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And the winner is... Someone different. Anyone that's in front of the camera needs to have efficacy in front of the camera. Welcome everyone to a new episode of The Event Effect. My name is my Merijn van Buuren and I'm your host for today. And I'm joined by Adam and Wendee, both exceptional hosts slash emcees for events and I'm so glad that I am finally able to meet them. We've been in touch, via LinkedIn quite a while, reading his and her posts quite a bit. A lot of insights there, but now I'm finally here to see you in face to face. Before we get started, I would like to know how actually both of our guests started in the event industry. And maybe, Adam, you can jump off. How did you got started in the event industry and specifically ended up as an M.C. Slash host? Well, I've been hosting events and emceeing for as long as I can remember, so early school days, it always ended up that I was on student council or organizing at events and on the mic. So it seemed like an innate, natural thing that I love to do. But I'd have to say that it was a combination of starting my career in radio broadcasting and then dovetailing that into standup comedy. And when you're the radio announcer for any station, if you think about your stations that you listen to FM, AM, digital satellite, whatever, you know, the hosts often get asked to do things in the community or in the city or across the country, around the world. Host Our fundraiser. You're a real personality. So I was asked to do so much stuff and you do it because it's great traction in advertising. And so you really get to know and become familiar with hosting in a lot of different environments. And then same for stand up comedy, which obviously is, is more about you being funny. But often you get asked to host an event as a comedian and just kind of dabble in a little bit of of humor here and there and just kind of use your chops in dealing with impromptu movement moments on stage. So that's where it landed for me. And I've always kind of lean towards the corporate gigs and company events. So my humor is clean, my approach is clean. It's always in easy transition to host big events for large audiences, whether it be in-person or online. Perfect. And Wendee did you have kind of the same start, or did you actually start somewhere else to become a host slash emcee? No, my experience is more evolutionary. I come from the Broadway community, so I'm a veteran Broadway performer and people may or may not know this, but at least back in the day, Broadway performers were brought in as part of production companies, as entertainment for a lot of the large conferences and events. So that that actually was my inroad and my first experience with a conference we used to call it business theater or industrials. Once I moved from Broadway into broadcasting, I worked as a TV news anchor, entertainment reporter and traffic reporter for the ABC affiliate in Las Vegas. And to Adam's point, you know, when you're an on air personality, you're engaged in all sorts of events in the community. So the same thing you're asking the master of ceremonies for any number of things. You're the face of the station. And so that became that was probably like the first initial inroad into me. Emceeing and moderating was within the silo of working in broadcasting. But it's been a full circle moment, like a full closed circle, because I'm a woman of a certain age, thankfully, because the alternative no bueno. And a lot of the people in the Broadway community, we we age out of dancing. I'm a dancer and singer, not a singer dancer. So there's a shelf life to that. And so rather than jumping into something altogether different, people bring their skill set onto the other side of production. And so a lot of people in the conference, an event industry on the production side, come from the Broadway community. And so because those are my colleagues and we've worked together before, suddenly there were invitations for me to do small things with regard to speaking on stage. It was either be a game show host or moderate this, this, this event on the tertiary or secondary stage. And there was just a slow growth towards the main stage. And before I knew it, I looked up and I was the girl with the mic in front of 2000 people. And so it was it was the best thing. I never knew I always wanted. So I emcee, moderate and hosts for multinational Fortune 100 companies, and I love it. Now, I'm assuming Wendee Lee that as a Broadway performer, you're a triple threat. Yes. Dancing, singing and acting. Right. So I always like to say I'm like a I'm a zero threat, I don't do any of those three. So it's really I mean, I do standup and a lot of singers, dancers and actors say I could never do stand up. There's no way. But I think, you know, you go with your core competency. But I love that that's that's where you you came to it from. And I would assume, like, I know what you're saying, that there was a natural transition because of the people you worked with in the background. But I'm sure you remember as for you Merijn, it’s certainly not a normal thing for a Broadway dancer, a singer to become. No. An emcee like you did. No. And, you know, I actually attribute it to my time working in broadcasting, because I really I got thrown off the edge of the cliff. So when I started at KT and B, which is in Las Vegas, I think we were market 40, 45, something like that, which is, you know, a top ten or even top 20 market. And so it's it's pretty skeletal. It's bare bones. It was okay. Bette Midler's in town. We need you to interview her. Go get the story. Come back and write it. And that literally was the beginning and the end of the feedback that I got. Know, I wasn't the girl who started in broadcasting. I won a contest my station had a contest, the Great Traffic Reporter contest. I was like, Oh, this is interesting. You know, I just moved to Las Vegas from New York Post 9-11. I really wanted to continue my Broadway career and Broadway was moving west, but I didn't feel comfortable in New York anymore, and what I didn't know was all the Las Vegas producers wanted the cachet of hiring casting out of New York. So they hired a cast everyone out of New York. I thought I would look more attractive as a local hire, not the case. So that job at KT&B was really trial by fire. I was promoted like three times in six months. You know, I went from being the traffic reporter and, you know, winning this contest against 300 other people to suddenly, you know, being the entertainment reporter, I was like, well, I do have I do have some positioning, some positionality in that. Right. Because you and I, we come from the world of entertainment. We know how to speak to other entertainers they’re our colleagues. So I just had to learn that the the the construct for conducting an interview and writing it. And it was it literally was just doing it every single day. Every single day. I was interviewing some celebrity somewhere, whether it was a SAT interview. Right, a satellite interview or it was in person. And so it's a muscle that you don't have, but you you develop it. And so I really I really attribute my broadcasting work to grounding me in this work of emceeing and moderating and hosting, actually more than my Broadway career, quite honestly. What an inspirational story, like really how life can kind of switch but then really repel you onto this new journey. And from what I can hear, you did an amazing job Wendee. So congratulations to you and Adam. I can only assume that you also grew a lot in the past years being from actually on a broadcast channel to comedian to host to really? Yeah. Helping the event industry get the entertainment they need. From your perspective, what is kind of the trends that are currently going on or what are you seeing as an event MC slash host at the moment? Well, I mean, obviously, the past two and a half years and not to timestamp this, but we're into the, you know, coming out of the pandemic era right now. So I really aggressively transitioned to online and really became fully equipped to deliver online the movement right now for a period of time. The bookings right now are all in-person because everyone's like, I don't want to even hear the word virtual. Don't even ask me about it, you know, but I'm equipped. I can do full turnkey solutions with online events. And I work with a lot of producers who such as you that that deliver these virtual events. So it's I think the State of the Union right now for events is hybrid. And even when you use that word, people start to go, you know, what do you mean? But imagine like, you know, like with Wendee Lee, there's like 2000 Fortune 100, Fortune 1000 company. And you've got a big auditorium full of people. I do those types of events as well, hosting plenary sessions, moderating panels. But there's still is a population. A, who aren't ready to go back to work or attend these in-person. B, have, you know, the always existing cost controls and geographic restrictions. And there's a desire and there's a need to we've now got the experience. I mean, the the platforms were always there, but now everybody's familiar with them. It's like it's, you know, critical mass. So they should be used to extend the revenue opportunities, reach opportunities. So even if you've got 1000 people in a ballroom and you've only got 500 people attending online, that's 50% more audience than you would have had if you just go in-person. And so now that's the trend I see, is how do you produce those hybrid events and how do you host that in an effective way? Where you talking down the camera and then also to the people that are you're with? I mean, it's a real talent, but a lot of fun. Absolutely. It it takes really getting to engage both types of audiences in that way. And as you mentioned, adoption played a very big role in making this happen and a possibility to extend our reach. Wendee, do you see the same kind of trends or is it different from your perspective? Yes, Adam, you can sit next to me. I'm so glad you said that because I agree wholeheartedly. I watch people clutching their pearls, and losing their their crap over hybrid. And I'm like, All right, y'all want to leave money on the table? That's up to you. I cannot think I cannot think of another another idea or moment in the history of conferences and events that's bigger or has more potential. That has more potential. And we've been watching hybrid for ever. What do you think an awards show is right. You have people in the auditorium. There are people on the stage sort of speaking to those people. And then there's a live shot out on the red carpet. We've already been doing hybrid. So hybrid is is is is for the TV people. This is their opportunity to shine and stand up. Anyone who has who has experience, time, teeth in the broadcasting realm is going to shine in this new hybrid model because. I and the good and the and the good news is, Wendee, I mean you say TV production and we both have like that now, the TV or the entertainment production background, it's not the same price point because it's not the same overhead for studios. You can do it with with decent cost markers and then the event planners, the other layer and I'm sure you've experience I'm curious to know Wendee Lee what you've experienced with this is then event planners say well the different thing we have other than that the Oscar and the Emmy Awards producers have, or don't have, is