There is more to being a Master of Ceremony, and being a good MC can help your career flourish. We have seen young people like RBA’s Martina Abera, Georgie Ndirangu, feature alongside the likes of Julie Gichuru and others to preside over some of the events and forums under CHOGM.

But being an MC is not as easy as many people imagine. A lot goes into planning and executing the job, especially if the audience involves high-level dignitaries such as those attending CHOGM.

Before you get to that stage, you need to have everything right, including facts, names of people, and having the subject on the agenda at your fingertips.

Chances are if you do not prepare well as an MC, you run the risk of failing to deliver and it can be a really painful experience, especially when it happens on a global platform like CHOGM.

An emcee is an integral part of an event because they are the hosts and facilitators of an event, whether it is a conference, a wedding, a party, a festival, or a seminar. MCs have the duty to turn on the crowd and keep the audience engaged.

Looking to be a superb MC at an event? Here are some tips to follow to be able to nail it on the big stage.

Positive and energetic vibes

As a rule, a good and effective MC has to bring positive and energetic vibes to the room. The last thing people want from an emcee is a dull and low-energy presentation. Imagine you are at a conference and the emcee comes in with zero energy. The speakers that the emcee introduces will also bring low energy, and so will the crowd. With the entire tone of the event in such a low-energy setting, your event will not go well. Fire up the audience, don’t allow people to go into a slumber.

Set the tone

As an MC, your job is to set the tone of the event. Don’t be humble and meek because there are high-level delegates in the building. The stage is yours for a moment. Use the opportunity to set the tone for the event.

There are times to be serious, and times to have fun. If the emcee is all over the place, there will be no focus. It is thus important to find a good balance to set the tone for the event.

A good emcee will be able to read the crowd and set the correct tone for the entire event.

Time-keeping

Time-keeping is one of the toughest assignments for an MC. Do I interrupt a Head of State? Do I cut short someone making a point? All these questions pop up in your head as you go about emceeing an event.

As an MC, you have the ultimate control of the event proceedings. You might have someone else handling time management but by being on stage, as the emcee, it is your job to have control over what happens and ensure that people keep time.

Don’t wait until people start walking out to take charge. Time-keeping could even earn you your next job.

Introduce speakers effectively

As the MC, your job is to introduce speakers in a manner that will excite the audience. While you will already be acquainted with the speakers before introducing them on stage, members of the audience may not know who they are.

Read out their bios with a smile and introduce them in a manner that will make them comfortable. Mixing up names and bios is a serious challenge MCs encounter.

Remember, you are not the star of the show

While you are doing all this, bear in mind that you are not the star of the show. People will not be amused if you overdo it or want to outshine the subjects of the event.

Don’t fall into the trap of wanting the spotlight.  It is important for the emcee to understand that he/she is there to keep things moving and to make sure the speakers on the programme (or the award recipients) are celebrated without hogging all the limelight. Once in a while, you can introduce yourself again but avoid popularity gimmicks.