What an event it was! Premiere Emcee was given the ultimate privilege of hosting this year Warrior Dash being held in Madison Connecticut. Our Emcee Steve, ensured the people were pumped up and ready to go though their 4 mile run and 12 extreme obstacles, such as water, ice, fire, huge slides and a lots of mud.
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Premiere Emcee, LLC would like to announce the release of its First official Promotional Video, Hope you all enjoy! Top 5 Reasons To Book Premiere Emcee....
#5 Adaptability: Our MC’s are able to adjust to various cultural traditions. #4 Dependable: Our MC’s are required to always be fully prepared and punctual for all appointments/events. #3 Organized: so you never have to ask “What happens now?” #2 Experienced: Our MC’s have many years of hosting and MC’ing all types of events big or small. #1 Entertaining: Our MC’s add a touch of class and elegance, as well as creating an atmosphere of fun/humor, so that you and your guest enjoy the event. Professional emcee vs staff emcee
"Welcome to our convention! We have a great agenda, but first, I've got a few dozen announcements". . . and you're off to the races with a great event hosted by a not-so-great emcee. As an agent who has seen his fair share of events destroyed by a poor emcee, I'll give you a few reasons why you should hire a professional emcee but if your budget doesn't allow it, here are lots of tips on how to emcee and more importantly what not to do. A professional emcee An emcee is someone who will keep your conference humming instead of having the audience snoozing? To make sure your people come back after the break, you need a professional Master of Ceremonies. There are a ton of good reasons why a professional Emcee is excellent investment, but here are just a few:
This is ancient comedy club wisdom. The emcee is not just hired to be funny; they're also there to sacrifice themselves by going first, or "taking the bullet". More important than just being entertaining, they have to focus the cold, chatty, drink-ordering crowd, so that the other acts/speakers do well. If you're not comfortable with jokes, then don't do them. Instead focus on your first few tasks, which are to welcome your guests, tell them about the great experience they're in for, and what's on the agenda. Sure, slip in some details, but don't focus on the bathroom locations first. Come Prepared "Papadopoulos" is the most popular surname in Greece . You may have to say it one day. Practice the speaker's name out loud several times fast, so it rolls off your tongue, and most importantly write it out phonetically. Many professional speakers will send you a written introduction. Take the time to read it in advance. The same goes for titles and intros, whatever you do, just don't get up there and try to wing it. Tie It All Together Thanking the last speaker is a dismissal, not a wrap-up. Instead mention something you just learned, repeating a website, giving a personal fact about the speaker, or taking a silly survey. You should tie the event together, not run speakers through on a conveyor belt. I once polled the audience, after the president gave a long analogy between the Super Bowl and life, by asking "how many people hope, during next year's game, Bill just drinks a beer like the rest of us?" Of course I had permission to be funny. Don't get yourself in trouble! It is the emcee's job to keep the program moving on time Even though the speaker(s) have been given a time schedule, not every presenter stays within the limit. It will be your responsibility as the emcee to keep everyone on time. You don't want your event to be like The Oscars, now do you? Before you start, tell them that you will give them a signal when they have five, three and one minutes left, and stress that the time schedule is important for the success of the program. If they are going way past their time, you might have to gracefully take to the stage. As emcee, keep your comments as short as possible. Plan To Stall There are a million things that can interrupt your perfectly arranged session, but you still have to keep things moving. Have a plan for power point presentations crashing or the noise from the group next door setting up a petting zoo. You can stall like a pro by highlighting a sponsor, taking a few questions, listing five great area restaurants, asking people to shout out one thing they've learned, or inviting everyone to go pet the goat next door. "Plan B" shouldn't include staring at the banquet manager until they fix the problem. Change The Energy In comedy clubs, if the first act dies, the emcee tells a couple jokes to change the mood so the next act has a fighting chance. You, too, need to help the audience switch gears from funny to serious, serious to high energy, and so on. One quick line can do it. I once followed a CEO whose depressing speech focused on how the company was, quote, "toning down the glitz & glamour." I came back with "great, you're toning down the glitz & glamour. . .and then I'm introduced! Like I'm the blandest speaker you could find!" It gave the crowd a license to laugh and helped them to move on. When the energy in the room takes a huge dive, it is up to the emcee to raise that level again. Make Them Want To Listen People will listen if they like you - just ask Oprah! Be personable by sharing details about your family, hobbies, hometown, or pets. You can even have a recurring theme, such as mentioning your dog frequently. Every time you go back on stage, the crowd will be wondering what you'll say about Rover next. Have fun. It's YOUR party If you have fun, they will too. Use top ten lists, funny quizzes, and silly slide shows to keep things moving. And close with something memorable like an anecdote from the conference or a challenge for next year. Then take a bow, you've just given the event some "glitz and glamour!" Being asked to be the emcee is an honor. The emcee is probably the most important function of the program -- keeping every part moving smoothly. Take it seriously, prepare well, and be proud of the part you've played and you will be asked again and again. A good emcee is hard to find, so be one or call Premiere Emcee, LLC! So you’re having a corporate event, and you’re spending all of this money on renting a hall, catering the event, getting a sound company, etc. Why not save a few bucks and have Bob from your company be the Corporate MC for the evening? Bob is funny…some say he ishilarious, and people like him– it’s tempting. Here’s why you should NOT go down that path. Consider these 5 reasons to give Bob the night off, and spend a few extra bucks to hire a professional Master of Ceremonies:
