How To MC A Business Event At Short Notice

11pm.  You're drifting off into the wonderful world of sleep when your phone starts ringing.  Who could it be?  It's a client.  "Remember the conference and exhibition I told you about?  I need you to MC the opening ceremony.  9am tomorrow.  Can you do it?"

Talk about short notice!  And how does one really prepare so little time to the event? Here are critical questions you should get answers to.

Are you available?

Of course, you need to first be physically present to MC the event.  So, first hang up and quickly flip through your diary.  If you're not free on the date and time, too bad for your client.  Offer to recommend someone else and go back to bed.   However if you will be available, call your client back and ask for more information.

What information do you need?

You need to know what the conference is about, who the audience and speakers will be, and what the program lineup will look like.

Ask the organizer to give you a general picture of the event.  Confirm from him who the audience will be. Since it's an opening ceremony of a conference and exhibition, the audience is likely to include delegates and exhibitors as well as the media.  Ask the organizer to email you the program lineup and brief profiles of all the speakers.

How much will you get paid?

If you're doing the job as a favor for a friend, skip this question.  However if you are a professional MC, you deserve to be rewarded for your services.  Remember, the organizer called you at that late hour because he really needed your services and is expecting you to do a professional job.

How do you prepare?

As the MC, you must have enough general knowledge on the conference subject matter to speak intelligently about the main issues.  Even if the organizer emailed you a bunch of conference documents, you wouldn't have enough time to read them fully to absorb the contents.  Remember your event is less than ten hours away.

What's your solution?

Here's what I did when I got a late night request to MC an e-commerce conference and exhibition the following morning.  I went online and headed to YouTube.  In the search box, I typed in "what is e-commerce".  In forty-five minutes, and while putting my clothes together for my assignment the following day, I watched two online videos.

The first broke down the concept of e-commerce and the other featured Jack Ma, Alibaba Group CEO making a presentation at an international e-commerce conference.  Still on YouTube,  I searched for "e-commerce in africa" and found another conference presentation on the challenges and opportunities of doing online business in Africa. Not bad for a spot of last minute research don't you think?

What do you do on the day?

1. Get to the venue a least an hour early.
2. Familiarize yourself with the room and the equipment you'll be using (microphone for you,projector for the presenters).
3. Introduce yourself to the speakers and confirm the correct pronunciation if their names are unfamiliar to you.
4. Check to see if there are any changes to the program emailed to you earlier.  Makes sure you have both soft and hard copies of the speaker profiles and program.  If one version fails, you'll have a backup.
5. Establish who your unique contact will be during the event so that information about any changes can flow freely between you and that person.

Even though you weren't given sufficient notice, you've done enough preparation to ensure a successful event.

You're good to go!

How To MC An Awards Ceremony

 

 

An awards ceremony is a special corporate event designed to recognize and reward excellence within a particular industry. It brings together the top people who make things happen in that industry to network... in a relaxed setting. It provides a perfect excuse for guests to dress up in their finest to spend three or four hours wining, dining and sharing the in the joy of the winners. It can also be a source of abject boredom if the Master of Ceremonies doesn't bring it to life with an entertaining style of presentation. For how long would you tolerate the MC mechanically announcing "And the winner is...and the winner is...”?

Preparation

The secret to successfully emceeing an awards ceremony is the same as any other special event - the key is preparation. If you have been chosen to host your company's annual awards, pat yourself on the back. Someone thinks you can do a good job in handling the show. Now it's up to you not to disappoint them or yourself. Get to work immediately.

Request a meeting

Have a conversation with the event organizer. Make sure you take notes. What do you talk about? Here are eleven questions you should ask:
1. When is the awards ceremony?
2. Where is it taking place?
3. What time does it start?
4. Why these awards at this particular time of the organization's life? This sounds like an obvious question but you may get extra insights from the response that could be helpful to you.
5. Who hosted last year's event? (If it was recorded, ask for copies of the video)
6. Who is your sole contact person during the event?
7. Who are the speakers on the programme? You will need their profiles so you can introduce them well.
8. Who will provide entertainment? The deejay? A live band? A comedian?
9. How many awards will be presented?
10. Who is presenting the awards? Company executives? VIPs?
11. What is the highest award? You'll want to climax the event by announcing this one last.

