Kafui Dey
Veteran broadcaster and Master of Ceremonies (MC), Kafui Dey, has cautioned MCs to cut down on excessive talking when hosting events.
According to Kafui Dey, who spent 17 years in sales before becoming a full-time MC, many MCs today ruin events by talking too much and promoting themselves instead of the event.
“They talk too much. They need to reduce the talking. Bring that down. They promote themselves. Promote the event. Make the speaker look good. Make the event look good. Take yourself out of the situation,” he warned.
He said the best MCs are often invisible, making guests feel comfortable without drawing attention to themselves. “I always smile when they do thank-you’s and they thank everybody but they don’t thank the MC,” he explained.
“The highest compliment is when after a banking event somebody asks, ‘Which bank do you work with?’ It means they’ve identified me with them so much that they think I’m one of them.”
He also slammed the habit of MCs announcing their phone numbers on stage to chase the next gig. “I’ve heard MCs giving their telephone numbers on stage – 024… You’re trying to secure the next job. No. Your excellence speaks for you. Do a good job. At the end they will say, ‘Can I have your card? Can I have your number?’ Don’t worry too much about the next week. If organisers are happy with you, they will book you for the next one,” he stated.
Kafui Dey advised MCs to instead ask for testimonials, urging them to get organisers to record a one-minute video mentioning their name, company and what they liked about the MC’s performance, which goes further than self-praise. “Don’t talk too much. Keep it down,” he stressed.
In an exclusive interview with Ned Ankrah on DGN TV recounting his over 30-year journey, Dey said his MC career started by accident when his French boss, Mr. Louis Leroux, drafted him to host a company event.
By Prince Fiifi Yorke