Conference MC: Professional 'Glue-Guy'

At events like yours, I grab attention, generate rapport and create memorable stories based on your event's themes and objectives. A professional MC since 2003, my background in corporate training and people management gives me the commercial savvy to clearly convey your messages. I thoroughly research your organisation to ensure I grab the attention of your audience to both inform and entertain. I'm not crude. I'm no clown. I am an entertaining, business-savvy, effective facilitator who makes you and your event look good and run smoothly.

Contact me now to talk about how hiring me as a combo MC / speaker / entertainer can reduce your risk and workload, while saving you time, stress and money.

Formal Awards

"Terry was recently the MC at our annual conference in Auckland. Both myself and the audience really enjoyed Terry’s professional high-energy during the day and his enthused humour during the conference dinner. But it’s what the audience didn’t see that sticks in my mind even more, the way he ensures the conference runs smoothly, the speakers are on and in time, and both myself and the audience has a good time. Terry is totally professional, and I totally recommend him." - Brett Jeffery, GM NZ Australasian Society of Association Executives

"We contracted Terry as our MC for the Annual eResearchNZ conference (and have invited him back for 2018). Terry has a natural gift of humour, and the ability to bring together a room full of strangers, and make them feel like a cohesive unit.  He brings with him an ability to take charge of any situation and can take a muted crowd to being pumped and ready to go.  From an organiser's perspective he gives the reassurance that everything you need him to do is taken care of. You do not need to give him copious amount of notes or direction, just an overall idea and he’ll run with it wonderfully. Nothing beats being busy trying to organize a million things to hear your MC say, "Don’t worry, I got it”. He goes over and above what other MCs do and for that I will always appreciate him. Undeniably, Terry's sincerity, professionalism, talent and wonderful energy will inject success into every conference or event he hosts!" - Dayrel Williams Organiser eRsearch Conference 2017, nzGenomics 

"A true professional helping organizations achieve their objectives and amplify the impact of their mission through high-value events! Thanks Terry"! - Genevieve Leclerc, Caravelle Strategies

Purposeful Fun & Focus At Conferences 

I gained skills as a comedian that I find beneficial in the real world of business. These include communication skills, rapport building, self-confidence and quick thinking. I help people in business learn from my 'serious comedy' experiences without even having to get on stage. I speak to corporate groups about HOW they can create value and change in their people and their workplaces. My presentations can both amuse and provide you with invaluable tools for leaders, managers and salespeople.

My motivational presentations to business groups receive rave reviews. Or, if you want a comedian for entertainment, I do that too. I performed in several New Zealand International Comedy Festivals. My style is interactive, with the use of entertainment to keep the sessions flowing, hold your audience's concentration and improve their recall of key information.

As seen on TV1’s ‘Good Morning’ and TV3’s ‘Sunrise’, I combine comedy with valuable business acumen to be a skilled and knowledgeable MC, speaker or facilitator.

Glenn Middleton, Manager Operations - Orix "The feedback I have received from our sponsors and media contacts re your performance last night has been 100% positive. I am confident your skills and most importantly "culture fit" will only but complement our desire to provide the most professional hospitality product within the series this season."

Debi Chalmers, Asia-Pacific Venue Management Association "Thank you, Terry. You are an ingenious performer who invigorated our audience with your rapid-fire repartee and observational wit. A skilled master of ceremonies, assured compere, and polished stand-up comedian.....you left our delegates screaming for more! Sincere thanks, for your commitment to our 2008 Asia Pacific Venue Industry Congress."

Jason Roberts, Marketing Manager, Zeacom "Terry is an engaging presenter and works well in small / large group situations. In my case we were wanting to use a comedy ‘bent’ to not only better engage with our customers, but also find innovative ways to consider issues, find solutions and of course ‘connect’ people. Terry did a brilliant job for us in this capacity and is highly recommended."

Roseta Jacobs, Auckland University Centre For Professional Development "A marvellous job... very professional, respectful yet still hilariously funny... It was the perfect end to a successful conference."

Brian Berry, Rothbury Financial Services “Terry’s session as Keynote Speaker finished our conference on the ‘high’ that we were looking for. His very humorous session gave us skills to apply not only in our businesses but also in our personal lives.”

Professor Alan Stenger, Business School, University of Auckland “The best corporate entertainment I’ve ever been to.”

