Singapore Corporate Emcee – Donna Daniels
Are you serious about putting together an event that is impressive, runs smoothly, but at the same time fun & entertaining for your audience? Then, please do not underestimate the importance of the corporate emcee. THE ROLE OF EMCEE is crucial & should be taken very seriously.
An emcee has the power to make your event a huge success, or destroy it completely. Any emcee may or may not do a good job. But a great emcee ensures the success of your event & keeps it running seamlessly so that the event leaves a lasting impression that your guests want to talk about.
According to the Guinness Book of Records, Public Speaking is man’s greatest fear. Imagine if you hired an inexperienced emcee, who ‘froze’ in front of an audience, or one who could only get up on stage if he/she were drunk. When you are dealing with events unfolding ‘LIVE’ you need someone you can rely on, who can think on their feet, be extremely flexible & can make changes instantly. They also need to be calm & not panic under pressure. On top of all that, they have to be completely ‘in control’ in front of your guests & have a great energy that creates the right ‘vibe’ for the night & the stage presence to keep the event ‘humming along’ so all can enjoy. This is a skill, which may look ‘easy’, but in actual fact, takes years of experience to master – just like any other profession.
From my years of experience as a Singapore emcee, I have drafted out these simple guidelines for beginners, so:
Let me give you 10 tips to help you become a successful emcee.
1. Prepare, prepare, prepare. Know your subject. Meet with the organizers & understand the purpose of their event & what role they want you play in it.
2. Plan an exciting program. After the above meeting, go back & according to your experience, plan the best program that you can confidently execute.
3. On the day of the event, arrive early so that you can go over any last minute changes & ensure that the set-up is going smoothly, and do a sound check of your microphone. Also find out the location of the changing room, bathrooms etc. & any house-keeping announcements that the venue may have e.g. where the exits are located, the rules on smoking etc.
4. Have a final run-through meeting. You may need extra time to ‘tweak’ your program after the ‘last-minute’ changes. Always have a pen & extra blank paper to write down the changes – do not trust your memory. Making a mistake on a person’s name or title because the changes have not been written down is unprofessional.
5. Take a ‘time-out’ to familiarize yourself with the changes. Re-focus your energy on the event, the purpose of the event & the needs of the audience. Clear your mind & get yourself in a positive frame of mind.
6. Depending on the type of event, try to ensure you keep to the timing. It is the emcee’s role to be the ‘driver’ for the night, & ensure that everything runs smoothly.
7. Expect the Unexpected. Whenever an event is ‘live’ an experienced emcee knows that anything can happen, and is always prepared to ‘go with the flow’. This means that you will have to also prepare ‘back-up’ material to cover for any unforeseen circumstances that may arise. In fact, these are ‘opportunities’ presented to an emcee & give you a golden chance to show your professionalism & skill.
8. The Opening. First impressions count, so make yours a good one. The audience want to put their trust in you – but you have to earn their trust.
9. Introductions. Keep them brief. If you’re introducing a speaker: cover their name, a brief biography & the topic they’re speaking on, if need be. Sometimes you will only need to mention their name & title. After their speech: Thank the speaker & occasionally you may need to give a summary of the speech, but no more than a few sentences.
10. Closing the event. Thank all the speakers & attendees, and make a special thanks to the organisers and any individuals who contributed to the success of the event.
There are many types of events, so the above list is just a brief outline to get you started. However, by observing skilful & successful emcees, you can ‘model’ their styles, until you get enough experience to rank amongst the elite. I wish you the best, & hope that you too will become a highly successful master of ceremonies with your own style and charisma.
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