Ideas to Manage a Rowdy Crowd
Picture it: You’re excited to celebrate your association awards - and show all of your members a great time. Afterall, they deserve it! Between all the award nominations and the long year that’s passed since your last annual conference, the awards dinner is a huge celebration that many look forward to every year.
But what happens when the crowd is having SO much fun that it’s hard to hear?
Or the party has been going strong for a couple hours - and so has the bar and volume?
I get it - you want to make sure your award winners and nominees are recognized in the way they deserve! Applause, attention and an awesome night should be ahead - which is why a professional emcee (or master of ceremonies if we’re getting official) can be the difference between a wild crowd and a wonderful one!
Here are some of my favorite and tried-and-true strategies for corralling a loud audience at conferences and awards:
#1 - ASK FOR FEEDBACK: Ask the back row continuously can you hear? When they said no everyone else quieted down a bit. When it gets loud again, simply ask “Back row folks - how are you doing? Can you still hear?” and start the cycle again.
#2 - DING DING! Much like at a wedding when you encourage the happy couple to kiss, encouraging the use of utensils tapped against glassware can be a great signal that can give the attendees and audience members control over communicating their need for lowering voices. Use the clicking of glasses and folks will eventually get the idea.
#3 - Use surprise and delight - One of the things that keeps audiences engaged during virtual, hybrid or in-person events is the tactic of keeping them guessing and wondering “What is going to happen next?!” Some of my favorite strategies include using music on blast like AC/DC Thunderstruck or TikTok viral songs to get the crowd going, bringing props onto stage and utilizing videos intermittently in the program.
#4 - Upgrade your sound system - working on site in Indianapolis with the Markey’s AV team for an event, they had shared their experience with loud crowds and it always came down to the client choosing the right sound system. Whether more speakers, more power or both, AV professionals like the team at Markey’s will guide you to the right system and set up to achieve your goals and meet your needs - even if it means playing defense to loud groups!
#5 - Know your expectations - some folks love a light-hearted awards ceremony full of fun, jokes, and open bars. Others like a more serious, professional tone to the celebrations with the partying starting after the awards have been given. No matter what you want for your awards ceremony, make sure you talk with your event team, conference committee and emcee to achieve the goals you want. If you want a very serious awards ceremony don’t open the bar prior to the ceremony! If you want to party, consider putting cowbells or noisemakers on the table for added fun. No right or wrong, just your goals!
Celebrating employees, industry awards, achievements and great people doing great work has never been more important - and having a crowd that is energized and engaged is a gift, if you have a master of ceremonies to help wrangle their attention and use the strategies outlined above to keep it! Here’s to celebrating - everything in 2022 and beyond!
Interested in having Rachel emcee your annual awards gala? Let’s talk about ideas and dates by clicking here!