Being the master of ceremonies or, in short, the MC of an event is by no means easy. They present everything from the entertainment to the sponsors and are often the center of attention. They have to be well-prepared to avoid any embarrassing blunders. These are the top five things a corporate MC needs to know before going onstage:
1. The role of the corporate MC
While it’s true that they will be in the spotlight for a big part of the event, it’s important to remember that their role is to make sure everything runs smoothly. That should always be the main concern.
They may have to do many tasks, for example, guiding people to the venue, but the main job will be to get the guests in the right mindset for the event and introduce the speakers who will go onstage.
Being entertaining is certainly good, but an MC shouldn’t distract the audience from the main events.
2. The schedule
As a rule of thumb, the corporate MC should know the schedule better than anyone else. That’s because the MC is the one who has the most control over it. It’s paramount that they know it by heart.
Speakers or acts often don’t fit into the allocated time. In these situations, the MC has to adjust their own speaking time to get back on track. That means either shortening or stretching out transitions and breaks.
3. Who they’ll be introducing
The corporate emcee will be the one introducing speakers and important guests, so they have to know at least two essential things about them beforehand.
First of all is their names. Just reading a name on a piece of paper once isn’t enough. They need to know how to pronounce the names as well. Otherwise they might offend someone.
Second is what they look like. The MC needs to know how each person who will go onstage looks. This way, they will avoid awkward mistakes like calling an absent speaker up onstage.
Make sure the corporate MC knows these things well. A mistake like the one I talked about could tarnish an otherwise great event.
4. The content
Simply introducing someone, thanking them when they’re done talking, and calling up the next speaker isn’t enough. It makes the topics seem disconnected, and at the end of the day, the audience might forget everything that transpired.
Have the MC familiarize themselves with the topics of discussions and the points that the speakers will make. Then they can add their own opinion while the speakers change. This way the transition is seamless and the audience stays invested in the discussion.
5. The audience
Lastly, they need to know the audience. MCs should do their best to connect with them, and that won’t be possible if they don’t know the first thing about them.
There’s a good chance that they’ll need to keep the people occupied while the next speaker gets ready or if you’re ahead of schedule. Knowing a bit about the guests, like the age group or their line of work, will help the MC connect. Otherwise, it will be quite obvious that they’re just stalling for time.
Make sure your corporate MC knows all these things and you should be set. Now that you know what’s important, it’s time to find the right MC.
We work with professional MCs and entertainers, so if you want quality, contact us. We’ll help you find the best person to make your event truly memorable.
