It’s the moment before I go up onto stage. The idle chatter from the audience beyond the curtains, the weight of the microphone in my hand, and the adrenaline buzz running through me as I run through the sequence of the event and recap my lines in my mind. The curtains open, and it’s showtime!
Emceeing was a thoroughly enjoyable experience for me. As a public speaker, I drew many of my techniques from the basics of drama. For example, varying my tone and injecting energy into my voice kept the audience engaged and interested in the event. While it may seem like a small detail, good posture and body language is also equally as important as enunciating and speaking loudly. The key thing about emceeing and even public speaking as a whole, is to never lose your audience.
As a public speaker, understanding the audience is key to effective communication. I was fortunate to have experienced both very friendly audiences that laugh when I crack a joke, and also audiences that were more serious or more interested in the actual event. When the audience is not what I expect, I sometimes go off-script, improvise and appeal to the mood of the audience accordingly so as to keep them engaged. This skill is something that I had thankfully been trained for after years in drama and public speaking. The art of adapting and thinking on your feet are skills that are necessary in other parts of life as well.
When I first took on the role of an emcee, I did not expect that public speaking will play such an important role in my life, and it has taught me how to be more confident in myself too. It has extended beyond just public speaking, and has actually transformed me into a more confident, lively and engaging person. Not only is public speaking and emceeing specifically fun and easy to learn, it is also a valuable life skill. Public speaking was, is and always will be worth it for me and I encourage everyone to give it a try.