10 Tips for Being the Master of Ceremonies

A friend and fellow speaker called me recently and

asked my advice about being a Master of
Ceremonies. She will be doing this for a major
awards luncheon, and while she is an experienced
presenter, she had not taken on this role in the past.
As someone who cares deeply about serving her
audiences, she did not want to "wing-it", and thus was
collecting best practices and ideas.

Being an Emcee (or is it MC?) is different from being

a speaker. I have served as the MC for several
events, and find that it involves a different set of skills
from giving a speech, but at the same time a good
Master of Ceremonies needs similar traits to a
speaker. In many ways the MC role can be more
difficult.

When I think of how an MC can make a difference in

the success of an event I am reminded of the
Academy Awards. Over my life I have seen a variety
of celebrities host the Oscars, but nobody (in
my opinion) holds a candle to Billy Crystal. Mr Crystal
sets the tone for the event on the years they are wise
enough to ask him to serve as the host. Other years
we are left thinking "I wish Billy Crystal was the MC".

My "Conference Catalyst" program is often morphed

into an MC style role at multi-day events. This means
that I am juggling educational / motivational material
with the important tasks of introducing the speakers
and keeping the whole schedule running on time.
When you have to balance between both roles
(speaker and MC), it can be a juggling act....and I
mean juggling knives or fire. There is a lot to do as
the MC, and a slip up can cause the vibe of the
meeting to hit the floor.

If you are going to be the Master of Ceremonies for

an event, here are ten tips that will help
you contribute to the success and help give your
audience a good experience:

1. Prepare for an opening. If you just come out and

start the introductions there is no show. The
Olympics do not just start with some folks running
races or lifting weights. They have a choreographed
opening ceremonies. You need the same thing.
Crafting a pertinent story that draws in your audience
before you get into the mundane (but necessary)
tasks of thanking the sponsors and honoring guests is
a great way to launch.

2. Remember that you are not the star of the

show. When you deliver a speech, there is a part of
the role that requires you to take center stage, but as
MC it is not your time in the spotlight. You are there
to keep things moving and to make sure the others on
the program (or the award winners) are celebrated.

3. Your personality sets the tone for the

event. While #2 holds true (you are not the star), you
still set the pace. If you are buttoned up and serious,
you can be sure the whole show will be stiff. If you
are all over the map without purpose, .... there will be
no focus. Find a happy medium, while putting out a
high-energy vibe.

4. If you are not a professional comedian, do not

tell jokes. A big mistake is made when people think
a joke is the key to putting an audience at ease.
Nothing is worse at an event than seeing an amateur
bomb a canned punch line. Humor is important, but
do not force it. Be yourself, and avoid the one liners!

5. When giving the microphone to others, make

sure they have a time frame for their remarks. An
award winner who rambles on and on will bury your
momentum. If you cannot brief the other speakers in
advance, work in some instructions about how much
time they have. When appropriate do not walk far
from the lectern. If you are standing close, they will
keep their remarks brief. If you walk away they will
talk forever.

6. Have transitions between speakers or award

winners. A great way to transition is to give a short
recap or compliment of what was said by the person
before, and then set up the next presentation. Have
stories prepared in advance about those you will be
introducing (if possible) so that you have something to
add each time you speak.

7. Be prepared. If someone does not show up, or if

a waiter drops a tray... be prepared for how you will
handle the confusion, etc... Live events often have
things that can be a distraction. The key to being a
good MC is to keep control of the meeting no matter
what happens.

8. Shorten the script. If the meeting organizer gives

you a script that is horrible, make changes. Your job
as MC is to ensure the event is not boring. If the
program flops you will be blamed for the poor reviews,
not the person back at the home office who wrote the
words. Thus you must be involved in creating a tight
script that has a good tempo or be able to make
changes as you are on stage.

9. Stay positive. Even if something goes wrong or

someone is out of line, the MC must stay up-beat. If
you get nasty about anything the audience will resent
you for it.

