or owners of the company.

It might be investors, it might be board members, or it may be key donors of a nonprofit. Whoever it is, get to know them and ask them about some of their strong convictions about the organization you’re representing.

Ask the CEO or president what he or she loves most about the organization. I find this to be a very powerful question. I’ll put it something like this:

“Hey, Lily, what do you love most about your company, and what are you most excited about this upcoming year?” 

Most of the time, you’ll see the leader light up and answer the question with great passion and enthusiasm. The reason I suggest taking the time to talk to the leaders on a deeper level is this: your goal is to transfer their excitement to the audience when you host the event. 

#2. Focus 100% ONLY on now and what’s next

This is one of the biggest tips I can share with you. In this line of work, it’s very tempting to think about the next session, tomorrow’s meeting, your flight, your clothing, and so on– but you want to be completely present with what’s happening in this very moment and totally tuned in to what needs to happen next.

Remember that the audience is connected to your presence, not your planning. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be thorough in your planning– it means that if you have done proper planning before the event, you should be able to be fully present during the event. 

Whenever possible, I like to sit in the front row with the audience so that I can see what they’re seeing, hear what they’re hearing, and feel what they’re feeling. This way, when I get back to the platform, I am echoing the energy in the room and amplifying it as much as I can. 

If you are truly focused, you should never lose sight of who and what you are introducing the next time you go up. Something remarkable may happen on the platform and you want to reflect that emotion.

But don’t get so swept up in that moment that you forget to cue the next presenter, video, or special guest. Always know what needs to happen next. Worry about the million details later! 

#3. Feel what the audience is feeling

We just touched on this briefly, but I’d like to expand on it a bit more. It’s about more than paying attention and being present– it’s about fully immersing yourself in the audience’s experience. This means being able to reflect the audience’s emotions and reveal your own. 

As a corporate MC, you will likely host a wide range of events. Some will be more impactful and emotionally charged than others. Whatever the event or cause may be, you want to do your best to echo the sentiment or message being given by the company or organization that hired you. 

Think of yourself as an extension of the meeting planner’s goals for the event, as well as an extension of the audience’s emotions. One of my favorite quotations is based on the word intimacy and how it can also mean “into me, see.”

I like to share with the audience how I’m experiencing the speakers, the music, and the program itself, especially when it connects with the obvious way that they’re feeling it. 

At the same time, I try to be careful not to overelaborate. Here’s how it might sound at an actual event:

“Incredible. Thank you so much, Tonya, for sharing that powerful message. I made so many notes, I’m going to have to narrow it down to a Top 10 list. Let’s give her a big round of applause!”

In order to help you get in touch with the audience’s perspective, you might also walk into the crowd during the meeting. You will better connect with what the audience is feeling when you’re physically closer to them.

Whenever possible, I like to call audience members up to the stage. I also like to walk in their midst during the sessions so that I feel a constant link between the people and the program. 

Move the seats as close to the stage as possible. This step is repeated throughout these chapters.

The closer they get, the better you’ll get as an emcee. 

#4. The microphone is your best friend

Have the microphone in hand or attached to you at all times, even in your seat. You don’t want to have to go running for a microphone if an emergency comes up. You don’t want to be searching for your mic when a last-minute announcement needs to be made. 

I like to work with the audio technician and have him or her keep my volume off, but always keep an eye on me and crank it up whenever they see me standing or speaking. In some cases, I will walk over to the audio tech and say, “As soon as this video ends, pull my audio up,” because I plan to do a voiceover. 

Staying connected to the audience is also all about staying connected to your voice and amplifying it through your handheld microphone. A big piece of this is learning to do voiceovers to get the audience primed. 

You’re always the master of ceremonies, even when the audience doesn’t see you. Sometimes you’ll slow the program down by continually going up and down the steps to the stage. You want to avoid doing this. There are situations in which it’s best to just do a quick voiceover.

This can be a way to save time when the program is running too long. You can stand at the back of the room or at the AV station and simply do a voiceover, saying something like, “Let’s have a big round of applause for Mike Jenkins! And now please join me in watching this video.”

Other times when voiceovers are helpful are when you’re getting the audience primed to take their seats and when you’re getting ready to go on a break. 

It’s important to develop a good working relationship with the audio technician. I love to introduce myself to the lighting person, the catering manager, and of course, the meeting planner– but if I could choose only one key partner at any event, it would be the “sound guy.” 

It’s not always a man, but it’s always an important person. What makes them so important?

They control how you sound, as well as when your audio comes on and goes off. If you sense that this person is asleep at the wheel, you will want to encourage them to be super attentive to what you are doing and when you are speaking.

#5. Present the program to the audience like a string of pearls

This is a beautiful metaphor because ultimately you want to give the audience a gift. Introduce each element of the program as a prized presentation– as though it’s one bead in your string of pearls.

Conclude sessions by reminding attendees how great it was to see and hear each piece they just experienced. I often do this during my recap of each session, especially at the end of the entire program. It’s important to weave together the various elements of the program and tie them to the theme.

When you emphasize this, you’re letting your attendees know that great care has been taken in the creation and execution of this event. In other words, this makes the company, the meeting planner, the speakers, and you look great! 

There are a few common mistakes that emcees tend to make when it comes to X-Factors. I like to call these “Hex Factors.” 

Bonus: Virtual Meetings – How To Be A Great Emcee

Here are five things that will doom your effectiveness as the emcee:

#1. Reading everything you say instead of speaking from the heart

The people in the room want to connect with your heart and your head (in that order). When you spend too much time reading, not only are your eyes down, but their spirits may go down as well. 

#2. Starting late and ending late

My suggestion is this: Get the ball rolling even if the audience is not completely seated. Take the two minutes before the program start time to play a video or display a slide that lets people know that the program will be starting in just two minutes. This will encourage them to quickly find their seats and get settled. 

If you find at the start time that people are still not in their seats, start anyway. You’ll be setting the tone that promptness matters for this session and for the entire gathering. 

#3. Winging it instead of being over-prepared

While I want you to become a master of off-the-cuff humor and ad-libbing, I want to caution you against relying solely on those things. Even if you have a wonderful, clever personality and those things come naturally to you, don’t underestimate the power of being prepared.

Don’t make the mistake of flying by the seat of your pants. Even the most charming, quick-witted emcees still need to invest time in thorough preparation.

Trust your preparation, and then you’ll feel the freedom to be more spontaneous.

#4. Stealing the spotlight instead of focusing it on the key people and purpose

Keep 100% of the focus on the presenters, the program, and the audience. Remember that you are the glue of the show, not the star. The company that hired you to emcee their event is asking you to promote them, not yourself. 

#5. Not taking command

The audience is silently hoping that you will grab their attention as well as their hearts, take them by the hand, and lead them on a journey through a great meeting experience. 

If you are passive about your role as the event MC, you will fail to capture the interest of your audience. They want to be excited and invested– they want someone who will give them a reason to care about the event and its goals. That person is you! 

There are many other X-Factors that we haven’t discussed in this chapter– you may have one or two of your own already. Everyone is different, so we all have X-Factors that are unique to us. 

We all have gifts that enable us to connect with others in interesting and exciting ways. I want to encourage you to identify and strengthen yours in a way that will help you become a more effective master of ceremonies. 

Keep Reading: You – How To Be A Great Emcee

—

This is an excerpt from Adam Christing‘s forthcoming book, “How To Be A Great Emcee: The A to Z Guide to Hosting Events” by America’s #1 Master of Ceremonies. Follow along as new chapters get posted to this blog category each week. 

The post X Factors – How To Be A Great Emcee appeared first on Adam Christing.

“Greetings and farewells set the tone, pace, and energy transfer between people.”

-Sam Makhoul, A Higher Branch Success Academy

Imagine you’re watching a movie at a big screen theater, and you notice that you need to use the restroom. I want to make a bet with you.

Chances are, you don’t get up to use the restroom at the beginning of the movie or as the movie is reaching its crescendo and ending. No, you slip out during one of the boring parts.

As the master of ceremonies, you don’t want a single moment of a meeting to be boring, but you want to pay especially close attention to how the meeting opens and closes– and your part of that in particular. 

I’d like to begin by talking about your welcome. The welcome is so important because it truly does set the tone for the entire event, so you want to bring enthusiasm and lots of positive energy.

Keep in mind that this is the audience’s first impression of you– so make it a good one! Here are four ways to nail your welcome.

See Related: Virtual Meetings – How To Be A Great Emcee

4 Ways to GRAB Them with Your Welcome

GREET the attendees

That’s right– start the meeting with a greeting! The first thing you want to do is say hello, introduce yourself (if you haven’t been introduced already), and welcome everyone to the gathering. 

REMIND them of the big “why”

You want to let them know that this is a party with a purpose. Here’s an example:

“We’re so glad you’re attending our annual kickoff meeting! We are here to make sure that this new year is our best ever in terms of sales, service, and safety. Are you ready?”

