IrishmanSpeaks – Your Engaging, Zoom Virtual Emcee 

Working as a Zoom Virtual Emcee can be great fun, but also quite challenging. How do you keep your audience engaged, energized and anticipating the next speaker or speakers.

One very simple but effective trick I use involves the audience in the introduction. You can see example of it here(at 56 seconds) in this short video clip where I encourage the audience to unmute themselves by hitting the space bar and joining in with your Zoom virtual emcee to call the name out three times.

Phone Zoom Virtual Emcee Conor Cunneen – IrishmanSpeaks: 630 661 1220

Zoom Virtual Emcee and the Written Intro

I have one speaker colleague who literally coaches the emcee – virtual, Zoom, Teams or in-person- on how to read the speaker introduction. Her logic is that the introduction is part of her overall performance and she does not want it to be messed with. What that means is that the emcee or host does not provide their own version of the introduction or attempt to substantially ad lib during the introduction.

I completely agree with this concept and with rare exceptions read the agreed introduction as given. I say “agreed” because I will always review and rehearse the introduction to satisfy myself that I will not trip over some phrasing or the person’s name. Although, I don’t have editorial control over intros, I may suggest that an intro be abbreviated. The bottom line is that as a professional Zoom virtual emcee, I will read the agreed intro.

Mark Twain and Introductions

My good friend Mark Twain* speaking at the Lotos Club in 1908 recalled a humorous story about introductions which I recount here. Indeed, Twain got so fed up with hosts who had no idea how  a zoom virtual emcee is supposed to act eventually dispensed with introductions and simply walked on stage to commence his speeches.

“Now here is a gold-miner’s compliment. It is forty-two years old. It was my introduction to an audience to which I lectured in a log school-house. There were no ladies there. I wasn’t famous then. They didn’t know me. Only the miners were there, with their breeches tucked into their boot tops and with clay all over them. They wanted someone to introduce me, and they selected a miner, who protested, saying:  

‘I don’t know anything about this man. Anyhow, I only know two things about him. One is, he has never been in jail, and the other is, I don’t know why.’  Mark Twain’s Speeches: Compliments and Degrees 

* IrishmanSpeaks Conor Cunneen has authored two books on Mark Twain

Suppose You Were an Idiot! Mark Twain on Politics and Politicians

What Mark Twain Learned Me ’bout Public Speakin’!

IrishmanSpeaks Conor Cunneen is an acclaimed online Zoom virtual emcee and moderator whose mission to leave his client with smile on the face, a spring in the step and the knowledge they picked a truly professional Zoom virtual emcee, master of ceremonies and host.

Phone Virtual Emcee Conor Cunneen – IrishmanSpeaks: 630 661 1220

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Virtual Emcee / Master of Ceremonies Conor Cunneen – IrishmanSpeaks in Action