Talking

For large tournaments in arenas, it’s fairly likely that the gravitas ofthe tournament dictates that as a main stage host, you deliver thatfeeling too. There is no point in going out on the main stage andtrying to crack jokes if you are in the opening ceremony of a$10million tournament, it requires gravitas, professionalism and atouch of drama to engage the audience and make them feel likethey are part of something very special. Using dramatic pauseshelps a lot and if you are smart, you can even get away with being alittle cheeky alongside (if that’s your character of course).More than anything however, being a stage host is about having alot of energy, being engaging and helping to add to the feeling ofthe event.You’ll need to be exceptionally strong on your throws to both videosand other members of the broadcast team, so practice and practiceand practice. This is because as well as being the person whohypes up the stage, you are also responsible for knitting the showsegments together.A few pitfalls await you however. What happens if the crowd don’treact? What happens if the production goes wrong? What if somelunatic jumps out of the crowd and starts giving you a hard time?(Yes, it’s happened, trust me!) Almost all of these will happen atsome point in your hosting career, but the mark of a good host ishow you deal with it. Try and remain calm at all times and unflappableis a good way to describe the best hosts regardless of being inesports.It’s also extremely important how you interact with the crowd,especially if you have a large crowd in front of you. It’s important to54