{"id":8843,"date":"2022-11-08T08:00:17","date_gmt":"2022-11-08T08:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/?p=8843"},"modified":"2023-07-27T19:00:22","modified_gmt":"2023-07-27T19:00:22","slug":"keep-it-moving-how-to-be-a-great-emcee","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/blog\/keep-it-moving-how-to-be-a-great-emcee\/","title":{"rendered":"Keep It Moving &#8211; How To Be A Great Emcee"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/k9zQBM3oySk\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cMomentum makes meetings magical.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">-Maggie McDonald, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Meeting Mavens Magazine<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><i><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As the <a href=\"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/blog\/what-is-the-role-of-the-master-of-ceremonies\/\">master of ceremonies<\/a>, you are the conductor of the event you have been hired to emcee. It is your job to not only keep the train on the tracks but also to keep that train moving. Maintaining momentum is absolutely critical to hosting a super successful event.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are <strong>seven keys to keeping an event moving<\/strong>:<\/span><\/p>\n<p>See Related:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/blog\/how-to-make-people-laugh\/\">Jokes &#8211; How To Be A Great Emcee<\/a><\/p>\n<h2><b>#1. Lead a production meeting before the event starts.<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Much like in the production process of a film, the work that happens before the cameras even start rolling can save the company a great deal of time and money. In the same way, meeting with everyone involved in the production of your event prior to the start time can help you work out any kinks by talking through them before anyone sets foot on the stage.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thorough planning is essential to the success of your event, as is effective communication. Run through every last agenda item with the event staff to ensure that everyone is on the same page. Leave no detail undiscussed. Make sure everyone is clear on what their role is and how to carry out each task.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As in other pursuits, practice makes perfect. You wouldn\u2019t skip practice in the days leading up to a big game, nor would you put on a play <a href=\"https:\/\/www.clarityexperiences.com\/blog\/5-reasons-event-rehearsals-matter#:~:text=Reduce%20Mistakes,After%20all%20practice%20makes%20perfect.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">without a rehearsal<\/a>. It is a good idea to have a \u201cpractice run\u201d with the presenters and staff before the event begins. This doesn\u2019t mean that each speaker needs to give their presentation in full during the production meeting. It is just a way to help presenters familiarize themselves with their cues so that no time is wasted.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>#2. Know when and where props will be moved.\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When I say <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">props,<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> I am talking about anything that is on or near the platform or stage. For example, you could have a setup consisting of lecture chairs, a couch, microphones on stands, plants, award tables, and so forth.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Be aware ahead of time of any transitions that will require any of these items to be removed or rearranged.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you have an interviewer coming up onto the stage, make sure he has everything he needs, including plenty of room to accommodate the interviewee(s) on the platform. Oftentimes this means coordinating with <a href=\"https:\/\/insights.ges.com\/us-blog\/av-series-2-who-does-what-key-members-of-your-av-team\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">your AV team<\/a> or event support staff so they know exactly when and where to move anything that would impede the natural flow of the program.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You want to do your best to avoid any awkward transitions. If you wait until the next speaker takes the stage to move the props, you will take away from his or her presentation by distracting the audience.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>#3. Look at the meeting from the POV of the audience.\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is an important tip that you\u2019ll find repeated throughout these blogs. As the <a href=\"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/hire-an-mc-for-corporate-events\/\">host and emcee<\/a>, you want to try to experience the meeting or presentation the way an attendee will.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you sense that your audience is getting bored, chances are they are getting bored. Be tuned in to the energy in the room (or lack thereof) and do whatever you can to engage and re-engage audience members.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Can attendees hear what\u2019s happening? Can they see what\u2019s happening? Most importantly of all, are they fully experiencing what is happening?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes before a program begins and the audience enters the room, I\u2019ll sit in the middle of the auditorium or theater, look at the stage, and listen to the audio so I can anticipate the experience of an audience member.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your backstage perspective is not the same as the audience\u2019s point of view, so trying to see the event through their eyes will help you to fine-tune aspects of the production and enhance their experience.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Bonus:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/blog\/intros-and-outros-how-to-be-a-great-emcee\/\">Intros and Outros &#8211; How To Be A Great Emcee<\/a><\/p>\n<h2><b>#4. Have presenters in place.