ANNOUNCE the title or theme of the meeting

Just as an orchestra leader strikes a key note at the beginning of a concert, as the leader of an event, you want to set the tone right at the top of the meeting by letting them know what the theme is.

Example: “This year our theme is ‘Unstoppable!’”

BUILD anticipation

You want to let the attendees know that as the host, you know where you’re going and that you’re about to take them on a wonderful journey that you will be sharing together. 

You want to get across the idea that this is not going to be a wild ride, nor is it going to be a mild ride. It’s going to be a wonderful, shared experience that they are sure to remember. 

Example: “Well buckle up, everybody– it’s going to be an awesome ride. Let’s get started!”

Mistakes to Avoid in the Opening

Like any other aspect of emceeing a big event, there are good ways to approach your welcome and there are bad ways to approach it. Now that we have gone over some tips for a great welcome, let’s talk about some mistakes you want to avoid.

#1. Trying to do too much

Although it is important to establish yourself as the master of ceremonies, this is not the time to show them everything you can do. 

I’ve seen hosts perform a tap dance (literally), tell some jokes, sing a song, make announcements, and even go into the audience and dance with an attendee– all before introducing the first guest speaker. 

This isn’t the time for that. Your goal in the opening is to set the table for a wonderful meal that you will be sharing as an event family, not to bring out all the courses at once.

#2. Not establishing yourself

The audience wants to know they’re in good hands. To use another body part metaphor, they also want to know that you have a good heart.

Establishing trust in the opening is important. I do this by genuinely thanking the audience and the sponsoring organization for the privilege of being the master of ceremonies. 

I also like to let them know that I am a lot of fun to listen to, so I will weave in a joke or a brief funny moment (but nothing over the top or time-consuming) so that they’re thinking, hey, we’re going to enjoy this guy. 

#3. Rushing instead of building rapport

As I’ve been saying throughout these chapters, pacing is important. Keep the train rolling but be careful that you don’t rush through your opening. 

Take a deep breath before you go onstage. Let the audience know that although it’s going to be an exciting time, it’s not going to feel rushed or hurried. They will enjoy the program more when they sense that you are enjoying it every step of the way. 

We tend to remember how things start and how things end. Don’t allow the wrap-up to be a simple afterthought. I like to use the ALOHA acronym when delivering my wrap-up because “aloha” is a Hawaiian way of saying “hello” or “goodbye.”

The root meaning of this word is “the breath of life.” I find this to be very fitting for the close of an event because you want the ending of your meeting to feel like a breath of fresh air– a reminder that everyone has just inhaled a wonderful time together. 

Bonus: Unexpected Situations – How To Be A Great Emcee

ALOHA

ACKNOWLEDGE the company or hosting organization

“We want to thank Chevron for having this annual dinner again this year, and we also want to thank all our wonderful sponsors and vendors who have been here with us tonight. Let’s give them a round of applause!”

By acknowledging the company or sponsoring organization, you are once again putting the focus on them and reminding the attendees that the event would not have been possible without their time and effort. 

LEAVE them on a high note

“Wow, we raised a lot of money tonight for a great cause, and you were part of it!”

As you prepare to dismiss the audience one final time, it’s a good idea to re-emphasize the positives that came out of the evening. You want the attendees to leave feeling satisfied and invigorated, not tired and impatient to get home. 

Sometimes leaving them on a high note means helping them remember one or two of the highlights of the gathering. Other times it means creating a special high note that surprises and delights the attendees. 

This might mean surprising them by having the CEO come out and play for a few moments on her saxophone. It might mean a greeting from a special celebrity guest, or it might mean that you have created a brief, winsome poem that reminds everyone of what a fantastic experience they’ve just had. 

The key here is to put a smile on everyone’s face without taking up a lot of time.

OPENLY express gratitude as the host

Just as I like to open a program by connecting heart-to-heart with the audience, I like to sincerely thank people from my heart. 

Example: “I’ve emceed many events over the years, and tonight is one I will always remember. Thank you for the privilege of having me as your host this evening.”

HONOR the key players

Don’t go overboard here, because you don’t want this to feel like a super long Academy Awards program, but you do want to honor the key players involved in the event. For example:

“We want to thank our AV team, our speakers, our planning committee, our senior leadership team, and YOU, our awesome attendees, for being here tonight!”

Try to memorize three or four of these key names, but don’t worry if you need to bring a 3 x 5 card up and glance at it when you honor these wonderful people.

AMEN!

The word “amen” really means “and so it is,” but we also think of it as a word of agreement. It’s a word for saying “yes,” and when many of us say a prayer, it’s the last thing we say. 

Think clearly about the very last thing you’re going to say to the audience before you send them off. 

Example: “This concludes our 15th annual award show. Good night!”

Your wrap-up is your final interaction with the audience, so you want to make sure you leave them with a lasting impression. You’ve all had a wonderful evening together, and now it’s time to send them out with a bang! I suggest using the ALOHA acronym to deliver a beautiful wrap-up, as well as avoiding the following mistakes. 

Mistakes to Avoid in the Closing

#1. Putting announcements at the very end

Because you want to leave everyone feeling great, what I suggest you do is put any final housekeeping announcements before your wrap-up.

You might say something like, “Make sure you get your parking tickets validated on your way out,” or, “If you’ve purchased a silent auction item, please take care of that as you exit this evening,” and, “Remember, if you’ve won one of the centerpiece arrangements, you’re welcome to take that with you now,” and then proceed to your wrap-up. 

#2. Ending on a “?” instead of a “!”

Don’t conclude a meeting by saying something like “So I’m not sure who to turn it over to now…” 

If you are handing it over to another presenter, think of that as your final introduction to the program and deliver it with confidence. Most importantly, you want to end on a note of exclamation, a note of thanks, and an upbeat word of gratitude. 

#3. Not leaving the audience feeling great about the meeting

I’ve seen too many emcees conclude a program with a big information dump. Like the wonderful quote from Sam Makhoul tells us, a great MC understands that the work is primarily about the transfer of energy between people. 

Make sure that the emotion people are leaving with is one of gratitude and happiness. You don’t want to overload them with more information to remember. 

The way you greet people matters. The way you say goodbye to people also matters. Give this some thought, practice your welcome and your wrap-up, and leave everyone feeling great! 

Keep Reading: X Factors – How To Be A Great Emcee

—

This is an excerpt from Adam Christing‘s forthcoming book, “How To Be A Great Emcee: The A to Z Guide to Hosting Events” by America’s #1 Master of Ceremonies. Follow along as new chapters get posted to this blog category each week. 

The post Welcome & Wrap-Up – How To Be A Great Emcee appeared first on Adam Christing.

“Being able to communicate through a camera is an essential skill. It’s powerful. It’s immediate. It’s often necessary to reach global audiences.” 

-Karin M. Reid, On-Camera Speaking Coach

Virtual meetings are here to stay. Whatever happens with Covid and other health concerns, we will never go back to an in-person-only meeting world.

If you are interested in becoming a great emcee (and I know you are because you’re reading this), you will want to master the world of online meetings.

Let’s begin. 

See Related: Unexpected Situations – How To Be A Great Emcee

Three Types of Virtual Events

1. The online event

This is where the meeting happens completely online. Most participants will be in their home and/or office setting, not in an auditorium, hotel, ballroom, theater, et cetera. 

For these types of meetings, it’s important that you structure everything you say and do toward the virtual environment.

2. The hybrid gathering 

This format is becoming more and more popular. Some attendees are live and in-person at the physical venue, while other participants, speakers, and attendees are joining in online. 

The key to effectively hosting an event like this is to remember that you’re speaking to two audiences. Chances are, you will be hosting at the in-person venue.

The temptation here is to address only those who are physically in the room with you and allow others to simply watch, as though they’re viewing a television show or YouTube video. 

Don’t make this mistake. Keep in mind that you are really speaking to two sets of eyes and two sets of ears at all times. You want to welcome and address the in-person attendees while also welcoming and connecting with those online. 

Your number one goal in this situation? To make these two groups feel like they’re part of one shared experience. 

3. The tuned-in tribe

This is where an event is happening at a physical location and others are watching it by replay after the fact. In this context, it’s still important to address the audience viewing, but you can do this in a more casual manner and play to the crowd in the seats, knowing that others will be watching it later. 

How Emceeing a Virtual Event is Different 

Hosting an online meeting is different from hosting an in-person event in a number of ways. There’s a different energy. There’s a different level of engagement. There’s a different level of excitement. 

These can sound like negatives, and they often are– but they don’t have to be. You simply have to be flexible and willing to make adjustments. With the right perspective and proper planning, you can make your virtual event just as exciting and engaging as an in-person meeting. 