Running Order

Next, ask the organizers for a draft running order or run sheet. This document shows what will happen at a specific time during the show. I have come across elaborate versions done in Microsoft Excel with precise timings for everything that happens on the stage including scripts for what the MC should be saying. The running order is your best friend if you are the MC. It is your road map that will help you get to Destination Successful Event in good time.

Always note that the running order is not set in stone like the Ten Commandments. For example, if it bunches thirty awards in one presentation segment you can take the liberty of splitting the awards up. You could for example present ten before dinner, ten during dinner and the remainder right after the final musical performance. Audiences attend events primarily to be entertained and you the MC are the facilitator of the entertainment. Bend the running order to suit the dictates of the event.

Rehearsal

As the MC, you've asked your questions and you've received the running order. Are you ready to host the event? You know the saying "Practice makes perfect." It's time to put the saying to the test. You should aim to have a full dress rehearsal of the event at least once.

Practice the key moments of the ceremony – the introduction, the award presentations. In what order will the awards be arranged and presented when the categories are announced? That will prevent you from announcing one category only for the winner to be presented with a plaque for a different award. Will the announcement of awards be synchronized with music? Then you and the deejay have to be well coordinated. It is only during the rehearsal session that you'll know how the different segments of the show fit and flow into each other.

Show time!

After this amount of preparation, you are ready for your awards ceremony. Get to the venue ahead of time, start on time and have a good time! Success is yours!

How To MC A Corporate Breakfast Meeting

 Breakfast meetings are corporate networking events that take place in the morning.  They are usually held in a hotel.  Important speakers are invited to deliver presentations about relevant business topics.  A Master of Ceremonies is required to take control of the event.  As the MC, how do you host such an event successfully?

Welcome

If the meeting is scheduled to begin at 8:30am, arrive at least an hour early.  Check out the meeting hall, test your microphone and meet the organizers.  When the guests start appearing, introduce yourself, welcome them to the event.  Some breakfast meetings require guests to register and give out their business cards for a raffle that will be held during the meeting.  One of your first tasks is to direct guests to the registration desk with a reminder that they may win big if their card is drawn.  Organizers use the registration exercise to harvest contacts of business executives so be enthusiastic about encouraging guests to register and hand over their cards.  Even during the meeting, you can continue to remind the audience to register.

The first part of a breakfast meeting deals with the food.  After guests have settled at their tables, announce that breakfast is ready.  They will approach the buffet tables to serve themselves but you won't join them.  Remember they are there to network but you are there to manage the event.  You are effectively on duty.   You may get engrossed in a conversation and forget that you were engaged to do a specific job - host the event.  You may be called upon to suddenly make an announcement and if your mouth is full of food, how professional will that be?  You may even accidentally spill coffee on your suit and have to take to the stage with a big brown stain in full view of the audience.  Hungry because you didn't grab a bite?  Tough.  There will be plenty of time after the event to sample the breakfast fare.

Announcements

Halfway through breakfast, you'll start the meeting by welcome guests once again.  Run through all the announcements that need to be made - fire exits, directions to washrooms, requests for cars blocking exits to be re-parked and registration reminders.  If the event is sponsored, acknowledge the sponsoring company's representative and invite them to make a presentation about their organization.  You can also remind guests to visit sponsor stands for more information about their products and services.

Introductions

You're now ready to bring the speakers onto the stage.  Even if the organizers gave you their profiles, it's a good idea to touch base with the speakers during breakfast to confirm those details.  To do an excellent job, you must have the speaker's name and its correct pronunciation, their title and professional achievements.  Introduce every speaker using this formula: Profession-Experience-Relevance to Audience-Speaker's Name.  It builds drama and gets the audience's attention because they will be curious about who that person is.  Here's an example of a brief but solid introduction:

"Our first speaker is a serial entrepreneur.  She has spent the best part of 2 decades building, running and selling successful companies.  We are privileged to have her speak to us about identifying opportunities in a challenging business environment.  Ladies and gentlemen, please put your hands together as we welcome...Dr. Rose Donkor."

