What are some tips for creating a memorable opening or closing ceremony for an event?

The first 10 seconds can make or break an event. Think of an aha moment, think of the energy you’d like the audience to experience and thoughtfully craft your opening and closing piece. It’s great to add some humour to the opening and a thought provoking, deep reflection at the end of the talk.

To create a memorable opening, I suggest: Having a powerful entrance; Engage the audience instantly; Use multimedia elements such as videos, slideshows, or live performances to add energy and excitement; Be interactive; Dynamic welcome remarks; Introduce and highlight key speakers or performers during the opening ceremony to build anticipation for what's to come and connect with the theme.

To catch the attention of an audience, it is the first 7 seconds that needs to hit the right spot and the purpose for which the audience is targeted for. Similarly, to keep the audience coming back, you need to end at the best note and give them a reason to come back. Opening of an event should be your purpose defined, and closing with a strong takeaway from your event.

Get ready, be there and focused, connect with the audience, speak from the heart and with purpose, and always be ready to handle whatever the team couldn't predict. On any stage, improvising is an art, but being prepared is a must.

The event begins the second someone enters the event room. The event must look like the event. The walls are equal to the lighting, floor, and decor of the room. Usually, most people enter a room and instinctively looks down then into the event. Seating, tables if any, windows, wall hangings, drapery, and the employees. Employees must look like the event. Their clothes. Their attitude. The aroma of the room is important! Events are unique from one another. But if your event requires a stage, lights, PA system everything must be placed as to not be a problem Unused equipment out of sight. If your event hosts a speaker, concert, exhibit, dinner, party, meeting, the event begins when someone enters the event room. What happens next is Act 2.

Survey your participants when they sign up on topics they are interested in. If you dont have enough time do a sample survey of 5-10. define the top 3-5 areas they are keen on

In my experience, THIS IS KEY! When it’s personal to your audience, it automatically becomes memorable. Get to know your audience as early as possible.

Also consider the time of the day and how long people have been in their seats. I once witnessed a Vice President that kept talking without caring that it had been hours since the audience had a bathroom break.

Esta claro que para cualquier ceremonia tienes que tener en cuenta a quien le estas hablando y cual es el fin último de la ceremonia. Adaptar desde los presentadores o conductores de la ceremonia hasta los apoyos visuales que se van a utilizar, extras, etc. Tienes que hablar a cada grupo de asistentes "en su idioma". Por ejemplo, sabemos que si la audiencia es joven deberas comenzar con algo muy potente para captar su atención, que la persona que conduzca sea de su interés, influencer, similar edad... Si estamos hablando de público de alto nivel o directivo, sabes que el presentador debe ser alguien referente en el tipo de público para que tenga "credibilidad" de cara a la audiencia. Habría que adaptarlo para cada tipo de audiencia.

When starting a presentation, I find it effective to identify a problem that the audience is facing. This immediately grabs their attention and makes them curious to hear what the speaker has to say. By doing so, the audience can learn how to solve the problem they are facing.

Contrasts make events engaging. You can contrast a live speaker with a video. You can have 2 presenters talk to each other. You can bring a live audience feedback with the presenter. Combine any 2 elements to create engagement

The format of your ceremony is a dynamic element that should align with your purpose, audience, and budget. It's like choosing the perfect outfit for an occasion – the right combination can enhance the impact of your message. Variety is key; mixing speeches, presentations, and artistic performances can cater to different tastes and keep your audience engaged. Remember, the format is more than just a vehicle for your message – it's a part of the message itself. Choose a format that not only speaks to your theme and objectives but also resonates with your audience in a memorable way.

I believe one of the most important things in a presentation is a the Opening. You could have striking Slide opening, a Grande entrance, or even start with something even more punchy, that will take first 3 minutes of the audience's attention in the beginning of your presentation.

Start with a strong hook that builds on the "Why". For example: - Statistics - What are some figures and numbers that demonstrate some credibility and keep audiences at their seats? - Statements - What's a bold claim or announcement or fact that your audience will be curious, or even be challenges with? - Stories - People would pay to be entertained. What are some case studies or success stories you can share to draw the audience in?

Set out your agenda in an easy to remember pattern, this will allow you or your guest presenters to relax and give an authoritative presentation, leaving room to relate to feedback, both atmospheric and vocal, that you may encounter.

I always devide my story telling into 3 chapters: 1. The Beginning Where i introduce every elements of my story. 2. The Core Where it contains Problems, and how the problem could be tackled down. 3. The Ending How the problem solved, and give what's in it for you (for audience) to be taken as conclusions.

The audience should always be able to relate to your story as well, what the points are that your trying to get across. Keep it short.

Your story should always connect with the audience emotionally, logically and naturally. Your story should be relatable to the audience which gives them a purpose to attend your event. In addition to you being a protagonist, you should make them feel that they can be a protagonist of their story too!

As a Native American storyteller/magician, I just tell some of my stories that have been handed down to me as a child. I then, to keep the interest of the audience, I add the magic that would add to the story. One example is we have stories of Little People who some times like to joke around, so I would add comedy and a magic effect that would have some mischief theme in it. Making something look like it will fail and then the magic happens. Most of our stories do have a message build in. So because the stories are there, all I need to work on is presentation, pauses, a wink, a change in pitch, and just have fun.