There are many positive things about virtual events as well. For example, you can involve a larger community than is possible at a strictly in-person event. Oftentimes, virtual meetings are a lot less expensive as well.

You may also find that you are more comfortable and relaxed on camera than on a stage with a live audience of hundreds of people. The point I’m trying to make here is that it will be whatever you make it. So, make it memorable! 

How Emceeing a Virtual Event is the Same

Fortunately, there are some similarities between virtual events and in-person events. Firstly, you can still connect with people– you’re just doing it in a smaller space.

You can still communicate ideas and entertain your audience. You can still positively impact people and promote the company that hired you in a fun, entertaining way. 

The most important thing to know for a virtual event in terms of working as a master of ceremonies is that your essential role is the same: keeping the train on the tracks and making sure everyone feels connected to you, the sponsoring organization, the theme of the event, and the content that is being delivered. 

Five Factors for Maximizing Your MC Work in the Virtual Arena

1. Your virtual meeting platform

Just as an in-person event has a stage or physical platform, you also have a platform– it’s just a little different. Get to know how to use it if you don’t know already. Most likely, it will be Zoom, Google Meetup, or another virtual meeting application. 

Don’t attempt to emcee an event on a platform you’re not already familiar with. If you’re newer to the virtual meeting medium (and chances are you’re not unless you’ve been born in the last year or two), do some research ahead of time and make sure to familiarize yourself with the virtual platform you will be using. 

2. Your partners

There are some key people you want to stay connected with throughout a virtual meeting, as well as some important factors to consider. Will you be the one sharing the screen?

Will you be the one running the audio, or is someone within the organization doing that? Is there an online producer who will be connecting the platform to the various presenters?

Just as in an in-person event, it’s very important to have one or more talk-through meetings so you have clarity on who’s doing what, where they’re doing it from, and when they are participating.

3. Your program

This is the factor that is practically identical to an in-person event. Just like at an in-person event, you must operate from a written agenda.

The environment for virtual meetings has become much more casual than many in-person meetings, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t approach it in a professional manner. 

You should still make use of a prewritten run of show (ROS) or meeting agenda. The advantages of this remain the same:

• It enables you to get everyone on the same page 
• It allows everyone involved to work from a shared written document
• You can easily make changes without having to start from scratch

4. Your meeting participants

When you are emceeing a virtual event, you will still be introducing key leaders, guest speakers, and other presenters. Don’t forget the other participants who are super important: your audience. Look for ways to engage and re-engage with them, whether they are physically there with you or not. 

Here’s a suggestion: encourage the sponsoring organization to send out an “experience box.” 

This will allow everyone in the meeting to have a shared experience. Whether it’s opening a box full of surprise items, unwrapping a gift, or enjoying a book, the key is the together factor. 

Though it may be harder to actively involve your audience members in a virtual event, it is not impossible. You’ll simply have to be a little more creative in finding ways to include the attendees. 

5. Your power

Emceeing an online event is often more challenging than an in-person event because it’s harder to feel the reactions of attendees, and it can be hard to know whether they are truly connecting with you. But remember, you are still the orchestra leader. 

Your power is in your ability to make everyone feel included. Generate as much engagement as possible and– just like in an in-person event– leave your audience wanting more. 

Just like at in-person events, there are certain mistakes you want to avoid during your virtual meetings. To help you put on a smooth virtual event, let’s go over some things to stay away from. 

Bonus: Transitions – How To Be A Great Emcee

10 Don’ts for Hosting Virtual Events

1. Don’t lose the energy.

You may be hosting the event from your own office or home studio, but it’s important to remember that you still need to set the tone for the event. Model the level of energy you want people to experience, and take the time to smile, raise your voice, and have fun! It will be contagious. 

2. Don’t forget to engage.

Look for ways that you can invite participation from all the attendees. Again, this will involve a little bit (or maybe a lot) of creativity on your part, but the more you can get other people to talk and interact, the more enjoyable the experience will be. Of course, don’t forget to remind people to unmute themselves. 

There are plenty of ways you can engage with attendees online. For example, you could create a trivia contest or play a quick game of Name That Tune. You could also have a raffle and randomly draw the name of one or more attendees to win a prize. 

3. Don’t exclude anyone.

I have to make a confession: I hosted an important virtual meeting recently, and I blew it. I saw seven or eight key people on my screen and didn’t realize that there were another four or five people who were not showing up on my screen. So rather than including everyone, I only focused on the ones I could see. 

I hope you will learn from my mistake and remember this valuable lesson: be sure you’re clear about who needs to be involved in the program and don’t move on until you’ve included everyone attached to the agenda. 

4. Don’t embarrass.

While it may be tempting to poke fun at someone who forgot to turn off their video or unmute themselves, don’t. You want to create an environment that’s welcoming for everyone, not one in which people are afraid to make a mistake. 

5. Don’t expect seamless.

Just like in-person events have their bumps, I’ve never been involved with an online event that didn’t have some surprise glitches or other challenges. 

As we have said in other chapters, you just say “yes” and move on. To become a real pro, you learn how to work these bumps into your presentation and make them part of the fun. 

6. Don’t forget your environment. 

Make sure you look good, you sound good, and you feel good. If hosting the meeting from home, take the time to develop or create a home studio with adequate lighting– and if you must invest in one thing, invest in a professional microphone. 

7. Don’t use elaborate slides.

If possible, have someone else operating slides or sharing screens so that you can focus on staying connected to the attendees.

Encourage other presenters to keep their slides to a minimum, and when the slides are used, to make them crystal clear. Extra points if no one uses an Excel sheet! 

8. Don’t lose eye contact.

Think of the camera– whether a physical camera in your studio or the lens on your laptop– as your window to the heart of your attendees. 

It’s tempting to look at the main part of your computer screen, but really you want to be looking directly into the camera and speaking in a conversational way. 

You might also be tempted when other speakers are presenting to look away, take a stretch break, or grab a coffee, but don’t make this mistake if you can help it. Stay “on” even when it’s not your turn to speak.

9. Don’t make excuses.

What do I mean by this? I simply mean don’t give in to regret about the fact that your event isn’t an in-person one.

Instead, bring enthusiasm to your audience. Embrace the fact that you are meeting online in a way that gets the attendees excited to be a part of this unique experience. If you make the most of it, they will too!

As I mentioned earlier, one advantage of virtual meetings is that you can reach a wider audience than is otherwise possible. You can focus on this positive and say something like, “We are so delighted to be meeting as a team in this virtual world, and we’re glad that you’re here! Welcome to everyone around the world.”

10. Don’t fail to create an experience

Remember that your job as a master of ceremonies is to keep the train on the tracks and make it to your destination. The destination that everyone wants– the meeting planner, the head of the company, and especially the audience– is a shared experience.

Keep the focus on warmth, fun, and meaningful content, and you’ll have a successful event. 

Many of the other sections in this work have tips that apply to virtual events, but this is also a new arena for the whole world, so stay familiar with the ever-changing technology, be you, and don’t forget to flash that smile.

Keep Reading: Welcome & Wrap-Up – How To Be A Great Emcee

—

This is an excerpt from Adam Christing‘s forthcoming book, “How To Be A Great Emcee: The A to Z Guide to Hosting Events” by America’s #1 Master of Ceremonies. Follow along as new chapters get posted to this blog category each week. 

The post Virtual Meetings – How To Be A Great Emcee appeared first on Adam Christing.

“Acceptance is the answer to all my problems today.”

-From the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous

Events are a lot like life. You never know what’s going to happen next, even when you think you do. Part of becoming a great emcee is learning how to handle unexpected situations. 

Here’s the good news: When you learn how to do this, you will not only enjoy the events more, but you’ll also receive lots of praise for being an exceptional master of ceremonies. 

The question is not, “What should I do if unexpected things happen during a meeting?” The question is, “What should I do when unexpected things happen during a meeting?” 

Trust me, things will go wrong. Not every time – but I would say most of the time that I have hosted (well over a thousand events), something unplanned has occurred. What I’ve become great at is handling the three keys to dealing with these occurrences:

• Acceptance
• Audience orientation
• Add-on

Let’s go over them now. 

See Related: Transitions – How To Be A Great Emcee

Three Keys to Handling Unexpected Situations During an Event

1. Acceptance

Just as the serenity prayer has helped guide people into a state of peace of mind (Lord, help me to accept the things I cannot change), so can the art of acceptance help you gracefully navigate unexpected events that may arise onstage. 

Practicing acceptance is not the same as agreeing with what is happening, nor does it mean you have to enjoy it. It simply means you understand that life is full of surprises. It’s part of what makes life– and a great meeting– wonderful. 

So, what do I mean by accepting? It comes down to this: live in the present during a meeting. 

When something happens, don’t panic– go with the flow. 

2. Audience orientation

You can’t make a pivot until you recognize what just happened. Have you noticed that this is one of the keys that keep coming up in chapter after chapter? That’s because you should always be thinking about what is going on in terms of how the audience experiences it. 

