5 Reasons Why You Need A Virtual Emcee
Corny jokes. Inappropriate stories. Calling people by the wrong names, wrong pronouns, and wrong titles.
These are the things that have attendees cringing and meeting planners fuming when bad Emcee’s take the stage - or the screen.
With more events going virtual, it’s more important than ever to have an all-star virtual emcee to make your online event memorable. Below I’ll break down five of the most important reasons why.
#1: SETS THE ENERGY
An unforgettable event starts - and ends - with a fun and exciting energy to keep your remote audience pumped and engaged. An experienced virtual emcee will bring it for every moment of your event. And the best ones won’t hesitate to throw in some improv comedy to keep the mood light and boost the entertainment factor for your audience.
#2: THEY (SHOULD) ENSURE INCLUSIVITY
Attention to inclusive language, pronouns and culture is also a huge responsibility of the emcee. The right emcee will take the time to make sure that they know everyone’s personal pronouns for use before making introductions. They should also be mindful of potentially sensitive content and provide signals to the attendees and speakers that this is an inclusive, diverse and respectful space where all are welcome. For example:
Rachel Sheerin identifies as she/her and is a partner of The James Beard Impact Fund, focused on womxn and womxn-identifying food and beverage entrepreneurs - learn more about JBF’s incredible work here.
#3: KEEPS EVERYTHING ON TIME (OR STALLS WHEN YOU NEED IT MOST)
Sticking to a timeline is crucial - and it doesn’t take very long for attendees to get frustrated and disengaged by lateness, delayed starts and speakers who don’t stick to their time frames.
Having an awesome virtual emcee will ensure that your times, changes and breaks are hit on time, keeping the flow of the event moving and showcasing the professionalism of the meeting planning team and organization. The emcee you hire should review the run of show schedule with you via phone/web meeting prior to the event to make sure that you’re both on the same page.
#4: THEY CAN HELP LIGHTEN THE MOOD DURING TECH ISSUES
When someone’s camera decides to stop working or their 5 dogs start barking at the UPS delivery person, you won’t have to worry about a thing when you have a Master of Ceremonies. From tech difficulties to life’s unexpected comedies, MC’s handle timeline changes with grace. Rachel’s kept audiences occupied while production teams navigate technical challenges and speakers adjusted their bow ties a lot - and none of the attendees knew anything was amiss!
#5: THEY PROVIDE CLEAR DIRECTIVES
A virtual emcee can help offer crystal clear directives for your attendees to keep the event fun and running smoothly. Breaks, Q+A, Panel discussions and more are made clear, easy to understand and interactive with a great emcee at the helm. What’s even better is that they can provide both auditory and visual queues for attendees, making sure that no matter how attendees learn best, information is being shared in ways that get through to folks.
BONUS! TAKES PRESSURE OFF OF YOU, THE PLANNER!
Planning and hosting an event - especially a virtual one - isn’t easy. With a virtual emcee, you won’t have the added responsibility of hosting the event after you’ve put in all of the work of planning it. Give yourself the gift of a great time and let the emcee do the hosting. You deserve it!
At the end of the day, a great host is an asset to the client, audience and event’s overall success. How you start and how you finish are often what people remember - be sure your Emcee is professional, polished and brings the energy your event deserves!
Interested in having me as an MC for your event? Learn more here!