we have engagement issues what about the networking what about the magic that happens and the deals and all that stuff? And there's so many tools now either inherent on the platforms or I use a white label second screen tool with the URL based for all sorts of activation. So as people are attending the event, whether they're in-person or online, they're experiencing the same agenda content on their second screen, which, by the way, planners really love because you're occupying that valuable real estate with agenda based content, whether it be fun or informative, and they're not checking their email or scrolling TikTok or do anything else. So have you found the same thing? That and also, I think it gives I think it gives event planners the opportunity to to pivot in real time. I hate that word, but it's one thing to write something on paper and it's another thing to see it come to life in actuality. And sometimes what we planned or what we think is is the right way to go as we experience it in real time. We understand that it needs something more that the substrate under it, is it affecting the reach that they really want? So hybrid is actually a perfect opportunity to in the moment decide, you know what, we're going to do this, but we're going to do it in a different way because you're not you're you're not terra firma. You're not substrated into a direct one on one on stage. Now you have this camera that can literally follow you anywhere at any time doing anything. I've had that happen a few times where event planners or producers and the teams will have the shot set up in one place and they decide 10 minutes before we go live. You know, we've done that. We really actually want something more dynamic. Can you do a walk and talk from there to here? Yeah, just give me a note card with like some points on it. So make sure I hit all the hot spots. But yes. And that to me, you talk about engagement. It keeps people on their toes because it's active and is live and it's happening in the moment. And I'm thrilled, thrilled to see hybrid moving in the direction of the default setting. Nothing wrong with in-person, nothing wrong with virtual. But the sweet spot in the event industry in my mind is hybrid will always be hybrid, and I'm excited to see how hybrid events grows and evolves within the industry. I love that so much. Obviously I'm a big fan as well for the listeners, you probably know, but as I heard you say, like last minute kind of changes, I assume that has been around for quite a while. But do you notice that now that we're shifting towards hybrid, we see a lot more expectations from the industry, from the audience that this happens more often. I find the clients I'm working with are a mix. There's some that fully, fully get it. There's some that are intimidated by producing a show that lives digitally. And and part of the solution with that is I'm working with clients just to introduce it. Like if they've got quarterly townhalls for the first one, let's just introduce a piece of hybrid just so that you can there's a little, a little taste so that it doesn't be like beehhh too scary because ultimately if they're really worried about engagement, you know, Wendee Lee and I, you know, she said, you said I could sit beside you. We could actually work together, you could host in person, and then there could be someone like me as the digital host online. Because what happens when a full three day conference in the moments where they break out and do a break session, you know, people at home are feeling like, okay, I need bio breaks and I need food, everything like that. But you kind of it's easy to be really disconnected. You don't have that networking opportunity and the in-person hosts could kind of do their handshaking, stuff like that. But an online digital host kind of takes over in that moment on that platform to keep people active, keep them focused. They still get a break and everything like that. And so sometimes that little piece is just not a huge it doesn't double your budget, it's a doubles your host. But, you know, more hosts the merrier, more emcees the merrier. I say listen we for all time and this is maybe it's controversial no more Bob from accounting no more Hannah from marketing moderating and emcee every time I watch it it doesn't have to be me This is not me. Like pitching me it doesn't have to be me every time I watch it, all I see is missed opportunities. That's all I see I need. I need y’all to understand that we all have a zone of genius, that we function in and that we have alignment with. And if you really want the ROI for your event, every person in place needs to be working in their zone of genius, not their zone of adequacy, not even their zone of excellence. Their zone of genius. Because the one thing about what Adam and I do is it's innate. We don't have to think about it. We know what the moment calls for. And before you can even think to ask or decide what it is, it's already coming out of our mouths. It's already coming out our mouths. And I love that you've got like a I mean, I'm sure you weave that into your keynote. The zone of genius in terms of what you do, and it's not going to dramatically change. But one of the things I mean, you can't entirely write and listen, I'm also a television host. I host the Canadian version of Cash Cab and, you know, so I get like, you know, hosting and and performing and obviously performing standup. But from the emcee host standpoint, there's a reason why there's not a show called America's Next Top MC host. Right, because it's not the craziest, glamorous, sexiest job, but it is you do require someone who's in that zone of genius to really bring your event to the next level. And it's underappreciated. And then when you have clients that really get it and go, Wow, that made a huge difference. Even if you're not the star, you as the host emcee, you're about making all those keynotes, all those other entertainers, all those other people in the spotlight properly. And that makes it much more enjoyable and better ROI for the planners from the audience. Listen, there's no more. None of this can happen siloed anymore. The one thing that I would say that a really great host emcee moderator brings is context, right? We are in and of the world. Everyone that I know that does this is ten toes down into what's happening in the world around them so that when they're speaking at events, when they're interviewing celebrities, when they're interviewing executives, they have context for what's happening not just in that conference, but in the world at large. And so they can close the circle on that in the conversation, there's no, the idea of of moving through the industry, siloed in your thinking is a really great way to become obsolete. Very good points. And I love what you mean about your point of genius. I already noticed it in just this episode where you flawlessly kind of move into each other's conversation. I really love it. I appreciate that very much. And that's what you need. Like it should be purely natural. And I think it's not just putting the other speakers, the other content in a highlight, but also being able to connect with the audience and make them feel part of the event. The difference between an event with and without the host is is that is in his or her zone of genius is really day and night in that regard. Like can you name a few examples of what you currently experience in your real life as an emcee, as a host? To give our listeners a bit better view of what it needs or what you need to to actually execute what your experiencing as an event emcee or host. Adam, maybe you would like to start this one. Well, I think, you know, when we were talking pre-record about takeaways about, you know, what's one thing that, you know, that really resonates to me. One thing I would say that's really important is, is that as the host, you need to treat the event as a storyteller. And I think even the planners should treat the entire event as a narrative and you're not going to be loquacious or blathering on and scripted, but if you kind of even in the pre planning sense, if you plan the pieces of an agenda in a way that makes sense from a story arc, right? And to come to a conclusion and then as the host, what you're doing is briefly bridging between, like Merijn you said, you know, connecting with the audience. It's also connecting the pieces. So as a as a storyteller, as the host, you should think about ways without taking a deep dive or stealing the thunder from any of the content of things that you're introducing or people that you're introducing know enough about how to set it up to keep the agenda moving forward and then know how to back sell it. This is back to radio. You're playing the records, right? You're just you're telling a story and you're teasing and you're back selling and you're keeping the story going. And if you can bring it all together briefly without stealing the thunder of the, you know, the key messaging of the company or the key people, they might not even know it. And that's the stuff that gives me the tingles when I complete an event. You know, nobody necessarily has to even articulate it. I just know when that's been accomplished because you can just feel it. It's like it's a buzz in the room. You know, my goal is always to leave this space as a host emcee with everyone having been as transparent as they possibly can be, I think that that artifice has not served us. I think that keeping up appearances and when I say us, I mean the global. Yes, I think that it's not served us. And corporations aren't just entities. They're they're they're communities of people. And so every opportunity that we have to connect life to life with a level of transparency when we convene, when we finally buy the tickets and get the hotel rooms and pack the bags and come together, only to be artificial makes zero sense to me. It's to to have a revelatory moment and for everyone to be in that space being transparent so that we can really do what it is we've come to do, which is to teach and to learn right? So like I've done, I do a lot of pharma and one of the pharma events I did was they were talking about what is the word I'm looking for medical bias, medical bias in communities of color. Right. It's a it's a big talking point here in the United States, but specifically also around pregnancy for black women, their mortality rates are very, very high. And so in the course of introducing the panel was actually a group of employees from within the company who are all bipoc who were talking about this issue before I talked to them, I joked. I was like, Yeah, we all get dressed up before we go to the doctors and everybody. And I could see I could see all of them like clock that comment and and that it was like an amen corner internally for each. Cause they’re like, yep, that's exactly what we do. And everyone who doesn't have that lived experience is like, What do you mean? I said, Well, I dress up when I go to the doctor. I want to be seen as a human being worthy of care and consideration. And so in order to do that, I try to put my best foot forward. And so that begins with my appearance. They canceled the panel afterwards because even like me just jokingly throwing that in, let the rest of the people on the panel to be more forthright. Right. I think they all had something very safe and curated that they had intended to share that day. But me admitting that to the group in Mass allowed all of