Here’s an important point: Sometimes the audience isn’t even aware that something unexpected has occurred. There may be no need to acknowledge the fact that you missed part of an important introduction, or that you presented the awards out of order. Don’t draw the attendees’ attention to something that you don’t need to draw their attention to. 

Of course, sometimes things happen that are blatantly obvious to the audience. You must decide in the moment: is this worth pointing out or should we just move forward?

Here’s how I decide if something has become a distraction: I acknowledge it and move on to the next thing. If it has not become a distraction, I tend to let it go and keep moving forward.

My question is always this: has this affected the audience, and do I need to do something about it? 

3. Add-on

Just like a good improv player will say, “Yes, and…,” handling an unexpected situation is not about canceling what just occurred, but adding on to it. 

Let me give you a specific example. One time I called an audience member onto the platform to be part of a funny skit. He tripped and fell onto the stage. The audience gasped; they were concerned about him, as was I. An amateur emcee would have just asked him if he was okay and moved on as if nothing happened. But as a professional, I wanted to look out for him and the audience. So, I took an extra minute to make sure that he was okay– and to let the audience know that he was okay. 

With his permission, we carried on with the skit. In fact, he felt fine participating in the sketch. And when we were done, he earned a thunderous round of applause. 

I acknowledged what had occurred and added on by giving him a chance to continue with the piece. And then I added on a big round of applause from the audience. 

Look for ways to build onto something that happens unexpectedly rather than negating it.

Now that we have covered how to handle unexpected events, let’s talk about some of the most common ones that happen. 

Ten Unexpected Events and How to Handle Them

1. The speaker goes way over time

I wish I could tell you that this is a rare occurrence, but I would say that nearly half the time you’ll find that a speaker runs too long. If this happens, there are a few things you can do:

• You can try to artfully get his or her attention and remind them that they need to wrap up. 
• If they go way too long, you can gradually creep closer to them on the platform so they get the message… “Oh, I need to wrap up.”
• You can try to make up time later in the program by cutting transitions shorter or asking the event manager if something could be dropped, like a video or certain announcements.

2. A key presenter doesn’t show up

Remember the entertainment maxim, “The show must go on.” Keep in mind that in some cases, the audience may be completely unaware that the presenter didn’t show up.

This is a wonderful situation because you can move on with the program and not make references to the person’s absence at all. Other times, it’s very obvious. If so, you have a few options:

1. You can “fill.” That means doing more time, like sharing a joke, interviewing attendees, adding in an icebreaker, performing a magic trick, or using another talent that you possess. 
2. Another option is to simply cut this particular session shorter. 
3. When appropriate, it might be helpful to say something like, “Unfortunately, our keynote speaker has been impacted by the airline, but we hope to plug them in later during our conference.” 

The key is to remember that you are the guide for the audience. With that in mind, take things as they come and deal with them as best you can. 

3. The audio cuts out completely

In most situations, there’s not much you can do except get a sense in real time if the audio technician has the situation under control. Sometimes I will look at them, and I can just tell that they’re scrambling to deal with a problem at the soundboard. In that case, I will move to another mic, e.g., the podium mic. 

In other situations, I will just speak with my natural voice and attempt to be heard by all. One tip for doing this is to speak to the back of the room, not the front of the room. You never want to yell or strain your voice, but you want to project so that everyone can hear you. 

In most cases, the audio will come back on. When this happens, thank the audio tech for getting everything up and running again and moving on. 

4. There is a video glitch  

Unfortunately, this happens more often than you might expect. Either a video doesn’t play at all, or it gets stuck somewhere in the middle. First of all, make sure you’re not backstage or somewhere where you don’t realize what’s going on. 

If it does happen, you must decide (perhaps in conversation with the AV person): Is this something that’s about to be fixed right away, and can we let it go? Or do I need to fill? 

If your impression is that they’re going to fix it– but they might need a minute or two, this is the opportunity for you to share a favorite joke or walk into the audience with a handheld microphone and give away a prize.

For example: “I’m going to give away a Starbucks gift card to the person who flew the furthest to be here with us today.”

If you get the impression that the video simply will not play, you have a decision to make. Do you want to fill the time? Your best bet is probably to say something like, “We’re going to do our best to get you that video later in our program– and speaking of the program, we want to get right back to our exciting guest speaker. Let me introduce him now.”

Bonus: Speakers – How To Be A Great Emcee

5. Somebody falls or gets hurt

First, make sure they’re okay! In some cases, you simply need to stop the program and ask for medical attention. This occurred recently at an event that I emceed, and the room was evacuated. And as the MC, my job was not to keep the program going but to get the person to safety and carefully guide the audience through the proper exit procedure. 

Important note: As the host, your responsibility is to look out for everyone. This includes the person who was hurt as well as the audience. 

One time an alarm went off in a ballroom where I was emceeing an event, and it was clear that we were required to exit the building. So, I just carefully said, “Please exit the room. We will inform you when we can reconvene here, but let’s quickly and smoothly exit the room at this time. Thank you.”

Another note: As the master of ceremonies, you need to be the last to leave. Make sure everyone gets out okay. 

Most of the time when someone falls, they are fine and it’s just an issue of nerves. By being present and making the best call as you see fit, you can determine whether to move on or stop the program. 

6. Something controversial is said or done

Once again, this is a time in which you have to make a call. Think of yourself as a quarterback faced with a game-time decision. Do you want to hand off the ball, pass it, or run with it? Give yourself an extra beat to think about what was said or done and how to best respond once you’ve made your decision. 

The best bet is to ignore it if possible and accentuate the positive things the speaker said or did. When this is not possible, simply acknowledge it and move on. If the situation is out of control, take the time to acknowledge what occurred and then regain ownership of the situation.

For example, let’s say someone made a political comment that was disruptive. You might say something like, “Our company values the freedom of speech, and while we don’t all agree on this topic, we appreciate everyone’s right to express themselves. And speaking of expressing ourselves, it’s now my privilege to introduce our CEO, who’s going to share his vision about where the company is headed this year.”

7. An important item is nowhere to be found

Sometimes a trophy, plaque, or special gift gets misplaced. In most cases, the best bet is to move on without the needed prop whenever possible. 

For example, I was emceeing an event during which the big trophy was accidentally locked up in the boardroom and not accessible to us on stage. This was a mistake on my part by not eyeballing it before we got into the awards ceremony. Sometimes as MC, you simply can’t think of everything. 

So, what I did in this situation is what you should probably do: move on. 

I presented the award and told them that a very special trophy was coming their way and that we would be showing the audience a photo of this great time at the next session. 

8. An audience member interrupts the program

This happens quite frequently. The best way to handle this is with a bit of positive humor. 

There’s an old joke that sometimes fits this situation…

“Hey, thanks for sharing. When you go to the movies, do you talk to the screen?”

However, most of the time it’s best to simply ignore it because the audience wants to ignore it and move on with the rest of the event. 

If you determine that the audience member has caused a terrible ruckus, it’s best to acknowledge it and build a bridge to what’s coming next.

9. An emergency occurs

I’ve been onstage when earthquakes have hit and power outages have occurred. A friend of mine was working as a host when one of the program’s attendees literally died in the audience. 

Your best option in a situation like this is to do what’s best for the safety of all concerned. Sometimes it’s appropriate to say something like, “Ladies and gentlemen, please stay seated for a moment and I will tell you what to do next,” then get with the meeting producer, hotel manager et cetera, and determine the best course of action. 

Keep in mind that an emergency in some people’s minds is not an actual emergency. One time recently, I had an attendee come up and slip me a note saying that we just had an earthquake. I didn’t feel it. And most of the audience members didn’t feel it. So, I didn’t announce anything about it because it was actually just a small trembling. 

Always do what’s best for the time being, and always keep the audience’s well-being in mind. 

10. You mess up

Well, it’s bound to happen. You’re a human being and even a great emcee will make mistakes. 

Here are a few that I’ve made: I’ve mispronounced a speaker’s name, forgotten to make a key introduction, and presented awards out of order. I’ve also forgotten to queue up an important video. The list goes on and on. 

When this happens (and it will happen), simply acknowledge your mistake and do your best to move on. Self-deprecating humor is helpful here. You might say something like, “Well, next time maybe they’ll hire a professional master of ceremonies,” Making a statement like this makes you look more professional…and more human. 

Here’s an example of how I messed up and what I did to recover.

One time, I was introducing a very prominent leader of a nonprofit organization. Instead of calling him Tim, I called him Tom. I did not catch this until after he was on stage speaking. Believe me, I was sweating out his presentation, unsure about what I was going to say. 

I decided to not make a big deal out of it, yet I wanted to acknowledge it. Here’s what I said:

“Tom, I may have forgotten your name, but I’ll never forget your story. Thanks so much for sharing.” This was a way of acknowledging my mistake while affirming him as a leader. 

