Live events are back! Are you READY?

It has been slightly more than 2 years since Covid-19 came into existence and reached our shores. Slightly more than 2 years since I have hosted a mass physical Face 2 Face (F2F) live event with more than 500 persons. My last such event was actually in Jan 2020 on a beautiful island off Korea.. Jeju!! I was engaged by a Malaysian event organization (EO) to host a gala incentive dinner for 600 deserving corporate achievers. I had carved a reputation for being one of Singapore’s top emcees for live mass F2F events. And so I was this M’sian EO’s as well as many Singapore EO’s emcee of choice for many of their high profile high energy live mass events. I remember having an awesome event that night and looking forward to another outstanding year in 2020 as I landed back in Singapore. But as we all now know.. Covid 19 happened and all my events and engagements were cancelled. It was truly tough for many of us. Especially all of us from the Events industry. From a year that was looking to be outstanding, it became a total wash out year instead. Many EOs closed down. Many DJs and emcees like myself had to take on odd jobs, drive GRAB, anything to put food on the table. 2021 came along and due to circumstance and the fact that the Covid 19 pandemic was mutating and raging on, I managed to pivot to hosting online and hybrid events. So for the second half of 2021, I became comfortable hosting online and in doing so was pretty successful at it. I even shared some of my learnings in my blogs as you know. With this pivot to online events. You start to get comfortable hosting into a camera without a live audience. You start to get used to having a teleprompter or feedback monitor with your emcee script on it as reference… you start to get used to using a lapel microphone.. and the list goes on.... What I am trying to say is that while it is with huge relief and true unbridled joy that physical live F2F events are coming back, hosting one or organising one is way different from that of an online event.  I mean its not like I don’t know how to host a live event as I have been doing that for more than half my life.  But after a 2 year break, one would need to ease back into it or rather get used to hosting live again with audience interaction and activities.  What are the differences or things to look out for?  VENUE You no longer go to a studio but instead to the beautiful ballrooms of our awesome hotels here in Singapore.  These past 2 weeks alone, I have graced the stages of the Grand Ballrooms of the Marina Bay Sands, Shangri – La, JW Marriot and the W hotel.  Wide open ballrooms with high ceilings and NO Green Screens!!  YESSSSS!!  ATTIRE You can dress in checkered suits, wear blue or green colours or outfits with loud lines.  No more restrictions like in a green screen studio.  This is because checkers or lines will appear fuzzy on screens and wearing blue or green will make you seem like you  disappear into the screen.  Time to dust off these suits from my storage.  Thing is though, can I fit into them? EQUIPMENT I had to get used to using a hand held wireless microphone again.  Because for the past 2 years, I have been using either a lapel mic or a headset mic.  Get ready to prep your own cue cards again.  When it was a virtual/online event, we mostly relied on the teleprompter or a tv monitor for our script.  Now its back to our trusty old cue cards in your hand or if you wanna go digital, your script on the ipad!  AREA OF WORK For the past 2 years, you probably had to stand at a marked spot for optimal image capture for streaming onto the virtual platform.  Now, its back to an ENTIRE ballroom or venue which is your playground again.  To work a large audience, you probably would have to use the entire stage or even run around the ballroom/venue to engage them.  Time to work out again to get your fitness levels up! AUDIENCE ACTIVITIES I really have to say this…. There is only so much you can do with online audiences and no matter how animated, how polished you are as an emcee, the level of audience engagement or interaction is limited.  Its time to bring out my bag of tricks..  activities I have not used for 2 years plus.. rehearse them and unleash them!  There is simply nothing that beats F2F audience interaction.  To see their faces, see their smiles, hear their applause, etc… Time to BRING IT ON!  So, even with the relaxation of measures and with live physical events coming back, there will continue to be online or hybrid events.  This is because with technology, we are able to bridge distances and bring people together online.  This saves costs and time.  But, for networking and interaction as with building relationships, nothing, I repeat, NOTHING beats F2F events. So, whilst I was good at online/virtual events where I brought energy and life to the screens, I am truly in my element hosting live physical events. I am one of Singapore’s Top emcees when it comes to high energy Ra-Ra events where you want or need to have fun audience interaction.  Don’t just take my word for it…. Hahahah!  Ask anyone who has worked with me.  That’s right, now that physical events are back and you need a top emcee, look me up at www.emceecyril.com.   I will make sure you won't regret it.

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