Story telling : One standard format. There is a hero ( protagonist), who wants to get somewhere ( goal), something comes in the way ( challenge) and then the story unfolds. Use this format to tell stories.

Always refer to and give credit to those who are collaborating with you and make sure that everybody involved is working from the same hymn sheet.

A team is always better than an individual. Manifold can be achieved when you have the right team, and everyone is equally important in their roles. Always know their stories, introduce them well, and be appreciative of their contributions and efforts.

I truly believe this is the most important part in any event. Once you are responsible for delivering an experience, you must engage the most excited collaborators. Those that really understand the meaning of "unique experience". Those that are willing to make it happen. For this to happen, majorly the leaders must act like ones.

Producing a ceremony is no easy feat. Working with multiple collaborators can add a level of difficulty. Understanding how to involve each collaborator in the process is the key to creating the best synergy for the ceremony. Most collaborators will concentrate on their level of involvement with a minor if any, concern for the other collaborators needs. I've found the most success in cross-pollinating collaborators by getting all parties to buy into the story for the ceremony. When everyone is working towards the same goal, your role in collaboration mitigation gets exponentially easier and there is usually some magic that occurs when they work together.

Collaboration is a must. Not only must you collaborate, but you must compromise. Collaboration is not just dictating your wishes and having people do your work for you; collaboration is about incorporating others' ideas and putting the work in on the shared vision.

Get feedback post the event to see what worked and what did not. Conduct a survey as people leave the event and consolidate the learnings.

Evaluation is the first and most important part of post-conference work on any event. So many people skip this step and it's a major fail if you do. There is no such thing as a perfect event. There will always be areas that the event excelled as well as areas of opportunities for the next time. Don't see negative feedback as a deterrent but as an opportunity to improve. Celebrate the wins and work on the failures. If you embrace this, you will see professional growth and unlock a new level of success.

El medir es algo indispensable para tener datos reales y no "impresiones" de lo que ha ocurrido. Puedes tener una visión general estando atento a lo compartido en las redes sociales, busca comentarios de los asistentes y mira sus reacciones. También te recomiendo enviar encuestas de evaluación que incluyan campos como "?Nos ayuda a mejorar?" Donde le des la oportunidad a los asistentes a que te digan que es lo que mas y lo que menos les ha gustado. También deberían haber reuniones de finalización del evento con el personal para conocer su opinión general sobrelo que ha ocurrido y mejorar también esa parte. Muchas veces de cara a la galería ha sido todo un éxito pero a nivel interno hay muchos procesos que se pueden mejorar.

La importancia de los datos Si creemos que todo es perfecto, no tendremos la capacidad de mejorar. Solo cuando medimos, tratamos y analizamos los datos, partimos de información empírica que nos acerca a la realidad y perspectiva de nuestro público ideal, nos permite tomar decisiones más acertadas e invertir los recursos de forma más efectiva.

My evolution at Decathlon has been a journey marked by continuous growth and learning. From embracing new challenges that pushed my boundaries to learning from experiences that shaped my professional path, each step has been a part of my evolution. Similarly, on platforms like LinkedIn, my evolution mirrors this journey—constantly evolving through interactions, absorbing insights from industry leaders, and adapting to the dynamic landscape of professional growth. It's about embracing change, seeking new perspectives, and evolving not just as a professional but as an individual committed to lifelong learning and development.

Be unexpected. Sadly, once you’ve been to enough events you’ve been to them all. Whether you are giving a presentation, introducing the night or just setting the scene create something different to what you’ve seen or experienced before. Everyone’s used a string quartet but have you ever set up background music via multiple sources that sets the scene (imagine the background of a movie and when the event starts it cuts and gets everyone’s attention because it’s suddenly gone?) you can be smarter with sound than the obvious to get attention. You can have performers weave their way through your attendees and be interactive, you can even glue down the table cloths and have them dance on the tables. Don’t be afraid to be different.

Provide some kind of interactive aspect to your event. Some of the most memorable events I've attended involved some kind of picture booth with great aesthetics or 'live' characters. Once, I attended an event where you were given a certain color wristband. During the event, the announcer would say, "if you have a red wristband, find another with a red wristband and introduce yourself." --Interactive and fun.

I always find live music helps people get comfortable and helps make events memorable. As the host of a global summit for CreativeMornings organizers, we started our first day of programming with a local marching band—leading everyone into the event space like a New Orleans' style second line. At our monthly CreativeMornings/Austin events, we give local musicians a chance to play three songs to represent the culture of live music in our city. Attendees appreciate the intimate space and a chance to hear new artists. There are plenty of thematic ways to incorporate music into your events, and encourage you to keep it live—don't just make it part of the background—for the benefit of the artists and attendees.

My additional tips would be: Personalise your search: make it unique and heartfelt. Be sincere: speak from the heart and make your emotions authentic Use humour but carefully, wisely and appropriately Keep it concise And always end on a high note!

Realiza un guion de tu evento, que te permita hacer una planeación efectiva del mismo. Contempla un hilo conductor que cuente una historia, donde la audiencia se sienta parte del evento e integra elementos simbólicos y emotivos donde participen los asistentes.