The unexpected is bound to happen as long as we are living on planet earth. But don’t worry– if you remember the three key rules of acceptance, audience orientation, and the power of the add-on, you’ll be just fine. Every ship hits stormy waters at some time or another. Your job as the master of ceremonies is to right the ship and keep it headed toward its proper destination. You’ll do great as long as you keep everyone on board!

Keep Reading: Virtual Meetings – How To Be A Great Emcee

—

This is an excerpt from Adam Christing‘s forthcoming book, “How To Be A Great Emcee: The A to Z Guide to Hosting Events” by America’s #1 Master of Ceremonies. Follow along as new chapters get posted to this blog category each week. 

The post Unexpected Situations appeared first on Adam Christing.

“It is when we are in transition that we are most completely alive.”

-William Bridges, Ph.D., Author of Transitions: Making Sense of Life’s Changes 

My favorite thing about being a master of ceremonies, believe it or not, isn’t telling jokes (although I do love that), or receiving applause (who doesn’t enjoy that), or even meeting famous people, some of my heroes among them. 

While each of those things brings me great joy, my favorite part about being an event MC is learning to become a master of transitions. 

This is truly what separates a good emcee from a great one, and I’m going to show you the ropes. Let’s get started.

Two words say it all: Think Link 

Your role as the event host is to connect people, ideas, companies, and content, so you should always be looking to make a link between what’s happening onstage and what the audience is experiencing. 

You are a bridge builder.

See Related: Speakers – How To Be A Great Emcee

Here are the three components to focus on when becoming an architect of dynamic transitions:

#1. What just happened (and how does the audience feel about it)?

Did the speaker just end on a powerful crescendo? Was there a boring moment in which the speaker sort of dropped the ball? Did the energy in the room just drop, or is the audience buzzing with excitement over what they just heard? 

You need to experience what the audience experiences, so that you can share it and then shepherd them into the next moment or segment of the program.

#2. What is about to happen (and how do I want the audience to feel about it)? 

You must always keep in mind what the next piece of the program is and how to set the table for what happens next. 

I like to look at my notes on my 3×5 cards just before or following a speaker or other transitional moment so that I’m reminded about what’s going to happen next. This helps me figure out how to best build a bridge to the next moment. 

#3. What do I say or do to build a bridge between these two?

Your main job here is to make a connection between what has just happened and what you want to happen next. An effective way to do this is to acknowledge what just occurred and keep it flowing smoothly. 

“Thank you, Marilyn, for doing such a superb job. Let’s give her a big round of applause! Speaking of doing a great job, it’s now my honor to introduce someone who has been excelling in the job of company safety.” 

See what I did there? I built a bridge from the last speaker to the next one without taking up a lot of time.

As Richard Rama, a character played by Al Pacino in the movie Glengarry Glen Ross said, “You never open your mouth until you know what the shot is.” 

It’s rare to be able to pre-script transitions because you’re not always sure how the previous segment will conclude. What I suggest is this: write out transitions ahead of time, but then be prepared to adjust them as needed or scrap them entirely if it’s necessary in the moment. A great emcee is always in the moment. 

As the host of the event, you have been hired to emcee, you want to do everything you can to ensure that the program flows smoothly. Segues are an important part of this. Effective segues are ones that are both smooth and well-placed.

Bonus: Rehearsals – How To Be A Great Emcee

5 Times When You Need to Make Smooth Segues

#1. Between speakers.

This is critical because sometimes the previous speaker’s energy is drastically different from the next speaker’s energy, so you need to find a way to build a bridge between the two.

Oftentimes the content between speakers is different as well, so it’s important to listen intently and take notes in order to find some common ground that will help you transition smoothly from one speaker to the next.

#2. Before and after a video.

Let’s face it: most videos are not super compelling because the content is often informational rather than transformational. It’s important whenever possible to watch a video prior to the program so you can get a sense of how the audience will feel about it.

I not only do this, but I also watch the video from my seat or backstage so that I can feel in real time what the audience is experiencing. Then I can make a proper connection to what’s happening next. Here’s an example:

“Wow, what a powerful story– and speaking of great stories, we’re excited to introduce you now to the next chapter of what our company will be doing in this initiative.”

#3. Into and out of a break.

Some emcees make the mistake of being very choppy when it comes to getting into or out of a break in a session. Here’s how to do it well: Let them know that a break is coming, but first you want to communicate something to them. For example… 

“I’m about to dismiss you for a break, my friends, but first I want to share something very important. We’ve had an awesome session today– we heard from Mike, we heard from Nancy, and we had a stirring presentation from Julio. Let’s give them each a round of applause! And now here are the directions for your break…”

#4. When something goes wrong.

First of all, it’s important that you know when something goes wrong. This is almost always possible if you’re always paying attention (and you should be). I find that acknowledging what went wrong without deepening it is the way to go.

For example, if someone were to fall or trip on stage it might be on the audience’s mind,  so I might say something like this:

“Ladies and gentlemen, I want you to know that I spoke with Tim backstage and he’s fine, no worries whatsoever. And speaking of no worries, let’s watch this video about how we can balance productivity at work with peace in our personal lives.”

#5. To close the show.

You want to really give some advance thought to this, but again be ready to make adjustments along the way. You need to build a bridge between what happens at the conclusion of the program and your dismissal. 

One of the best ways to do this is by acknowledging all the presenters during the entire session and leading the audience in applause for the wonderful job they all have done. Then, you want to transition into your thank you and dismissal. 

Never end on a break. End with a bang! The key to doing this is not making your final announcements or your dismissal the last thing you say but bridging into wonderful closing remarks like, “We want to thank so-and-so, and we also want to thank YOU for being such a fantastic audience. Drive safe and enjoy the rest of your evening, congratulations to all our award winners. Good night!” 

Transitions are so important because they can help keep the positive energy going, as well as redirect any missteps and get the program back on track. Now that we have covered the occasions you need to make smooth transitions, let’s talk about some common mistakes that some emcees make with them.

Common Mistakes To Avoid With Transitions

You were firm instead of flexible.

This happens when you’ve written a beautiful transition and you feel like you must share it. Truth is, you don’t have to.

The audience doesn’t know what you’ve written and depending on what happened (or didn’t happen) during the segment, what you’ve written may no longer be as relevant or fitting. 

Remember to be in the moment. Either re-work your transition or rewrite it completely. If you do not have time to rewrite it, just look for ways to build a bridge between what happened before and what needs to happen next. 

You ignored the elephant in the room.

Perhaps there’s a loud crash because a server dropped a plate, or the sound went out and microphones stopped working for a moment. A common mistake an emcee will make here is to simply ignore it. Another mistake: dwelling on it. 

The key is to mention the elephant in the room if it’s super obvious and becomes a distraction to everyone. By acknowledging it and moving on, you will help the audience do the same.

You turned the segue into a speech.

It’s hard to control your own emotions sometimes, I know. At one event, I literally lost it and burst into tears onstage (more on that in another chapter). The point I want to make here is that your goal in a transition is to get to the next experience, not create a new speech or add time to the program. 

You slowed down the pace of the program.

Always keep the train on the tracks. That means you must keep things moving. Your segue should be long enough to make a smooth transition to the next piece without slowing down the timing of the event. 

You forgot your mood ring!

Here’s what I mean by this. Remember when mood rings were popular (I don’t know, maybe they still are)? They changed with the body temperature of the person wearing them.

The mood of your event can change instantly when a speaker gets choked up (or fired up), when a powerful, emotional video is shown, or when an award winner gives a moving “thank you” in his or her acceptance speech. 

You need to reflect the mood as it’s happening in real-time and then build on it to take the audience into the next mood or part of the program. This means that you must stay tuned in to every moment of the event. It also requires some flexibility on your part, as well as the ability to pivot and adapt to the changing emotional temperature in the room. 

The best way to get great at transitions is by doing lots of them. This is a reminder that the more events you emcee, the better you’ll get.

Practice your transitions long before the event takes place and then trust yourself. Go with your gut and remember the three keys that we talked about at the beginning of this chapter.

In doing so, you will become a master of transitions! 

Keep Reading: Unexpected Situations – How To Be A Great Emcee

—

This is an excerpt from Adam Christing‘s forthcoming book, “How To Be A Great Emcee: The A to Z Guide to Hosting Events” by America’s #1 Master of Ceremonies. Follow along as new chapters get posted to this blog category each week.

The post Transitions – How To Be A Great Emcee appeared first on Adam Christing.

“According to most studies, people’s number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you’re better off in the casket than delivering the eulogy.” 

-Jerry Seinfeld, comedian

As the event MC, you’ve been hired to be the glue of the meeting, not the star. Remember that the megastar is the organization itself, so the purpose of their gathering is what should be highlighted.

