Behind The Mic With Amar Prabhu
Amar Prabhu, a seasoned and multilingual master of ceremonies, shares his inspiring journey from overcoming academic setbacks to becoming a prominent figure in the event-hosting industry. Prabhu navigated a diverse career path, including a brief stint at Goldman Sachs. From hosting local events to managing fiascos at major concerts, Prabhu's journey is marked by resilience and a passion for connecting with people. As he reflects on memorable moments and strategies for audience engagement, he provides valuable insights for aspiring emcees in the dynamic world of event hosting.
Excerpts:
Could you share with us how your journey as an emcee began and what inspired you to pursue this career path?
What inspired me was that I failed my 10th standard board exam. My mom was a teacher in the same school, it was embarrassing. I had 33 days to go for my supplementary exam and I saw an interview with Graeme Smith, the former South African cricket team captain. He said that when he was in 10th or 11th, he had put up on his refrigerator on a piece of paper, that he needed to become the captain of the South African cricket team when he grew up.
In my mind I thought, I need to buy a Hayabusa, I need to buy a luxury car, I need to build a big house, but how do I get there? I’ll become a Radio Jockey.
When I finished my degree, I got placed in Goldman Sachs where I worked for 29 days. On the 30th day, as soon as my salary got credited, I stood up and then I walked out.
In my college days, I was the college president, I would host shows, college fest and more. I was a regular at a place called ‘Sports Bar’ and the manager there became a very close friend of mine. He knew that I had a thing for the mic, and every Saturday, there used to be a gala night for all the guests. I hosted that and there were some free giveaways, free beers and more. On that particular night, there was an event manager from a very big event company called ‘Phase One’, and he was looking for an emcee the next day. That was the start and it never ended.
What were some of the initial challenges you faced when you started hosting events, and how did you overcome them?
To be honest, I wouldn't call them challenges because I love this profession so much and this was my one-way channel, one-way route. So, I took everything that came my way passionately. If I had to say one thing, it was birthday parties, which I didn't enjoy much.
I had the most challenging show of my career when I hosted a Vishal-Shekhar concert in Bangalore. This was a goof up from the event agency, they had some issues with the artist and maybe the payment had not gone through. The production was set, the audience was there and I was hosting, but Vishal and Shekhar did not turn up. I was supposed to start at 5 PM and they were supposed to come in at 6 PM, six became seven, that became eight, then nine. Meanwhile, the crowd was going crazy, throwing things and I was still holding the stage. Then suddenly the artists’ manager reached out to me and told me about an issue with the event agency, he said that they wanted to avoid a PR issue and that Vishal-Shekhar wanted to take the stage. I had to make certain announcements to cover up the entire fiasco. They finally they took the stage at around 09:45 PM and we had to close by 11 PM.
Holding the crowd for those four hours was very challenging. All my expertise and experience came into play. Even though we knew what was happening at the back end, I never let the audience know.
With experience hosting various types of events, which ones do you find the most challenging, and how do you adapt your style accordingly?
Corporate events are a cakewalk because they're pretty much the same. Commercial events and concerts are quite fun, the energy is already high and you don't need to work much.
A challenging experience was when I got to host Dr APJ Abdul Kalam in front of an audience of 35,000 people. The issue was not the crowd, it was how was I going to interact with him. What would I even say to this gentleman? I was a little nervous and I was trying to get the script in my head. There’s a lot of protocol for a government event like this, for instance, you cannot talk to him until he talks to you, or you cannot shake his hand until he shakes your hand.
That was a nervous moment, but kudos to the gentleman, he came to me and he spoke to me in the sweetest way. We did the three-hour show and then he leaned in and spoke to me in Tamil, he said, “I like your ear stud, where did you get it from?” That shattered the image of him being unapproachable.
Can you highlight some memorable events or moments in your career that have left a lasting impression on you?
I do a lot of travel shows for automobile brands like MG, Renault, Hyundai and more. These are drives that happen across long distances over a week or so’s time. I have great memories of these kinds of events because I got to be a part of the entire travel. Every car is equipped with a ham radio, so, I get to interact with every car. I play games, I have my typical emcee things going on through a WhatsApp group chat.
It usually goes like this, we cover 200-300 km a day, I host the show through the hams and then we reach a beautiful destination every single day. We cover about 300 km, then we stay in a beautiful property where we do evening engagements. Through this, I have seen the most amazing places all across India.
What techniques or strategies do you employ to effectively engage diverse audiences during different types of events?
One advantage I have is that I'm multilingual, so it becomes easier. I have a script that I have in mind for the first 15 minutes and after that, it's a free flow because it goes according to the audience. In the first 15 minutes, I have a proper set, that is the way I introduce myself. I do a very big energiser, warm-up session for everybody. Then I say, all right, let's get started for the day. Then I say, to be a part of your show, for your celebration, we have a cool RJ in town. I want everyone to put their hands together for RJ A-M-A-R and I point towards the back of the audience and everybody looks back and they're waiting for RJ Amar to come. That’s when I go like, “Hi”.
I find that to be a great icebreaker. Then I ask people where they're from. I try to interact with them in their mother tongues and then I say, it doesn't matter, right here under one single roof, we are a family together and let's have fun.
Sometimes clients say they need a quick start, I tell them, I need these 15 minutes to get my audience. After that, it's a cakewalk. They will listen to everything and respond to all my jokes. They'll be interactive and participate in all the games.
How do you stay updated with the latest trends and changes in the events industry and how does this influence your approach to hosting events?
I'm not a social media guy. In fact, I was on a sabbatical for five years without being on social media. My New Year's resolution was to get into social media to get myself out there. Despite this, when it comes to content, current affairs, games and technology to be used on stage, I have been on par, especially during the pandemic.
I learned a lot and I need to give this credit to my clients, especially Microsoft. They had a lot of things planned during that part of the year, but because of the pandemic, they could not do live events. They approached me and they pushed me to do a virtual event. I was probably one of the first few guys who started the virtual event hosting. They gave me the idea and using the technology, I did my research.
I'm not prepared for everything, but when the occasion calls for it, I do my research and I get there. During the pandemic, I did around 200 events virtually, much more than what I would have done on a live platform.
What advice would you give to aspiring emcees who are looking to establish themselves in the events industry?
Very simple, stick to basics. There is no rocket science to be a good emcee, be a people person. First, listen and then talk. Listen 80 per cent, 10 per cent probe your client or your audience and deliver 10 per cent.
Your voice is your asset, take care of it. Simply have hot water before and after the show. You don't have to go to fancy classes about voice notes and voice pitches, listen to some good music, watch good movies and try to articulate some good artists. That is more than enough. Have your natural raw tone and voice and language. Fumble, reiterate, it's absolutely fine. It's raw, nobody's going to be bothered.
Have your original accent, talk slowly and give pauses. Do your basic research about the company you’re hosting for and have games and props in place. Have backups in place, and never let any dull moment put you down. If a joke did not work out the way you wanted it to, it's okay, go to the next one. Never let the audience know that something did not go according to plan.
