“Jess has this fearless style of expression and joyful demeanor that gives the audience permission to relax, let go and enjoy themselves.”
Breaking down barriers between the artist and the audience
“One of my greatest pleasures in this life is creating undeniable, unforgettable moments of connection, harmony and coherence by harnessing the energy in a group to create pure magic! I love to bring the aspect of ceremony back into ‘M.C.’ and give my audiences the opportunity to feel like the main act... because they are. We are all creators no matter which side of the stage we stand on.”
I believe that emceeing is less about filling up space with banter and more about listening and attuning to the energy levels of the audience.
A good emcee understands the energetic arc of an event and knows when people are intellectually at capacity and would be best served by a little humor, a song, some breath, body movement, or a dose of interpersonal interaction with other guests.
Creating a Field of Receptivity
I call it “creating a field of receptivity” because there is an art to supporting an audience in getting the most they possibly can out of an event. Everything from idea and playful ways they can interact with each other in between sessions (especially the introverts) to leading guided visualizations and meditations in between talks to help people enter deeper state of connection with the material being presented. Many conferences, summits and convergences are great at stimulating the mind, but we learn better when we are engaged physically, emotionally and socially as well.
“Jess is an uplifting and high quality emcee who holds the container of a room incredibly. She is an embodied, creative, heart-centered and playful balance to the most intellectual of content, and shows up as a breath of fresh air for the room. ”
A Song in Her Pocket
At key punctuation points, I like to bring interactive experiences, exercises or songs to the audience to support with integrating the material. This deepens the intimacy of the attendees which supports in retention and loyalty for future events and aligns to that timeless notion (attributed to multiple wisdom keepers) that people won’t remember what you said, but they will remember how you made them feel.
Now, let’s get really real. Even at the most organized events, things can go wrong last minute. At the risk of tooting my own horn, one of my areas of expertise is how to act “on the fly”. This is key as an emcee; to serve as a binding agent, supporting with moments of integration and offering wisdom or perspective at key points in the event, to be a familiar friendly face for the audience to “come home” to, and to hold the space of safety, humor and trust even in moments of chaos, awkwardness or discomfort.
“Jess brings a playful embodied presence that energizes audiences and deepens connection. We’ve been luck to have her at New Frontiers summits where she helped shape the flow between keynote speakers and other programming. Jess never fails to deliver a room of smiles and laughter, not to mention being a pleasure to collaborate with in team and professional contexts. ”
“Soul Bios”
This is a little nugget that came through when facilitating for the first New Frontiers event. Their scheduled emcee couldn’t make it, and they asked me to stand in. I didn’t know all the professional accolades of the speakers so I had to go from a more heart-felt, experiential, intuitive place…and there it was. The birth of the “Soul Bio”. Ideal for VIP speakers, keynotes, artists and presenters who you are wanting to feature, the Soul Bio offers a heart-centered, engaging intro that inspires a feeling of intimacy and connection between the audience and the speaker rather than regurgitating their linked-in profile!
Photographs by the illustrious Pete Longworth