Are they celebrating their success? Launching a new initiative? Are they raising funds for their worthy cause?

Always keep the spotlight on the big star, but never forget the importance of highlighting the program’s presenters as well. 

Each speaker – whether they be a motivational speaker or a keynote speaker – is there to support the organization and help further its agenda. So you want to emphasize their contributions.

Remember that by sharing their time and knowledge, many speakers can electrify an audience and inspire them to take action.

You play a crucial role by way of your work with the public speakers who will be presenting during the program. Think of the various components of the program as puzzle pieces.

You are the glue that links them all together. This is especially true when it comes to working with speakers for hire. 

As you prepare to work with the event presenters, you want to keep the following three goals at the forefront of your mind.

See Related: Rehearsals – How To Be A Great Emcee

3 Emcee Goals For Working With A Keynote Speaker

1. Help motivational speakers succeed on stage. 

Of course, this includes giving them proper introductions. Let me note here that you never want to go for a laugh or draw attention to yourself when making a speaker introduction.

You want to capture the audience’s attention and turn their complete focus toward the person who’s about to present on the platform. 

Another way you can help presenters succeed is by connecting with them backstage or prior to the program and reminding them when they will go on, sharing with them the introduction you prepared for them, and reminding them of the bigger picture– the event theme itself. 

2. Accentuate their value after they speak.

This can be done in the outro of the speaker. For example: “Ladies and gentlemen, let’s give another big round of applause to Mike Reynolds! What a terrific presentation. It really reminds us that this year, we will win together. Thanks again, Mike– bravo!”

Let’s be honest, sometimes a presenter can be a little on the boring side. You can still accentuate their value by finding gems or nuggets that you notice during their presentation that you can reinforce or re-emphasize after they speak. 

“Thank you so much, Mike. You shared some really terrific content. I know for me, it was a great reminder that together we can win if we act as a unified team– and your story really spoke to that. Let’s give Mike another round of applause!”

3. Connect their content back to the theme. 

Again, it’s important to remember that you should always be making both mental and written notes when a presenter is on stage. It’s tempting to simply go back to the green room and have a coffee or take a seat backstage and play on your phone.

But as the event MC, you want to remain engaged even when you’re not on the stage, so listen for key content points that you can connect back to the theme. 

If the theme of the evening is “team building,” listen for content points the presenter makes that relate back to collaboration in the workplace and mention them in your outro of the speaker. You can also mention them later in your recap of the session or the entire conference. 

Event speakers are not chosen at random. The organization or company putting on the event has most likely poured a rather significant amount of time, money, and thought into planning and executing it, so the best speakers that have been asked to be there were selected for specific reasons. Try to see this from a planner or organization’s perspective– it will help you support the event as best you can. 

These are the main three reasons why a motivational speaker is hired or invited to present:

1. A draw

For some events, getting people to attend and capturing their excitement are the main reasons they brought in a speaker. Oftentimes this will be a famous presenter, a celebrity or popular entertainer, a TV personality, a best-selling author, or a well-known podcaster. 

2. An expert

More and more planners are looking to bring in people with specific expertise relating to the purpose of the gathering. This might be a financial expert, a sales guru, or someone who specializes in health and wellness or physical fitness. It could also be a scientist or someone in the medical or psychology field. 

3. An inside voice

Many times, an organization will have one of its internal employees, customers, or vendors speak. Your job here is to treat them with the same respect and importance as you would well-known presenters or celebrities. 

Working with Different Types of Speakers

1. The celebrity

What to do:

Oftentimes celebrity speakers will bring a road manager or “handler.” Instead of trying to bypass this person, talk to the celebrity through them.

If you sense that the celebrity doesn’t want to speak to anyone before they go on, you must respect that. Learn the name of the handler and be prepared to work with them and through them.

Other times, however, you’ll find that a celebrity is very approachable and super easy to work with. You just have to tune into the dynamic. 

What not to do:

Do not let your excitement about meeting the celebrity distract you from your main purpose. You are there to make the event flow smoothly, not to capture a selfie with the celebrity backstage.

Remember, you are a professional. Never lose sight of the bigger picture: the success of the event. 

2. The best-selling author

What to do:

If possible, read a copy of this author’s book before you meet them. It will go a long way with them if you are able to carry on an informed conversation with them about what they have written.

Try to remember specific takeaways you gleaned from the book. Encourage the author to keep in mind the overall theme and purpose of the event, and whenever possible, invite them to connect it to their presentation.

What not to do:

Do not treat this person any differently than you would treat a celebrity. In many cases, best-selling authors in our culture have become celebrities, especially if they have cracked The New York Times Top 10 Best Seller list. Even though they may not be an A-list celebrity, you still need to be respectful of their time and their accomplishments. 

3. The internal organization representative

What to do:

Oftentimes this person is not a professional speaker, and as Seinfeld mentioned, they may feel terribly nervous about making a presentation in front of a live audience. You can help put them at ease by guiding them through the rehearsal process and letting them know you’re excited that they’ll be sharing the stage with you.

These inspirational speakers may need a little more encouragement from you, so remind them that you’re on their team and you’re rooting for them. Help them focus on the excitement rather than their nerves! 

What not to do:

Don’t treat this person as lesser than a celebrity or best-selling author. They very well may end up being the most memorable part of the program, because they have something very important to share with the group.

They also have a deeper connection to the cause or purpose, because they are part of the company putting on the event. 

Bonus: Q & A – How To Be A Great Emcee

How to Work with Entertainers

Think of entertainers as presenters with more needs.

By this, I don’t mean psychological needs – although that is sometimes the case. Speaking from my own personal experience, I have learned that their extra needs often have to do with things like staging, lighting, special props, and other guests on stage who share the time with them. You want to get an understanding of these needs before you make the introduction.

Remember that they will have extra staging requirements

(And those requirements will likely involve setting extra time aside in order to meet them).

I’m going to repeat myself there, but sometimes they bring dancers, backup singers, backup musicians, et cetera – so think through the transition before they will be introduced and factor that into the schedule. It’s important to make sure they are ready to go when you call their name to bring them onstage. 

Encourage them to connect with the organization and theme.

Sometimes management will create a buffer, protecting the lead singer or star entertainer from connecting with an organization. This is a mistake. You can help backstage by filling them in briefly about the purpose of the gathering, how it’s been going, and some key phrases they might insert in between songs, jokes, magic tricks, or what have you.

You might say “Matt, we are so glad you’re here. We have been celebrating our national sales award winners, and so if you could say ‘Let’s win big this year,’ it will really bring the house down.” 

Don’t try to upstage them.

Many emcees are humorous (I hope you’re one of them). It’s tempting to turn your introduction into a time of entertainment but be careful about this.

You want to focus on introducing the guest entertainer with as much enthusiasm as possible. Remember that you are the glue of the event, not the star. 

Help them facilitate an encore.

This can be tricky, as you also have to keep an eye on the time parameters for the event. Let me give you a specific example here.

Let’s say you’re working with a country music star who will be a part of the opening night kick-off. If they’ve been slotted for 45 minutes, work with their handler to remind them that if they plan on doing an encore, they should plan to end at 40 minutes.

You would come out, bring them back onstage, and say something like, “Let’s welcome Trace Adkins back to the platform!” He would then conclude with one more song. This can feel very electrifying for the audience but still allow you to keep the train on the tracks. 

More Secrets for Working with Speakers

1. Understand their goal for being there.

Oftentimes the speaker has a different agenda than the actual agenda. This is simply human nature.

They may be there for the money, the drinks, or the positive publicity – you just never know. It might be helpful to chat with them before they take the stage to find out a little more about their goals. 

Help them remember to always keep the most important things most important, which are the goals of the sponsoring client and the agenda of the meeting. If you discover that a speaker has a political or financial agenda, do your best to steer them away from that arena.

If they do go off course during the program, use your outro and transition to make things right. 

2. Help them sell products, but only when appropriate.

There will be some events you emcee where it makes sense and is acceptable to plug the merch of a guest speaker or entertainer. But other times it will be quite a distraction and, quite frankly, in poor taste.

Discuss this ahead of time with the planner so that you can work accordingly. 

3. Affirm them after the program.

Don’t be confused – corporate speakers and entertainers are human beings just like you and me. It’s always great to let them know they did a superb job or put on an incredible performance.

I went out of my way one time to congratulate a very famous singer after she left the stage, and she was so thrilled because she hears applause from hundreds of people, but it’s always nice when a fellow professional affirms your work. 

4. Ask to have your picture taken with them (in a classy way).

Don’t be a fanboy or fangirl, but you may find at times it’s very appropriate for you to ask to have your photo taken with them either backstage or onstage once the program ends. Remember to always be professional; don’t risk disrupting the program or distracting the attendees. 

Your goal as the master of ceremonies is to make the audience feel good and make the keynote speakers look good. Remember to shine your light on the guest speakers and help them win. When they do a great job, it means you’ve done your work properly as well!

