Hire a Professional MC to Elevate Your Next Event – 4 Insider Tips
By Limelight Group
Looking to hire a professional MC for your next event?
The right master of ceremonies (or MC) can help an event run effortlessly—or at least make it look that way.
Finding the right professional MC to lead attendees through a packed program takes a little know-how, and that’s where LimeLight shines!
LimeLight has a host of experts who know how to take an event script and make it sing!
Our roster includes an assortment of celebrities, comedians and speakers who are pros at the podium. When hiring an event MC, our clients love to work with: James Mullinger, Erica Ehm, or Matt Wright.
You might be wondering why you should hire a professional MC instead of using internal people.
Many companies use internal people, which has its pros and cons.
“On the upside, they have a connection to the organization and know the inside jokes,” says Kimberley King, CEO of LimeLight Group.
“But you want to make sure you have an expert who can take event hiccups and make them disappear. When a technical difficulty occurs or the sponsor’s name is dropped from the script, a pro can pick up the pieces and right the wrong without notice.”
A celebrity name like Shaun Majumder, Mary Walsh, Mark Critch and Steve Patterson can boost attendance, and give audiences a special treat!
Always ask for references.
“Emceeing is a different skill set than stand-up, a keynote or broadcasting.”
If you’re using a professional MC, make use of their expertise, advises King.
“They can be great at imparting their knowledge in terms of timing—where you’ve allocated a little too much time to a certain segment, for example.” You may also want to consider a conference weaver like Bill Carr, or a virtual expert like James Taylor or Patrick Ledwell.
Prep them for in person or Virtual.
Make sure your MC is well-briefed. This is especially important when it comes to hybrid events. Some planners choose to hire two professional MC’s to make sure both audiences feel the love!
They should have a copy of the script in advance—at least 48 hours before. It’s also important to help your “outside” MC seem like an insider at the event.
“They need to be comfortable with the event objectives and what they can play with at the podium—and what’s off limits,” says King.
Expect to pay in the range of $5,000 to $30,000+ for a professional MC.
“It all depends on the role of the MC,” says King. Is she there to keep the timeline going and add some humour and spark, or are they also lending their name to the evening and increasing ticket sales as well?”
Elevate your event to new heights, keep your program running seamlessly on time–hire a professional MC. Discover the impact they can have on engaging your audience and creating a memorable experience. Contact us to set up a time to chat about your next event.
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