Master of ceremony : Being a Master of Ceremonies

The Master of Ceremonies is the "conductor" of an event or meeting. The primary responsibility of the Master
of Ceremonies is to serve as a genial host. An ideal MC is a person who has poise, presence and who can
command the attention of an audience.

The Master of Ceremonies is responsible for ensuring that the program/event runs smoothly, runs on time and
that all important people at the event are introduced in a complimentary, professional manner. Being a
successful Master of Ceremonies requires, preparation, a friendly manner and ability to adjust to/ad lib as
necessary to ensure a successful event

"It is an honor to be asked to be the master of ceremonies at a function. It means that you have a sense
of humor, know how to project your voice, and
can handle audiences. It means that you have the gift of being able to "think on your feet" so that you
can react quickly in an emergency. (An 'emergency' arises when the lead entertaining act has not
arrived, when the main speaker falls ill and has to be taken home, or when the air-conditioning ceases
to function and the microphones don't work!)."

Letitia Baldrige's Complete Guide to Executive Manners, Rawson Associates, New York,
1985, 
P. 320

The Master of Ceremonies Role :

BEFORE THE EVENT

1. A successful Master of Ceremonies is thoroughly prepared. Meet with organizers well in

advance of the event to confirm the purpose of the event and the planned agenda in detail.

2. If possible contact all speakers or others who will have a role in the  program and confirm
their responsibilities, time allotted to them and anything they might require at the event. In
preparation for introducing key speakers contact them to find out the title/topic of their
presentation and some background information on them. Use this information to prepare
your introduction of the speaker.

3. Find out if there will be any special guests in attendance who should be acknowledged at the
event.

AT THE EVENT

"Preside with sincerity , energy and decisiveness. Take your audience on a pleasant journey
and make them feel that all is going well".

    Toastmasters International, When You Are the Toastmaster

1. Arrive early in order to finish any last minute details. Check with speakers and other meeting
participants to make sure all their requirements are in place (if not take steps to address any
problems if you can) and in case there are any last minute changes.
2. Confirm whether expected special guests are indeed in attendance.
 3. Have an agenda and plan to stick to it. If there is not a formal agenda consider preparing a
detailed script for yourself outlining everything you have to do, a timetable, including
breaks, so that you will know what is supposed to happen when and so you won't forget
something important.

4. Start on time and plan to end on time.

5. Be prepared.
While you can plan well, things can run amuck. Be aware that this can happen and have a
possible strategy to address problems that might occur. The ideal MC is resourceful,
creative, flexible and able to respond to problems "on the fly".

Your objective is to keep the event running on time.  Attendees appreciate an

event that runs on time.
We'll bless our toastmaster,
Wherever he may roam,
If he'll only cut the speaker short,
And let us all go home".
Paul Dickson, Toasts,  Crown Publishers, New York, 1991, p. 230
Consider the following tips:
 Keep a watch in front of you on the lectern or table to enable you
to keep track of the time.

 Or, arrange beforehand for someone in the audience to keep track

of the meeting and give you subtle signals if the meeting is
moving behind schedule.

Opening Comments

1. Welcome all present.

If there are any special guests, officials, politicians or others of note they should be
acknowledged in the welcome.
For example, "Good evening, Your Worship, Mayor Brown, Ladies and Gentlemen..."
For more details regarding protocol please refer to Perfecting Protocol .

2. Introduce yourself, even if you think everyone should know who you are.
3. Remind the audience of why they have come -- the reason for the event and what you hope
to achieve or accomplish at the event. Is the goal entertainment, to celebrate someone's
accomplishments, or to conduct official business?

4. Outline the upcoming program briefly.

During the Program

Introductions/"Handling" the Speakers

1. As the Master of Ceremonies you are responsible for introducing every speaker and others who are
playing a role in the program at the event. A proper introduction is important to the success of a
speaker's presentation so have a good introduction prepared prior to the event for all key speakers.
The more important the role played by the individual, the more extensive your introduction should be.
 2. Once you have completed your introduction of a speaker, lead the applause for the speaker
and continue applauding until they reach the lectern/podium.  