10. Have a prepared close. Just like the opening

ceremonies, you need to tie it together with a closing
story or a call to action. Recap the highlights of the
 evening, and challenge the audience in some way
(even if it is to come back next year!). If you have no
closing ceremony then there is little to remember.

Have A Great Day.

How to be a brilliant master of ceremony
Jun 11, 2014

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Are you going to be a master of ceremony at a conference, awards night,

product launch, seminar series, concert, wedding or similar event?

What a wonderful honour, but a

daunting one!
 It isn't always as easy as it seems.

There are a lot of duties involved and a great number of practical aspects to pay
attention to.

You are not just there to boost your ego, watch the clock, or to give
announcements.

You are there to help the audience feel engaged with, and feel informed about,
everything that is happening.

How brilliant are you? Your career could be influenced by your success or
failure in an MC role.

Here are 5 tips to help you be a brilliant MC.

MC tip 1: Know your role

It is the prime responsibility of the master of ceremonies to:

 Keep the event flowing.

 Keep the energy and enthusiasm of the audience high.

 Help the audience feel welcomed.

 Help the speakers feel appreciated.

 Help the sponsors feel proud to be involved.

 Smooth over problems that arise so people don't know or don't worry.
 Keep the event to time no matter what happens.

 Ensure everyone knows what is happening.

 Do whatever is possible to help the organiser make it a great event.

... and this is only part of it!

MC tip 2: Welcome the core groups

Help the audience to feel welcomed. Identify the core groups in your audience
and welcome each one. It isn't sufficient just to say, "Welcome to you all ...". It
is not a genuine, heartfelt welcome.

Instead, welcome specific individuals and specific groups, not just by title but
with relevant information. For example, you might say, "To those of you
who've travelled all the way from Newcastle and fought your way through the
fog, a big welcome".

MC tip 3: Be confident in keeping to time

In advance decide how, as the MC, you will let people know when their time is
up. Then do it! Do not be scared, it is your job.
It is important to make sure your system of timing is very clear, easy for the
speakers to follow and known by everyone involved.

You are there, as the master of ceremony, to keep the time. Therefore keep the
time. You will annoy the audience if you don't, and that puts a bad taste over
the whole event.

MC tip 4: Keep everything flowing smoothly

It is often your MC role to mastermind the entire occasion. Thus, you need to
know exactly what is to happen when, where and with whom.

I recommend developing a minute-by-minute timing schedule for the event,

well in advance. This needs to include all the minor components and times for
all the MC duties.
So often I've been given a speaking time that's not accurate, e.g. I'm told I'm
speaking from 10am - 11am. I prepare a 60 minute presentation. I end up
speaking from 10.10 - 10.50, twenty minutes less! This is because the MC has
announcements to give, awards to present, the introduction and thank you to
give, and to draw the raffle - and no time for these has been allocated.

Get the details of the timing right. Include the time it takes to get on and off the
stage, for the MC to make announcements, for the housekeeping notices, for
the thank-yous and introductions ... everything.

MC tip 5: Generate enthusiasm

Motivate the audience to want to hear the next speaker or performer. It is your
role to inspire them. Don't just read out a biography word for word, it can leave
the audience bored, flat or only mildly interested.
Instead, explain to your audience the benefits they are going to gain from
listening to a speaker, or hearing a performer, so that the audience is
enthusiastically paying attention. Make the introductions personal and relevant.
Connect the speaker to the audience.

Don't just say, "And now I'd like to introduce our next speaker, Dr Evelyn
Jolly, who is an Associate Professor in Environmental Management from
Cambridge University, and she is going to talk on, 'How as a society we can
improve our environment'. Please welcome ...".

