Some of the most popular ways to engage your guests or attendees at your event – whether itâs a gala, a product launch or a conference – include an immersive onsite experience, gamification and even live performances.
But an emcee should definitely be at the top of your list if youâre looking to deliver an event experience that your guests or attendees wonât be in a hurry to forget. Besides helping to facilitate transitions between the different segments of your event, the right emcee is able to create energy during key moments.
So how do you choose an emcee who not only understands your vision but also brings his or her unique sparkle to make your event shine? Letâs find out.
1. Define your eventâs purpose and tone
Are you organising a black-tie gala or bringing together industry experts and leaders at a summit? Or are you set on turning heads at a pop-up event or drumming up excitement at a community festival? The former will benefit from a more formal approach, while the latter will gain from a dose of light-heartedness.
Regardless of the purpose of your event, itâs crucial to ensure that your emcee will be able to keep up with its tone and resonate with your guests or attendees. Review videos of your emcee at past events, which will help give you a better idea of the type of event that he or she is more experienced in emceeing.
2. Check whether your emcee is comfortable with your topic
With a key role to play in connecting your guests or attendees with your event, itâs important for your emcee to be able to buy into the topic at hand, according to Kyle Ravin. Kyle has been an event emcee for 14 years and regularly collaborates with us.
Although most emcees would prepare themselves for your event by researching your topic beforehand, youâll still want to check whether your emcee is comfortable with it. If your topic is technical or specific to an industry, getting help from an insider or thought leader to moderate conversations will prove more effective, Kyle adds.
3. Ensure that your emcee is versatile enough for different segments of your event
Evidently, the overall tone – and the emcee you hire – shifts with the type of event that youâre organising. But each type of event still carries with it a unique flow that only a versatile emcee can master.
For example, a conference may open with a live musical performance before settling into a rhythm of panels and workshops. A versatile emcee should understand how to strike a balance between two distinct emotions, Kyle says. This means being able to lean into the gaiety of the opening ceremony while being concise when weaving the other sessions together.
4. Assess your emceeâs ability to improvise
Even the most thoroughly planned event can fall victim to unforeseen circumstances such as technology breakdowns or speaker no-shows. One of the hallmarks of a good emcee is his or her ability to stay calm in the face of hiccups and think on his or her feet, Kyle says.
âThe whole team may be scrambling to fix the problem behind the scenes, but the emcee needs to carry on with the show without alerting the guests or attendees to whatâs happening,â Kyle adds.
One of the ways to test your emceeâs knack for improvisation is to present him or her with an unexpected scenario and observe how he or she tackles it. You could also throw your emcee a curveball question and evaluate whether he or she is able to respond engagingly.
5. Consider your chemistry with your emcee
Many have likened choosing an event emcee to choosing a partner – and theyâre not wrong. After all, whatâs the foundation of a successful working relationship if not good chemistry?
For this reason, we encourage going beyond your emceeâs resume and portfolio and prioritising a face-to-face meeting. During the meeting, look out for non-verbal cues that indicate his or her interest in your vision and excitement about contributing to the success of your event.
If your emcee offers insights and ideas for your event or shares your organisationâs values and mission, weâd say itâs a great start!
Choose from our network of trusted event emcees
With any event being a significant investment today, the last thing you want to worry about is whether your emcee is able to engage and connect with your guests or attendees and guide your event agenda from start to finish.
Having planned and managed over 1,000 events, from high-profile galas attended by ministers to brand activations and festivals in the heart of Orchard to international summits and conferences, we have come to work with a trusted network of event emcees whose successes echo the events they have hosted.
Find the ideal emcee for your event or design your event experience from the ground up with us today.
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