Keep Reading: Transitions – How To Be A Great Emcee

—

This is an excerpt from Adam Christing‘s forthcoming book, “How To Be A Great Emcee: The A to Z Guide to Hosting Events” by America’s #1 Master of Ceremonies. Follow along as new chapters get posted to this blog category each week. 

The post Speakers – How To Be A Great Emcee appeared first on Adam Christing.

“It’s time we highlight the importance of the rehearsal.”

-Jourdan Aldredge, The Beat

You’ve heard the old saying, “Practice makes perfect.” In the world of events, it’s probably more accurate to say, “Practice makes progress.” You want to practice as much as you possibly can before the event. This is where rehearsals come in. 

The main goal of good a rehearsal is to make sure that everyone understands the following:

• Who is doing what?
• When are they doing it?
• Where are they delivering it? 
• Are the support pieces in place (sound, lighting, props, slides, video)? 
• How will we handle the transitions?

It is essential to make sure that everyone is on the same page about each of these elements of the program. The success of the event depends entirely on the communication between you, the event coordinator, the AV/tech team, and the event support staff. 

To make the best use of your rehearsal time, run through everything on the schedule and discuss all the logistics involved to make sure nothing falls through the cracks. 

See Related: Q & A – How To Be A Great Emcee

What is the role of the emcee during a rehearsal?

This can change from event to event. In some cases, the master of ceremonies also acts as the show director and/or producer.

Most of the time, you’ll be working with a meeting planner, but I want you to understand something important here: the meeting planner is often busy with things like handling registration, answering attendees’ questions, and finessing last-minute decor.

In other words, he or she will likely have their hands full. If this is the case, the rehearsal will need a guide to help steer things in the right direction. This is where you can step in. 

In other cases– high-end corporate events, for example– there will be a show producer or director. However, as the event MC, you still need to be fully present and engaged in the hours (or even days) leading up to the event.

The emcee’s job is to be an extension of the producer’s vision. Remember: You represent the company that hired you, so you want to do everything you can to ensure the success of their event. 

There are three types of rehearsals:

#1. The Talk-Through

This type of rehearsal should take place during pre-event phone or zoom calls. Many people don’t know this, but a rehearsal actually begins long before anyone arrives at the venue.

This happens during pre-planning calls with members of the event staff/production team. It’s important to always stay focused on a goal and a timeframe for these calls. 

This should happen again prior to the program. Start with the production meeting. This is an on-site gathering with all the presenters, during which time everyone will look at the “run of show” (ROS) and talk through every aspect of the program. These meetings should always be connected with a written agenda, aka the ROS or working schedule. 

Ideally, everyone who will be presenting during the program will meet with you, the event producer, and the AV team in a private room not visible to the attendees. Each participant will have a one-page written agenda that shows the flow of the program. 

It’s important to talk through who will be doing what, when they will be doing it, and where. This is the time to have any questions answered.

It’s also the time for the emcee to finalize details with each presenter and remind them how important it is that they stick to their designated timeframes. 

#2. The Walk-Through

This is also called a technical rehearsal because this is the opportunity for people to see what they’re going to experience on stage and hear how they will sound when delivering their presentations from the platform. Obviously, it’s critical to have the AV team in place for this. 

The purpose of the walk-through is also to experience the “blocking” of the program. “Blocking” is a theatrical term that simply refers to the choreography or movement of the players– or in this case, the presenters. 

For example, will you enter stage right or stage left? Will you enter from backstage or from the green room? Where will you be seated or standing when you are up next? 

The walk-through takes place on the very stage where the event will transpire. This is the time to handle sound, lighting, and video cues. You will need to coordinate with the AV team and communicate very clearly with the presenters to make sure no one misses their cues.

Here’s an example: 

When you introduce the keynote speaker, will he be coming on directly at that moment or will there be a video bumper that shows more about his background before he takes the stage? These are the kinds of questions that will be handled during the walk-through or technical rehearsal.

#3. The Dress Rehearsal

In a play or musical, this usually happens the night before the official opening. In a corporate event, however, my experience is that a dress rehearsal rarely happens at all.

This is because it’s very difficult to get CEOs, keynote speakers, and other special guests to a venue a day or two before the actual conference begins. This is usually because of the cost of travel and lodging, scheduling, et cetera.

That being said, I have seen dress rehearsals take place, especially for formal events like an annual awards program or a high-end gala. The purpose of this type of rehearsal is to deliver the program in its entirety, with only one thing missing: the audience. 

This means that presenters don’t stop when a glitch happens. They continue to go through the program as if the attendees were present.

It’s an excellent way to get the glitches out before delivering the program to a live audience. Every presenter must be present and dressed as they will be for the actual event. The AV team and producer must be present as well.

The success of the event depends on the success of your rehearsals. As the master of ceremonies, it is your job to make sure that every box has been checked and every detail discussed.

Think of it this way: The event is a symphony, and you are the conductor. Use your rehearsals to practice, practice, practice until everyone knows exactly what notes to hit and when so that you are ready to present a beautiful, well-orchestrated program for the audience. 

Because the rehearsal is so vital to the success of the event, you want to make the most effective use of that time. To help you do this, I’d like to go over some things you’ll want to keep from happening during your rehearsals so that no time is wasted. 

Bonus: Preview (and Review) – How To Be A Great Emcee

Mistakes to Avoid:

One person (usually the CEO or organization president) takes all the time.

You will notice that many meeting planners defer to the leader of the company. This makes sense here– after all, he or she is the one paying the bill! But it’s important if you have a voice in this process to make sure that every presenter feels comfortable with what they will be doing onstage. 

Key players are missing from the rehearsal.

In my experience, this happens most of the time because of flight delays or people who just tend to be late. In times like this, you just have to roll with the punches and simply move forward with the people you have on hand.

It’s important if anyone is missing that someone– whether it’s you, the show director, or the producer– gets them up to speed as soon as they arrive at the venue. Make sure they are quickly informed of what time they will go on, where they should be standing/sitting while they wait to go on, and what time they need to conclude their presentation. 

Presenters use this time for “re-dos” instead of “run-throughs.”

Remember that speakers and entertainers can also rehearse on their own at home, in their hotel room, in the garage– you name it. This is not the time for speakers to be trying out new material.

As we have already discussed, the purpose of a rehearsal is to go over what you’ve already prepared to deliver, so this time should not be used for creative brainstorming about the content.

No rehearsals happen at all!

In my experience, it’s always doable to have at the very minimum a talk-through. If at all possible, I urge meeting planners to also have a walk-through or technical rehearsal, because otherwise, it’s very likely that glitches that could be covered during the rehearsal will happen live on stage, in front of the audience. That’s a big no-no. 

You may be surprised that there is a chapter in this book solely dedicated to rehearsals, but it’s important to know that what you do before the program affects how well things will go during the event. Therefore, you should be prepared to give rehearsals your full attention and do everything you can to make sure that your event partners also participate in the process. 

It’s all about making progress towards a tremendous event experience!

Keep Reading: Speakers – How To Be A Great Emcee

—

This is an excerpt from Adam Christing‘s forthcoming book, “How To Be A Great Emcee: The A to Z Guide to Hosting Events” by America’s #1 Master of Ceremonies. Follow along as new chapters get posted to this blog category each week. 

The post Rehearsals – How To Be A Great Emcee appeared first on Adam Christing.

“The quality of your life depends on the quality of your questions.”

-Anthony Robbins

Tony Robbins is right. Not only can asking questions can help you lead a more interesting life, but questions can also add a lot of value to your dynamic meeting or event. 

This chapter will teach you how to most effectively handle Q & A sessions, or question and answer sessions.

Here’s an important note: There is a movement in the event world. It is toward more interactive content and delivery. 

Audience members are tired of people talking at them. They want to speak with them.

As a master of ceremonies, you can accommodate this new trend in a way that helps make your next meeting both more meaningful and more memorable. A great way to do this is by opening up a question-and-answer session for your attendees. 

See Related: Preview (and Review) – How To Be A Great Emcee

There are four types of Question-and-Answer sessions:

• Fielding questions from a live audience
• Posing questions that were previously submitted
• Conducting a one-on-one interview
• Leading a panel discussion. 

We will talk about each one, but before we get started, I want to let you know that if you have any questions, I would be happy to answer them. 

Here’s my email: adam@adamchristing.com. Try it and see! 

I want to practice what I’m preaching, so if you have any questions that I didn’t cover in this section please feel free to ask me by way of an email. Let’s jump in!

1. Fielding questions from audience members

This type of question-and-answer session serves as another example of why I choose to use a wireless handheld microphone. When a keynote speaker or another presenter is done with his or her presentation, I can go into the audience and encourage people to ask priority questions ahead of time. 

