Emcees Double Up As Crisis Managers; Adapt & Improvise: Hardik Vaidya

As part of our exclusive ongoing interview series, Hardik Vaidya, a Mumbai-based, award-winning anchor, presenter and moderator sheds light on imperative suggestions including being honest to oneself as well as being a great listener – just a few, from the very many other interesting anecdotes, as part of his myriad roles. Vaidya possesses an educational background in engineering.

In addition to his role of emceeing, Vaidya is also a seasoned voice-over artist and podcaster. In this capacity, he has lent his voice to multiple Netflix and Amazon Prime Shows, theatrical Bollywood releases, corporate videos and more. He is the host of the popular podcast Jamsters, which streams globally on all podcast streaming platforms.

Edited excerpts:

In your opinion, what qualities are essential for a successful anchor or emcee?

Along with being someone who is good and comfortable to work with, I understand that there are quite a few significant qualities, highlighting a few:

Constantly upgrading yourself: In the increasingly competitive landscape of this industry, being a learning machine helps. I had the opportunity to interview the 26th Prime Minister of Australia, Hon. Kevin Rudd. He is a global authority on the US-China Trade War. That is something which I had no knowledge about. But, for three days, I read everything that I could about him - the topic, his interviews etc - to engage in a conversation with him. That experience was an incredible learning curve.

Caring about the details: The magic is in the details – I was hosting the Indo-American Corporate Excellence Awards and I remember spending a significant time researching the marquee leaders/brands who were being awarded that night. Post the event, quite a few leaders, came up and appreciated the research that went into scripting the event. 

In a business where the final output is often celebrated, it was particularly encouraging to be appreciated for the work that happens behind the scenes.

Comfortable with ambiguity and chaos: I’ve hosted multiple press conferences for movie/web series and launches. There have been many occasions where the script was altered right before the event, due to various reasons – an actor didn’t turn up, the producer wanted something changed in the order, the team was running late or they wanted to do a last-minute reveal. Being able to absorb the changes and be cool, is crucial.

Great at listening: We are in the business of communication and a critical component of that is listening. It will sound trite and overdone, but good and attentive listening really helps in numerous ways.

How do you prepare for different types of events, such as corporate conferences, product launches or weddings?

A lot of it is now become muscle memory. But, it absolutely did not start that way. 

A good starting point is always to assess the objective of the event.

Corporate events have a well-defined objective. Sometimes the need is to become the voice of the brand at a product launch, sometimes it is celebrating excellence by giving awards, sometimes it is to inspire audiences at a sales meet, sometimes to entertain at a gala night and more. Weddings are all about creating happy and epic memories that last a lifetime. They are about understanding the delicacy of relationships, ceremonies and dynamics between family members.

Deciphering the need of the hour is the key to one’s delivery. Hence, know your objective, know your audience, and know your output.

You are an anchor, voice-over artist and podcaster. How do you juggle these roles, in a balanced manner?

I honestly, do not see it as juggling between different roles. To me, they seamlessly fit into each other like a jigsaw puzzle and represent an extension of who I am. I’m extremely grateful I get to do this.

On some days, it is about hosting a large Government summit for FICCI, on other days hosting a content & creativity festival such as IFP, on other days it's dubbing for films, doing corporate voice overs and on others, interviewing someone on the podcast - the spread is interesting and constantly keeps me on my toes. It gets down to scheduling and preparing properly. I rely on a classic diary to keep track of things. I’m learning to transition to a Google calendar.

Over time, I’ve learned to compartmentalise my days, projects, and priorities better. I’m rearing to do a lot more.

What upcoming trends do you see in the event-hosting industry and how do you plan on adapting to them?

I moderated a startup panel discussion at an awards evening with a robot, that relayed the presence of a business leader sitting in Dubai, through its screen. Tech is only going to increasingly be a greater enabler in creating more immersive and seamless experiences for audiences; emcees need to get comfortable with it.

The basics however remain the same - to constantly look to add value to any event you host. For instance, at the opening ceremony of the World Youth Chess Championship that happened in Mumbai, I practiced with the troupe of dancers and shook a leg on stage to enhance the vibe of the evening. Being a dancer helps.

Do you have any tips for aspiring anchors or emcees who want to excel in this field?

Preparation and attention to detail are key. Invest your time there, before every event.

Emcees double up as crisis managers. When the going is smooth, everything is fine. It is when an unexpected challenge hits you - the way you adapt and improvise, will make you stand out.

Importantly, be honest with yourself.

Can you share some advice for event planners or organisers on how to collaborate effectively with emcees for successful events?

A sincere suggestion is to invest time in properly briefing the emcees.

Taking care of the basics like travel, stay, and outfit change rooms should be a given. They directly impact the performance of an emcee.

Involving them early in the process, so that they can add value wherever necessary.

Lastly, what legacy do you hope to leave in the event-hosting industry?

I want to be remembered as someone who raised the bar of this profession, by constantly innovating, and being excellent across mediums, whether live, digital or TV.

Neha Kalra

BW Reporters She is the Senior Editorial Lead at Businessworld and majorly covers pieces on advertising, marketing, branding and experiential marketing. She writes closely for BW Marketing World and Everything Experiential.