Acting as a master of ceremonies is in itself a challenge – in three different languages, moving easily from one to the other, in the role of a trilingual master of ceremonies, is an even greater challenge, which I love. Challenges push us to grow! For a simultaneous interpreter, being dragged out of the protected environment of the translation booth at the back of the room and onto the stage, under the spotlight and everyone's watchful eyes, was difficult at first. Daunting but exciting! I jumped right in.

One thing led to another, and after taking a number of specific courses, I realized that acting as a trilingual master of ceremonies brought the kind of challenge I needed. I have dedicated time and effort to this area that I love, mainly because I can offer the service in my three working languages, English, Portuguese and Spanish. So if you're looking for a trilingual M.C., who can support your event in these three languages, you have just found her. Let's talk.

A Master of ceremonies, also known as MC or emcee, is the official host for a staged performance, party or conference. The role of a master of ceremonies is to introduce speakers, make announcements and keep the event agenda flowing smoothly.

Getting invited to emcee an event is at the same time a great honor but a daunting task.

There are too many practical aspects to pay attention to.

Of the utmost importance is learning about the event well in advance. This is key for any MC, be it for a wedding, graduation, bar mitzvah, celebrity roast or corporate seminar. This is specially important because it will determine the kind of atmosphere the MC needs to nurture. Understanding exactly what is going on, what should be said and what is coming next is essential for an MC. Going over the planned structure and reviewing the itinerary of the event in detail is also extremely important.

Mceing is about making the audience feel welcome, engaged and well informed about everything that is happening. It is not about boosting one’s ego, watching the clock and making announcements. The audience should feel welcome and at home.

• Keep the conference flowing smoothly and connect one segment to the next
• Boost the energy and enthusiasm of the audience and keep it high
• Welcome the audience
• Welcome the speakers and help them feel appreciated
• Iron out any last-minute problems so people don’t know or don’t worry
• Keep the conference to time
• Help the organiser make it a great event to the best of your abilities
• Write the script and introductions(more often than not)

• Have a good voice and appearance
• Be confident and welcoming
• Be dedicated and industrious
• Be able to deal with last-minute changes and no-shows
• Be able to control their own anxiety before the conference

Your timing system must be very easy and clear to everyone, speakers, organizer and everyone involved. The audience will be annoyed by constant delays if the conference does not stick to the schedule announced.

Deciding which system to use in advance and letting everybody know is key to the success of any event.

To be able to write down the script the MC must know exactly what is to happen when, where and with whom. A good tool is to write a minute-to-minute schedule of the entire event in advance, including every minor detail and times.

Motivate the audience to look forward to the following speaker. The MC is there to inspire them. If they simply read the script word for word, listeners may get bored, flat or lose interest. But if they describe the benefits or the lessons they will learn by listening to this or that speaker, the audience will have a totally different attitude. Making introductions personal and relevant adds interest to the script. MCs are there to build a bridge between speaker and audience.

Another detail in organisation that makes a whole lot of difference is telling the organiser that the MC will answer to one person alone in charge. If any changes need to be made to the agenda or the program, it is that appointed person’s job to approve the change and tell the MC about it. This will reduce mix-ups and communication disruption during the event.

It is the MC’s job to welcome speakers onto the stage and help them adjust the microphone to a comfortable speaking position. Speakers more often than not are not used to adjusting props and equipment on stage and may end up having to bend over to reach the mike if they can’t properly adjust it.

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