Arriving at a new venue to be an MC (master of ceremonies) or Toastmaster of the Day or Evening is a challenge, especially when faced with a lot of strange names.
What can you do?
1 Name Badges For All
Ask for all the visitors and members and organizers to wear badges. Make sue the names are large enough to see. I have been known to invest a pound or dollar or two in a roll of address labels and a broad tip felt tip pen.
2 Your Own name Badge
Wear your own name badge. Send a picture of yourself with your name badge so that everyone gets the idea that if they don't wear theirs they will be upstaged by you.
3 VIP name Badges
Ask appointment holders to wear their own name badges.
Ask the organizer to print name badges, with the organization's logo - much smarter than hand written.
4 Writing Badges In Advance
Failing all else, to save time at the meeting, write the names in advance on your roll of address labels. Writing out the names and checking the spelling will help you remember them.
5 Pronunciation
Say the names aloud. If you are not sure of the pronunciation, email and ask.
Prepare A Jolly Opening
An alliterative opening can be planned in advance for the day of the week.
Super Saturday
Special Sunday
Marvellous Monday
Terrific Tuesday
Wonderful Wednesday
Thoughtful Thursday
Fantastic Friday
Alliterative Introductions
Start with a Warm Welcome to everybody.
Plan some alliterative introductions. If you can make them fit the personalities, so much the better. Some of them will fit. If they are totally opposite, this can create humour.
Ask for three words to describe each person, their country, profession, hobby.
You can ask if the speaker likes or dislikes something.
"Cathy - do you like cooking?"
You then, according to her answer, continue, "Cathy, who loves cooking / Cathy who hates cooking ..."
Amusing, Angelic Angela. Alex. Alluring Alicia.
Brilliant Brian begins the evening. Bea (pronounced be or bee) whose motto is, 'Be prepared!'.
Conscientious Catherine. Cath the cook.
Charming Chan.
Debonair David is dashing on stage. Dynamic.
Efficient Elizabeth. Earnest who never ers.
Funny Fiona. Frank in Finance. (First / Finally ..) Fast but never furious.
Gorgeous Gertrude. Genial Gina.
Happy Harriet. Handsome Harry. Help me welcome ..
Idealistic Irene. Innovative Ingrid.
Jolly Jennifer. Jovial John.
Kate the Clever one.
Lovely Linda. Lawrence the Life Coach. Last but not least. Lionel the listener.
Marvellous Michael. Mary/ Maria, the mother of five.
Nora is next.
Omniscient Oliver.
Pretty Penny. Peter the plumber. Please applaud Penny.
Philip the father of Three.
Queenie, the quick one.
Reliable Richard. Rich Richard.
Successful Susan, our Secretary. (Starting with Stephen.)
Tall Thomas. Tiny Thomas. Tim our Treasurer, and timekeeper is on time.
Theo, who we must thank. Thoughtful Theo.
Ursula ... says to err is human, but to Ursula is divine.
Valuable Valerie. Victor the VIP. Visionary
Wonderful William, Welcome to Wendy. Worthy Wong.
Xanthe the zoo keeper.
Yvonne, who believes we can achieve.
Zoe - Glowing Zoe, who likes visiting zoos / hates zoos, will tell us the A to Zed (UK) /A to Zee (USA) of ....
You can create humour by contradicting what you said about them.
For example:
Queenie the Quick is making her way slowly towards the stage.
Make your own desk nameplate.
You can make a triangular Toblerone shape from a folded piece of blank A4 paper. Folded it twice or more to get the desired shape and thickness. It should stand on its own.
Alternatively, you can stick it together with Sellotape (UK brand of sticky tape) or Blutac. Or look for a paperclip, stapler, or elastic band. Look around to see what is spare or can be borrowed for the duration of the meeting and then returned.
Write your name or position in black felt tip pen.
Carry a washable felt tip pen for writing on white boards and on flipcharts and making your own badge to wear, or desktop name plate.
