Last week I had the pleasure not of running but working as the Master of Ceremonies at a public event - the 7th Accra International Marathon. The race itself, stretching from Prampram to La, involved children and adults from all over the world running various distances: 5km, 10km, half-marathon and full marathon.
You’re probably wondering, what does an MC have to do with this? All runners ended up at Labadi Beach Hotel and took part in a public event at a specially designed Fun and Fitness Park. And that’s where I came in.
The event was held in an open grassy area with the canopies and stalls set up in horseshoe fashion. There were awards presented to individuals and teams. The entertainment on offer was varied: massage services; bouncy castles; bull rides; trampolines; face painting; acrobatic displays; free photograph sessions; free dancing lessons, traditional drumming, dancing and singing.
It was an event that was challenging to host because of the many activities that were taking place simultaneously. In case you're invited one day to MC a similar public event, here's how to do it the easy way.
1. Get there early.
This is the cardinal rule for all events – don’t be late. Distance races normally begin early in the morning in order to protect runners from the effects of heat and humidity. Aim to get to the finish line before well before the first runners breast the tape. You will be able to meet all the people you'll be working with to make the event a success: the DJ, race volunteers, venue staff, and representatives of the organizer. You will also get to test the microphone.
A large part of your success at any event consists of turning up ahead of time. When you are early, you put yourself in a good position to handle the event well.
2. Get organized
The scene at the finish line of a major public event like a marathon can be quite chaotic.
Picture this.
The event was held in an open grassy area with the canopies and stalls set up in horseshoe fashion. There were awards presented to individuals and teams. The entertainment on offer was varied: massage services; bouncy castles; bull rides; trampolines; face painting; acrobatic displays; free photograph sessions; free dancing lessons, traditional drumming, dancing and singing.
It was an event that was challenging to host because of the many activities that were taking place simultaneously. In case you're invited one day to MC a similar public event, here's how to do it the easy way.
1. Get there early.
This is the cardinal rule for all events – don’t be late. Distance races normally begin early in the morning in order to protect runners from the effects of heat and humidity. Aim to get to the finish line before well before the first runners breast the tape. You will be able to meet all the people you'll be working with to make the event a success: the DJ, race volunteers, venue staff, and representatives of the organizer. You will also get to test the microphone.
A large part of your success at any event consists of turning up ahead of time. When you are early, you put yourself in a good position to handle the event well.
2. Get organized
The scene at the finish line of a major public event like a marathon can be quite chaotic.
Picture this.
Exhausted runners sprawled on the lawn; hawkers handing out fresh coconuts to grateful hands; Azonto music blaring from the DJ's sound system; children running around with multicoloured patterns adorning their faces; hundreds of happy people milling about eating, chatting, laughing and generally having a good time.
If you don't have a structured program to impose order on the event, quite a few people are going to start wondering what is going on. Worse still, some may just leave early.
Remember that at the end of the race, runners will want to receive their prizes and everyone else who didn't run will want to know what kind of entertainment there is. Draw up a program that will inform the public about the awards ceremony and various attractions.
3. Get talking
There is more than one audience at the finish line of a public race - family and friends of runners and the sponsors whose resources helped to pay for the event. Your aim is to connect with as many of these groups as possible.
As the runners cross the finish line, you can interview some of them (after they have caught their breath of course!). Is this your first distance run? Why did you take part? How did you train? These are questions a curious onlooker would want answers to and they sometimes provide an interesting back story. Like the judge from California who ran the full marathon with a man he had once sentenced. Why? To raise money for a charity dedicated to rehabilitating former delinquents.
If you don't have a structured program to impose order on the event, quite a few people are going to start wondering what is going on. Worse still, some may just leave early.
Remember that at the end of the race, runners will want to receive their prizes and everyone else who didn't run will want to know what kind of entertainment there is. Draw up a program that will inform the public about the awards ceremony and various attractions.
3. Get talking
There is more than one audience at the finish line of a public race - family and friends of runners and the sponsors whose resources helped to pay for the event. Your aim is to connect with as many of these groups as possible.
As the runners cross the finish line, you can interview some of them (after they have caught their breath of course!). Is this your first distance run? Why did you take part? How did you train? These are questions a curious onlooker would want answers to and they sometimes provide an interesting back story. Like the judge from California who ran the full marathon with a man he had once sentenced. Why? To raise money for a charity dedicated to rehabilitating former delinquents.
Another unusual story involved a couple who met while running an earlier edition of the race, fell in love and got married. You will only get great stories if you get in amongst the crowd and speak to as many people as you can. Remember to also interview sponsor representatives so they can toot the horn of their organization and give it some positive publicity.
4. Get involved
There's no rule which says you can't do a professional job in a fun way. What better way to advertise the face painting than for the MC to get his face painted and then point people to the stall? Try the rides and sample the food so you can talk from experience about the experience. Audiences tend to take a cue from the MC so if you want them to have fun, show them how it's done!
4. Get involved
There's no rule which says you can't do a professional job in a fun way. What better way to advertise the face painting than for the MC to get his face painted and then point people to the stall? Try the rides and sample the food so you can talk from experience about the experience. Audiences tend to take a cue from the MC so if you want them to have fun, show them how it's done!
Remember the key points - Get there early, get organized, get talking and get involved. That’s how to MC a public event the easy way.
You can do it can’t you?
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