3. The MC serves as the informal "timekeeper" for the speaker. If a speaker is exceeding their
allotted time, you. can slip them a note asking them to please finish quickly.

4. When the speaker has finished this/her presentation lead the applause until the speaker is
seated.

5. Before you proceed on to the next portion of the program it is appropriate to thank the
speaker for their presentation.  If possible make reference to some aspect of the talk which
you found particularly important or moving (this shows that you were listening and also
confirms the value of the speaker's presentation).

Bridging

An essential skill of an  MC is the ability to make comments which "bridge" between segments of the
meeting.  Prior to the meeting try to prepare some remarks which might be used to bridge between
segments or comments or anecdotes which could be used if there is a delay or disruption in the
program.  A skilled MC is able to use incidents that occur in the event as bridging tools. Don't worry
if you are not sure how to do this.  This skill can be gained with experience and practice if it does not
come naturally to you.

If the event is several hours in duration, and there are breaks during it, it could be useful to make a
few comments summarizing what has happened so far in the event, and what is yet to come.

If there is a gift or honorarium for the speaker(s) it can be presented at the conclusion of their
speech.  If there are several individuals to receive gifts they can all be presented at the conclusion of
the event if this seems appropriate and all the speakers will still be available.

Closing the Meeting

"The perfect M.C. makes the audience feel they have profited  from attending the function,
and that they have also had a good time".

                    - Letitia Baldrige

Close the event with as much enthusiasm as you opened with.  At the end of the session it is
customary to thank the speakers and thank all who attended for their participation.  It is a
good idea to include comments which summarize what was experienced or achieved in the
event, what you have learned or what you felt were the highlights of the event.

In addition, if any people were of particular help to you in organizing and conducting the
event, thank them publicly at this point for their assistance.  If there are only a few people
who assisted you can name them individually.  If many people, you can say that you have had
a large group of people helping you make the event a success, and you would like to thank all
of them for their support.  You could ask them to rise to be acknowledged.
Your closing comments as MC should mirror your opening comments.  You can also
consider commenting on whether, in your opinion, the goal of the event has been achieved.
If not, you could comment on what further action can or should be taken.  If the event was
intended to inspire action in your audience note this and encourage them to take action.  If
assistance for further work is being sought you can direct people as to who to see to indicate
their interest.  If you want to inspire your audience to take further action after the meeting use
of a inspirational story or quote might be useful.

For example:

"The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision on what is before them, glory and
danger alike, and yet notwithstanding, go out and meet it."
    -Thucydides

"We are each of us angels with only one wing, and we can only fly embracing each other"
    - Liciano De Crescenzo

"We can see the past but not influence it, we can influence the future but not see it"
    - Stewart Brand

If the meeting didn't achieve a clear plan of action but there is hope, the following quote
might be appropriate to use:

"The moral is t hat having an accurate map (or detailed plan) may be less important than having an
imperfect map that overcomes inertia, instills confidence in people, and gets them moving in a
general direction".  
      - Charles A. Schwartz

After the Event

Following an event it is appropriate to send a note of thanks to all who contributed to the
success of the event in a major way.  In particular speakers should be thanked for their
contribution.  This correspondence should be sent within two weeks of the event.  If you do
not carry out this task someone key in the organization that sponsored the event should
perform this very important courtesy.

Learning More!
When it comes to being a polished Master of Ceremonies there is no substitute for
experience. Take every opportunity that you can to speak at events.  In addition, prepare and
practice for ever event.

To learn how to be even better watch people that you think are skillful as speakers and MC's
and analyze what they do and how they do it.  Then try to emulate the things you think will
work for you.

Resources

Be an Effective Master of Ceremonies , Iowa State University, College of Agriculture,

http://www.ag.iastate.edu/aginfo/mc.html

Lee, Brian, The Wedding M.C., Mastery Publications

Letitia Baldrige's Complete Guide to Executive Manners, Rawson Associates, New York,
1985

Rawson, Angela.  Master of Ceremonies Knows How to Keep Meeting or Conference on

the Right Path, Capital District Business Review, 11/17/97, p. 25+

When You are the Toastmaster.   Toastmasters International

Ten tips on being a good Master of Ceremony, by Rachel

Green
Are you going to be a master of a ceremony at a conference, award's night, seminar series,
concert or similar event? What a wonderful honour, but a daunting one! Here are some tips to
help you be brilliant.

