In the world of live events, an emcee is no longer simply the person holding the microphone and moving an audience from one segment to the next. As events become increasingly experience-led, the role has evolved into one that demands storytelling, audience psychology, brand understanding, improvisation and strategic thinking.
For modern emcees, the stage is only one part of the job. Understanding why an event exists, what the audience should feel, how a brand wants to be represented and how every moment connects to the larger experience has become equally important.
Khushi Bhatt, whose journey spans anchoring, acting, voiceover, corporate experience and mentoring aspiring communicators, brings this broader perspective to the profession. From understanding audience energy and managing unpredictable live moments to contributing to experience design even before an event begins, Bhatt believes the modern emcee’s role has fundamentally changed.
In this conversation with EVENTFAQS Media, Khushi Bhatt explores how the profession is moving from simply conducting events to actively shaping the stories, energy and experiences that audiences take away.
1. The emcee’s role has traditionally been centred around introducing speakers, making announcements and keeping an event on schedule. How has the profession evolved into one that requires an emcee to also be a storyteller, facilitator, brand custodian and experience strategist?
The role of an emcee has evolved tremendously. Earlier, an emcee was primarily seen as the person who introduced speakers, made announcements and ensured that the event moved according to the schedule. Today, that is just the foundation of the profession.
A modern emcee is the voice, energy and emotional connector of an event. We are expected to understand the audience, the brand, the purpose of the event and the experience the organisers want to create. That is where storytelling, facilitation and experience strategy come in.
As a storyteller, an emcee doesn’t simply read a script—we create a narrative that connects one moment of the event to another. As a facilitator, we keep the audience engaged, encourage participation and adapt ourselves to the energy in the room. As a brand custodian, every word, expression and interaction represents the brand we are hosting for, so understanding its values and communication style becomes extremely important.
And increasingly, an emcee has to think like an experience strategist. We have to anticipate what the audience should feel, when the energy needs to rise, when a moment needs to breathe and how to turn a well-planned event into a memorable experience.
For me, the biggest shift has been from ‘holding the mic’ to ‘owning the room.’ A great emcee doesn’t merely control the stage; they understand the room, read the audience and create moments that people remember long after the event is over. Now if you are not someone who is making impact on others then you are going to fail.
2. An emcee can significantly influence the energy and flow of a live event. How do you approach reading an audience in real time and deciding when to energise the room, when to slow things down and when to step back and let the experience take centre stage?
this is so true.Reading the audience in real time is one of the most important skills an emcee can develop. I don’t believe in following a script so rigidly that you stop observing the room. The script gives you direction, but the audience tells you how the moment should actually unfold.
I constantly watch their energy, expressions, participation, body language and response time. Are they applauding naturally? Are they responding to questions? Are conversations becoming quieter? Are people looking distracted? These small signals tell me whether I need to change the pace.
If I sense the energy dropping, I may introduce a quick interaction, change my tone, add humour or create a moment that brings people back into the experience. If the audience is already highly engaged, I don’t unnecessarily push the energy higher—I allow that momentum to build naturally.
There are also moments when the best decision is to step back. If a speaker is delivering a powerful message, an artist is performing, or an emotional moment is unfolding, the emcee should know that the stage no longer needs them. Sometimes our most important contribution is knowing when to become invisible.
For me, great hosting is about being present without overpowering the experience. You have to listen with your eyes, adapt in seconds and understand that the audience’s energy is constantly changing and most important thing is to know your audience. The emcee is not there to be the loudest person in the room; we are there to make sure the room feels exactly what it needs to feel at that moment.An emcee should know what to speak and should also knw when not to speak.
3. Today, an emcee is often the bridge between the brand, audience, speakers and production team. How involved should a modern emcee be in understanding the event’s objective, content and audience before taking the stage, and how does that preparation affect the final experience?
I believe preparation is what separates an emcee who simply hosts an event from an emcee who truly owns the experience. By the time I walk onto the stage, I should know much more than the running order.
A modern emcee needs to understand the objective of the event, the brand’s personality, the audience profile, the key messages, the speakers, the production flow and the desired outcome. I also like to understand the finer details—what kind of audience I am speaking to, what language and tone will connect with them, what moments are important to the brand and where there is scope for interaction or spontaneity.
This preparation also means being aligned with the production team. Understanding cues, stage movements, AV transitions, presentations, music, lighting and contingencies allows the emcee to become a seamless bridge between what is happening backstage and what the audience experiences in the room.
I always say, the audience should see spontaneity, but behind that spontaneity should be strong preparation.
When an emcee understands the bigger picture, they don’t just announce what is happening next—they understand why it is happening. That changes the way we introduce a speaker, build anticipation, handle an unexpected delay or transition between two very different segments. The emcee should be prepared for end minute changes he/she is someone who is calm during the chaos happening so have space for any end time changes and have adaptability.
