The Year 2022 Proved To Be Aspiring For Emcees

As they say, it’s that time of the year again! We are at the fag end of December and finally I am on a much-needed break from the hustle that becomes a part of our lives as Master Blasters of Ceremonies. Pondering over the year gone by in the lazy winter sun in my hometown, my thoughts drift to the not-no-usual year - 2022. After two years of struggle with Covid, 2022 brought cheer not just for me but for the entire event industry. In an industry where a large gathering is not just a nice-to-have but a must-to-have thing, the experiential marketing fraternity suffered the most. By the end of 2021, the world had largely adapted to a virtual way of working, the events industry included. Thankfully, with immunization and Omicron-induced herd immunity, the fear of Corona abated, and life was normal for a large part of 2022. My first few ‘On-ground’ events started around July 2022 and by September I was flooded with on-ground assignments. I believe I was no exception. There was a huge pent-up demand. People just wanted to be out there shaking hands for real and exchanging thoughts face-to-face. Events are something that helped to bring back the spirit of cheer and camaraderie quickly. If I try to sum up how the last year went for the event industry in general and emcees, ‘incredible’ is the word and why not! Much deserved, really, worth the wait!

In future, real-world engagements are poised to have a greater resonance than ever before. A pivot from the virtual in favour of physical, tangible, and multisensory experiences. Among the most integral roles at any event is that of its Emcee. It is not an everyday thing to have all eyes on you, be resilient for any curve balls that come out of nowhere, keep the guests entertained, on-the-spot improvisation and so on while always sporting composure. Emcees ought to raise the bar daily, one stage at a time. The year 2022 expected us to be better than ever, to be our finest versions, build a deeper connection and drive greater engagement with the audience at every event.

Concerning the quality of events, while a good quality curated event is possible even with a limited budget, the larger-than-life formats need resources. As emcees, we love a grand event because it gives us a chance to give our best. On average, the budgets got a boost this year may be because brands and stakeholders had saved over the last two years and when they wanted to spend, they had the money! 

Virtual events continued in 2022 although much lesser in number, it was exciting to see the range of events that took place physically in 2022. If I just talk about myself, I was part of corporate events, sports events, red carpet events and film launches, celebrity chat shows, inauguration ceremonies in the private and public sectors, award ceremonies, and so on. Not just in terms of the nature of events, but from the location/venue aspect we saw lots of international events being held at exotic locations, for instance, I got to meet the lion in the den, Steve Waugh at SCG, interaction with him in the Steve Waugh Hall or say a chance to entertain the award-winners on a cruise liner for an insurance company.

Emcees are event organisers’ knights in shining armour as we can save the day even when things don’t go as expected just by our wit and presence of mind. A significant boon this year for us, the samurais of the event industry was being able to keep the professional fee steady. Most of us were in ‘survival’ mode during Covid and any work was good if it paid. It was not just about the budgets; the clients did not see value in paying more for a virtual event. While it took an equal amount of effort, it wasn’t seen as grand as a performance on a live stage. This changed for the better in 2022. With emcees being in high demand, finally, most of us could command sums that were commensurate with effort, experience, and stature. It's not like we were rolling in money but yes, no complaints either. 

On the other hand, no matter how big the client or the scale of the event is, I am yet to see a scenario where we are not constrained by spending. So many people come together and work night and day to make an event a success, but the compensation for this effort is not there the way still how it should be, I think. Compared to international standards the event industry in India still has a long way to go for the younger generation to consider it as a lucrative career option. Once we start attracting good talent the overall standards and spirit of innovation will go up in our industry. And then perhaps, the event industry like tourism or the retail industry will get its rightful place under the sun.

Looking ahead on the radar, the biggest challenge is that the event industry is still seen as an unorganised industry. The absence of standardisation leads to a lack of transparency and the industry ends up getting the tag of being unprofessional sometimes. Even though this is hardly the case when it comes to corporate events and even large private events.

The other area where I feel there is certainly a possibility for change is having social security. This got highlighted during the pandemic as many of the artists struggled to meet the bare necessities such as rent, medical expenses etc. We could look at creating an insurance or a welfare fund to support the event professionals in times of adversity, God forbid. 

Well as a sign-off note, I think most of us in the experiential industry already follow the maxim of “No matter how you feel, just get up, dress up and show up”, I would like to add, it may be like we get tired on driving on the dirt road for too long and take a U–Turn but we don't know that another few metres more and a splendid highway awaits us to take us to our destination. When you are an entrepreneur, persistence is one quality that pays over the long term and helps to build a personal brand which is so important in our profession. Let’s keep at it and let’s be grateful, no matter what!

Shikha Singh is a famous Anchor and Emcee