Contact me now to find out how I can speak to or facilitate your event.

Introducing A Govt Minister & Engaging An Audience Of Engineers

HIRING AND WORKING WITH MCs

Are you organising an event that you'd like to be distinctive, successful and memorable? The catering's important and you've got to make sure your sponsors and exhibitors are happy. Those presenters, workshops and keynotes need to be set up for success and the audiences primed to listen and participate. The glue holding all this together from both a logistical and engagement perspective is your MC. There's a diverse range to choose from including not having one at all. What do you stand to risk or gain? Against what criteria do you assess potential MCs?

I've been MCing events professionally since 2003. I'm not saying I'm the world's leading expert on the subject but I've seen a wide range of events have a diverse range of experiences with the choices they've made and the processes, personalities and relationships involved. This article is just a series of observations and suggested learnings, as much for myself as anyone else who may happen to stumble upon it and read it

In addition to the obvious benefits of time management and organization, an MC should liven up any series of presentations with enlightening introductions and relevant business-related humour. An MC must be an asset with tangible business benefits.

Time Management

All too often events run late. A professional MC must ensure that your speakers stick to time. Furthermore, your day should proceed seamlessly as your MC expertly introduces your speakers, smoothly transitions from one to the next and connects all to your event’s objectives – creating continuity, attentiveness and relevance.

Focus

An MC must maintain the attention of any audience by providing the brain some much needed novelty between presentations. The MC's introductory and conclusive remarks and activities should leave a memorable, humorous, and applicable message in the minds of your audience, augmenting their enjoyment of your event as well as their appreciation of the other speakers' presentations. If you’re selling something, be it ideas or products, your MC is the one to ‘close the deal.’

Search And Rescue

Perhaps the greatest benefit of a corporate MC is their damage-control capabilities. If one of your speakers is late, absent, or otherwise incapable of performing, your MC should be able to help to fill in the gaps with their own relevant material so that your audience need never know there is a problem. (The art is in concealing the art.)

Planning

Accustomed to live performance and entertainment (and having learned from the mistakes of others), an MC is a valuable resource for planning the proceedings of any event. Whether making decisions about how much time to allocate to each presenter or who to hire or seating arrangements in a banquet hall, a professional MC should have the experience and creativity to help you with most aspects of event arrangements. Remember: they perform at events for a living, whereas you may be a first-time planner/organiser. Utilize their expertise and suggestions as much or as little as you want, but never hesitate to ask for their opinions.

Summary

Many events spend more on table settings than on their MC but how many events owe their success to the table settings? An MC should benefit you and your event in ways you cannot even imagine. They should ensure the continuity of the proceedings, keep your audience attentive and entertained, incorporate their own exciting abilities like comedy, and lend professional opinions about any and all aspects of event planning. When considering how to improve your events, take into account the numerous ways in which a professional master of ceremonies can create a fun, productive, and memorable atmosphere for any occasion.

I do a lot of behind-the-scenes work that I find my clients appreciate. For example, four exhibitors recently felt short-changed at the low foot-traffic their locations were generating. They'd paid thousands for their locations near the entrance to the exhibitors hall, only to discover that another unofficial exit / entrance had been created. Result = next to no foot traffic + unhappy exhibitors + concerned conference organisers.

On hearing this, I schmoozed them and set up a scavenger hunt guiding delegates to their stands for answers. I cribbed a few prizes as incentives for the 'hunters.' Result = Everybody happy X repeat business X ongoing vendor support!

I find my business background helps me - approachability and credibility. I can't sing like some MCs but I know business people and their issues and hot buttons. Why? Because I am a business person. As such, I know that the obvious audience isn't the only audience. There are the sponsors, vendors, exhibitors and the organisations that are paying the registration fees for the conference delegates. An MC that can sing and tell jokes is fine but superficial. What conference organisers need is someone who can do that and keep in mind the other customers that the conference organiser needs to satisfy. I know my success is contingent on the success of my customer's customers.

And, if a speaker fails to show up or is delayed (as happens ALL THE TIME), I can replace them or cover for them with a 30-90 minute presentation on lessons from comedy for Engineers. (Or Manufacturers, or Leaders, or Lawyers, or whomever...)

And if you want me to perform some comedy solely for entertainment after a conference dinner or awards, then I can do that at no extra cost as part of my inclusive fee. That's added value!