them because it was really their moment, not mine, but it allowed them to be as transparent as possible. So then the ROI is there for the company, right? Because now they've learned something, they have an understanding of something and they can take that information and use it in their own business to drive revenue. And it's like, Yeah, we're all here to be cute together, but it's also a moneymaking venture. And that's what I mean about the ROI being there. Great example on not just storytelling but also finding ways to opening up or even elevating the in this case a panel that's already there to really get the most potential for not just the event but also the attendees. Adam Can you name a recent example of maybe storytelling that you implemented that caused a certain effect just as something you experienced yourself as an example? Well, sometimes, you know, I'm I'm tasked with hosting the event and then also providing entertaining interstitials, little bumpers. So and sometimes I’m the entertainment or at the end of the night, I'm doing my full on comedy quiz show, which is trivia and comedy together. But often they like those pieces. So I usually pre craft, you know, going through the agenda. And so one example I can think of is an awards gala. I get asked to host awards galas all the time and they just want to keep the energy up and not just like and the winner is, you know, like all that stuff. And so, I’d hire you. Yeah, right. And so to break things up, it's like, you know, obviously I'm always self-deprecating. It's like another award that I'm not going to win anyway. So I usually break it up with a little bit of a trivia interaction. And in those instances I'm bringing up people on stage. So in addition to the nominees and award winners, there's another opportunity to see the people in the audience in a different light. They're volunteers. They come up on stage and they do a little quiz show. So I've done that so many times and I pre craft the content so that it supports the award categories and it supports the arc of the night. And so, you know, it's kind of just all comes together without overstating it. There was one awards show that I was hosting, and this story just is really what I live for, right? So my job at this particular award show was to introduce the sponsor or the VP who was going to announce the winner of the category each time. So I bring up this one particular VP. He goes through the the nominees and he he decides to adlib and kind of do a little anecdotal story about one of the nominees. But he does it because, again to Wendee Lee’s point. You know, listen, not everybody is designed to host or emcee. They're better looking at the spreadsheets. So he had a moment where it sounded like his anecdotal story was talking about the winner and he kind of ended his thought. And so one of the nominees got up, his whole table erupted. He started walking towards the stage. Everybody else was like clapping, clapping. And he was kind of going stories and the VP, because the lights from the show didn't see this, just kind of heard the milling and said, and the winner is someone different, not that person. Right. And so the guy was like literally in front of everybody, large audience stop cold of the stage and sat down at the closest table he could have. And there was that awkward, horrible silence in the room. And the VP had really no clue because he just can't see what's going on and just announce a winner. And the winner came up. So, you know, it's kind of like not to bring up a real trigger point. For me personally, I've always loved the Oscars and the whole Chris Rock Will Smith thing was really for me a moment where I was thinking more as a performer like that moment not I'm not issuing blame on anyone. That moment stole the spotlight away from so many people's moments. Right. So that awards night, just in a corporate event, the winner of that award kind of lost their thunder a little bit. And that person who thought they won, it's just wrecked the moment. So I have to come up after that and introduce the next categories. And in my next opportunity to do a little interactive quiz show, instead of looking for volunteers, I brought the two of those people up, the winner and the guy who thought he won, right? Just to get the white elephant out of the room. And I made them work as a team to go through. I think it was dance moves. They had to go through a series of dance moves to win the prize and big, huge applause. The two of them rocked it together. They were absolutely hilarious. Not the VP, the two winners, right? The non winner and the winner and big hugs and it you know for me it was like, it obviously accolades from the planners for saving that moment but those two became stars from a moment that was ruined by random, you know, VP error. So I just I just love those moments. You got to think on your feet. What am I going to do with this? This wasn't on the agenda. Boom, boom, boom. And it, of course, brought me back the next couple of years and talk about that moment all the time in terms of it being instead of awkward. And nobody wants to talk about it. They talk about the creative outcome. It was just. Amazing. Adam, you're the man. I think that that was, wait, Chef's Kiss, right? As it did. That was a chef's kiss moment. That's exactly why you need someone who does this as a zone of genius. So I have a thought Adam, and I want to throw it out to you and tell me what you think, because I know you work as a TV host, so you deal with casting directors, right? There have been many, many times I really, really, really believe at this stage of conferences and events that event planners need to either have a casting director on staff with them or integrated with them or coaching them in the selection of who they're adding to the events. Because there's an emotional thread like there's a so there's a comedian named Amanda Seales and she has a saying. She sings it when she says it, I be knowing they like they just be knowing they just to me that is like the one ingredient that's missing. Because sometimes when I'm doing the events I'll see a disconnect and I'm like a casting director would have caught that. Like I really would have caught that emotional threat. Do you understand what I'm saying? Like. Well, I think I think at minimum, your instincts are right, because at minimum, if they're hiring a casting director to find a professional emcee or host for their gala or whatever, at least they're putting thought into it so often. It's the last thing they hire, right? Or it's an afterthought in terms of the emcee. Especially on the budget. It's like, what do we have left? I'm like, Wait, no, I'm not even kidding. It's what do we have left? I'm like, No, let me let me sit on my square. It's interesting because if you listen to what event professionals say, it's all about, you know, purpose and making sure that everything is there on purpose and everything should be cohesive. But if then the host, the one that brings everything together, is kind of an afterthought. What good is that approach then? So definitely a good one to take into account. And also, Adam, I loved your story also. It's kind of a horror story, which brings me already to the next part of the show, which is sharing a horror or a funny story. Adam, since you nailed it with this story, I think I was at a certain point, I was like frozen in my chair. I'm like, what? NO?! Did that really happen? Wendee can you maybe share a horror or a funny story that you experienced? Yeah, that was visceral. Every hair on my arms stood up like Spider-Man. I'm like, Yeah, I felt bad for that individual and I haven't even met them. Not horror, but funny and not as good as your story. There was a time when it was a sales meeting. I love sales meetings. Sales teams are great. They're in it to win it like it literally is like a plastic plaque, but they're like all in that thing. And we were doing a game show event and all of the AV went down like all of it. I think someone kicked the plug out. I don't know if a breaker broke, but like there was not nothing. So I'm standing up there on stage and I did the national tour of Mamma mia, so I know every Abba song ever. And so I took that opportunity to do a sing along with the entire room to introduce myself again and say, I know you all think I'm your host emcee. But in a former life, I was a Broadway performer, and you'll never guess which show I did before I came here to see all of you. And they're like, What? I said, Mamma mia! I said, Who loves Abba, right? So everyone was like, Everyone knows Abba. So I led them in a round of take a chance on me, you know, and I had half the room sing harmony and the other singing melody. And by the time we got to the end of the song, the AV was back up and working. So that was, that was fun. That, that is impressive that I'm I'm totally jelly that you have that in your toolkit to go to and as that you know like it's kind of like my philosophy is to go to any event even events I'm not hired to I'm prepared to hire, you know, I'm ready to host at any moment. And so I always over plan but I don't have I have to come up with other ways that I would be able to bridge that kind of a technical gap. I don't have the gift that you have. That's amazing. I would have loved to have and I would have sang horribly and out of tune. It was it was it was really fun. It was really fun. And before we knew it, like, everything was back up and running and, you know, they were cheering for themselves. And it kept it was the energy didn't get sucked out of the room. Right, because of the AV. If anything, we took it to another level and then folks are really quick to get in there win. But I love sales conference. I love sales teams because they are on ten at all times. Oh, yeah, it's intense. Right? Yes. So but I always look around and go, you brought me to you brought me here to keep the energy up. I think you're good. I think you're good. I'm just a traffic control over here because it's like one comment away from chaos, like the mom with four kids in the car, don't make me stop this car like it really is just rankling like you're wrangling people at that point. Perfect. What a resilient story. Like, for me, it's like, so, like, the top point of resilience, just in the worst case scenario, being able to look at your toolkit and say, this is what I have in store, and this will actually turn the whole experience around instead of people booing. I don't see anything. They were actually cheering with you. And I think. Wendee That's a great example. Adam, you got to share a very elaborate horror story. Do you maybe also have some funny stories for us to share? Well, you know, usually the ones that stand out are the the awkward moments that just become kind of those, you know, like everybody has the the the nightmare of getting up in front of an audience and their fly’s undone. Right. And so I, I just never knock on wood, never happen to be personally. But I actually saw one executive to give full credit to executives. I mean, we've been I've been at least, you know, smack talking executive don't let them emcee or whatever. There was one I was on tour domestically across Canada and in a couple of cities in North America and the states for a tech company. And it was the same group of exects that we're doing. And I guess they just get you know, you're doing the same cookie cutter keynote. Every city we go to. And for whatever reason, he just let