Ten tips on being a good Master of Ceremony, by Rachel

Green
Are you going to be a master of a ceremony at a conference, award's night, seminar
series, concert or similar event? What a wonderful honour, but a daunting one! Here
are some tips to help you be brilliant. 

1. Know your role.

The role of a master of ceremonies is to keep an event flowing, to keep the
energy of the audience up, to ensure that everything runs smoothly, to help the
audience feel welcomed, to help speakers feel appreciated ... and so the list
continues. It is not simply to watch the clock or to give information.

2. Identify the core groups in your audience.

Welcome individuals and groups, not just by title but with specific information.
For example, "To those of you who have travelled all the way from Newcastle,
a big welcome."

3. Mention the audience's needs

Show you know where the audience is at. For example, if you are the master of
ceremonies at a breakfast seminar you might say, "I know some of you are
hanging out for your first coffee of the day, so we are going to start with
breakfast."

4. Mention the viewpoint of the audience

The audience may be listening to a speaker at a function and have cynical
views or objections in their minds about what may be presented. Sometimes if
you, as the master of ceremonies can bring that objection out into the open,
they can let go of it. You might say something like "You might be sitting there
thinking that this is all very well but it will take too much time. You'll enjoy
our next speaker then, as Ian has some fascinating statistics on how quickly the
task can be done".

5. Be confident in keeping to time.

Some master of ceremonies I have worked with have found it very difficult to
stop speakers going over 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
and speakers expect you to do it. At one event I spoke at, the mistress of
ceremony was adamant, in advance, that I didn't need to worry about time as
she would tell me when I only had 5 minutes to go. But she never told me about
5 minutes or when my time was up and I was left wondering how long I'd
 spoken for. It was a 15 minute speech and after (I discovered later) 22 minutes,
I finally gave up waiting for her and stopped. It was very uncomfortable and I
will always time myself in future. You are there, as the master of ceremony, to
keep the time.

6. Keep your audience's energy up

If your audience has had to listen to a dull or boring speaker, you need to bring
their energy back up. It is your job to warm them up and get them enthusiastic
for the next speaker or event on the program. Using humour by telling funny
stories or getting the audience involved in an activity can help here.

7. Thank the speakers specifically.

Thank the speakers by picking up on what they've said and feeding it back to
them. Don't just say "thank you" or "thank you for your time" or "what a
wonderful speech". Instead be specific. For example, "Jane, those stories you
told about how Michelle's exercise program saved her life have helped me
understand just how important it is that I exercise more. In fact, I'm going to
make sure I go for a walk when we've finished here today. Thank you for being
so inspiring".

8. Help motivate the audience to want to hear a speaker.

Your job as the master of ceremonies is to explain to an audience the benefits
they are going to gain from listening to a speaker, so that the audience is
motivated to pay attention. This is good for the audience and good for the
speaker. For example, you might say, "Some of you have come especially
today to find out what the mediation program is about. Sun-Lee, who will be
talking next, will explain all the steps so that you can use them to sort out any
problems you may be having at work." Making it amusing can also help here.

9. Talk personally to the audience.

Avoid overuse of the third person, and instead talk personally to the audience.
For example, instead of saying "People are killed everyday on the roads
because of driver fatigue", you might say, "As a driver, you may be killed not
because you have made a mistake but because the person in the car next to you
was tired and dropped off. Would you rather live? Is there any danger that you
might be too tired to drive safely?"

10.Sound welcoming.
Some masters of ceremonies read a sheet of paper to announce and formally
welcome guests. Please do it from your heart and with a sincere and genuine
sense of welcoming. Smile, name people personally, say why it's good they are
here, look people in the eye and have warmth in your voice. Welcome people
rather than announce them, and do it without reading it word for word. Connect
with your audience. being a master of ceremony is a hard job but done well can
make an enormous difference to a function. Do it well and enjoy the success