Or make a three-
Useful website
https://www.rhymer.com/eve.html
Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, workshop leader.
What can you do?
Ask for all the visitors and members and organizers to wear badges. Make sue the names are large enough to see. I have been known to invest a pound or dollar or two in a roll of address labels and a broad tip felt tip pen.
2 Your Own name Badge
Wear your own name badge. Send a picture of yourself with your name badge so that everyone gets the idea that if they don't wear theirs they will be upstaged by you.
3 VIP name Badges
Ask appointment holders to wear their own name badges.
Ask the organizer to print name badges, with the organization's logo - much smarter than hand written.
4 Writing Badges In Advance
Failing all else, to save time at the meeting, write the names in advance on your roll of address labels. Writing out the names and checking the spelling will help you remember them.
5 Pronunciation
Say the names aloud. If you are not sure of the pronunciation, email and ask.
Prepare A Jolly Opening
An alliterative opening can be planned in advance for the day of the week.
Super Saturday
Special Sunday
Marvellous Monday
Terrific Tuesday
Wonderful Wednesday
Thoughtful Thursday
Fantastic Friday
Alliterative Introductions
Start with a Warm Welcome to everybody.
Plan some alliterative introductions. If you can make them fit the personalities, so much the better. Some of them will fit. If they are totally opposite, this can create humour.
Ask for three words to describe each person, their country, profession, hobby.
You can ask if the speaker likes or dislikes something.
"Cathy - do you like cooking?"
You then, according to her answer, continue, "Cathy, who loves cooking / Cathy who hates cooking ..."
Amusing, Angelic Angela. Alex. Alluring Alicia.
Brilliant Brian begins the evening. Bea (pronounced be or bee) whose motto is, 'Be prepared!'.
Conscientious Catherine. Cath the cook.
Charming Chan.
Debonair David is dashing on stage. Dynamic.
Efficient Elizabeth. Earnest who never ers.
Funny Fiona. Frank in Finance. (First / Finally ..) Fast but never furious.
Gorgeous Gertrude. Genial Gina.
Happy Harriet. Handsome Harry. Help me welcome ..
Idealistic Irene. Innovative Ingrid.
Jolly Jennifer. Jovial John.
Kate the Clever one.
Lovely Linda. Lawrence the Life Coach. Last but not least. Lionel the listener.
Marvellous Michael. Mary/ Maria, the mother of five.
Nora is next.
Omniscient Oliver.
Pretty Penny. Peter the plumber. Please applaud Penny.
Philip the father of Three.
Queenie, the quick one.
Reliable Richard. Rich Richard.
Successful Susan, our Secretary. (Starting with Stephen.)
Tall Thomas. Tiny Thomas. Tim our Treasurer, and timekeeper is on time.
Theo, who we must thank. Thoughtful Theo.
Ursula ... says to err is human, but to Ursula is divine.
Valuable Valerie. Victor the VIP. Visionary
Wonderful William, Welcome to Wendy. Worthy Wong.
Xanthe the zoo keeper.
Yvonne, who believes we can achieve.
Zoe - Glowing Zoe, who likes visiting zoos / hates zoos, will tell us the A to Zed (UK) /A to Zee (USA) of ....
You can create humour by contradicting what you said about them.
For example:
Queenie the Quick is making her way slowly towards the stage.
Make your own desk nameplate.
You can make a triangular Toblerone shape from a folded piece of blank A4 paper. Folded it twice or more to get the desired shape and thickness. It should stand on its own.
Alternatively, you can stick it together with Sellotape (UK brand of sticky tape) or Blutac. Or look for a paperclip, stapler, or elastic band. Look around to see what is spare or can be borrowed for the duration of the meeting and then returned.
Write your name or position in black felt tip pen.
Carry a washable felt tip pen for writing on white boards and on flipcharts and making your own badge to wear, or desktop name plate.
Or make a three-
Here I am displaying my badge.
sided name card from three business cards.Useful website
https://www.rhymer.com/eve.html
Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, workshop leader.
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