his guard down and had gone to the bathroom just before and came on stage. And, you know, I also do corporate communication and leadership training. So I kind of was observing the moment because it was serious content and he was on stage in front of a large audience and this fly was undone. And obviously the people at the close part of the stage could see that that was the case. And eventually someone got so uncomfortable that they just stood up. And oh, the caveat is, as emcee, I would genuinely and usually be the one to take that into control. But I had stepped away and come back because I had I had become complacent, too. I had introduced him. We'd been working together for six or seven cities. He was off and running. I went and got a coffee. I came back. When I came back, you know, the room and the AV table was abuzz and they're like, What do we do, what do we do. And I was like, First of all, guys, you know what to do. Trust your instincts. They just nobody wants to go near him because they think, if I go in here, my fly will be undone like it stinks. Get up there and help the guy. So as a tech guy, you bring down the mic and then you walk up there with another mic lav pack and you pretend that a mic was broken. And then he leans down and like, I was like schooling a seasoned AV team and I said, Give me the pack, give me the pack. And by that, by the time I was going to do that as the emcee, someone stood up in the crowd and said, You know, your fly's undone to him or whatever. I couldn't hear because it's a big auditorium and the executive actually did the best, close to the best thing he could do. He simply turned around for a second. He goes, Oh, great zipped it up and then continued, Right. So I look at that as a leadership moment and I go, He's trying to impart important information. The AV team let him down. I wasn't there. I felt bad. I was about to get up there. First of all, you know, this Wendee, like half the room, couldn't see it because they're not looking for it. And probably didn't even notice. It's only the front people, so you don't even have to acknowledge it. It's like live radio. Don't ever acknowledge a problem. Who knows who heard it, right? And so he did almost he just should've zipped up. But he should have for the people that were on board, he should have rewound, rewound the content and started really quickly from the beginning to get his key messages out again. So I just I look at those moments. It's it's a funny, awkward story, again, as a host emcee, but a learning moment for me to never let my guard down and always be there for the people introducing and not disappear and then have a conversation about that with the other supporters. But I think, you know, I wanted to bring that story in because we were trash talking the the VP's and the accountant's for hosting and emcee, and he did a reasonably good job with it. So I was impressed. That's embarrassing, right? It is. Bless your heart. Wardrobe malfunction, I think is is right up there with like drowning is the worst fear ever live. Yeah, it's pretty bad. Absolutely. In that sense applies to the executive in this case for doing a good job. They don't do it very often, but in this case they actually did it. Love it. Yeah, I think we spoke a lot about your experience. Also, you're funny in horror stories. If you look at events in general and especially event professionals, if there was one thing you could tell an event professional right now that is like the most important thing for event professionals, I'm curious what it would be. Adam maybe you can start this one off. For event professionals, not exclusively host emcees or host emcees. Maybe both actually, but also for event professionals in general. Speaking from a host emcee perspective. Well, I think it's the theme that we've been kind of dancing around and revisiting. And I think that there's it should start with hiring a pro host. It's really it makes the most sense. You know, you don't have to spend you don't have to blow your budget on it. And what that gives you is an opportunity to have pre planning meetings to to work out the agenda. So often I land at events where I've been hired after the fact and there's been no pre thought into production or a creative strategy and I'm fine with it. I get on site and I'm like, No, this needs to go here. The podium can't go there. You're blocking the whole screen and the the projector is going to be going straight into there, you know, all sorts of little stuff like that. A pro emcee thinks about the whole picture and event planners like that because they've got a lot on their plate. Event profs have got like, you know, the banquet chief, the, you know, the banquet sort of the banquet organizer, everything like that. They've got many things going. If you have a host emcee, I basically become their production assistant as well as the face of the event. And nobody else thinks that like most people, if they're like internal or they're exclusively, you know, an entertainer, they don't think like a host. So as a planner, as an event prof you you should: A. bake in a host, think like a host in terms of who you would hire and find the right person. And the last thing I'll say about that is because I was listening to Wendee Lee's story about, you know, really identifying with living moments. And so you have to be careful, you know, that you have a host that they're not going to necessarily represent and reflect every living equity deserving voice in every community that attending your event. But you have to have somebody that is a natural empath. You can't have like a lot of people. That's why a lot of people are hesitant about hiring a stand up comic and I have to sell them on. It's like I'm a host first, I'm a comic second. I'm not going to go to places. And you really need to host that is compassionate understands the moment and if they can't identify with every living moment or living living experience, they are good listeners and sorry I'm talking I'm not even demonstrating my listening. I agree with you. I think you're 100% right. And if they can't do that, then again, I don't think this is going to make me very many friends, but it's how I truly feel. Then they either need to hire someone like you or me to coach the people that they are putting forward to do this. I would love to work for Salesforce. Salesforce doesn't need me. Everyone at Salesforce has efficacy on camera. Everyone that I've seen has a base level. There should be a baseline. You would never hire someone in IT that didn't have a baseline of experience to do that job and the same should be true. If someone is out there representing your company internally or externally, they should have a level of efficacy on camera. They need to know how to connect, be captivating and and compassionate on camera. So don't just teach them how to turn on the zoom, teach them how to turn on the room through the zoom. So if you're not going to hire us to be your host emcee, then hire us to coach the people that you are having. Do this because it makes your company stronger, it makes your communication strategy stronger. And the ROI is there. You don't have nearly as many people complaining. This could have been an email, it could have been an email because the people that are tasked with delivering this important information, which I'm sure they're gangbusters at, I'm sure that that is their zone of genius, haven’t been given the most important tool, which is how to impart it in a way that's captivating, that makes people feel connected. So is it to my mind, it's got to be one or the other. It can't just be us or nothing. We're going to we're going to Superman it and hope for the best that that's a ridiculous strategy to me and it needs to be something company wide. Decide who these people are going to be and it could be on a rolling basis. You know, we're going to do the C-suite, you know, from this day to that date, and then we're going to middle management. Anyone that's in front of the camera needs to have efficacy in front of the camera. Yeah. And production elements. And listen I occasionally do full standup sets and so now I'm moving forward when I conclude a 45 to 60 minute straight standup set, that's going to be my closing line. This could have been an email. You know, I don't I don't believe in zoom fatigue. I think Zoom fatigue is just, you know, that that and I'm not talking about the zooms that really, truly could have been an email to me. Zoom fatigue is I'm not giving giving people the tools to really connect in. And in this new era and this this expanded era of virtual meetings and virtual conversations. So give you're giving your your teams all these other tools. Give them one of the tools that I believe is the most important. And that's this one. I think there's a lot of lessons here that even professionals should really take to heart if they at least want to elevate their experience to a point where no one ever will experience zoom fatigue ever again. Adam, Wendee, I thank you so much for your time today. It really was a pleasure having you and having that perspective of an M.C. and a host brought to the event industry and to the listeners today. Is there anything you would like to say as a thank you to our listeners as a close up? Adam Well, I do want to say thanks to all the hard work that eventprofs do. I know, you know, there's always a joke that there are the most stressed people right after dentists and or whatever, but they're there. It's a hard working profession. And this past couple of years I've been able to make it work online and perform online. But for certain organizers, you know, they were eliminated from that option. It wasn't really an option. So the resilience of the people and the companies that just stuck by their their chosen career and, you know, stuck it out and are back at it and are really, you know, thirsty and hungry to create great events. I salute the ones that really stuck with it and it must have been very difficult. So I'm very appreciative to work with people, live in person and online who didn't have the opportunity to do what I did. I couldn't agree more. It's the events are a high impact, high touch calling. I appreciate so much their talent and I want you all to continue to lean into the genius that you have. The impact that you have is longstanding. I know sometimes that can get lost in the hustle and bustle of what it is that you do. But one of the things that I love most about what it is that I do is I never leave an event not having learned many new things. And so I just I just want to encourage you to keep innovating and keep strong together and know that what you're doing is much bigger than you may ever. It's more than an event. You're changing hearts, changing minds, and you're changing lives. And so I salute you again. Y’all were going through it during the pandemic, but I believe in you keep keep keep pushing the envelope and keep innovating. It's in you. And we're here to celebrate you. And we appreciate you. So thank you. What an amazing kind and inspirational words. I think a lot of event professionals can take that to heart and end this episode with a big, big smile and a happy heart. So thank you so much again for being here, sharing your experiences for our listeners. I'm looking forward to seeing you or actually have you as a listener on our next episode. It will be released in two weeks on a Wednesday. Looking forward to catching you there. And for now I hope you have a pleasant day.