This does not excite the audience, does it? Instead, find
something new to say, find something different to say, find something
enthusiastic to say that the audience can connect with.
Want to know more? You'll find a great many more practical tips in the very
popular E-book, "The beginner's guide to being a brilliant master of
ceremonies". It has already sold in over 70 countries world-wide. Click on this
link to find out more: "The beginner's guide to being a brilliant master of
ceremonies".
Themes
This is an area where just a little time and thought can have a great impact.What
is the theme of the event?What Words or Slogans are being used?What is the
colour theme?Once you have asked these questions, often ideas will come to
you that willadd to the theme.Consider the way you dress. The colour of the Tie
or Jacket. Would a hat addto the theme?Consider your MC Notes. Do you use a
Black Folio? Perhaps a Clipboard ismore appropriate.Is there a Prop you can
have on the lectern – Oil Can, Pumpkin, Steeringwheel?A few minutes
Brainstorming can pay off in big returns and shows theaudience and your client
that you have done your homework.If you need to learn some techniques for idea
generation, we have twopublications available on our website. One is on
Brainstorming and the otheron a range of Creative Techniques for Idea
Generation.http://www.timothyhyde.com/resources.html
Scripts
There is a danger in being “Over Scripted.” By this I mean an MC who is justup
there reading everything out OR being up there and reciting a script theyhave
memorised.Both of these can come across as too rigid and the audience will
have trouble“connecting” with you. Now, I don’t mean that you shouldn’t be very
wellprepared about what you are going to say, who you are going to introduce
etc.Just try and be a little more relaxed and flexible and you will come across as
abetter MC.

MC’s Resource Toolkit

I wish I’d started mine a lot earlier than I did, so if there is just one Tip youtake on
board from this little publication, it’s this one.Start keeping a book of IDEAS.Use
this to record - Jokes, Ice Breakers, Stories, Introductions, Quotations,Thank
You’s etc.In the Creative Thinking book mentioned above, I suggest you carry
around asmall note book or index cards with you at all time anyway. When you
read orhear anything that could be usable in the future, write it down. This might
beon TV, reading a magazine, on the radio etc.Then once a week, gather all the
fragments and record them in a MasterDocument.I do this on my computer, in
a Word Document. Then, every now and then Iprint it out and it becomes my
Resource Book. I bind this with a Comb Binderand leave it sitting on my desk.If
I’m preparing for a job or actually at a job, I can flick through the book andspot
quotes, phrases and bits that may be useful. Often you don’t knowexactly what a
speaker is going to be talking about and you can suddenly findan appropriate bit
to add into the thankyou.I also use the printed document to record what I’ve
done, To DO lists etc,while at the job. This then gets updated on returning to
the office. I also jotdown things that I may have said spontaneously that worked
well. TheResources book becomes a central point for all this information and
ensuresthat ideas don’t get lost.At sometime in the future, I will be making
available my own personal MCToolkit & Resource book.

Your Role
The last concept that I think is important for all MC’s to understand is this. It’snot
about you. It’s about the event. Being the MC is not about showcasingyour own
talents, but about running the event smoothly. The attendees shouldbe remarking
“what a great event” and not “what a great MC.”Often they will not even know
how hard you worked in the preparation andplanning, in the on the spot
adjustments and tweaking to make thingsfabulous. Often, you will even not get
thanked or acknowledged for thecontribution you made!Once you understand
this you have made an important step towards being asuccessful and dynamic
MC.You will know yourself after any event how well you did!If things didn’t go as
planned, you will know what you have to do to improveand prepare for next time.
If things did go well, you will be storing theinformation away to use again.

By Rachel Green. Director, The Emotional Intelligence Institute. Professional Speaker.

A master of ceremonies is a very important role. Yet few do Mcing duties really well. They
underplay the importance of their roles and sometimes think that all they are doing is making a
series of announcements.

Eye contact, a warm smile and gesturing towards the audience all

help you to be engagingIt is not so!

There is so much more to being a brilliant master of ceremonies. The ability to engage an audience is just
one of the many essential skills that is needed.

In this article we will look at some of the master of ceremonies duties, and consider the ways you can really
engage your audience when you are an MC.

I have been attending a number of functions and conferences recently so I have plenty of examples, good
and bad, to share.

Many of them highlight how useful it is for a master of ceremonies to have good levels of emotional
intelligence, especially as leaving an audience feeling engaged is about managing the emotions of the
audience.

