On being a Master of Ceremonies

Remember … you’re not there to make a speech! But, you do need to be confident and enthusiastic and work closely with the event organizers to develop the program. You will need to pull together some information to fulfill your obligations, including:

1. The names of everyone you will be introducing, their titles and relevant background to this event. I always try to make contact with a speaker via telephone to get an anecdote that can be used in the intro.

2.  Go over name pronunciations and have the speakers approve your intro notes well before the event.

3. You’ll need to get the timing of everything scheduled. Don’t forget the breaks. Always get your speakers to respect their time allotted and your ‘chime’ (time warning bell) will support that commitment.

4.  Technical support staff is soooo important. Know who they are and meet them before they’re needed. Hopefully, they won’t be.

Include these basic tips as part of your MC role and you will be remembered for the right reasons!