And the winner is... Someone different. Anyone that's in front of the camera needs to have efficacy in front of the camera. Welcome everyone to a new episode of The Event Effect. My name is my Merijn van Buuren and I'm your host for today. And I'm joined by Adam and Wendee, both exceptional hosts slash emcees for events and I'm so glad that I am finally able to meet them. We've been in touch, via LinkedIn quite a while, reading his and her posts quite a bit. A lot of insights there, but now I'm finally here to see you in face to face. Before we get started, I would like to know how actually both of our guests started in the event industry. And maybe, Adam, you can jump off. How did you got started in the event industry and specifically ended up as an M.C. Slash host? Well, I've been hosting events and emceeing for as long as I can remember, so early school days, it always ended up that I was on student council or organizing at events and on the mic. So it seemed like an innate, natural thing that I love to do. But I'd have to say that it was a combination of starting my career in radio broadcasting and then dovetailing that into standup comedy. And when you're the radio announcer for any station, if you think about your stations that you listen to FM, AM, digital satellite, whatever, you know, the hosts often get asked to do things in the community or in the city or across the country, around the world. Host Our fundraiser. You're a real personality. So I was asked to do so much stuff and you do it because it's great traction in advertising. And so you really get to know and become familiar with hosting in a lot of different environments. And then same for stand up comedy, which obviously is, is more about you being funny. But often you get asked to host an event as a comedian and just kind of dabble in a little bit of of humor here and there and just kind of use your chops in dealing with impromptu movement moments on stage. So that's where it landed for me. And I've always kind of lean towards the corporate gigs and company events. So my humor is clean, my approach is clean. It's always in easy transition to host big events for large audiences, whether it be in-person or online. Perfect. And Wendee did you have kind of the same start, or did you actually start somewhere else to become a host slash emcee? No, my experience is more evolutionary. I come from the Broadway community, so I'm a veteran Broadway performer and people may or may not know this, but at least back in the day, Broadway performers were brought in as part of production companies, as entertainment for a lot of the large conferences and events. So that that actually was my inroad and my first experience with a conference we used to call it business theater or industrials. Once I moved from Broadway into broadcasting, I worked as a TV news anchor, entertainment reporter and traffic reporter for the ABC affiliate in Las Vegas. And to Adam's point, you know, when you're an on air personality, you're engaged in all sorts of events in the community. So the same thing you're asking the master of ceremonies for any number of things. You're the face of the station. And so that became that was probably like the first initial inroad into me. Emceeing and moderating was within the silo of working in broadcasting. But it's been a full circle moment, like a full closed circle, because I'm a woman of a certain age, thankfully, because the alternative no bueno. And a lot of the people in the Broadway community, we we age out of dancing. I'm a dancer and singer, not a singer dancer. So there's a shelf life to that. And so rather than jumping into something altogether different, people bring their skill set onto the other side of production. And so a lot of people in the conference, an event industry on the production side, come from the Broadway community. And so because those are my colleagues and we've worked together before, suddenly there were invitations for me to do small things with regard to speaking on stage. It was either be a game show host or moderate this, this, this event on the tertiary or secondary stage. And there was just a slow growth towards the main stage. And before I knew it, I looked up and I was the girl with the mic in front of 2000 people. And so it was it was the best thing. I never knew I always wanted. So I emcee, moderate and hosts for multinational Fortune 100 companies, and I love it. Now, I'm assuming Wendee Lee that as a Broadway performer, you're a triple threat. Yes. Dancing, singing and acting. Right. So I always like to say I'm like a I'm a zero threat, I don't do any of those three. So it's really I mean, I do standup and a lot of singers, dancers and actors say I could never do stand up. There's no way. But I think, you know, you go with your core competency. But I love that that's that's where you you came to it from. And I would assume, like, I know what you're saying, that there was a natural transition because of the people you worked with in the background. But I'm sure you remember as for you Merijn, it’s certainly not a normal thing for a Broadway dancer, a singer to become. No. An emcee like you did. No. And, you know, I actually attribute it to my time working in broadcasting, because I really I got thrown off the edge of the cliff. So when I started at KT and B, which is in Las Vegas, I think we were market 40, 45, something like that, which is, you know, a top ten or even top 20 market. And so it's it's pretty skeletal. It's bare bones. It was okay. Bette Midler's in town. We need you to interview her. Go get the story. Come back and write it. And that literally was the beginning and the end of the feedback that I got. Know, I wasn't the girl who started in broadcasting. I won a contest my station had a contest, the Great Traffic Reporter contest. I was like, Oh, this is interesting. You know, I just moved to Las Vegas from New York Post 9-11. I really wanted to continue my Broadway career and Broadway was moving west, but I didn't feel comfortable in New York anymore, and what I didn't know was all the Las Vegas producers wanted the cachet of hiring casting out of New York. So they hired a cast everyone out of New York. I thought I would look more attractive as a local hire, not the case. So that job at KT&B was really trial by fire. I was promoted like three times in six months. You know, I went from being the traffic reporter and, you know, winning this contest against 300 other people to suddenly, you know, being the entertainment reporter, I was like, well, I do have I do have some positioning, some positionality in that. Right. Because you and I, we come from the world of entertainment. We know how to speak to other entertainers they’re our colleagues. So I just had to learn that the the the construct for conducting an interview and writing it. And it was it literally was just doing it every single day. Every single day. I was interviewing some celebrity somewhere, whether it was a SAT interview. Right, a satellite interview or it was in person. And so it's a muscle that you don't have, but you you develop it. And so I really I really attribute my broadcasting work to grounding me in this work of emceeing and moderating and hosting, actually more than my Broadway career, quite honestly. What an inspirational story, like really how life can kind of switch but then really repel you onto this new journey. And from what I can hear, you did an amazing job Wendee. So congratulations to you and Adam. I can only assume that you also grew a lot in the past years being from actually on a broadcast channel to comedian to host to really? Yeah. Helping the event industry get the entertainment they need. From your perspective, what is kind of the trends that are currently going on or what are you seeing as an event MC slash host at the moment? Well, I mean, obviously, the past two and a half years and not to timestamp this, but we're into the, you know, coming out of the pandemic era right now. So I really aggressively transitioned to online and really became fully equipped to deliver online the movement right now for a period of time. The bookings right now are all in-person because everyone's like, I don't want to even hear the word virtual. Don't even ask me about it, you know, but I'm equipped. I can do full turnkey solutions with online events. And I work with a lot of producers who such as you that that deliver these virtual events. So it's I think the State of the Union right now for events is hybrid. And even when you use that word, people start to go, you know, what do you mean? But imagine like, you know, like with Wendee Lee, there's like 2000 Fortune 100, Fortune 1000 company. And you've got a big auditorium full of people. I do those types of events as well, hosting plenary sessions, moderating panels. But there's still is a population. A, who aren't ready to go back to work or attend these in-person. B, have, you know, the always existing cost controls and geographic restrictions. And there's a desire and there's a need to we've now got the experience. I mean, the the platforms were always there, but now everybody's familiar with them. It's like it's, you know, critical mass. So they should be used to extend the revenue opportunities, reach opportunities. So even if you've got 1000 people in a ballroom and you've only got 500 people attending online, that's 50% more audience than you would have had if you just go in-person. And so now that's the trend I see, is how do you produce those hybrid events and how do you host that in an effective way? Where you talking down the camera and then also to the people that are you're with? I mean, it's a real talent, but a lot of fun. Absolutely. It it takes really getting to engage both types of audiences in that way. And as you mentioned, adoption played a very big role in making this happen and a possibility to extend our reach. Wendee, do you see the same kind of trends or is it different from your perspective? Yes, Adam, you can sit next to me. I'm so glad you said that because I agree wholeheartedly. I watch people clutching their pearls, and losing their their crap over hybrid. And I'm like, All right, y'all want to leave money on the table? That's up to you. I cannot think I cannot think of another another idea or moment in the history of conferences and events that's bigger or has more potential. That has more potential. And we've been watching hybrid for ever. What do you think an awards show is right. You have people in the auditorium. There are people on the stage sort of speaking to those people. And then there's a live shot out on the red carpet. We've already been doing hybrid. So hybrid is is is is for the TV people. This is their opportunity to shine and stand up. Anyone who has who has experience, time, teeth in the broadcasting realm is going to shine in this new hybrid model because. I and the good and the and the good news is, Wendee, I mean you say TV production and we both have like that now, the TV or the entertainment production background, it's not the same price point because it's not the same overhead for studios. You can do it with with decent cost markers and then the event planners, the other layer and I'm sure you've experience I'm curious to know Wendee Lee what you've experienced with this is then event planners say well the different thing we have other than that the Oscar and the Emmy Awards producers have, or don't have, is we have engagement issues