Your Housekeeping Announcements Don't Have To Be Boring
By Peter Brown
It’s first thing in the morning at your big event. The room is buzzing as people catch up and chat. Your emcee says hello, welcomes everyone, and promises them a fun and productive time.
And then -- everything stops dead. It’s time for the dreaded housekeeping announcements.
The fire exits are over there. The reception tonight starts at 5:30. The hashtag is #conference2019. It’s important information, but in a matter of seconds the people who were buzzing are now checking their phones.
Like every other part of your program, this moment is what you make of it. It can be an opportunity to set a great tone and establish a sense of fun. Especially that first morning, when some of your attendees have no idea who this emcee person is, it’s a chance to break the ice and send the message that we’re all in this together.
Sometimes I start by asking for volunteers to do some of the crucial jobs at the conference. “I need someone to complain the room is too hot. I need someone else, ideally in the same room, to complain the room is too cold.” People jokingly put up their hands, they elbow others sitting near them. I praise them as captains and leaders, and the whole thing turns into an ice-breaker. And I know who the “fun” table is very early on.
Or I’ll swear everyone in. I ask them to take an official “conference oath”, which combines serious items like “I’ll keep my phone on mute”, with jokes about the Q&A sessions, “I promise to NEVER to ask a 4-part question with a long rambling preface.”
If you were at GO WEST 2019, you saw what happened when we had Terrell Edwards and his band help with the housekeeping announcements. I mentioned where the bathrooms are, and Terrell launched into a soulful version of “when you gotta go, you gotta go.” We went back and forth - it was a conversation rather than a dry recitation.
Like anything else, this will work best when your Emcee and event planner talk in detail about your audience, your goals and where there are possible jokes to be found. But a slight rethink on your opening announcements can create a great sense of fun and connection in what otherwise might a predictable energy-killer.
After a successful 25 year career as a host and producer at CBC Radio, Peter Brown is now establishing himself in the world of events as an emcee and keynote speaker