Home > Blog > Live Auctions > How To Choose The Right Emcee For Your Event
Hello, my Fabulous Fundraisers!
Today we are going to talk about the “How Choosing A Great Emcee Can Drive Up Revenue.”
Consider the emcee as the host of your entire event; the face of your night.
Are you sure you’ve recruited the right person to fill this important role at your event?
If you’re not 100% certain, read on for tips on how to choose a great emcee and exactly what you should be expecting them to do.
When identifying your host for your event, there are some qualities you should definitely be looking for.
First and foremost, you need to someone who is a confident, high energy speaker in front of a crowd.
Selecting someone who is personable and engaging with your guests both on and offstage will translate into higher dollars.
Ideal emcees will be outgoing, succinct speakers who are able to convey a ton of information to your crowd without being a “ham.”
Stage presence, a pleasant voice, and a commanding demeanor go a long way towards a successful event!
But what is it that your emcee needs to do for the night?
Duties can begin as early as the silent auction, if they will be responsible for making announcements.
At the very least, the emcee should plan to arrive a minimum of thirty minutes prior to the start of the Live Program. And if a sound check is necessary, make it an hour.
One useful strategy is to vary the voices that will be heard onstage by pairing a female auctioneer with a male emcee or vice versa.
That vocal variety will help you redirect your audience back to the stage each time someone new speaks.
After all, your audience’s attention equals increased revenue.
Here are 6 responsibilities required of any good emcee:
Your emcee can make event announcements, facilitate games, raffles, drawings and anything else as needed and requested.
Your emcee can thank and recognize volunteers and sponsors.
Your emcee will welcome all guests, speakers, auctioneers, and entertainers to the stage.
The emcee will introduce all Live Auction descriptions during the Live Auction setting up the auctioneer to effectively sell the items.
The Emcee should be friendly and welcoming to speakers as if they’re old friends creating chemistry and rapport which translates into trust and engagement from the audience.
AND, the Emcee will thank all speakers as they exit the stage.
A note of caution:
The crowd can only focus on one person at a time.
So it is important the the Emcee and Auctioneer never speak over one another.
While the Emcee may think they are helping by chatting up the crowd, it is truly important that they refrain from interrupting the auctioneer while selling.
Booze will be flowing at the event, and your emcee may be tempted to drink with the crowd.
However, remember they are the ambassador for your organization and need to remain focused.
It’s okay to ask your emcee to not drink until the program is complete.
A professional emcee is often recommended but never required.
If you have someone in your network who fits the bill, by all means, recruit them.
Need ideas? We will gladly refer you to folks you can trust to be your best ambassador.
Now, let’s go raise some money!!