what about the networking what about the magic that happens and the deals and all that stuff? And there's so many tools now either inherent on the platforms or I use a white label second screen tool with the URL based for all sorts of activation. So as people are attending the event, whether they're in-person or online, they're experiencing the same agenda content on their second screen, which, by the way, planners really love because you're occupying that valuable real estate with agenda based content, whether it be fun or informative, and they're not checking their email or scrolling TikTok or do anything else. So have you found the same thing? That and also, I think it gives I think it gives event planners the opportunity to to pivot in real time. I hate that word, but it's one thing to write something on paper and it's another thing to see it come to life in actuality. And sometimes what we planned or what we think is is the right way to go as we experience it in real time. We understand that it needs something more that the substrate under it, is it affecting the reach that they really want? So hybrid is actually a perfect opportunity to in the moment decide, you know what, we're going to do this, but we're going to do it in a different way because you're not you're you're not terra firma. You're not substrated into a direct one on one on stage. Now you have this camera that can literally follow you anywhere at any time doing anything. I've had that happen a few times where event planners or producers and the teams will have the shot set up in one place and they decide 10 minutes before we go live. You know, we've done that. We really actually want something more dynamic. Can you do a walk and talk from there to here? Yeah, just give me a note card with like some points on it. So make sure I hit all the hot spots. But yes. And that to me, you talk about engagement. It keeps people on their toes because it's active and is live and it's happening in the moment. And I'm thrilled, thrilled to see hybrid moving in the direction of the default setting. Nothing wrong with in-person, nothing wrong with virtual. But the sweet spot in the event industry in my mind is hybrid will always be hybrid, and I'm excited to see how hybrid events grows and evolves within the industry. I love that so much. Obviously I'm a big fan as well for the listeners, you probably know, but as I heard you say, like last minute kind of changes, I assume that has been around for quite a while. But do you notice that now that we're shifting towards hybrid, we see a lot more expectations from the industry, from the audience that this happens more often. I find the clients I'm working with are a mix. There's some that fully, fully get it. There's some that are intimidated by producing a show that lives digitally. And and part of the solution with that is I'm working with clients just to introduce it. Like if they've got quarterly townhalls for the first one, let's just introduce a piece of hybrid just so that you can there's a little, a little taste so that it doesn't be like beehhh too scary because ultimately if they're really worried about engagement, you know, Wendee Lee and I, you know, she said, you said I could sit beside you. We could actually work together, you could host in person, and then there could be someone like me as the digital host online. Because what happens when a full three day conference in the moments where they break out and do a break session, you know, people at home are feeling like, okay, I need bio breaks and I need food, everything like that. But you kind of it's easy to be really disconnected. You don't have that networking opportunity and the in-person hosts could kind of do their handshaking, stuff like that. But an online digital host kind of takes over in that moment on that platform to keep people active, keep them focused. They still get a break and everything like that. And so sometimes that little piece is just not a huge it doesn't double your budget, it's a doubles your host. But, you know, more hosts the merrier, more emcees the merrier. I say listen we for all time and this is maybe it's controversial no more Bob from accounting no more Hannah from marketing moderating and emcee every time I watch it it doesn't have to be me This is not me. Like pitching me it doesn't have to be me every time I watch it, all I see is missed opportunities. That's all I see I need. I need y’all to understand that we all have a zone of genius, that we function in and that we have alignment with. And if you really want the ROI for your event, every person in place needs to be working in their zone of genius, not their zone of adequacy, not even their zone of excellence. Their zone of genius. Because the one thing about what Adam and I do is it's innate. We don't have to think about it. We know what the moment calls for. And before you can even think to ask or decide what it is, it's already coming out of our mouths. It's already coming out our mouths. And I love that you've got like a I mean, I'm sure you weave that into your keynote. The zone of genius in terms of what you do, and it's not going to dramatically change. But one of the things I mean, you can't entirely write and listen, I'm also a television host. I host the Canadian version of Cash Cab and, you know, so I get like, you know, hosting and and performing and obviously performing standup. But from the emcee host standpoint, there's a reason why there's not a show called America's Next Top MC host. Right, because it's not the craziest, glamorous, sexiest job, but it is you do require someone who's in that zone of genius to really bring your event to the next level. And it's underappreciated. And then when you have clients that really get it and go, Wow, that made a huge difference. Even if you're not the star, you as the host emcee, you're about making all those keynotes, all those other entertainers, all those other people in the spotlight properly. And that makes it much more enjoyable and better ROI for the planners from the audience. Listen, there's no more. None of this can happen siloed anymore. The one thing that I would say that a really great host emcee moderator brings is context, right? We are in and of the world. Everyone that I know that does this is ten toes down into what's happening in the world around them so that when they're speaking at events, when they're interviewing celebrities, when they're interviewing executives, they have context for what's happening not just in that conference, but in the world at large. And so they can close the circle on that in the conversation, there's no, the idea of of moving through the industry, siloed in your thinking is a really great way to become obsolete. Very good points. And I love what you mean about your point of genius. I already noticed it in just this episode where you flawlessly kind of move into each other's conversation. I really love it. I appreciate that very much. And that's what you need. Like it should be purely natural. And I think it's not just putting the other speakers, the other content in a highlight, but also being able to connect with the audience and make them feel part of the event. The difference between an event with and without the host is is that is in his or her zone of genius is really day and night in that regard. Like can you name a few examples of what you currently experience in your real life as an emcee, as a host? To give our listeners a bit better view of what it needs or what you need to to actually execute what your experiencing as an event emcee or host. Adam, maybe you would like to start this one. Well, I think, you know, when we were talking pre-record about takeaways about, you know, what's one thing that, you know, that really resonates to me. One thing I would say that's really important is, is that as the host, you need to treat the event as a storyteller. And I think even the planners should treat the entire event as a narrative and you're not going to be loquacious or blathering on and scripted, but if you kind of even in the pre planning sense, if you plan the pieces of an agenda in a way that makes sense from a story arc, right? And to come to a conclusion and then as the host, what you're doing is briefly bridging between, like Merijn you said, you know, connecting with the audience. It's also connecting the pieces. So as a as a storyteller, as the host, you should think about ways without taking a deep dive or stealing the thunder from any of the content of things that you're introducing or people that you're introducing know enough about how to set it up to keep the agenda moving forward and then know how to back sell it. This is back to radio. You're playing the records, right? You're just you're telling a story and you're teasing and you're back selling and you're keeping the story going. And if you can bring it all together briefly without stealing the thunder of the, you know, the key messaging of the company or the key people, they might not even know it. And that's the stuff that gives me the tingles when I complete an event. You know, nobody necessarily has to even articulate it. I just know when that's been accomplished because you can just feel it. It's like it's a buzz in the room. You know, my goal is always to leave this space as a host emcee with everyone having been as transparent as they possibly can be, I think that that artifice has not served us. I think that keeping up appearances and when I say us, I mean the global. Yes, I think that it's not served us. And corporations aren't just entities. They're they're they're communities of people. And so every opportunity that we have to connect life to life with a level of transparency when we convene, when we finally buy the tickets and get the hotel rooms and pack the bags and come together, only to be artificial makes zero sense to me. It's to to have a revelatory moment and for everyone to be in that space being transparent so that we can really do what it is we've come to do, which is to teach and to learn right? So like I've done, I do a lot of pharma and one of the pharma events I did was they were talking about what is the word I'm looking for medical bias, medical bias in communities of color. Right. It's a it's a big talking point here in the United States, but specifically also around pregnancy for black women, their mortality rates are very, very high. And so in the course of introducing the panel was actually a group of employees from within the company who are all bipoc who were talking about this issue before I talked to them, I joked. I was like, Yeah, we all get dressed up before we go to the doctors and everybody. And I could see I could see all of them like clock that comment and and that it was like an amen corner internally for each. Cause they’re like, yep, that's exactly what we do. And everyone who doesn't have that lived experience is like, What do you mean? I said, Well, I dress up when I go to the doctor. I want to be seen as a human being worthy of care and consideration. And so in order to do that, I try to put my best foot forward. And so that begins with my appearance. They canceled the panel afterwards because even like me just jokingly throwing that in, let the rest of the people on the panel to be more forthright. Right. I think they all had something very safe and curated that they had intended to share that day. But me admitting that to the group in Mass allowed all of them because it was really