Checklist
10 Questions to Ask Before Booking an MC
The questions that separate a smooth-running event from a stressful one, worth asking before anything is signed.
Discuss your eventMost of the friction in a booking shows up after the contract is signed, not before — when it turns out the host assumed something the organiser didn't, or vice versa. Asking these ten questions upfront resolves almost all of it.
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1. Are you available on the date, and what's your travel policy?
The obvious one, but confirm it explicitly along with any travel cost outside the host's base location — don't assume it's included.
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2. Do you work bilingually, in Sinhala, English, or both?
Get specific: some hosts are comfortable with brief Sinhala phrases but genuinely operate in English, and vice versa. If your audience is mixed, ask for an example of a bilingual event they've run.
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3. Will there be a written running order, and when do we finalise it?
A host who asks for this proactively is usually more prepared than one who's happy to wing it. Confirm how close to the event date changes can still be made.
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4. How do you open and close the event?
The opening sets the tone for everything after it, and the closing is what people remember leaving with. Ask them to describe both in advance rather than assuming.
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5. What happens if a speaker runs long or the schedule slips?
This is where preparation actually gets tested. A good answer describes a specific process — trimming a segment, adjusting a transition — rather than a vague reassurance.
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6. Do you moderate audience Q&A, or is that a separate role?
If your event includes a Q&A segment, confirm who's fielding it. Not every emcee moderates comfortably, and it's a different skill to hosting.
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7. What's included in your fee, and what isn't?
Ask directly about travel, extra hours if the event overruns, and whether a rehearsal or briefing call is included or billed separately.
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8. Can I speak to a recent client?
A host confident in their work will usually offer this without hesitation. For a corporate or institutional booking, a reference matters more than a highlight reel.
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9. What's your backup plan if you're unable to attend?
A fair question for any booking with a fixed date. The answer doesn't need to be elaborate, but it should exist.
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10. Do you debrief after the event, or is the relationship over once it ends?
For organisations that book regularly — corporate calendars, recurring conferences — a short debrief on what worked is a sign the host is thinking about the next event, not just the last fee.
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