Why hire a professional event emcee?
When a potential client asks me for an intro call, I often hear the same comment:
“We have never hired a professional event host and usually just use someone internal.” And I completely understand that! However, through many years of emcee’ing on stages big and small all over the globe, I constantly am on the edge of my seat waiting to say; “Even if you don’t hire me, and I won’t take it personally, I highly recommend working with a professional emcee for your event.”
Here is why:
CEOs and executives are the experts in what they do to run companies; however, It is honestly not fair to throw them on a huge stage and ask them to be an entertainer. It is something I have trained to do for over 15 years through my work in national television and speaking all over the world. I come into each event highly researched and depending on the stage will tailor my approach. It is truly a dance that takes a lot of experience to work a stage while also coming across not “hosty” but engaging and informative.
A professional emcee knows about production. They understand how the show works behind the scenes, can follow the cameras streaming live, and can work with the stage manager to help thread the show seamlessly from start to finish. They can also pick up and improv should there be any last-minute or unexpected changes – something you don’t want your execs to worry about. I’ve experienced prompters going down, cue cards being secretly held up to me that the main celebrity keynote speaker might not make it on stage, and far too many times needing to reenergize an audience that was out too late in Vegas ;)
A little side note: As someone who started their career behind the scenes at ESPN, primarily working on SportsCenter, I have always had a fascination in event production. I even worked briefly in Event Management for ESPN’s massive red-carpet events. It is amazing how much goes on behind the scenes and all the incredible detail and THE COST. Don’t run the race and then not sprint to the finish. In other words – most companies have spent so much on their event production and luring big clients or employees to their event -- they should not skip the icing on the cake and hire a pro to set the tone from start to finish! Plus, it’s a more pro-look to have the best MC represent you and ensure that each presentation is seamlessly threaded. You can still deliver your important executive keynotes and presentations, but ensure the entire event is threaded by a pro.
I had a friend come back from a top tech event and tell me : “Now I finally get what you do! They didn’t have an emcee. And, the event was too scripted and just fell apart. ” I felt appreciated J
It’s also important to note that a good emcee knows it is NOT about them. It is my job to bring out the best in everyone and to make sure that everyone from the audience members to the guest speakers has a great time. I feel like I am running a dinner party and making sure it’s fun, and all attendees are having a great time.
As a professional emcee, I think the biggest compliment is having so many repeat clients. I don’t just feel like an emcee, I feel more like a part of so many awesome teams.
All this to say, when the big lights illuminate the main stage and thousands of excited audience members start to pour in -- start your event with confidence, knowing that you have a professional overseeing the production!