If you, as the master of ceremonies, fail to engage your audience, then you make it harder for everyone
else who is speaking at your event or function.

Audiences do not want stiff and starchy MCs. They want warmth, engagement and relevance.

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE TIP 1: HAVE YOUR OWN MATERIAL

There is so much more to being a master or mistress of

ceremonies than simply announcing who will speak next or what will happen next, or saying thank you to a
speaker or performer. This is only the bare minimum.
Your job is also to add something unique and wonderful to the whole event so that you help to keep the
energy flowing all the way through.

This means you need your own material. By this I don't mean just focus on telling master of ceremonies
jokes, this is only one way of contributing.
 For example, I was talking to a gentleman yesterday who was telling me about one of the best masters of
ceremonies that he had ever seen. This master of ceremonies did all the usual duties of introducing and
thanking speakers and then in between did magic tricks and rope tricks that kept the audience enthralled.

Why does a master of ceremonies need their own material? Because this helps to maintain momentum
across the whole event. Thus, if a speaker has been dull, the master or mistress of ceremonies can then
pick up the energy of the audience before the next speaker or performer starts.

Have your own material and contribute something of your own, and do this without hogging the limelight
and taking too much time.

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE TIP 2: RELATE AND BE RELEVANT

Relate and be relevant to your audience sounds like a very simple EQ tip. Doing it can be harder.

Every audience is different. Adapt what you do and say to each audience. Do everything you can as the
master or mistress of ceremonies to be relevant to your audience.

When it comes to being a master or mistress of ceremonies one size does not fit all.

Know your audience in advance and plan and prepare everything to suit their needs. Please do not come
out with the same old master of ceremonies routine that you do with every audience. Make what you do
directly relevant to each audience.

Whether it is the:

 Language you use.

 People you mention.
 Attributes of the organisation or profession you draw attention to.
 Jokes you tell.
 Stories you relate ...

They all need to be directly and specifically relevant to, and personalised for, each audience.

Audiences relate to relevance. Engaging an audience is so much harder if you are irrelevant or performing a
set routine or going through the motions.

So think in advance of the audience and what they will relate to, then do it on the day.

Being able to predict people's emotional reactions is all part of emotional intelligence, and a really good skill
for a master of ceremonies to have if you want to engage the audience.

FEATURED VIDEO
Watch more tips on how to be a superb master of ceremonies on our video.
EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE TIP 3: ADD PASSION TO YOUR INTRODUCTIONS
As the master of ceremonies, part of your role is to help motivate the audience to want to hear the next
speaker or performer. Motivated audiences are engaged audiences. Motivation is all about emotions - so
how do you motivate an audience?

You certainly don't do it by reading out a biography word for word, and yet so many MCs do this, and leave
the audience bored, flat, or at best, mildly interested.

Your job as the master of ceremonies is to explain to your audience the benefits they are going to gain from
listening to a speaker, or hearing a performer, so that the audience is enthusiastically paying attention. This
is good for the audience and good for the speaker.

You have to add passion, and interest, and something special to your introductions. Make the introductions
personal and relevant. Connect the speaker to the audience.

Don't just say, "And now I'd like to introduce our next speaker, Dr Evelyn Jolly, who is an Associate
Professor in Environmental Management from Cambridge University, and she is going to talk on, 'How as a
society we can improve our environment'. Please welcome ...".

You can see this does not excite the audience, can't you? You have probably heard the equivalent many
times though, sadly. Part of emotional intelligence is the ability to manage the emotions of others and these
kinds of introduction fail at this level.

Find something new to say, find something different to say, find something enthusiastic to say that the
audience can connect with.

For example, you might say at a conference of school principals, "So far you've heard of the philosophy
behind the conflict management programme, but I can see some of you are thinking about those really
awful parents who bring you grief every time they come to your school, and you are wishing the
programme would sort them out. Is it possible? Yes! You will be delighted to hear that our next speaker,
Sun-Lee, Principal of Folk Greer school, has not only used it successfully for the last two years and calmed
down her difficult parents, but she has even used it to sort out her own teenagers too! How did she achieve
this miraculous feat? You are about to find out. Please give Sun-Lee a big round of applause ..."

