How to Be a Great Event Emcee (15 Tips from the World’s #1 Seminar MC)

For those who don’t know me, I have been an event emcee for over 14 years and have risen to become the World’s #1 Live Seminar Event Emcee.

I have shared the stage with Tony Robbins, Dean Graziosi, Les Brown, Brian Tracy, Rachel Hollis, and many other greats.

Through my experiences (and some mistakes), I have learned how to become a great event emcee. I want to share those lessons with you today in the form of 15 tips that will help you succeed.

And oh yeah, just a quick heads up that (as you probably noticed), I'll be using the two different spellings, "MC (short for Master of Ceremonies)" & "Emcee", interchangeably - since they're both accurate.

One of the smartest things you can do before you meet or interview with your prospective client, is to do homework on their event. 

Look at their website and the event page, past testimonials, their Facebook community, and whatever resource is available to you.

One main reason is to determine if you are a good fit for the role of emcee and if they are a good fit for you. You may be tempted to apply for every emcee position available, but you should consider your strengths, weaknesses, and your personal style.

This doesn’t mean you need to be a part of their demographic, but you will need to be able to communicate and relate to their demographic. 

Heck, I emcee for events all across the spectrum...

From an all-women weight loss convention that has a live DJ, all the way to a medical convention for dentists.  And although I'm  neither a woman on a fitness journey, or a person who even knows what the hell an upper-bicuspid is, I know I can relate to those audiences. If I couldn’t, I would have passed on the opportunity.

Another reason to do your homework first is so you can ask intelligent questions during the interview process. Not only will you learn more valuable information, but you’ll also impress the client.

ALWAYS REMEMBER, it’s not about YOU... it's about THE EVENT!

As emcees, we love the stage more than most and, in most cases, we’re on stage even more than the speakers.

But just because you're on stage a bunch doesn't mean it's all about YOU!

Never self-promote while on stage. You were hired for a job, and that job is to represent the event. Doing this well means that the audience is getting the most out of the event, and that the people who hired you are having a more successful event (according to whatever measuring stick they're using).

The best way to promote yourself to be hired for the next event is to BE OF VALUE. Not to give people your Instagram account from stage.

If you’re emceeing an event for dentists, it’ll likely have a different energy level than if you’re emceeing a fitness seminar for 20-year old women. So, set your energy level in relation to the room, and then build up from there.

My rule of thumb is to set my energy 2 levels above wherever the room is and then gradually build it up.

So, for a dentist seminar, if they are at a level 2, I start at a level 4. For a young female fitness seminar, if they are at a level 7, I am at a 9. Then, I raise them higher and higher as I emcee up to the optimal level for the event.

What you don't want to do, is come into an even that's at a level 4, and then hit them with a 10 right off the bat. That'll turn off much of your audience.

I actually seized the opportunity to make my physical appearance part of my brand image. So now, I wear a certain style to all of my events

If, however, your client requests you wear certain attire, like an event t-shirt, then by all means, wear what they ask! I gladly forgo my brand image attire to meet my client’s requests.

Just be sure to factor in as much comfort as possible (without sacrificing too much style!)—especially with your shoes, since you’ll be on your feet a lot.

There’s a famous Vince Lombardi quote that goes, “If you’re on time, you’re late.” You should take this to heart as an emcee.

Always arrive early enough to do a soundcheck, feel the stage, and envision yourself interacting with the audience. Treat it like a mini dress rehearsal, with your mic on your head or in hand, using the tone of voice you’re going to use, walking around the stage, and so on.

I have to travel for most of my events. So, I always fly in the day before the event. My clients love that I am ahead of schedule, and it’s a big reason I get asked to return for event after event.

The hardest part of every event is the first time you get on stage. 

The audience likely doesn't know you, and you've only got a few minutes to connect with them and have them like you.

To help overcome that first obstacle, I intermingle with the crowd beforehand.

I jump in on conversations and try to pick out the “fun people” in the crowd that I can call upon if needed. Getting one fun person to cheer can lead to the whole crowd cheering. Not to mention the fact that having  a few people who already feel comfortable with you makes your job of connecting that much easier the first time you get on stage.

Mixing with the audience helps me warm up and helps warm up the crowd. You may even be able to raise their energy level even before getting on stage! Remember, even when intermingling beforehand, your energy level should always be a step or two above everyone else’s.

This is one of my favorite tips on how to be a great event emcee because it really sets apart the professionals from the newbies.

Like I said, the most challenging part of an event is the first time you step on the stage. In those opening minutes, it’s up to you to set the tone and set the expectations for the event. So, I strongly suggest you script your opening.

A well-thought-out introduction is engaging, informative, and motivating. Right off the bat, you want to identify with your audience and why you’re all there. Summarize what the event is and get them excited about what they’re going to gain from it.

Then, you can give a short introduction of yourself and how you came to emcee this event. I also like to do a call and response to really engage the audience. And lastly, I rehearse with the crowd how we should welcome someone to the stage (standing up and cheering, of course).

Keep it simple while trying to explain why this event is different or special. Memorize the opening if you can - that way it "feels" like you're just talking off the top of your head as opposed to reading from a piece of paper or a cue card.

If possible, talk to the speakers beforehand. Some speakers try to just hand you their bio, but that’s not good enough. There are a few things you need to clarify before you introduce them…

Getting these three items locked in will make your introduction of the speaker that much more powerful for the audience.

One time on stage, I meant to say, “accelerate your success.” You know what words actually came out of my mouth?... “accelerate your sex”!!

Needless to say, I could’ve melted under my embarrassment...

I could have made myself (and therefore the crowd) uncomfortable...

Instead, I owned my mistake, and we all had an extra, unexpected laugh. It turned out to be one of the most memorable parts of the event!

When you’re emceeing, you’re not there to do a set; you’re there to help the event.

Sure, you should embrace fun opportunities, but you shouldn’t try to force them.

You’re there to add value by keeping the event moving along and the crowd engaged. So, focus on the value you’re providing, not the laughs.

It’s okay to take a break when you’re not on stage, but you should still consider yourself on the clock.

When you’re not on stage, you can (and should) do a number of things, such as:

Working - even when you’re not on stage - will elevate you from a good emcee to a great emcee.

It’s not uncommon for technical difficulties or other hiccups to occur during an event. When they do, it’s your job to keep the audience engaged and their energy level up.

You don’t want to draw a blank when trying to think how to kill time. So, I recommend coming prepared with fillers.

Some ways to kill time:

My go-to filler is dancing! I have a hip-hop background so I share my moves with the crowd and teach them fun little dances.

Dancing works great for me, but you should always choose a filler that comes naturally to you.

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