\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Just like in baseball, where the next batter is on deck and the third is in the hole, you want to make sure that when someone is on stage, the next person who will go on is in position and ready to present.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Don\u2019t assume the speakers know when to do this. Sometimes they will stay in their hotel room until someone calls for them, or they will be in an adjacent room or the tradeshow room, et cetera. It\u2019s<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/lattice.com\/library\/6-people-management-tips-that-will-make-you-a-bette\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">your<\/span> <\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">job to ensure that each speaker knows where to be and when.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You want to have them either right off stage, sitting on the front row, or wherever the designated \u201con deck\u201d spot is. This will keep your event running smoothly and in a timely manner. <\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>#5. Encourage participation\u2026but stay on top of it.\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the best ways to keep a program moving is to encourage lots of audience involvement.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Inviting participation will make the presentation or event feel more energetic, livelier, and ultimately more fun!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Warning: Though you want to encourage this kind of interaction, as the event MC you <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">must<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> stay on top of it. What do I mean by this? Simply put, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.apa.org\/gradpsych\/2011\/09\/tough-audience\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">never relinquish control<\/a> of the proceedings.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, do <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">not<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> pass off your handheld microphone to someone in the crowd, because they might derail the schedule of the program by pontificating on their perspective, going on a rant, or deciding they want to become Mr. or Miss Comedy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Remember, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">keep the train on the tracks. <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you put the spotlight on an audience member, they might run away with it. Encourage the audience to participate, but don\u2019t let them steal the show!<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>#6. Increase the pace of the meeting.\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The most important thing for keeping a meeting moving is momentum. That means <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">pacing.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are two things to keep in mind when it comes to pacing: There should always be movement, and you should never have an empty stage.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When you are speaking, making announcements, telling jokes, introducing <a href=\"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/hire-funny-keynote-motivational-speakers\/\">another speaker<\/a>, and so on, you want to change your tone of voice, where you\u2019re standing on the platform, and your body language.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You also want to encourage other presenters to enter and exit the stage quickly. Have them shake hands, fist bump, or give a quick hug\u2013 whatever is appropriate in the context. Timing is everything, so make sure that all your presenters know their cues to make room for the next segment of the program.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The point is this: you want to keep the pace UP. As the master of ceremonies, your goal is to put on a <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">dynamic<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> event, not a static one. <\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>#7. End promptly.<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is probably the most important point of all. Your audience is silently hoping that you will let them out either on time or early.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This goes back to effective clock management. It also involves looking for ways to shave time from various segments of the event rather than adding more time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If a speaker is running along, oblivious to the clock in the back of the room, you can stand in his or her line of sight and make a gesture to signal to them that it\u2019s time to wrap it up. You can also shorten introductions and encourage speakers to keep their presentations tight in order to gain back time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Everyone will thank you for keeping the program moving by utilizing these seven keys to maintaining momentum. In the end, the company or organization will know that they made the right choice by asking you to be their event MC.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Keep Reading:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/blog\/why-is-listening-important\/\">Listen &#8211; How To Be A Great Emcee<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014<\/p>\n<p><em>This is an excerpt from\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/\">Adam Christing<\/a>\u2018s forthcoming book, \u201cHow To Be A Great Emcee: The A to Z Guide to Hosting Events\u201d by America\u2019s #1 Master of Ceremonies. Follow along as new chapters get posted to this blog category each week.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cMomentum makes meetings magical.