My name is Rob Ferre and I am your Master of Ceremonies… " (I wish this was really a wedding that I could’ve attended, but I digress!) Everything you say from that point on will be important, so choose your words wisely and timely. When you get on the mic you should command the audience from introducing speeches (which is a ceremony) to cake cutting (which is a ceremony). You see where I am going with this? Master those ceremonies and direct your audience to them.
Acting as a Host, on the other hand, I think has slightly different connotations. I like this word as it can be used as a verb, “I will be hosting the Pro Mobile Conference” (that’d be cool) as opposed to “I’ll be MCing…” I see this Host as someone who is in charge of a large conference or event. The person who has the sole distinction of opening the proceedings with energy and poise. This person is also the bridge between presenters on the stage but also has the role of guiding everyone as to what is going to happen next or throughout the event.
A great host is crucial to the success of the event. However, too many times this job isn’t taken very seriously and is given to someone who thinks they are good on the mic but end up making it about themselves. Event Host, is our last distinction for when you get on the microphone. I would say this is a more casual and entertainment-driven approach, most suited for weddings and other family celebrations.
As an Event Host you use your own personality to highlight your guests, particularly the guests of honour. People will often remember the times when you get on the mic and dazzle them with your charming and fun personality. But be careful not to cross over the line into the territory of ‘cheesy’ . I suspect when someone calls a DJ cheesy it is because they didn’t know their audience.
Cheesiness is relative to your audience and the level of interaction they want on the mic. So be very self-aware and ask your client what level of interaction they’d prefer. Prompting on the mic while people dance is another type of interaction, one that can increase the level of energy if done right or seem cheesy if done in the wrong way. Asking people to scream or put their hands up in the air while dancing is prompting.
But your timing needs to be right and if they don’t react you must either lay off the microphone or say it in a different way the next time around. Don’t insult your audience by saying “you can do better than that” or “I can’t hear you” , that is likely to be annoying to them. Find different ways to say it like, “That was a 7 let’s take it to a 10!” Cheesiness is also being inauthentic. Your audience knows when you are putting on ‘shtick’ and trying to do a ‘bit’ to get a reaction.
Be yourself and don’t put on your ‘DJ voice’ , use your own natural voice. The roles of DJ (announcer), Master of Ceremonies, Host and Event Host are all distinctly different and require different skills and techniques. Acknowledging this will help you to perfect those skills, recognise the fine line between the different roles and know when to put on the right hat for the right situation. However, whichever role you are performing, my most important piece of advice is simply to be yourself!
" Be yourself and don’t put on your ‘DJ voice’ use your own natural voice
