How to choose a professional host for your event

The success of the event largely depends not only on the venue and an exciting show program, but on the person who will interact with the guests throughout the event.

The host influences the mood of the audience and the overall impression of the event. Today the market of services is overflowing with such specialists, so it is important to be able to choose a host who meets the requirements of both the company and the event itself.

How to find a host for an event

A simple way to find a candidate is to search the internet. On forums, in thematic groups and communities there are many specialists from which you can choose a suitable one. But you need enough time and energy to evaluate everyone properly, so with tight deadlines the risk of missing a worthy candidate increases.

An equally popular way to find a host is word of mouth. You can ask acquaintances: friends, subordinates and partners will surely share positive or negative experiences. This method also has drawbacks: a host who made a positive impression on one company may not necessarily be liked by another. Therefore, when requesting a specialist's contact details, ask what format of event they have hosted: the same person is unlikely to be suitable for both a sports team building and a business conference.

A universal option is to contact an event agency. The manager will ask a number of questions to choose the most suitable candidate taking into account the format of the event, budget and client's wishes. The advantage of this method is that hosts, working in tandem with other contractors of the agency, already know how to interact with specific DJs, artists, sound engineers and lighting engineers.

What to Look For When Choosing a Host

Before you start looking for the person who will lead the event, you need to decide on the event format. Here are a few recommendations that will help you choose a candidate depending on the program:

• active events should be entrusted to someone who maintains a healthy lifestyle and shares an interest in sports;

• business conferences or product presentations will be more effective in the hands of a host who can adhere to a strict agenda;

• corporate events are better entrusted to a specialist who has a sense of humor.

Once the event format is known, you need to decide on the budget. It plays an important role: the price range for host services varies from 20 thousand rubles to several thousand euros. The fee of an MC directly depends on their experience, but media personalities have the highest price.

Some companies invite celebrity hosts to emphasize their status and impress employees. Such financial expenses are not always justified: often a media personality cannot handle an HR team-building event as well as an ordinary host can. The problem is not the star's lack of professionalism, but their specialization.

The event format and approximate budget can significantly narrow the pool of candidates. Next, you need to determine the experience and skills that the host should have. Learn about them through a personal conversation or request photo and video materials from past events.

A willingness to sign a contract confirms the candidate's professional qualities. In the event industry there are many hosts who work without drawing up accompanying documents, but it is better to focus on someone who agrees to a secure deal.

Experts recommend starting preparations for an event 3-4 months in advance, especially if the event is planned around major holidays: New Year, March 8, February 23, etc. This is because popular hosts may have dates close to holidays booked. When choosing a specialist to host an event, do not forget about their workload.

How to Interview a Host

When you have selected several candidates, arrange a personal meeting with them. First of all, pay attention to the following factors:

• Appearance. For a public person, this factor directly affects how others perceive them. Regardless of the format, a host must look neat: have a neat haircut and wear clean clothes that match the mood of the event.

• Articulate speech. Listen to what and how the candidate says: whether they make phonetic errors, use jargon, filler words, or obscene language, or have speech defects or a noticeable accent.

• Personal impression. Pay attention to details that complement the overall impression of the specialist. Their demeanor or gestures in communication will help you conclude whether guests will feel comfortable with this person.

• Ability to improvise. No event is immune to force majeure. It is important that the specialist can take control in time: relieve tension with an appropriate joke or distract guests while the organizers deal with the problem. Ask the potential host whether he has encountered such cases in his practice and how he acted.

• Work principles. Find out from the candidate how he is used to acting at an event: to obey the organizers or to be a co-author of the script and supplement the original plan at the preparation stage.

• Interests. If you cannot decide among several specialists, ask them about their hobbies, musical preferences, and erudition. The candidate's advantage will be the fact that he can find common ground with your guests in these areas.

Why do you need event organizers at all if you can just book a host?

A common misconception among clients is that an MC's services include more than just hosting the event. Assuming that the host will help seat guests and supervise waiters and other service personnel, clients see no need for the services of an event organizing company at their event. 

It is important to understand that the host is responsible only for the entertainment program for guests and cannot simultaneously oversee catering, props preparation and other organizational matters. Moreover, many professionals refuse to work without organizers because they want to do their job without being distracted by tasks unrelated to their work.