\u201d -Maggie McDonald, Meeting Mavens Magazine As the master of ceremonies, you are the conductor of the event you have been hired to emcee. It is your job to not only keep&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8847,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[89],"tags":[45,92,163,162,161],"class_list":{"0":"post-8843","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-how-to-be-a-great-emcee","8":"tag-corporate-mc","9":"tag-how-to-be-a-great-emcee","10":"tag-momentum","11":"tag-movement","12":"tag-transitions"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Keep It Moving - How To Be A Great Emcee | Adam Christing<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/blog\/keep-it-moving-how-to-be-a-great-emcee\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Keep It Moving - How To Be A Great Emcee | Adam Christing\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"\u201cMomentum makes meetings magical.\u201d -Maggie McDonald, Meeting Mavens Magazine As the master of ceremonies, you are the conductor of the event you have been hired to emcee. It is your job to not only keep...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/blog\/keep-it-moving-how-to-be-a-great-emcee\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Adam Christing\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-11-08T08:00:17+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-07-27T19:00:22+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/keep-it-moving-how-to-be-a-great-emcee.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1350\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"900\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Adam Christing\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Adam Christing\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/blog\/keep-it-moving-how-to-be-a-great-emcee\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/blog\/keep-it-moving-how-to-be-a-great-emcee\/\",\"name\":\"Keep It Moving - How To Be A Great Emcee | Adam Christing\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2022-11-08T08:00:17+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-07-27T19:00:22+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/#\/schema\/person\/b8d14707474924ab57c03fa58ae2dce4\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/blog\/keep-it-moving-how-to-be-a-great-emcee\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/blog\/keep-it-moving-how-to-be-a-great-emcee\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/blog\/keep-it-moving-how-to-be-a-great-emcee\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Keep It Moving &#8211; How To Be A Great Emcee\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/\",\"name\":\"Adam Christing\",\"description\":\"Keynote Speaker Inspiring Laughter &amp; Life Change\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/#\/schema\/person\/b8d14707474924ab57c03fa58ae2dce4\",\"name\":\"Adam Christing\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4274bc12c1d25c5d8acf3c8fa323b21e8d1b9e685a537d956f702c5aef65a64d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4274bc12c1d25c5d8acf3c8fa323b21e8d1b9e685a537d956f702c5aef65a64d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Adam Christing\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Keep It Moving - How To Be A Great Emcee | Adam Christing","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/blog\/keep-it-moving-how-to-be-a-great-emcee\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Keep It Moving - How To Be A Great Emcee | Adam Christing","og_description":"\u201cMomentum makes meetings magical.\u201d -Maggie McDonald, Meeting Mavens Magazine As the master of ceremonies, you are the conductor of the event you have been hired to emcee. It is your job to not only keep...","og_url":"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/blog\/keep-it-moving-how-to-be-a-great-emcee\/","og_site_name":"Adam Christing","article_published_time":"2022-11-08T08:00:17+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-07-27T19:00:22+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1350,"height":900,"url":"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/keep-it-moving-how-to-be-a-great-emcee.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Adam Christing","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Adam Christing","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/blog\/keep-it-moving-how-to-be-a-great-emcee\/","url":"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/blog\/keep-it-moving-how-to-be-a-great-emcee\/","name":"Keep It Moving - How To Be A Great Emcee | Adam Christing","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/#website"},"datePublished":"2022-11-08T08:00:17+00:00","dateModified":"2023-07-27T19:00:22+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/#\/schema\/person\/b8d14707474924ab57c03fa58ae2dce4"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/blog\/keep-it-moving-how-to-be-a-great-emcee\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/blog\/keep-it-moving-how-to-be-a-great-emcee\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/blog\/keep-it-moving-how-to-be-a-great-emcee\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Keep It Moving &#8211; How To Be A Great Emcee"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/","name":"Adam Christing","description":"Keynote Speaker Inspiring Laughter &amp; Life Change","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/#\/schema\/person\/b8d14707474924ab57c03fa58ae2dce4","name":"Adam Christing","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4274bc12c1d25c5d8acf3c8fa323b21e8d1b9e685a537d956f702c5aef65a64d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4274bc12c1d25c5d8acf3c8fa323b21e8d1b9e685a537d956f702c5aef65a64d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Adam Christing"}}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/keep-it-moving-how-to-be-a-great-emcee.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/peGnpl-2iD","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8843","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8843"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8843\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10601,"href":"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8843\/revisions\/10601"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8847"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8843"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8843"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8843"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}