1) Pressure: Bob is really funny in small groups. But when the house lights go down and the mic goes hot, it’s a completely different game. Only a very small percentage of people are equally comfortable standing on stage speaking clearly in a formal situation as they are joking around the office with a couple of their co-workers. There is nothing more painful than seeing a coworker struggle on stage in front of his or her peers. No matter who is being honored that evening or what the company is celebrating, it will all be overshadowed by this distraction. 2) Being funny vs. having material: Bob may be very clever around the water cooler, at lunch, or in a board meeting. There is a big difference, however, between someone who is a witty conversationalist, and a comedian or emcee with actual material. Having an act is the difference between the amateur and the professional. The amateur requires a particular set of circumstances to be present in order to be “on.” The professional creates laughs and audience rapport from scratch every night at show time, regardless of the circumstances. A professional always has enough core material to fall back on in an emergency. I have seen the following set of events happen many times over— Bob is asked to be the emcee for the big company event. Bob thinks “Wow they think I’m funny! I’ve always wanted to try standup comedy! Now is my chance.” So Bob takes it upon himself to write some jokes and create an act for this event. So that means not only is Bob writing comedy for the first time, he’s attempting his comedy at the big event for the first time. NOT GOOD. No matter how naturally gifted you may be in the humor department, professional comedians and presenters will always stress that there is no substitute for years of experience on stage. Working your material over years and years in front of live audiences is the only way to attain the polish of a true professional. This leads directly into… 3) Experience: A professional Corporate MC has hosted countless events, and the problems that arise are always the same– timing issues, technical issues, etc. Chances are that the seemingly catastrophic “problem” that happens in the moment is standard operating procedure for a professional emcee. What could potentially turn your first-time emcee into a deer in headlights is simply no big deal for the professional. The more events an emcee has hosted, the better s/he learns to handle all types of situations that routinely come up again and again. Because you have outsourced the most stressful job of the evening that night to a competent person, everyone can relax and enjoy the evening. And isn’t that really the point, anyway? 4) Perspective: Comedy is very closely tied to perspective. Having a neutral 3rd party on the mic creates an essential distance between the emcee and the material that is extremely advantageous for comedy. For example, if someone within the company is poking fun at another department, it could come off as hurtful or condescending. However, if a neutral 3rd party pokes fun at the same department, it comes off as playful. Or how about a joke at a company rival’s expense? Again, it could seem bitter or overly antagonistic coming from an employee, but it becomes “ok” when someone else is delivering the joke. Providing some distance between your company and your emcee creates a nice buffer zone for whatever happens on stage. 5) Different = Better: Different isn’t necessarily always better, but in this case… it is! Hiring a professional emcee sends a signal to your attendees that you are taking the event seriously. When your emcee is introduced with TV credits or a show in Las Vegas, it naturally elevates the caliber of the event. Your attendees perk up and think, “Oh wow, this is something special!” An exciting tone is set. By the same token, when Bob comes on stage and starts talking, you’re inviting shouting from the audience, inside jokes among peers, and a very casual office party feel which will lessen the professionalism of the whole evening. When planning a any event, the MC is all too-often an afterthought. Event planners spend so much time organizing the venue, the catering company, the centerpieces on each table, the gift bags, the programs, etc. All of these pieces are important, but at the end of the day, people are going to remember how they FELT at the event. The job of creating that emotional connection falls largely on your emcee for the evening. He or she is the face of your event, the person who sets the tone and guides the audience throughout the night. With live events, the only thing you can ever be sure of is that you really can’t be sure of anything! After all the homework is finished to ensure the event goes as smoothly as possible, life happens. The dinner starts late, the speaker finishes early, the awards presenter skips a section, the video doesn’t work, the microphone is cutting in and out for no reason whatsoever! It worked just fine at sound check– why now?? The only way to gain true control of your event is by choosing a Master of Ceremonies with the experience, material, and poise to deal effectively with any situation that may arise. Wouldn’t you want to leave that responsibility in the hands of a professional? A professional Corporate MC will keep your event running smoothly and on time, every time. Here is a very good friend of mine starting her own business. Make sure you guys check her out! ---I am an independent Bartender available for hire in the CT, NY and MA area. So if you are looking for an outgoing, personable, punctual, professional bartender who enjoys being around people, I’m your girl! My service is available for weddings, birthdays, corporate or private events, nightlife establishments and much more. I am available during the week after 4pm and anytime on the weekends. Prices are very affordable! -Kewanna Carlton |
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