Question Time

While the speaker is talking, it is likely that the audience will have all manner of questions to ask.  You can handle this at the end of the talk by asking guests to raise their hand if they want a question answered.  If nobody ventures, be prepared to ask the first one or two questions.  When the audience starts firing away, limit them to one per person plus a follow-up question so nobody dominates the interaction. Another way of getting a wide variety of queries is to pass around slips of paper to the audience.  Ask them to anonymously write down their questions while the speaker is presenting.  At question time, the filled paper slips will be retrieved and read.  The advantage of this system is that guests who are nervous about speaking in public can still have their concerns tackled.  Also there's no pressure on you to ask a question to get the ball rolling.

Raffle

Before you announce the business card draw, clarify the rules.  When I MC at a breakfast meeting, I usually bar the organizers, the media and myself from taking part in the raffle.  I also stress that if a winner is not in the room at the time of announcement, that person forfeits their claim to the prize.  A full house always adds excitement to the draw.  Put the business cards in a bowl and ask members of the audience to come up and pick winners.  Always leave the grand prize as the last one to be announced - it adds drama to the event!

The End

After introducing the person to present the vote of thanks, you can close the breakfast meeting by asking your audience to stop by the sponsor stands on their way out.  Wish them a productive rest of the day and you're done.  You can now have your own breakfast, you've earned it!

MC 101: How To Be An Excellent Master of Ceremonies

Almost every week, I get an email, a text or a call from a someone who wants to know what to do to become a Master of Ceremonies.  Since nobody goes to school to study the ins and outs of this profession, this article is a response to all those enquiries as well as preemptive strike for future questions!

What is the use of a Master of Ceremonies?

As the MC, you are the person responsible for managing a formal event.  That event could be a corporate one like a product launch or an inauguration; it could be a social function such as a wedding reception or a birthday dinner.  Your main duties include telling guests why they've been invited, introducing speakers and making sure the event starts and ends on time.  To be an excellent MC, you should have enough knowledge about the event to speak intelligently about it.  You should have sufficient background information about the speakers in order to introduce them well.  You should also be skilled at managing time so that you don't lose control of the event and make it drag.

What a Master of Ceremonies is not

The MC is not a stand-up comedian.  By all means be entertaining but remember you are not the entertainer.  This means you shouldn't put yourself under unnecessary pressure to have a stock of jokes ready to be unleashed whenever there is the slightest gap in the programme.  You run the risk of turning a serious event into a comedy club if you start off with one or two jokes to lighten the atmosphere.  Your audience may then expect you to make them laugh any time you come on stage to talk.   It is possible to see the funny side of almost any situation without actually cracking a joke.  Humorous situations occur around us all the time.  You are on your way to becoming an excellent MC when you observe these things and comment on them naturally during your delivery.

I'm sorry to disappoint you but as the Master of Ceremonies,  you are not the main attraction of the event.  Simply put, you are not the star.  Your job isn't to hog the headlines.  Rather, your role is to shine the spotlight on the VIPs  occupying the high table as well as the guests in the audience.  Make your speakers smile when you introduce them professionally; let your guests appreciate the fact that you respected them by starting and ending the event on time.  That's what you're engaged to do; just do it consistently and you will be known for excellence.

What it takes to become an excellent Master of Ceremonies

Just like any other profession, you only become a skilled MC through study and practice.  Without a doubt, the most important subject you should study is human behaviour and how people think.  Are you asking what this has to do with picking up a microphone and speaking to an audience of strangers?  But think carefully about it.  Any event you will ever host will revolve around people.  The event planner, your audience, the speakers, you name it. If you want to get a detailed brief about your event, you better know how to relate with the organizer to get that information.  If you want to create instant rapport with a roomful of strangers, you better know how to gauge your audience’s mood in order to make the right connection.  If you want to rein in a speaker who has been talking for too long, you better be on top of your game in the people skills department.  The more you study and know  people, the better you will be as a Master of Ceremonies.

Another important subject worthy of your study is public speaking.  You won't get very far as an MC if you can't overcome your nervousness and fear in front of an audience.  You'll have no chance of success if people can't hear you even though you're speaking into a microphone.  So learn the art of public speaking by reading books on the topic, listening to instructional CDs and observing people who speak for a living (broadcasters, actors, the clergy, politicians).  Unlike other professional speakers, you don't have the liberty of speaking as long as you want when you get on the stage.  Remember you are not the reason why people have gathered.  As the MC, you link the various parts of the program to give it structure.  In effect, you are the glue that binds the disparate pieces of an event together.  Glue that is effective will not be visible.  Therefore your motto really should be 'GOS-KIS-GOS'.  In other words, "Get On Stage - Keep It Short - Get Off Stage".

