How can you avoid communication issues with other emcees?

In my experience pre-production meetings and clear emails to each person with a full run-down sheet that everyone has. A timeline is good as well. It's also good to have communication the day/evening of an event at the venue before the guests arrive.

I have had great experiences co-emceeing events. Some of my thoughts: Conduct pre-event meetings to discuss roles and responsibilities. Share event documentation like scripts. Define clear boundaries for each emcee's role. Rehearse together to build chemistry and iron out any issues. Maintain open communication during the event via discreet devices. Establish non-verbal cues for smooth transitions. Be adaptable and handle unexpected situations gracefully. Hold a post-event debrief to improve future coordination. And my favorite, maintain a positive and collaborative attitude throughout. Remember your goal is for execution excellence!

My view on this is to co-host an event smoothly, MCs must: 1. Schedule pre-event meetings to discuss roles and responsibilities, scripts, and necessary information. 2. Define clear roles to handle any new responsibilities that may arise during the event. 3. Rehearse together to establish rapport, understand each other's hosting styles, and improve coordination. 4. Maintain effective communication, keeping open lines and occasionally making eye contact on stage. 5. Develop non-verbal cues for seamless transitions between segments.

Respecting your partner in the role of a Emcee is not just a matter of professional courtesy; it's the cornerstone of a successful and harmonious performance. The mutual respect between emcees not only enhances the quality of the event but also creates a positive atmosphere that the audience can feel. The importance of respecting your fellow emcee and how it can elevate your joint performance to new heights.

I agree with knowing your place and respecting your partner… but there is really nothing more boring than an agreeable co-emcee. It leads to a predictable and therefore ignorable performance (which could attract some types of clients to be honest). Have a discussion with your partner so they know the premise of your “disagreements” on stage. And maybe highlight that to the audience before hand so they can appreciate when “something’s happening”. Emceeing can be theatre. Or a kindergarten graduation performance. What you choose to do often is what you will be known for.

Your job as an emcee is ultimately to be equal parts energiser and facilitator. If you are sharing emcee duties, it is important to play to your respective strengths. And for the balance of your duties and roles to be fair. This is why planning is important in order to understand where each of you has a moment to shine and correspondingly drive the event forward while the other emcee supports that (rather than trying to hog the limelight). If an emcee has done their job well they should be thought of as a really enjoyable guide.

So I believe the ability to think on your feet is one of the most important qualities of a great emcee and something I always look for in a co-host. Why? Because more often then not things will go wrong (trust me I’ve been there!!) and you need to be able to be agile and adapt. No matter now much you prepare and rehearse things will still come up that you’re not expecting or prepared for and it’s so important to take it in your stride, work as a team and make sure the audience experience is still a powerful and engaging one.

Respecting the co-host, preparing and rehearsing well before the event are the prerequisites to become a host.Being flexible to the surprises during the event and adaptive to the audience mindset. Keeping the momentum and engaging the audience to be part of the event is the key, usually the host focuses on the key stakeholders of the organisation and others in the room are left as mere audiences. Engaging people from all the corners makes the event successful and also keeps the energy level high in the room. Just give it a try!

Having emceed over a 100 events in my lifetime (to crowds of 10 to 5000+) I would say planning is about 60% of the job. Know your lines, know your cues, hitting your marks. The other 40% is the ability to improvise and react authentically in the moment. Those more authentic moments allow for a genuine experience where the audience feels like they are witnessing something real. A good amount of this comes with experience and comfort on stage, but it can be done with the right amount of confidence in your natural abilities on a stage. Planning is crucial no matter what though, as it is often the only way to steer proceedings back on track if they take an unexpected turn

In my experience, successfully preventing communication issues with fellow emcees hinges on practicing mutual respect and active listening. It's crucial to fully engage with your partner when they're speaking, rather than mentally preparing your response. Maintaining a balance between preparation and adaptability allows for a seamless, natural interaction where you can play off each other effectively.

A great emcee should almost feel invisible. I mean that in the sense that their guiding hand should be imperceptible while simultaneously keeping the engagement high (ideally while putting smiles on faces). A great emcee is usually remembered by how they made you feel rather than what they specifically did. Focus on the audience and all else follows. This can be done solo or as a double act, as long as it is thought through beforehand and it achieves a consistent tone and energy.

Having a Co-host may not always work. Some Emcees excel as a team, some Emcees are better as a solo act. The last thing you want as an organiser is to have 2 Professionals trip over each other and minimise their full potential without any synergy. Check-in with each Emcee and find out their preference for a partner, or not.