VENANCE MREMA: HOW TO BE A GOOD MASTER OF CEREMONY (MC)

VENANCE MREMA: HOW TO BE A GOOD MASTER OF CEREMONY (MC): A master of ceremonies (also known as an MC or emcee) is the official host for a staged event, performance, or party. Normally, a ma... The truth creates peace to set you free

HOW TO BE A GOOD MASTER OF CEREMONY (MC)

A master of ceremonies (also known as an MC or emcee) is the official host for a staged event, performance, or party. Normally, a master of ceremonies introduces speakers, makes announcements, and engages with the audience to keep the ceremony agenda flowing as smoothly as possible. While being a master of ceremonies might seem like a daunting task, there are a few ways you can nail your responsibility as MC, and radiate confidence and charisma to keep the ceremony entertaining for all. Most of Mc's do it because they think they have that karma, because they have confidence to stand in front of the crowd and speak, sometimes because there is no one can stand and speak in the event. But this is the processional just like any other, you must learn, you must be creative, you must listen others, you must accept corrections, must learn new things everyday. Here under are some tips that may help, follow carefully;

Preparing Before The Event

1

Know your event. Knowing your event is important for all types of ceremonies, whether it’s a wedding, graduation, bar mitzvah, celebrity roast, etc. The type of event will dictate the type of atmosphere you, the MC, needs to create. Knowing what’s going on, what should be talked about, and what is coming next is key to being a successful MC.

• Consider meeting with the people organizing the event, and going over the planned structure and reviewing the itinerary of the event in detail.

2

Know your responsibilities. The MC is responsible for creating and sustaining the intended atmosphere throughout the event. The intended atmosphere may vary depending on the type of event, although most events that hire an MC are looking to create a fun and energetic atmosphere. As MC, your main responsibilities include:^[2]

• Keeping the event flowing and bridging between segments of the event.
• Keeping the interest of the audience and make sure they’re having fun.
• Helping the audience feel respected and engaging with them during the event.
• Helping the speakers feel valued.
• Keeping the event on time.
• Keeping everyone updated on what is happening at the event.

3

Know your role expectations. Being an MC means that you have a great sense of humor, you can work a crowd, and you’re a practiced public speaker.^[3] This means that you have to be prepared to improvise, so you can react efficiently to whatever that may arise. For example, you may have to momentarily entertain the audience while waiting for the next speaker to get out of the bathroom or for the broken microphone to be replaced.

• Remember to smile. Smiling reinforces the fun and lighthearted ambiance of the event, and makes you appear to be an enthusiastic MC.
• Keep in mind that just because you’re the MC, you are not the celebrity of the show. You are supposed to make others feel like they’re the stars of the show.

4

Do your research. Contact your key speakers to find out some background information on them, and use that information to prepare your introductions for the speakers. This background research will help you construct introductions that sound more personal and genuine.

• Find out if there are any special audience members who should be recognized during the event.^[4]
• Make sure you review everyone’s name and title so you know how to say it on stage when the time comes to make their announcement

5

Stay organized. Create or review a given agenda for the event, and plan out, minute by minute, the event schedule. Take into consideration the time it takes to get on and off the stage, make introductions for guests, and speeches or thank yous from guest members.^[6]

• Consider making a rough script of what you’re going to say throughout the night. This script is something that you can memorize, have small notecards to keep yourself on task, or have an outline projected throughout the event for you to follow.^[7]
• It may be helpful to tell the lead organizer of the event that, as MC, you’re only going to answer to one person in charge. If any changes need to be made to the program, the only way you are going to allow that to happen is if the one person in charge approves the changes. This will reduce mix-ups and miscommunication during the event, and help the event run smoother.