Can anyone be an event host?
Today, we will discuss and reveal a bit of the stage art that goes into hosting events, one of Lior Suchard’s core specialties as a mentalist and entertainer sought out on the biggest stages in the world, and we will explain why this is an area of operation that is so much more than just knowing how to hold a microphone and smile on stage…
When done well and with uncompromising professionalism, hosting events, conferences, and the like can perhaps seem easy and simple, as if anyone could do it. “All you need is a microphone, a smile, and to know the event schedule,” you may think to yourself. But the truth is that the best emcees and those who provide an unforgettable experience at every event need to be artists in their field, and this task requires a certain set of skills and capabilities.
The art of performing and entertaining
We’ll say it right from the start – not just anyone can be an event host, and definitely not just anyone has what it take to be a professional, good, leading event host. Hosting various types of events requires a skillset that goes far beyond the basic skills of public speaking, with talents and characteristics such as:
- Stage presence: An excellent event host leads and attracts attention with the very stage presence that he radiates and gives off to the audience in the hall. He exudes confidence, captures the audience and their attention from the moment he steps on stage, but does so effectively and in an appropriate manner, with the focus on the content and components of the event, and not just on himself.
- Ability to adapt and change: Standing before the audience isn’t enough. A recommended, high-quality emcee knows how to adapt to changes and sudden occurrences in real time during the event, and to adjust himself, respond to the audience and to other things that happen. A script and schedule are excellent and necessary, but events are dynamic and your host needs to know how to flow and change according to the situation on the ground, in the most smooth and ideal way.
- Timing and pace: Precise and interactive event hosting requires excellent timing and an acquired, natural sense of understanding and progress according to the pace of the event, in order to manage and keep the energy of the event flowing smoothly and to keep the audience involved and interested.
- Charisma: This isn’t a palpable trait, but when you stand in front of a person who is full of charisma, you can’t miss the fact or stay indifferent to this “superpower,” a power that is so critical and essential to an emcee that makes the difference. Charisma allows the host to lead the audience and the event, to emotionally connect to participants at the event, to create an atmosphere and energy, and to do so in an authentic, impressive, and enjoyable way.
Here are a few more examples why professional event hosting is not something that anyone can just do. While a script and a detailed plan definitely play a part in professional, exclusive, and prestigious events, excellent emcees provide skills and capabilities that go much further than just reading from a teleprompter or index cards.
- Involving, captivating storytelling – To weave an appealing, fun narrative that makes the content of the event more meaningful.
- Elegant, precise, and well-timed humor that is integrated throughout the entire event.
- Quick thinking – As we said, events don’t always follow the plan. An excellent emcee can think and respond quickly, even under high-pressure or extreme conditions, solving problems and even turning the lemon into lemonade…
- Attention to details is important – especially when done cleverly, naturally, and in a manner that seems effortless to the audience.
- Professional, comprehensive, and in-depth preparation for each event specifically, learning the messages, significance, characteristics of the audience, the brand, and the location are definitely important demands to make from an event host and they testify to a high level of professionalism.
So no, not just anyone can be an event host, and definitely not just anyone can provide professional, leading event hosting services for brands, organizations, and in cases when compromising on quality is simply not an option.