After all the studying and observing, you now have to practise.  You have to hunt for events where you can deploy your skills as an MC.  The good thing is you can start small and grow gradually.  Remember every formal event needs a Master of Ceremonies.  Start with your family and friends.  Any anniversaries, birthdays, funerals, naming ceremonies or weddings coming up?  Volunteer to be the MC.  Forget about getting paid.  That comes later.  For now, use these social events as a laboratory where you can test your skills in a relatively safe environment where you will be familiar with your audience.  What about your workplace?  Any opportunities there for you?  Of course!  Awards ceremonies, breakfast meetings, inaugurations and product launches are just a few corporate events that could benefit from your MC skills.  Let your colleagues know what you can do.  One day, someone will surely hand you the baton of opportunity; when you meet that moment, say a prayer of thanks, hold on to that baton and make sure you cross the finish line with it.  You will be well on your way to becoming an excellent Master of Ceremonies!

MC 101: How to Handle a Speaker who Turns Up Late

Just picture this.  You're the Master of Ceremonies for a high-level corporate function.  You've arrived at the venue an hour early.  You've introduced yourself to the event organizer, the venue manager and the caterer.  The hall is tastefully decorated and the DJ is filling the room with smooth jazz.  You glance at your watch.  Everything is going to plan.  The show starts in ten minutes.  Then the organizer comes rushing in to give you bad news.  The guest speaker was on his way but had to attend an urgent unscheduled meeting before coming here.  Looks like he definitely will be late.  The question is, when will he arrive?  Nobody knows for sure.

Such a scenario has the potential for sharply raising stress levels before the show even gets underway.  The client, the person paying for the event, wants to know what's going on.  The audience - guests and the media - want proceedings to start, they haven’t got all day you know.  The organizer just wants a faraway place to hide from all this unwanted pressure.  A launch or an awards ceremony that took weeks of meticulous planning and countless sleepless nights can be wrecked with a key person failing to turn up on time to play a critical role in the programme.  You’re the MC.  You’re in the middle of a potential storm.  What’s your decision?

Do you:

A. Offer no explanations to the audience.  Instead, wait till the special guest turns up before you start?
B.  Start the show on time, apologize profusely and let the audience know that the guest speaker will be late?

Starting later than scheduled is not advisable, especially if it is a corporate affair.  It shows a lack of professionalism as well as a lack of respect for guests who took pains to turn up early.  So Option A is out of the question.  How about Option B?  Making a speaker look bad by advertising their lateness is not a good idea either.  Why cause disaffection for him or her?  One important role of the MC is to bring out the best in everyone connected with the event: the audience, the client, and the speakers.  With that in mind, here's what to do if you're the MC and its show time but your special guest is nowhere to be found.

1. Rearrange it and then start on time.

Juggle the programme around.  Push the guest speaker's appearance further down the running order since they will be appearing later than scheduled.  Feel free to bring forward items that were originally scheduled to run after the guest of honour's speech.  I recently emceed a corporate event where I brought forward a musical performance and an awards segment to account for the lateness of the special guest.  After making these changes, start the show on time without referring to them.  No apologies are needed - just get on with it.  The audience will be happy that you're not wasting their time.  They will take a cue from you the MC and assume that the show was originally planned that way.

2.  Coordinate it.

The show is now underway.  You're up front on the stage.  How will you know when your special guest turns up?  Coordination is the key.  Make sure you have a representative of the organizers updating you regularly so you know when the speaker is around and when it's time to bring him or her into the picture.  Remember, nobody in the audience should know that there was a problem before the show kicked off.  Be diplomatic.  Don't make any mention of their lateness when you introduce the guest speaker.  You should be as natural as possible, as if it was planned all along that the guest of honour would address the audience at that particular time.  It has been my experience that unless you draw attention to a lapse or problem, most audiences are happily unaware of what challenges you may be facing to produce a successful event.  This may be one of the rare occasions where indeed ignorance is bliss.  Keep it that way!

As a Master of Ceremonies, how you handle a speaker who turns up late means being creative and working closely with team members.  Your success will mark you out as a professional and you’d like to be regarded in such a manner wouldn’t you?