their moment, not mine, but it allowed them to be as transparent as possible. So then the ROI is there for the company, right? Because now they've learned something, they have an understanding of something and they can take that information and use it in their own business to drive revenue. And it's like, Yeah, we're all here to be cute together, but it's also a moneymaking venture. And that's what I mean about the ROI being there. Great example on not just storytelling but also finding ways to opening up or even elevating the in this case a panel that's already there to really get the most potential for not just the event but also the attendees. Adam Can you name a recent example of maybe storytelling that you implemented that caused a certain effect just as something you experienced yourself as an example? Well, sometimes, you know, I'm I'm tasked with hosting the event and then also providing entertaining interstitials, little bumpers. So and sometimes I’m the entertainment or at the end of the night, I'm doing my full on comedy quiz show, which is trivia and comedy together. But often they like those pieces. So I usually pre craft, you know, going through the agenda. And so one example I can think of is an awards gala. I get asked to host awards galas all the time and they just want to keep the energy up and not just like and the winner is, you know, like all that stuff. And so, I’d hire you. Yeah, right. And so to break things up, it's like, you know, obviously I'm always self-deprecating. It's like another award that I'm not going to win anyway. So I usually break it up with a little bit of a trivia interaction. And in those instances I'm bringing up people on stage. So in addition to the nominees and award winners, there's another opportunity to see the people in the audience in a different light. They're volunteers. They come up on stage and they do a little quiz show. So I've done that so many times and I pre craft the content so that it supports the award categories and it supports the arc of the night. And so, you know, it's kind of just all comes together without overstating it. There was one awards show that I was hosting, and this story just is really what I live for, right? So my job at this particular award show was to introduce the sponsor or the VP who was going to announce the winner of the category each time. So I bring up this one particular VP. He goes through the the nominees and he he decides to adlib and kind of do a little anecdotal story about one of the nominees. But he does it because, again to Wendee Lee’s point. You know, listen, not everybody is designed to host or emcee. They're better looking at the spreadsheets. So he had a moment where it sounded like his anecdotal story was talking about the winner and he kind of ended his thought. And so one of the nominees got up, his whole table erupted. He started walking towards the stage. Everybody else was like clapping, clapping. And he was kind of going stories and the VP, because the lights from the show didn't see this, just kind of heard the milling and said, and the winner is someone different, not that person. Right. And so the guy was like literally in front of everybody, large audience stop cold of the stage and sat down at the closest table he could have. And there was that awkward, horrible silence in the room. And the VP had really no clue because he just can't see what's going on and just announce a winner. And the winner came up. So, you know, it's kind of like not to bring up a real trigger point. For me personally, I've always loved the Oscars and the whole Chris Rock Will Smith thing was really for me a moment where I was thinking more as a performer like that moment not I'm not issuing blame on anyone. That moment stole the spotlight away from so many people's moments. Right. So that awards night, just in a corporate event, the winner of that award kind of lost their thunder a little bit. And that person who thought they won, it's just wrecked the moment. So I have to come up after that and introduce the next categories. And in my next opportunity to do a little interactive quiz show, instead of looking for volunteers, I brought the two of those people up, the winner and the guy who thought he won, right? Just to get the white elephant out of the room. And I made them work as a team to go through. I think it was dance moves. They had to go through a series of dance moves to win the prize and big, huge applause. The two of them rocked it together. They were absolutely hilarious. Not the VP, the two winners, right? The non winner and the winner and big hugs and it you know for me it was like, it obviously accolades from the planners for saving that moment but those two became stars from a moment that was ruined by random, you know, VP error. So I just I just love those moments. You got to think on your feet. What am I going to do with this? This wasn't on the agenda. Boom, boom, boom. And it, of course, brought me back the next couple of years and talk about that moment all the time in terms of it being instead of awkward. And nobody wants to talk about it. They talk about the creative outcome. It was just. Amazing. Adam, you're the man. I think that that was, wait, Chef's Kiss, right? As it did. That was a chef's kiss moment. That's exactly why you need someone who does this as a zone of genius. So I have a thought Adam, and I want to throw it out to you and tell me what you think, because I know you work as a TV host, so you deal with casting directors, right? There have been many, many times I really, really, really believe at this stage of conferences and events that event planners need to either have a casting director on staff with them or integrated with them or coaching them in the selection of who they're adding to the events. Because there's an emotional thread like there's a so there's a comedian named Amanda Seales and she has a saying. She sings it when she says it, I be knowing they like they just be knowing they just to me that is like the one ingredient that's missing. Because sometimes when I'm doing the events I'll see a disconnect and I'm like a casting director would have caught that. Like I really would have caught that emotional threat. Do you understand what I'm saying? Like. Well, I think I think at minimum, your instincts are right, because at minimum, if they're hiring a casting director to find a professional emcee or host for their gala or whatever, at least they're putting thought into it so often. It's the last thing they hire, right? Or it's an afterthought in terms of the emcee. Especially on the budget. It's like, what do we have left? I'm like, Wait, no, I'm not even kidding. It's what do we have left? I'm like, No, let me let me sit on my square. It's interesting because if you listen to what event professionals say, it's all about, you know, purpose and making sure that everything is there on purpose and everything should be cohesive. But if then the host, the one that brings everything together, is kind of an afterthought. What good is that approach then? So definitely a good one to take into account. And also, Adam, I loved your story also. It's kind of a horror story, which brings me already to the next part of the show, which is sharing a horror or a funny story. Adam, since you nailed it with this story, I think I was at a certain point, I was like frozen in my chair. I'm like, what? NO?! Did that really happen? Wendee can you maybe share a horror or a funny story that you experienced? Yeah, that was visceral. Every hair on my arms stood up like Spider-Man. I'm like, Yeah, I felt bad for that individual and I haven't even met them. Not horror, but funny and not as good as your story. There was a time when it was a sales meeting. I love sales meetings. Sales teams are great. They're in it to win it like it literally is like a plastic plaque, but they're like all in that thing. And we were doing a game show event and all of the AV went down like all of it. I think someone kicked the plug out. I don't know if a breaker broke, but like there was not nothing. So I'm standing up there on stage and I did the national tour of Mamma mia, so I know every Abba song ever. And so I took that opportunity to do a sing along with the entire room to introduce myself again and say, I know you all think I'm your host emcee. But in a former life, I was a Broadway performer, and you'll never guess which show I did before I came here to see all of you. And they're like, What? I said, Mamma mia! I said, Who loves Abba, right? So everyone was like, Everyone knows Abba. So I led them in a round of take a chance on me, you know, and I had half the room sing harmony and the other singing melody. And by the time we got to the end of the song, the AV was back up and working. So that was, that was fun. That, that is impressive that I'm I'm totally jelly that you have that in your toolkit to go to and as that you know like it's kind of like my philosophy is to go to any event even events I'm not hired to I'm prepared to hire, you know, I'm ready to host at any moment. And so I always over plan but I don't have I have to come up with other ways that I would be able to bridge that kind of a technical gap. I don't have the gift that you have. That's amazing. I would have loved to have and I would have sang horribly and out of tune. It was it was it was really fun. It was really fun. And before we knew it, like, everything was back up and running and, you know, they were cheering for themselves. And it kept it was the energy didn't get sucked out of the room. Right, because of the AV. If anything, we took it to another level and then folks are really quick to get in there win. But I love sales conference. I love sales teams because they are on ten at all times. Oh, yeah, it's intense. Right? Yes. So but I always look around and go, you brought me to you brought me here to keep the energy up. I think you're good. I think you're good. I'm just a traffic control over here because it's like one comment away from chaos, like the mom with four kids in the car, don't make me stop this car like it really is just rankling like you're wrangling people at that point. Perfect. What a resilient story. Like, for me, it's like, so, like, the top point of resilience, just in the worst case scenario, being able to look at your toolkit and say, this is what I have in store, and this will actually turn the whole experience around instead of people booing. I don't see anything. They were actually cheering with you. And I think. Wendee That's a great example. Adam, you got to share a very elaborate horror story. Do you maybe also have some funny stories for us to share? Well, you know, usually the ones that stand out are the the awkward moments that just become kind of those, you know, like everybody has the the the nightmare of getting up in front of an audience and their fly’s undone. Right. And so I, I just never knock on wood, never happen to be personally. But I actually saw one executive to give full credit to executives. I mean, we've been I've been at least, you know, smack talking executive don't let them emcee or whatever. There was one I was on tour domestically across Canada and in a couple of cities in North America and the states for a tech company. And it was the same group of exects that we're doing. And I guess they just get you know, you're doing the same cookie cutter keynote. Every city we go to. And for whatever reason, he just let his guard down and had gone