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Now Everyone Can Emcee!: A Practical Guide to Confident Stage Emceeing at Workplace Events

In many organisations, the role of hosting an event—whether it’s a department meeting, awards ceremony, or client gathering—often falls on someone who may not feel entirely at ease in front of a crowd. Yet, a skilled host or emcee can set the tone, energise the audience, and keep the event running seamlessly.

"Now Everyone Can Emcee!" is an interactive, skills-based workshop designed to help professionals step into the spotlight with assurance and authenticity. Drawing from the proven methods in The Stage Fright Antidote, this training gives participants the confidence, technical skills, and adaptability to handle both structured programmes and on-the-fly moments. From shaping an engaging script to mastering microphone handling, you’ll learn practical tools to connect with audiences, manage flow, and project a professional stage presence.

Objective

By the end of the session, you’ll be ready to host with poise, personality, and purpose—no matter the occasion.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

• Identify personal triggers of stage fright and learn how to manage them.
• Structure presentations using simple, effective framework for clarity and flow.
• Use voice & stage presence to deliver with confidence and influence.

Outline

Module 1 – Stepping Into the Spotlight

• Identifying and overcoming common hosting anxieties

Module 2 – The Host’s Playbook

• Defining the emcee’s role versus speaker or entertainer
• Event types and styles
• The A-B-C principle: Acknowledge, Bridge, Connect

Module 3 – Scripting for Flow and Impact

• Building your emcee roadmap: openings, housekeeping, transitions, introductions, and closings
• Creating smooth linkages and timing cues
• Delivering with natural energy—even when reading from a script

Module 4 – Voice and Presence Mastery

• Pre-event vocal warm-ups and breathing for projection
• Confident body language, purposeful movement, and stage positioning
• Microphone handling techniques for different setups

Module 5 – Staying Cool Under Pressure

• Responding to technical issues, late arrivals, and programme gaps
• Maintaining audience engagement during unforeseen delays
• Using improvisation strategies to sound polished in any situation

Module 6 – The Hosting Showcase

• Participants emcee portions of a simulated company event
• Peer and trainer feedback for refinement
• Personalised action plan for future hosting opportunities

Who should attend

Professionals, team leaders and supervisors, and anyone; wanting to learn the art of event hosting, while enhancing public speaking skills and visibility at the workplace.

Methodology

Programmes are anchored in the A.C.T. Methodology — Action-based learning, Creativity, and Theatre Improvisation techniques. Participants spend 70%–80% of the session in hands-on activities, blending theory, skill practice, experience-sharing, and reflection. This dynamic approach ensures that learning is practical, memorable, and immediately applicable. The result: meaningful transformation in both work and life—boosting confidence, collaboration, and performance.

Profile of Hazriq Idrus

• Creative Leadership & Conversations Strategist
• Author, ‘The Stage Fright Antidote!’, ‘Creative Leadership’ + co-author of 10 other books

Hazriq Idrus is a dynamic professional speaker, author, and stage actor who helps leaders and teams unlock their creative potential, sharpen their communication skills, and lead with confidence. Known for blending the art of theatre with the science of leadership, Hazriq transforms the way people connect, collaborate, and create results.

The author of The Stage Fright Antidote! and Creative Leadership — and co-author of 10 other books—Hazriq has inspired over 10,000 professionals across industries since 2005. His engaging keynotes and workshops have impacted audiences at leading organisations including BMW, Petronas, StarHub, and numerous government agencies.

Armed with a Bachelor’s degree in Communications & Media Management from the University of South Australia, Hazriq’s career journey spans customer service, project management, and people development. His signature approach weaves in techniques from acting and improvisation, creating training experiences that are highly interactive, practical, and immediately applicable.

A familiar face and voice in regional media such as Mediacorp Suria, The Straits Times, Radio 938Live, and The Brunei Times, Hazriq also nurtures the next generation of innovators as an Associate Lecturer in a polytechnic in Singapore, teaching courses on creativity, innovation, and design thinking. His ongoing involvement in theatre keeps his creative edge sharp—ensuring every audience he works with leaves energised, inspired, and ready to take action.


ACCREDITATIONS:

• BA Communications and Media Management, University of South Australia
• Advanced Certificate in Training and Assessment (ACTA) certification, WDA
• Certified Enterprise Design Thinking Practitioner, IBM, USA
• Certified Practitioner of Human-Centric Design, LUMA Institute
• Certified Agile Professional, ICAgile, USA
• Certified Agile Leadership Essentials, Scrum Alliance, USA
• Certified Agile Leadership Teams, Scrum Alliance, USA
• Certified DiSC Behavioural Consultant, Institute of Motivational Living, USA
• Certificate of Educational Studies (Public Speaking), College of Teachers, UK
• Certified Service Provider (CSP), Workforce Devt Agency (WDA)
• Certificate in Creative Leadership, Cannes Lions

TESTIMONIALS

“Hazriq has changed my perspective in creative thinking and leadership. When I first attended his 30-minute talk …he made us curious on how we can incorporate creativity in a rigid work sector such as educational management and technology. He asked us to pair up and showed us a simple yet effective technique to be creative in making decisions. (Surprised) at how easy it is to apply creativity in our work. Since then, I teach my course mates and colleagues the same technique so our meetings will be much more efficient. It took Hazriq only 30 minutes to make positive changes to his audiences.”
~ Diyana Tojiman | MA Candidate | Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM)

“Hazriq Idrus is a great, competent and entertaining speaker. He provided an outstanding presentation at a Kaplan Singapore - University of Essex symposium earlier this year. I highly recommend Hazriq.”
~ Dr Jurgen Rudolph | Head of Research, Senior Lecturer | Kaplan Higher Education, Singapore

“As MC / Event Host at a recent Singapore conference with approximately 220 academics and working professionals, Hazriq Idrus was third speaker on our five speaker event agenda. Having watched him in rehearsals weeks before, Hazriq had a wonderful presence as a speaker who easily engaged the audience with his 'Language of Creativity' message. His timing was spot on with this TEDx style presentation which helped me as MC keep our event on track. I highly recommend Hazriq to help listeners use creativity to live happier lives and something he can speak about if you engage him to speak at your future events.”
~ Rob Salisbury | Event MC | Strategic Resources, Australia