Ultimately, the more prepared I am before the event, the more natural and effortless I can be on stage. The audience may never see the hours of preparation behind the microphone, but they can absolutely feel the difference.
4. Live events rarely go exactly according to plan. How much of an emcee’s value lies in handling the unscripted moments, from technical glitches and delays to unexpected audience reactions, without allowing the energy of the event to drop?
I would say a significant part of an emcee’s real value is revealed when things don’t go according to plan. When everything is running perfectly, anyone can follow a script. The true test of an emcee is how gracefully they handle the unexpected.
Live events are unpredictable—a presentation may not load, a speaker may be delayed, a microphone may stop working, or the audience may react completely differently from what was anticipated. In those moments, the emcee has to remain calm, think quickly and, most importantly, never transfer the panic backstage to the audience.
I believe an emcee should always have a Plan B, C and sometimes even a Plan D. That could mean having an interaction ready, using a short story, changing the sequence, engaging the audience or simply creating a natural conversation while the production team resolves the issue.
But improvisation is not about filling silence with random words. It is about understanding the purpose and tone of the event well enough to make an intelligent decision in the moment.
For me, the golden rule is: the audience should experience a moment, not a mistake. If we can turn an unexpected situation into something engaging—or make it feel so seamless that the audience barely notices it—we have done our job.
That ability to stay composed, read the room and creatively adapt in real time is what transforms an emcee from a presenter into a true live-event professional and experience manager.
5. As clients become more focused on audience engagement, storytelling and memorable experiences, what are they actually looking for when they hire an emcee today? Has the brief moved from simply “host the event” to expecting the emcee to contribute to the larger experience?
Yes definitely. Today, clients are looking for an emcee who can become an extension of their vision and contribute to the overall experience.
They want someone who can understand the brand, audience, objective and event narrative, and then translate all of that into a live experience that feels engaging and authentic. They are not just hiring a voice on stage; they are hiring someone who can influence the energy, create connections, manage transitions and make the audience feel involved.
I also feel clients increasingly value an emcee who brings ideas to the table. It could be an interactive format, a storytelling approach, a creative introduction, audience engagement, a better way of transitioning between segments or even suggestions on how to make a particular brand moment more impactful.
At the same time, professionalism remains extremely important. Being punctual, well-prepared, adaptable and aligned with the production team is non-negotiable. Creativity has to work within the event’s objective, not compete with it.
For me, the ideal client brief today is not simply, “Can you host our event?” It is, “Can you understand what we want our audience to feel, and can you help us create that feeling?”
That is where the profession is heading—from being the person who conducts the event to being someone who actively co-creates the experience.
6. Looking ahead, do you see the modern emcee becoming increasingly involved in experience design and event strategy even before the event begins? What skills will distinguish the next generation of emcees from traditional stage hosts?
Absolutely. I believe the next generation of emcees will be involved much earlier in the event journey—not just on the day of the event, but during the conceptualisation, scripting and experience-design stage itself.
I say this from my own journey as well. I started my career as a child artist, and over the years my journey evolved into becoming an anchor, actor and voiceover artist, while also pursuing my professional career as a Company Secretary. Today, along with being on stage and in front of the camera, I also teach students anchoring, public speaking, acting and content creation. Each of these experiences has shaped the way I look at communication and live events.
Being an actor taught me the importance of expressions, emotions and storytelling. Voiceover taught me the power of voice, pauses and tonality. Anchoring taught me audience engagement and the ability to think on my feet. My corporate experience as a Company Secretary has given me an understanding of professionalism, business communication and how brands function. And teaching has made me understand how differently people learn, communicate and connect.
I believe this combination is exactly where the profession is heading. The modern emcee has to bring together stagecraft and strategic thinking. Strong communication, storytelling, improvisation and voice modulation will remain essential, but the next generation will also need audience psychology, content creation, digital fluency, brand understanding, basic production knowledge and the ability to use technology and AI intelligently.
I also believe that emotional intelligence and adaptability will become major differentiators. An emcee has to understand people, not just speak to them. They need to read a room, collaborate with different teams, handle uncertainty and continuously evolve with changing audience expectations.
The traditional host asks, “What do I have to say?” The modern emcee asks, “What does this audience need to experience?”
And that, to me, is the future of the profession. The emcee of tomorrow won’t simply stand at the centre of the stage—they will be involved in shaping the story, the energy and the audience experience even before the event begins.
My own journey—from a child artist to an anchor, actor, voiceover artist, corporate professional and now a mentor to aspiring communicators—has taught me that an emcee’s biggest strength is not just the ability to hold a microphone. It is the ability to understand communication in all its forms and turn it into an experience.
Khushi Bhatt’s perspective captures a larger shift taking place across the live-events industry: the microphone is no longer the measure of an emcee’s role. The ability to understand people, brands, stories and moments is. As events become more immersive and audiences more discerning, the emcee is increasingly moving from the centre of the stage to the centre of the experience—shaping what happens, how it feels and what audiences remember long after the lights go down.
