WHY EVENT PLANNERS HIRE CONVENTION HOSTS AND MCs

The task list of a convention host serving as a master of ceremonies (MC) encompasses far more than introducing speakers and telling guests which room sessions are in. Forward-thinking convention planners hire professional MCs who go the extra mile as convention hosts to create an engaging, joyful and cohesive delegate experience that builds community around the event themes.

Getting attendees excited starts before folks set foot in the convention hall. Skilled event MCs and convention hosts promote hashtags and activities weeks beforehand via social media to start conversations and idea sharing leading up to the big event. Once convened, they film short teasers during setup touring the venue to showcase room locations, vendor areas, and staging sneak peeks to post online.

Once underway, talented experts employ polished public speaking skills to eloquently welcome guests while outlining the agenda for each day in an upbeat fashion. However, convention hosts also tailor remarks on the fly if keynote speakers run long or events like awards ceremonies have timing changes. MCs also smoothly handle any technical glitches behind the scenes to avoid awkward pauses.

In addition to expert stage presence while leading general sessions, top convention hosts float through the convention daily engaging with attendees during coffee breaks, lunches and mixers. They promote contests and activities to break people out of cliques to meet more peers while also identifying wallflowers to pull into conversations with those sharing common interests.

Exceptional MCs leverage presentations to underscore top takeaways that reinforce the desired culture or values meeting planners aim to instill through the convention themes and content lineup. Such continuity of messaging requires closely studying speaker topics and company priorities in advance rather than just winging remarks.

Lastly, adept convention MCs know how to keep energy levels high even after multi-day festivities where enthusiasm might normally lag. From leading group stretching breaks to changing up the final lunch with interactive games, they pull all the creative strings to send guests home feeling inspired. The perkiest convention hosts exit dancing themselves to upbeat closing music.