“When Covid hit our shores, there were several opportunities to pivot to online events. My last event with a physical crowd was in mid March. By the end March, I was already doing online hosting which has carried on through the circuit breaker and even today.
I’m very blessed. My radio training days back then taught me well – to have endless creativity and the ability to create a theatre of imagination. These skills engage listeners with little more than words and sounds. So, online “LIVE” visual events are even easier for me – I can elicit the desired response from my audience with visual cues and body language!
My interest in hosting came about when I was with FM 100.3 radio training during my university days. I became a banker for five years after graduation but out of passion, I was hosting friends and relatives wedding celebrations on weekends. When more and more hosting jobs referrals came flooding in, my business mind knew that this was a sunrise industry. I decided to take a leap of faith and stepped into full-time hosting.
The events and entertainment industry is very fast-paced. We have to be in tune with the latest trends, news and even fashion sense.
There are 3 important factors that I work on to improve and practise my craft. Firstly, sustainability – a skill or idea that worked several years back might not work now. We need to be always thinking, then producing and turning new, imaginative ideas into reality on stage.
Next, wellness. As hosts, we dictate the mood of the event and have to look good and healthy on stage. A professional host is about the whole package.
Finally, branding. Keep working on creating your own brand. Maintaining your uniqueness is important!”
–
Emcee Sylvia
