How to Host Events Like a Pro

Hosting a successful event is all about preparation, tech know-how, and engaging presentation skills. Whether you're talking to a small group or a huge crowd virtually or in person, nailing these aspects can make a huge difference.

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Effective Hosting

Preparation

Prep that script: Before hosting an event, ensure your script is well-prepared. Write a detailed outline of what you will say and practice delivering it several times. This will help you become familiar with the content and ensure a smoother presentation. Need some comfort on stage? Make some cue cards you can have to refer to if needed.

Practice makes perfect: Practicing in front of a mirror can help you gauge your expressions and body language. It allows you to perfect your delivery style, making you appear more confident and engaging (even if inside, you’re shaking like a leaf). Need to practice with a microphone? Grab a hairbrush and get used to having it in your hand. It can help a lot!

Technical Checks

1,2, 3 testing…: Test your equipment ahead of time. Check your microphone, camera, and internet connection. Ensure your speakers do the same to avoid any technical hiccups during the event and your attendees have the correct links to join.

Plan B: Have a backup plan in place for any technical failures. This could include having spare equipment or a tech support team on standby. Hosting virtually? Have a backup event ready to share the link in seconds to avoid losing attendees.

Setting Up Your Environment

Get into your groove: Being comfortable will bring out the best in you. Stand or sit depending on what you like best, wear comfy clothes, have water ready, and declutter your physical area and virtual area and keep your mind focused.

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Effective Presentation Skills

Engagement Techniques

It’s not about what you say, it’s how you say it: Be upbeat and energetic. Use your hands to emphasize points and make eye contact with the camera to connect with your audience. In-person, make sure you are addressing multiple people in the room and avoid standing in one spot on the stage, but don’t pace around.

Interactive Elements

Quiz Quest: Keep your attendees focused by incorporating interactive elements such as polls or quizzes. These work effectively both virtually and in person. Popular tools include Slido and Kahoot. 

Prompt Party: Use chat prompts to foster interaction and answer any questions. Prepare these in advance so you can easily copy and paste them into the chat online.

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Managing the Event

Technical Troubleshooting

There is no I in a team: Have a second person from your team handle the technical aspects of the platform. This ensures you can focus on delivering the content while they manage any issues that arise.

Time Management

Tick Tock: Start a timer on your phone at the beginning of the event to stay on schedule. This helps ensure you cover all your content within the allocated time. Hosting in person? Put a timer in view or ask a team member to give you a signal at a certain point.

Getting started

Let’s break the ice: Start the event with an icebreaker question to warm up the audience. Switch things up with one of these fun icebreaker prompts to throw your attendees off the normal “Where are you from?”

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Crisis Management

All you’ve got to do is BREATHE: A Crisis doesn’t have to be stressful so follow the BREATHE framework to handle any problems that may occur in the moment

• Breathe - Take a moment to calm yourself
• Reassess - Evaluate the impact of the mishap on the overall event
• Engage - Get key stakeholders and team members involved
• Analyze - Why is this happening?
• Triage - Prioritize the issue on their urgency and impact on the event
• Help - Delegate tasks to team members based on their expertise
• Execute - Implement the action plan

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Closing the event

‍See you next time: Try to have your next event ready to promote at the end of your current event. If they had a great time, they would jump at the chance to sign up for another!

Gratigrams: Send a follow-up email within 10 minutes of the event ending. Include links to resources, recordings, and any other relevant information, such as feedback surveys.

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By focusing on these key areas, you can host and manage events more effectively, ensuring a seamless experience for your audience and maximizing engagement.

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