There is lots more to learn about how to give good introductions and thank yous and you'll find plenty more
information in our E-book "A master of ceremonies: A beginner's guide to being a brilliant master of
ceremonies."
EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE TIP 4: SHOW GENUINE APPRECIATION

It is your duty as a master or mistress of ceremonies to

show full appreciation for whatever has happened.
When you are thanking a speaker, performer or a contributor it is not sufficient to just say, "Thank you
Jonathon", and then simply give a bottle of wine or box of chocolates.

Your job as a master of ceremonies is to express gratitude and excitement on behalf of the whole audience.
Yes, more emotions!

I hope by now you are seeing why emotional intelligence is relevant to being a brilliant master of
ceremonies - you are often there to evoke positive emotions and diminish negative emotions. It can be a
tough gig!

It is your job to help the speakers/performers feel valued, to show that you have listened to what they said
or did, and to demonstrate that their contribution was indeed significant. You are to leave them feeling
really good, and therefore the audience really good too. Yes more emotions!

In the process of thanking people you need to remind the audience of how good the speakers/performers
were and help them to savour the moment, and even revise the key aspects covered.

For example, you might make specific comments on what the speakers/performers said or did and how they
have helped you or the audience.

Move well beyond a simple thank you and really show genuine appreciation. Expressing your own emotions
of pride, gratitude and enthusiasm is all part of emotional intelligence and being an MC.
There is much more information you can learn about how to thank and introduce people, and you'll find
plenty more in our E-book "A master of ceremonies: A beginner's guide to being a brilliant Master of
ceremonies."

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE TIP 5: MC JOKES ARE NOT NEEDED

It is your duty to be funny. A brilliant master or mistress of ceremonies needs a sharp sense of humour and
yet, master of ceremonies jokes are often not needed.

Instead, use whatever is current on the day. Use whatever arises in the moment. Notice things that the
audience say, do, or are interested in that you can refer to and that can provide natural spontaneous
laughter.

For example, I was a keynote speaker at an engineering conference recently, and during the conference
dinner there was an interstate football final playing at the same time with one of the local teams in it. Many
football supporters were in the predominantly male audience. News came through that the local team had
got thrashed.

At one point the MC came on and said he had received news that all was not lost because in the third
quarter the winning team had accidentally had on extra man on the field for two and a half minutes, which
was not allowed. He reported that the football league would be holding an urgent enquiry and would
declare its finding at 3 pm the next day. There was good humour and laughter around this, people not
being quite sure whether he was joking or not.

Some minutes later the MC said, "Of course, if you believe what I said it just shows that you have already
drunk too much". The crowd roared with laughter! It was spot on and very simple. The humour worked as it
was 100% relevant for the audience and up-to-the minute. (Glenn Mitchell, former ABC sports commentator
was the MC.)

Instead of telling typical master of ceremonies jokes you could also consider telling personal funny stories;
they may go down even better.

This is particularly so if you are a wedding master of ceremonies, for instance. At a wedding, stories about
the bride and groom, about things they have done together or before they met can make everything feel far
more intimate, relevant and funny.

Why do I say master of ceremonies jokes may not be needed? Because they can fail and fail badly.

How many of us have been to a conference, seminar or wedding when the master or mistress of
ceremonies has used inappropriate jokes, or when the jokes have been heard before, are told badly or are
not relevant? Possibly quite often.

Master of ceremonies jokes are risky, especially for people new to being an MC or telling jokes. I never tell
jokes but I do tell funny stories about myself and I do get laughter.

Your job as the master or mistress of ceremonies is to engage everyone in the audience, not a select few
who may appreciate your joke. Yes, your emotional intelligence can even guide you in what jokes to pick.
Master of ceremonies jokes are often not good ones - are yours?

- See more at: http://www.theeiinstitute.com/emotions-public-speaking/tag/master-of-ceremonies-

jokes#sthash.c40Ord4f.dpuf