The 360° Approach: What Makes a Great Emcee?
Photo credit: Abigail Schaefer Photography
As I stood on the stage after the final speaker at the Warrior Unchained women's business and empowerment conference in southeastern Wisconsin in 2023, I could feel the weight of the weekend in the room like a collective held breath. The next item on the schedule was a panel with the full lineup of event speakers to close out our three-day experience.
I spoke some words to reinforce the previous speaker's message, and I was about to introduce the panel when I paused. I noticed and felt the energy of the room, recognized a need for a shift in the programming and decided to take a risk.
Instead of moving immediately into the next item on the agenda, which was the panel discussion, I invited the audience to take a breath with me and soak in all of the learning and connections that they'd experienced over the past two days. I could feel their need to express and share some of those experiences, so I stepped off the stage and into the audience, with a glance at the event's host to make sure she trusted me enough to go off script.
I invited the audience members to share one thought or comment about the weekend. One person raised her hand and spoke. Then another one. Followed by someone else. We laughed, we cried and we connected. They encouraged each other, and they participated in a way they didn't think they would when they first bought their tickets to attend.
To this day, the event host still talks about how this was her favorite moment of the conference.
With a little bit of awareness and the courage to follow your instincts, you can create space for memorable moments like this at your event, too, without it feeling too scripted or forced.
I call myself the 360° Emcee because I approach events from all angles—starting before, continuing during and extending after. I consider myself a connector, partner and collaborator from preparation to post production. I notice and address potential pitfalls before the host is even aware of them, and I make sure that everyone involved owns their roles. I'm constantly checking in on the energy of a room and looking for ways to make sure that the experience exceeds people's expectations.
There is art to this ability of an emcee to "read the room," and while you may be focusing on the big picture and handling the logistics and details behind the scenes, your emcee is monitoring audience energy and engagement, making adjustments and ad-libbing in order to keep things moving and maintain momentum. In between speakers, the emcee has an opportunity to reinforce the previous message and weave it into the next topic, seamlessly connecting one to another to amplify your event's overall theme and to preserve and protect the emotional journey that you've designed. The emcee is also responsible for highlighting sponsors and success partners, showing genuine appreciation and encouraging the audience to get to know them better.
Some of these responsibilities might seem intangible, but together they create coherence and consistency, which makes your event feel intentional, on purpose and on brand instead of a scattered array of really cool separate segments.
When planning events, a lot of hosts enlist an emcee's help as an afterthought. Unfortunately, as your event gets closer, the emcee has less time to collaborate with you and help you create the kind of experience you want for your guests. Emcees have a lot of value to add to your event, and when you don't realize you need an emcee until the last minute, the shortened timeframe for proper preparation will impact their performance. If you're not going to do it yourself, give yourself enough time to find an emcee that fits your vision, whether it's a team member, volunteer or a professional.
Look for an emcee who can challenge what you think you know about running an event. Look for someone who is not afraid to take charge but who won't steal the spotlight. Look for someone who loves people. Look for someone well connected, who can make introductions to potential speakers and sponsors early on. Look for someone who is not afraid of feedback. Look for someone who is flexible and fun.
Your choice for your conference or convention emcee should not be an afterthought. It's probably not the greatest idea to assign the role to the first person who raises their hand and seems comfortable enough speaking in public. Whether you plan to step into the role yourself or delegate it, make sure that you're being intentional with your choice.
I like to compare my role as an emcee to that of a nice rug. It really ties the room together. The right rug connects all the furniture and design elements in a space, and a good emcee brings all aspects of your event together for a cohesive experience.
When an emcee is on stage controlling the microphone and expertly directing the flow of the event, you might laugh at their jokes and put your hands in the air when they prompt you to wave them like you just don't care, but you're not giving their performance the kind of scrutiny that you'll be giving to the speakers and the host as they share their expertise from the spotlight. From your seat in the audience, you're not likely to remember too much about the emcee as an individual performer because their job is to highlight and enhance the performances of others and keep you engaged with the bigger vision of the event.
The emcee steps into the spotlight over and over again without stealing the show.
As the emcee, it's my job to be a bridge between all the people involved in an event. I bring everyone together for a common purpose and get them all on the same page. Each individual will come in with a different connection to the event, and the collaborative role of the emcee is to make sure that each person takes actions that complement the larger vision in order to elevate everyone's experience. As the host coordinates logistics, the emcee greets the crowd with a welcoming smile and open heart. When you're taking on the role of both, make sure that the logistical management doesn't pull your attention away from serving the people in front of you.
The most important thing to remember when building your event is to keep your focus on your people. Even if you're the one in control of the microphone, taking the stage as your own emcee, you must remember that you are not the center of the performance. This is one of the top mistakes that I see amateur event hosts make when they decide to take on the job of the emcee. They're hosting the event in order to grow their business so they believe that more stage time equals more credibility and more of their voice leads to more demand for their products or services. This is not always the case.
When speakers and sponsors have been invited to share the stage at your event, they expect to be showcased equitably. If they spend the whole time feeling like they're playing second fiddle to your tooting horn, they'll leave the experience with a sour taste in their mouths. They won't be as connected to the event, your mission or your brand, and they won't invest with you in the future or recommend your event to others in their network. Sponsors who feel shunned won't return, and attendees who feel like they've been beaten excessively over the head with the host's message will feel blindsided or taken advantage of and they may learn little from the other speakers (some of whom you may have paid big bucks to include in your program). Don't steal the show.
The 360° approach means seeing the event from all angles and perspectives—not just your own. It means considering the needs of your audience, speakers, sponsors and vendors at every stage. It means being present and adaptable, willing to go off-script when the moment calls for it and constantly monitoring the energy in the room. By taking this comprehensive approach, you can create an event that feels cohesive, intentional and truly memorable for everyone involved.
Ready to take your event hosting skills to the next level?
This article features information from my book, Welcome to the Stage: The 360° Approach to Hosting Events Like a Pro AVAILABLE MAY 5, 2025! If you enjoyed it, you'll love the comprehensive guidance, practical strategies and insider techniques I share in the full book.
Pre-order your copy today and discover how to make your next event the one everyone remembers!