Please note that in even these challenging situations, like when you have an audience of over 500 people, it may be difficult for you alone as emcee to accommodate all the questions that can come up. For groups of 150 or more, you may want to have several handheld mics on mic stands positioned throughout the venue or auditorium. 

A word of caution:

If you choose to set out microphones in different spots throughout the auditorium, make sure they are turned off (if you use wireless microphones, you should be able to control them remotely) until you are ready to open up the floor for questions.

You could also have your event support staff subtly set them out as a speaker is reaching the end of their presentation. I say this because the last thing you want is to have members of the audience taking to the microphones prematurely and disrupting the program (watch out for those hecklers). 

A point of clarity:

Before we go much further, I also want to make this clear: you are not the speaker answering the questions in this context. You are simply facilitating the Q & A session. As the event MC, you still need to orchestrate the proceedings.  

Tell your attendees how to submit their questions. Are they putting them in writing or submitting them through their phones? Are they simply raising their hands? 

In the case I’ve been describing to you, you would walk into the audience with your handheld microphone, ask the attendee for their name, and say “Hi Jill, what is your question for our speaker, Marianne?”

I do not allow the attendee to grab my microphone because I want to keep the proceedings moving. I also pivot irrelevant questions in order for the speaker to deliver maximum insight for the actual session.

I also don’t want to allow the guest speaker to go on and on with his or her answer in too much detail, so sometimes I have to interrupt the question, and other times I have to interrupt the speaker. 

You can do this in a polite way by saying something like “I want to make sure we have time to answer a few other questions, Marianne. Let’s go to another person.” 

It’s important that you have a plan for wrapping up the session, and one way of doing that is to say something like, “Okay, we’re going to have time for one more question. Oh, I see someone on the other side of the room here…what is your name?”

This lets the audience know that there is no more time for any additional questions. 

2. Posing questions that were previously submitted

This can make for a more organized question-and-answer session, but it can also feel a bit less interactive. The key here is to let your audience know ahead of time how and when they can submit questions for the speaker. 

I like to have these on a monitor or in a stack of 3 x 5 cards, that way I can decide if some of the questions are repeats, or not entertaining and/or pertinent to the presenter’s expertise. 

In some situations, you can condense two or three questions into one question.

Example:

I might say something like, “Mary and I have noticed that among the questions that have been submitted, many of them are asking how a person can be more productive at work but also maintain balance in their personal life.”

The most important thing about posing already submitted questions is to make sure you don’t have a long lag time. Ideally, you want to have questions submitted and available to you for review before you enter into the session. 

Like all things, when it comes to being an event MC, you want to have a game plan before you start the game, and then execute it when it’s game time. 

3. Conducting a one-on-one interview

For this type of Q & A, you can approach the podium or lectern as the speaker concludes her talk and interview her right on the spot. However, a more ideal situation would be to invite her to either end of the stage (left or right), where two stools or chairs are set up in a talk-show style.

You would then enter into a conversation with this special guest. It’s best if you do not bring a script or multiple papers, as you want it to feel like the audience is listening in on two friends.

Your role as both you and the audience 

While you’re having an interesting back-and-forth conversation with the speaker, remember that your role here is to represent the audience, so you want to ask the kinds of questions that are at the forefront of your attendees’ minds. 

Think to yourself, “What do I want to know about this topic? What do I want to know about this speaker? What’s the most burning question that I need to be answered?”

Be careful that you don’t just give the interviewee softballs. Ask some challenging questions, but keep in mind you never want to ask them a question that’s so difficult it puts them in a bad light. 

Just like in other Q & A sessions, you’re going to want to land this plane, so you might say something like, “Before I ask you my final question, Marianne, I want to ask you this…”

By doing so, you let her know you are nearing the end of the segment. 

Bonus: Off the Cuff – How To Be A Great Emcee

4. Leading a panel discussion

This is like a session within the session. There are two ways to approach it:

Number one:

You are the moderator of the panel discussion, so you must segue from the prior speaker or segment into the panel. To do this, you need to introduce each of your guests briefly (in no more than 3 or 4 sentences) to establish their authority and welcome them to the panel.

Then you can ask each person a question and hopefully invite further questions from another audience member. You must be really focused here on three things at the same time:

1. Keeping all of the panelists involved
2. Staying on time
3. Making it continually interesting for the audience

Number two:

The other way you can lead a panel discussion is by introducing the moderator, rather than being the moderator yourself. You can either have the moderator introduce the panelists or you can introduce the moderator and the panelists. 

This is more typical, as a master of ceremonies may introduce the Senior VP of Sales, who then introduces regional sales managers, et cetera. 

Again, the key is to know the format and execute it properly.

Tips for Making Q & A Sessions Sensational

Let the audience know ahead of time.

You want to give the audience that “heads up” that they are going to have the opportunity to pose questions to experts, special guests, company leaders, and so on. 

Turn good questions into great ones. 

Sometimes you’ll get a question that is too easy to answer, like a yes or no question. Avoid questions that can be answered with a simple yes or no: “Marianne, are you having a good time with us?” 

Instead, turn a situation like that into a great question by saying, “Marianne, we’re glad you’re having a good time with us– has there been one big ‘aha’ moment that you’ve experienced during our conference so far?” 

Encourage openness and empowerment.

As I mentioned at the top of this chapter, the new trend in meetings is deeper engagement. As the event MC, you can encourage your guest interviewee to be very transparent.

You can invite them to share stories of transformation or examples of times they took their own advice that was shared during their keynote presentation and how it led to remarkable growth in their professional or personal life. 

You can also set an example by asking a question that relates to something in your own life or work.

Meet with interviewees before the event.

It’s critical to make your guests feel relaxed and at ease. Tell them that they are not addressing the entire audience so much as they are answering your individual questions.

A Q & A session should not feel like another keynote presentation or planned message. It should feel like a live, interactive, spontaneous experience that is shared by the group. 

Follow your plan but be flexible, too.

Have four or five questions in mind that you plan to ask the interviewee, along with some questions you have taken from the audience – but as we have talked about before, be a good listener. Certain topics may come up that you feel are especially exciting for the audience to explore with your special guest. 

As long as you keep the event program on schedule, you can take your Q & A session down various trails that can lead to wonderful, enriching moments. But be careful to avoid these five mistakes:

5 Mistakes To Avoid During A Question and Answer Session

1. Don’t let a Q & A time turn into a speaker monologue. 

Once the presenter has given his or her speech, we don’t need another one. We need to have as many questions answered in the most entertaining way possible.

Sometimes you must gently interrupt the guest speaker and say, “I want to make sure we have time for some other questions, Marianne, and here’s one that Tony wants to know the answer to…”

2. Don’t allow one person with a question to dominate the time.

Be on the lookout for questioners who want to become speakers or share their personal agenda. This is another reason why I never hand someone my handheld microphone.

I point it toward them but keep a tight grip on it – because if they start going on and on, it might be time for me to take the mic back, wrap up that question, and move on to another attendee’s question.

3. Don’t let the conversation drift into negative or controversial territory.

There’s a fine line here: You want to encourage transparency – and even tough questions – but you never want to lead the audience or guest speaker into areas that are insensitive, divisive, or that could embarrass the organization you’re representing. 

Follow your gut on odd and inappropriate questions by neutralizing hostile questions posed

This goes back to one of my cardinal rules: if in doubt, leave it out. If you notice that certain questions or answers are heading into the danger zone, it’s your responsibility as the MC to lead everyone in a new direction. 

4. Don’t let the Q & A session run over time. 

Oftentimes the speaker will be allotted 45 minutes for their presentation and 15 for a Q & A session. In some cases, they may speak for 60 minutes and think that they still have Q & A time available to them.

This is where chatting with speakers prior to them going onstage can be helpful, simply to remind them of the schedule (and the importance of sticking to it). 

Be very clear in the way you communicate to them the precise time frame they have to work with and confirm that they understand. By getting this agreement ahead of time, it’s more likely that you’ll end on time.  

5. Don’t forget to have some questions ready. 

It’s rare, but it’s happened to me: there are times when an audience simply doesn’t have any questions for the speaker. This can happen for a few different reasons:

• The speaker did such a fantastic job that all the questions were already answered
• The speaker covered a topic that was not of particular interest to the audience
• The audience feels intimidated by the speaker
• Frankly, the attendees are just plain bored or tired

Therefore, it’s important to have some of your own questions ready, just in case you need to fill this gap. 

As you think about conducting Q & A sessions, remember that the most important things are engagement, interaction, and keeping the train on the tracks. 

Keep Reading: Rehearsals – How To Be A Great Emcee

—

This is an excerpt from Adam Christing‘s forthcoming book, “How To Be A Great Emcee: The A to Z Guide to Hosting Events” by America’s #1 Master of Ceremonies. Follow along as new chapters get posted to this blog category each week. 

The post Q & A – How To Be A Great Emcee appeared first on Adam Christing.