In today’s lightning-paced world, corporate events are an essential part of your marketing toolkit, playing an integral role in helping your brand steal the proverbial show.
However, corporate events can cost a pretty penny, and there are few things more disappointing than seeing your attendees fighting to stay awake, chugging coffee, or simply looking bored and disinterested.
That’s when a skilled emcee can help, turning a ho-hum event that attendees forget the next day into a roaring success that is etched in memory for years to come.
If you’re undecided, this blog post is for you! In it, we’ll look at the many reasons why your corporate event needs a skilled emcee so you can do what’s best for your business.
A Skilled Emcee Will…….
Deliver a Powerful Opening
The opening address is your only chance to make a first impression, so be sure to make it count. An emcee will work with you to deliver a powerful opening that sets the stage for the day, keeping the audience engaged and brimming with anticipation.
Keep a Smooth Flow
Awkward pauses and hesitant transitions can make your event seem shoddy and badly planned. The emcee will guide your event from start to finish, smoothly transitioning between the segments and keeping all your attendees on track.
Keep the Audience Engaged
Attention and trust must be earned, and the emcee has to work especially hard for them in long, full-day events where the audience might grow tired or bored. Emcees are especially adept at reading the room and adjusting their approach to suit.
For example, if the audience is growing noticeably bored during a lecture-style presentation, an emcee can introduce an interactive session like a Q&A or quiz to liven things up before ploughing on with the next presentation.
Keep Time
Skilled emcees time segments with razor-sharp precision, often to the very second. A segment that overruns by 5 minutes doesn’t sound like that big a deal, but multiply that by 10 segments over the course of the day, and you’ve got an event that is running almost an hour late. And probably a very unhappy, hungry audience.
Introduce VIPs and Speakers Professionally
A skilled emcee will do their homework and learn all they can about the speakers and VIPs that they will introduce. Then, they can confidently bring them on stage and even throw in small, tasteful anecdotes or inside jokes.
The last thing you want is to be scrambling for your notes when you’re introducing the next speaker, strongly suggesting to your audience that he or she wasn’t worth remembering.
Be Expert Problem-Solvers
You can be as meticulous as you want in preparing for your big day, but as far as events go, numerous things can (and will!) go wrong. Murphy’s Law 101.
Your emcee is your greatest ally here. Rather than freezing on stage with a ‘deer in the headlights’ look, skilled emcees will instantly understand what’s happening and already have several tricks up their sleeve to make the most of a potentially negative situation.
For example, throwing in a quick ice-breaking game when a speaker is late, or deftly moving things around when there are last-minute shifts in the schedule.
Energise Your Audience
Enthusiasm is infectious, and skilled emcees are natural extroverts and born entertainers, often with loads of expendable energy. They genuinely love connecting with people, whether it’s a corporate audience or a local community gathering, and can do so tirelessly throughout the day.
Corporate events that go on for a full day can be tedious, and an emcee who is adept at injecting energy and livening things up can do wonders for a disinterested audience.
Bridge the Gap
In most events, there is a distinct gap between the stage and the audience. Us, and them.
A skilled emcee will know how to bridge the chasm, drumming up interaction with the audience and aligning the audience and speakers with common goals and shared interests.
End On A High
Have you ever attended an event where the audience sat in confusion, unsure whether they should be leaving? It’s an extremely painful experience.
On the other hand, have you been part of a standing ovation? There are few things more inspiring.
Okay, you might not get a standing ovation, but almost equally important as the opening is the closing. Emcees who know how to deliver a powerful, impactful closing can leave your audience inspired and motivated, talking about your event for years to come.
Now that we’ve shared our views, the choice is yours! Good luck in organizing your event, and give us a shout if we can help. We hope your event is an awesome success.