to the bathroom just before and came on stage. And, you know, I also do corporate communication and leadership training. So I kind of was observing the moment because it was serious content and he was on stage in front of a large audience and this fly was undone. And obviously the people at the close part of the stage could see that that was the case. And eventually someone got so uncomfortable that they just stood up. And oh, the caveat is, as emcee, I would genuinely and usually be the one to take that into control. But I had stepped away and come back because I had I had become complacent, too. I had introduced him. We'd been working together for six or seven cities. He was off and running. I went and got a coffee. I came back. When I came back, you know, the room and the AV table was abuzz and they're like, What do we do, what do we do. And I was like, First of all, guys, you know what to do. Trust your instincts. They just nobody wants to go near him because they think, if I go in here, my fly will be undone like it stinks. Get up there and help the guy. So as a tech guy, you bring down the mic and then you walk up there with another mic lav pack and you pretend that a mic was broken. And then he leans down and like, I was like schooling a seasoned AV team and I said, Give me the pack, give me the pack. And by that, by the time I was going to do that as the emcee, someone stood up in the crowd and said, You know, your fly's undone to him or whatever. I couldn't hear because it's a big auditorium and the executive actually did the best, close to the best thing he could do. He simply turned around for a second. He goes, Oh, great zipped it up and then continued, Right. So I look at that as a leadership moment and I go, He's trying to impart important information. The AV team let him down. I wasn't there. I felt bad. I was about to get up there. First of all, you know, this Wendee, like half the room, couldn't see it because they're not looking for it. And probably didn't even notice. It's only the front people, so you don't even have to acknowledge it. It's like live radio. Don't ever acknowledge a problem. Who knows who heard it, right? And so he did almost he just should've zipped up. But he should have for the people that were on board, he should have rewound, rewound the content and started really quickly from the beginning to get his key messages out again. So I just I look at those moments. It's it's a funny, awkward story, again, as a host emcee, but a learning moment for me to never let my guard down and always be there for the people introducing and not disappear and then have a conversation about that with the other supporters. But I think, you know, I wanted to bring that story in because we were trash talking the the VP's and the accountant's for hosting and emcee, and he did a reasonably good job with it. So I was impressed. That's embarrassing, right? It is. Bless your heart. Wardrobe malfunction, I think is is right up there with like drowning is the worst fear ever live. Yeah, it's pretty bad. Absolutely. In that sense applies to the executive in this case for doing a good job. They don't do it very often, but in this case they actually did it. Love it. Yeah, I think we spoke a lot about your experience. Also, you're funny in horror stories. If you look at events in general and especially event professionals, if there was one thing you could tell an event professional right now that is like the most important thing for event professionals, I'm curious what it would be. Adam maybe you can start this one off. For event professionals, not exclusively host emcees or host emcees. Maybe both actually, but also for event professionals in general. Speaking from a host emcee perspective. Well, I think it's the theme that we've been kind of dancing around and revisiting. And I think that there's it should start with hiring a pro host. It's really it makes the most sense. You know, you don't have to spend you don't have to blow your budget on it. And what that gives you is an opportunity to have pre planning meetings to to work out the agenda. So often I land at events where I've been hired after the fact and there's been no pre thought into production or a creative strategy and I'm fine with it. I get on site and I'm like, No, this needs to go here. The podium can't go there. You're blocking the whole screen and the the projector is going to be going straight into there, you know, all sorts of little stuff like that. A pro emcee thinks about the whole picture and event planners like that because they've got a lot on their plate. Event profs have got like, you know, the banquet chief, the, you know, the banquet sort of the banquet organizer, everything like that. They've got many things going. If you have a host emcee, I basically become their production assistant as well as the face of the event. And nobody else thinks that like most people, if they're like internal or they're exclusively, you know, an entertainer, they don't think like a host. So as a planner, as an event prof you you should: A. bake in a host, think like a host in terms of who you would hire and find the right person. And the last thing I'll say about that is because I was listening to Wendee Lee's story about, you know, really identifying with living moments. And so you have to be careful, you know, that you have a host that they're not going to necessarily represent and reflect every living equity deserving voice in every community that attending your event. But you have to have somebody that is a natural empath. You can't have like a lot of people. That's why a lot of people are hesitant about hiring a stand up comic and I have to sell them on. It's like I'm a host first, I'm a comic second. I'm not going to go to places. And you really need to host that is compassionate understands the moment and if they can't identify with every living moment or living living experience, they are good listeners and sorry I'm talking I'm not even demonstrating my listening. I agree with you. I think you're 100% right. And if they can't do that, then again, I don't think this is going to make me very many friends, but it's how I truly feel. Then they either need to hire someone like you or me to coach the people that they are putting forward to do this. I would love to work for Salesforce. Salesforce doesn't need me. Everyone at Salesforce has efficacy on camera. Everyone that I've seen has a base level. There should be a baseline. You would never hire someone in IT that didn't have a baseline of experience to do that job and the same should be true. If someone is out there representing your company internally or externally, they should have a level of efficacy on camera. They need to know how to connect, be captivating and and compassionate on camera. So don't just teach them how to turn on the zoom, teach them how to turn on the room through the zoom. So if you're not going to hire us to be your host emcee, then hire us to coach the people that you are having. Do this because it makes your company stronger, it makes your communication strategy stronger. And the ROI is there. You don't have nearly as many people complaining. This could have been an email, it could have been an email because the people that are tasked with delivering this important information, which I'm sure they're gangbusters at, I'm sure that that is their zone of genius, haven’t been given the most important tool, which is how to impart it in a way that's captivating, that makes people feel connected. So is it to my mind, it's got to be one or the other. It can't just be us or nothing. We're going to we're going to Superman it and hope for the best that that's a ridiculous strategy to me and it needs to be something company wide. Decide who these people are going to be and it could be on a rolling basis. You know, we're going to do the C-suite, you know, from this day to that date, and then we're going to middle management. Anyone that's in front of the camera needs to have efficacy in front of the camera. Yeah. And production elements. And listen I occasionally do full standup sets and so now I'm moving forward when I conclude a 45 to 60 minute straight standup set, that's going to be my closing line. This could have been an email. You know, I don't I don't believe in zoom fatigue. I think Zoom fatigue is just, you know, that that and I'm not talking about the zooms that really, truly could have been an email to me. Zoom fatigue is I'm not giving giving people the tools to really connect in. And in this new era and this this expanded era of virtual meetings and virtual conversations. So give you're giving your your teams all these other tools. Give them one of the tools that I believe is the most important. And that's this one. I think there's a lot of lessons here that even professionals should really take to heart if they at least want to elevate their experience to a point where no one ever will experience zoom fatigue ever again. Adam, Wendee, I thank you so much for your time today. It really was a pleasure having you and having that perspective of an M.C. and a host brought to the event industry and to the listeners today. Is there anything you would like to say as a thank you to our listeners as a close up? Adam Well, I do want to say thanks to all the hard work that eventprofs do. I know, you know, there's always a joke that there are the most stressed people right after dentists and or whatever, but they're there. It's a hard working profession. And this past couple of years I've been able to make it work online and perform online. But for certain organizers, you know, they were eliminated from that option. It wasn't really an option. So the resilience of the people and the companies that just stuck by their their chosen career and, you know, stuck it out and are back at it and are really, you know, thirsty and hungry to create great events. I salute the ones that really stuck with it and it must have been very difficult. So I'm very appreciative to work with people, live in person and online who didn't have the opportunity to do what I did. I couldn't agree more. It's the events are a high impact, high touch calling. I appreciate so much their talent and I want you all to continue to lean into the genius that you have. The impact that you have is longstanding. I know sometimes that can get lost in the hustle and bustle of what it is that you do. But one of the things that I love most about what it is that I do is I never leave an event not having learned many new things. And so I just I just want to encourage you to keep innovating and keep strong together and know that what you're doing is much bigger than you may ever. It's more than an event. You're changing hearts, changing minds, and you're changing lives. And so I salute you again. Y’all were going through it during the pandemic, but I believe in you keep keep keep pushing the envelope and keep innovating. It's in you. And we're here to celebrate you. And we appreciate you. So thank you. What an amazing kind and inspirational words. I think a lot of event professionals can take that to heart and end this episode with a big, big smile and a happy heart. So thank you so much again for being here, sharing your experiences for our listeners. I'm looking forward to seeing you or actually have you as a listener on our next episode. It will be released in two weeks on a Wednesday. Looking forward to catching you there. And for now I hope you have a pleasant day.
