Being An Event Host – Tip No. 45 – Be On Your Guard

London, UK

A while back, I alluded to how a compere or Master of Ceremonies can keep control throughout an event – this is key when handling speakers and of course, the audience. Being a strong mouth on legs can work wonders! But what about the Q & A sessions?
Recently, I was host at an event where the Q & A session was one of those where I had to mix with those in attendance. The golden rule here is this: If you give the hand-held microphone to a member of the audience, make sure you are close at hand so you can get it back! This is a useful tip because on the one hand you can swiftly move on to the next person who wants to ask a question of the speaker and on the other hand, you can snatch back the microphone if the questioner doesn’t play ball. By that, I mean he or she has asked a superflous second question or, worst of all, says something which could potentially embarrass the speaker. And that was the situation I was faced with – I had to stealthily move it and retrieve the microphone from the offender, in this case a gentleman. Luckily, no “damage” was done and reputations were left intact.
A key tactic for any event host or presenter, particularly in the corporate sector, is to be on one’s guard.

Tags: events

Sorry Comments are Closed.