when there are two hosts

In a show or program with two hosts the organizers should make sure that these two people who will take charge of the show can very well work together or have beautiful chemistry together. Otherwise, they could turn the show into a disaster.

This is what happened to a show we watched last night. The two hosts weren't in synch with each other, they were working their own separate ways, and they merely followed the flow of the script in their most lifeless style.

The show had a lot of waiting or gaps. In cases like this the hosts, especially if there are two of them, should come in and fill in the gaps. One of the two hosts tried to do this by doing some adlibs but his co-host just killed him each time and was very poor in responding to his attempts to save the show.

The emcee makes or unmakes a show. In this case, the show failed dismally for getting the wrong hosts.

The master of ceremonies is key to the success of a show. Poor or lousy hosting equals flop. The two hosts last night obviously failed in these areas:

1. They had no teamwork, they did not know what they were doing.
2. Poor audience contact. They were not there.

With that I say, when you can hire one good host, do it. But make sure he is a good one. Never sacrifice the quality of your show for unprofessional or amateur hosts.

what is it about BP debating that makes students sway and rock while speaking?

I still don't get it. Is it the method of debating or the wrong training students are getting which makes them eat the words, speak too fast, sway and rock while speaking which I see rampant among those using the parliamentary style of debating? The skills or the manner is not there---poor audience contact, weak voice/delivery, rocking and swaying---what is that? There is too much haste in the delivery and the message, if there is any, is either lost in the effort or not understood at all. Students spend so much time and effort learning the wrong skills. In the end, it turns out to be a futile exercise teaching students the incorrect way by focusing only on the technicalities or format of the debate and neglecting to lay the important foundation of good public speaking or effective delivery which should be the end goal of all types of debate.

voice and audience contact

Two general observations had been made among the kids that have enrolled this summer for public speaking and journalism. Out of the nine only two showed confidence in projecting themselves with the right volume of the voice, while the rest still needs more training in this area. This can be achieved after more practice and drills which they are getting every meeting. Another thing which they need to work on is audience contact. It seems like majority of the kids have the tendency to look everywhere---the roof, windows, floor --- and avoid looking at their classmates who serve as their audience. Eye contact is vital in putting across your message. Without this, everything else fails. So these two aspects of public speaking will have to dealt with early on before proceeding to more serious topics. Today, a review on the parts of the stage will be done for the sake of those who were absent yesterday, then we move on to gestures, how important they are and the different types, then the different public speaking situations will be discussed. There is so much to be done with too little time but my goal really is to make these kids excel in their classes and in school because of the skills they have gained from this month-long seminar workshop.

let people hear how good you are

Whether you like it or not, whenever you are given the task to be the MC or host of a certain program you must have to put tons of enthusiasm to it. Get excited about it even if it is only a small affair and no talent fee is involved. Look at it as an opportunity to grow, to learn more about the craft, and to let people know how good you are at hosting. Having enthusiasm, excitement, love, or passion for the task at hand will pay off in the future as your skill will spread by word of mouth and people will be wanting you to host their shows or programs. Since you are only a beginner, the rule is to never say "no" to any invitation to host unless it is in conflict with a really important engagement you had earlier scheduled. Welcome any public speaking opportunity that comes your way and you're on the road to being a successful toastmaster.

Lucky 9

Nine kids have signed up for my summer workshop in debating, hosting, and journalism. I welcome and congratulate the following lucky stars who made it: Rio May, Bien Raphael, Michaela, Jea, Kate, Dianne, Charla, Russel, and Angel. These guys are just lucky for they will be learning the rigors of public speaking for a month, after which a debate or talk show will be put up by the same people. I would like to thank Mark for giving them a good motivational start-up.

successful hosting or emceeing

A good host or emcee (master of ceremonies) holds the key to a successful show or program. On the other hand, poor hosting or emceeing can kill what would have been a good show. While doing some research in this area, I found out that there are aren't that much materials on hosting or emceeing tips that people who feel they have the knack for it can use in order to improve their hosting techniques. I would like to start a few blogs on this area as I'd gathered many years of hosting experience and had successfully transferred the skill to my children. I know that those of you who love to learn this skill can easily do so through practice---constant practice.

Oprah Winfrey would be my idea of a good host----intelligent, witty, charming, people-oriented, and creative. If making Oprah as our standard for good hosting sounds too ambitious to you, then you might as well forget about having any serious career along that line.

Career? How can one make a career from hosting or emceeing? In case you don't know, hosts of shows, parties, or programs are paid a handsome price depending on the magnanimity of the show. If it is a beauty pageant, a host can earn from one show from Php 5,000 to 15,000 Php. Yes, people pay good money for good talent or showmanship. After all, the program can easily turn into a flop if not well handled by a professional host.

Opportunities? Events that need hosts are just too many to mention but let us name some of the most common ones where an emcee can make money: beauty pageants, weddings, debuts, anniversaries, variety shows, fashion shows, competitions, parties, etc. Just make your existence known, make yourself visible, show them and you will have your hands full. Now for the nitty-gritty of the whole thing, come back for the next blog. I have some offline work to do but I will be back for more tips on good hosting.