Using a professional master of ceremonies (also known as a meeting host) is becoming popular at large corporate meetings. Meeting hosts energize a program by infusing humor and fun into otherwise mundane housekeeping announcements, speaker introductions, and awards presentations.

Bob Metzger, communications advisor for Accident Fund Insurance Co. of America, says that the host his company has used for the past two years “is the ‘funny glue’ that holds everything together. Not only is he hilarious, he gets people to engage in the entire day.”

In addition to the standard duties, you can use meeting hosts to:

• Present new contests and announce new meeting sites.

• Provide entertaining recaps of the sessions. Studies show that attendees will retain more than they would have without the recap.

• Break up extended working sessions with stretch breaks, comedy, or entertainment.

• Star in highlights videos.

Because hosts must balance the role of being an outsider and an insider, planners need to provide enough information and audience demographics so that the host has a good understanding of the group but does not come across as a company representative. The host should be given a document that reflects his or her responsibilities.

Ruth Levine is the founder of Speak Inc., a speakers bureau that is based in San Diego. Reach her at (858) 457-9880 or at rlevine@speakinc.com.