1. Know your role.

The role of a master of ceremonies is to keep an event flowing, to keep the energy of
the audience up, to ensure that everything runs smoothly, to help the audience feel
welcomed, to help speakers feel appreciated ... and so the list continues. It is not
simply to watch the clock or to give information.

2. Identify the core groups in your audience.

Welcome individuals and groups, not just by title but with specific information. For
example, "To those of you who have travelled all the way from Newcastle, a big
welcome."

3. Mention the audience's needs

Show you know where the audience is at. For example, if you are the master of
ceremonies at a breakfast seminar you might say, "I know some of you are hanging
out for your first coffee of the day, so we are going to start with breakfast."

4. Mention the viewpoint of the audience

The audience may be listening to a speaker at a function and have cynical views or
objections in their minds about what may be presented. Sometimes if you, as the
master of ceremonies can bring that objection out into the open, they can let go of it.
You might say something like "You might be sitting there thinking that this is all very
well but it will take too much time. You'll enjoy our next speaker then, as Ian has
some fascinating statistics on how quickly the task can be done".

5. Be confident in keeping to time.

Some master of ceremonies I have worked with have found it very difficult to stop
speakers going over time. In advance decide how, as the MC, you will let people
know when their time is up. Then do it! Do not be scared, it is your job and speakers
expect you to do it. At one event I spoke at, the mistress of ceremony was adamant, in
advance, that I didn't need to worry about time as she would tell me when I only had 5
minutes to go. But she never told me about 5 minutes or when my time was up and I
was left wondering how long I'd spoken for. It was a 15 minute speech and after (I
discovered later) 22 minutes, I finally gave up waiting for her and stopped. It was
 very uncomfortable and I will always time myself in future. You are there, as the
master of ceremony, to keep the time.

6. Keep your audience's energy up

If your audience has had to listen to a dull or boring speaker, you need to bring their
energy back up. It is your job to warm them up and get them enthusiastic for the next
speaker or event on the program. Using humour by telling funny stories or getting the
audience involved in an activity can help here.

7. Thank the speakers specifically.

Thank the speakers by picking up on what they've said and feeding it back to them.
Don't just say "thank you" or "thank you for your time" or "what a wonderful speech".
Instead be specific. For example, "Jane, those stories you told about how Michelle's
exercise program saved her life have helped me understand just how important it is
that I exercise more. In fact, I'm going to make sure I go for a walk when we've
finished here today. Thank you for being so inspiring".

8. Help motivate the audience to want to hear a speaker.

Your job as the master of ceremonies is to explain to an audience the benefits they are
going to gain from listening to a speaker, so that the audience is motivated to pay
attention. This is good for the audience and good for the speaker. For example, you
might say, "Some of you have come especially today to find out what the mediation
program is about. Sun-Lee, who will be talking next, will explain all the steps so that
you can use them to sort out any problems you may be having at work." Making it
amusing can also help here.

9. Talk personally to the audience.

Avoid overuse of the third person, and instead talk personally to the audience. For
example, instead of saying "People are killed everyday on the roads because of driver
fatigue", you might say, "As a driver, you may be killed not because you have made a
mistake but because the person in the car next to you was tired and dropped off.
Would you rather live? Is there any danger that you might be too tired to drive
safely?"

10. Sound welcoming.

Some masters of ceremonies read a sheet of paper to announce and formally welcome
guests. Please do it from your heart and with a sincere and genuine sense of
welcoming. Smile, name people personally, say why it's good they are here, look
people in the eye and have warmth in your voice. Welcome people rather than
announce them, and do it without reading it word for word. Connect with your
audience. being a master of ceremony is a hard job but done well can make an
enormous difference to a function. Do it well and enjoy the success.