How to Emcee an Awards Ceremony
Emcee Singapore: An awards ceremony is a special event designed to recognize and reward excellence within a particular industry. As such, the emcee’s role is vital to help things run smoothly. The ceremony brings together top people who make things happen in that industry. It provides a perfect excuse for guests to dress up in their finest to spend three or four hours wining, dining and sharing the in the joy of the winners. It can also be a source of abject boredom if the emcee doesn’t bring it to life with an entertaining style of presentation. For how long would you tolerate the emcee just mechanically announcing the winners?
1) Preparation
The secret to successfully emceeing an awards ceremony is the same as any other special event – the key is preparation. If you have been chosen to emcee a company’s annual awards, pat yourself on the back. Someone thinks you can do a good job in handling the show. Now it’s up to you not to disappoint them or yourself. Get to work immediately.
2) Request a Meeting
Have a conversation with the event organizer. Make sure you take notes. What do you talk about? Here are eleven questions you should ask:
1. When is the awards ceremony?
2. Where is it taking place?
3. What time does it start?
4. Why these awards at this particular time of the organization’s life? This sounds like an obvious question but you may get extra insights from the response that could be helpful to you.
5. Who was the emcee Singapore emcee for last year’s event? (If it was recorded, ask for copies of the video).
6. Who is your point of contact during the event?
7. Who are the speakers on the program? You will need their profiles so you can introduce them well.
8. Who will provide entertainment? A live band? A comedian? A magician?
9. How many awards will be presented and what are they for? This is to plan an effective introduction every single time.
10. Who is presenting the awards? Company executives? VIPs?
11. What is the highest award? You’ll want to climax the event by announcing this one last.
3) Running Order
Next, ask the organizers for a draft running order or run sheet. This document shows what will happen at a specific time during the show. The running order is your best friend if you are the emcee. It is your road map that will help you ensure the emceeing is a success.
Always note that the running order is not always set in stone. For example, if it bunches thirty awards in one presentation segment you could take the liberty of splitting the awards up. You could for example present ten before dinner, ten during dinner and the remainder right after the final musical performance. Audiences attend events primarily to be entertained and as the emcee, you are the facilitator of the entertainment. Sometimes you can alter or bend the running order to suit the dictates of the event or the crowd’s vibe.
4) Rehearsal
If possible, ask the organizers if it’s possible to have a rehearsal. As the emcee Singapore emcee, you’ve asked your questions and you’ve received the running order. Are you ready to host the event? You know the saying “Practice makes perfect.”
If that isn’t possible, you can simulate the event on your own in order to practice the key moments of the ceremony – the introduction, the award presentations. In what order will the awards be arranged and presented when the categories are announced? Will the announcement of awards be synchronized with music? Then you and the deejay have to be well coordinated.
5) Showtime!
After this amount of preparation, you are ready for your awards ceremony. Get to the venue ahead of time, start on time and have a good time! Success is yours! Be the best emcee you can be for the awards ceremony!
H/T: Howtomcanyevent
