In my last column, I discussed Malaysians’ obsession with social media influencers in sales and marketing campaigns.
This week, I will share observations of recent events.
Last month, a client decided to engage the services of a social media influencer as the master of ceremonies (emcee) for a corporate event.
The reason for this was that (i) the influencer (who is also an actor) has 1.2 million followers, and (ii) said influencer is genuinely very enthusiastic about the client’s product.
Some may think that anyone can be an emcee. You need to speak well and have the courage to stand up on stage in front of a large crowd. Easy, right? Not true! At a corporate event, an emcee plays a crucial role.
A corporate event is a formal event and often involves government officials. In addition to being articulate and having the guts to stand in front of a large crowd, emcees must be well-versed in protocol and appropriately conduct themselves.
At a corporate event, the emcee’s role is to ensure that the event flows smoothly. This involves updating the audience, introducing VIPs and facilitating activities on stage, such as positioning people for official photographs.
The emcee must keep the audience engaged and maintain the momentum and attendees’ interest throughout the event.
Emcees need to do a considerable amount of research before the event and rehearse.
Instead of cue cards, today, many emcees have their notes on their mobile phones or tablets. This is fine if it helps to keep them on script.
Emcees should not make themselves the centre of attention, such as by standing in the middle of the stage during a VIP’s speech or inserting themselves into official photos.
In his defence, the influencer was just being himself, doing what influencers usually do – being in every frame! (old habits die hard!).
It would be different if it were a public event. At public events, the influencer is there for their popularity and celebrity status, and the idea is to piggyback on their social media following for widespread coverage. The emcee at such events is required to ‘let loose’ and be the life of the party.
A corporate event is much different. A certain level of decorum and ‘knowing your place’ is required.
But even trained emcees can be annoying. We’ve encountered emcees who requested the news release before the event and proceeded to read chunks of it in their opening as if it was a script they prepared themselves. Shameless!
Last week, a client hired a radio deejay as an emcee for their social event due to their public appeal and popularity.
Everything was going well until the emcee referred – in a slightly condescending tone – to a guest as “uncle”. Luckily, the “uncle” didn’t take offence, but if he did, he would have a valid complaint, and the organisers would have had a crisis.
For those considering engaging an influencer as an emcee at a corporate event, you may wish to ensure that:
- The influencer is a trained emcee.
- PR reviews, and provides feedback on the emcee’s script.
- The influencer is thoroughly briefed on the flow of the event, their role, and where they should be at all times.
- A full-dress rehearsal is done.
The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the writer and do not necessarily represent that of Twentytwo13.
