emceeing + hosting

conferences are like construction projects

We come together to build the future – of an industry, community, or organization. But will your event:

• Repeat last year’s design, mechanically taking people through the motions?
• Feel like a chaotic work site, a hive of activity lacking direction and flow?
• Or, will it offer the clarity of a guided tour through a model of what could be?

Connection is the keystone that transforms your event from a pile of beautiful building blocks into a cohesive arc of activities.

emcee = mc = make connections!

You’ve chosen a theme, location, and topics, but you (still!) need a great emcee who can tie them all together. Emily Nichols is a high-energy host who connects the dots between topics and themes, theory and practice, and of course between the participants themselves.

finding focus

Your participants have intense demands on their attention. A great emcee (like Emily!) can help them manage distractions and centre their focus, so they can fully experience the content and connections.

As a result…they’ll be more likely to make the leap from information to implementation, reap the ROI from your event, and return for more next year.

grounded enthusiasm

Emily brings genuine enthusiasm to your event without the empty rah-rah-rah. As an engineer, Emily is curious about…well…most things, actually. She excels at making complex topics simple and relatable, and she can find the fun in even the most technical summits and symposiums.

introductions matter more than ever.

Taught in Toastmasters worldwide, but often overlooked on the professional circuit: introductions matter. A good introduction honours the speaker and prepares the audience to listen. (see Finding Focus 👆)

The person reading introductions (not ad-libbing!) should be a professional who’s focused on doing it well. Not a sponsor who’s intimidated by the mic, not an overworked conference chair with other things on their mind, and definitely not a big-up exec who can’t be bothered to practice pronunciations ahead of time.

Hire Emily to host your event, and she’ll ensure that every speaker’s introduction covers the four key things audiences want to hear *before* each presentation begins.

rave reviews

Lucia Plescia | Higher Education Professional, Concordia University

Emily’s emceeing is fantastic! Sharp minded, professional to the tee while staying fun, light and kept the energy moving, with some nice ice breakers along the way. She was our glue and helped make me and the whole event feel warmly welcoming and celebrated. You’re in luck if you get to experience her skills on the stage.

Dr. Kim Jones | Ontario Network of Women in Engineering

Over the course of our tightly scheduled two-day Summit, Emily introduced more than 30 speakers, delivered three meaningfully customized land acknowledgements, and kept the whole thing running smoothly and on time.

She provided tools to begin effective and meaningful icebreaker conversations among delegates. She honoured our presenters with enthusiastic, concise introductions – made possible, in part, by the “how to write your introduction” video tutorial she provided ahead of the event. Emily even helped enhance the accessibility of our event by providing her own wireless mic and repeating every audience question so it could be heard by everyone present.

We had nearly 200 guests for our gala dinner, and Emily did an incredible job tying the whole thing together from start to finish. She elevated the event, introducing our keynote speaker and sponsors with genuine, personal enthusiasm. Emily is a dynamic, organised, thoughtful, well-prepared emcee who will elevate your event to the next level.

Anindita Bornomala | Engineering Student , McMaster University

I initially thought networking was a rigid and scary process, and I was afraid of asking “silly” questions and talking to new people. Emily’s opening speech was enthusiastic and set a lively tone, which made me feel more comfortable! Prior to the event, I was looking for tips on how to dress and what to prepare for the event, and her video helped clear the doubts I had.