MASTER OF CEREMONIES IN PUBLIC EVENTS: THE ART OF MCEEING/MCING WITH CONFIDENCE

A "Master of Ceremonies" or an "MC" is a person who acts as host of an event, and directs the proceedings. An MC makes the welcoming speech, introduces speakers and allocates/keeps speaking times. An MC can also be referred to as a Toastmaster or a Roastmaster.


PUBLIC SPEAKING: The art of being a Master of Ceremonies

Being an MC, or opener is not a light job - it can be more difficult than a speaker's - who comes to talk about a particular subject/topic for a prescribed period of time. As a master of Ceremoniesd, you have to think on your feet and be able to make quick, thoughtful comments; to summarise a speech and to connect it with the next one - and do all these things in a manner that warms your audience's hearts.

Though tough and challenging, MCing is the most powerful position in any event. If you can master
mcing, you wont have much trouble filling any speaking position.

Here are a few tips/steps to get you going as a master of a ceremony/MCEE.

 

1. Start by welcoming the audience, and thanking them for their presence (introduce yourself while you are at it).

2. Thank the upcoming speakers and lead the applause for them and the organisers

3. Know the theme of the event and say something about it - remind people what they get to benefit by being there

4. A great way to introduce the theme is to tie it to some relevant humour or humorous situation

5. Tell the audience about the proceedings (starting times, speaker line-ups, presentation times, question times, breaks etc.)

6. Introduce the first speaker

7. Listen to their speech and pick up some interesting points that you can refer to - and attach to the next speech

8. Try to relax and have a glass of water nearby at all times

9. At the end, thank the audience and mention some highlights of the event.

You have a very important job, so enjoy being the master of ceremony.