While there are some subtle differences, the words are pretty much interchangeable, but there are a few exceptions and inferences that should be noted. Because some of these terms do imply something specific, it’s worth considering which one you use. Let me give you some background first and then try an explain some of the subtle differences in meaning and the inferences between Emcee and MC. Timothy Hyde – Corporate MC I’ve been an MC for over 25 years and have over 40 years’ professional experience onstage, first with Stand Up Comedy, then touring a Magic Show, then Professional Speaking which led me into the world of the Professional Master of Ceremony. See what I did there? I seamlessly moved from MC to Master of Ceremony.
I always preferred and mostly used the term MC because mainly I work in the corporate world, Conferences and Conventions being the mainstay of my work. The shorter, tighter “MC” works here, as well as fitting better on a business card and in printed promotional material. But in the last few years I’ve been more often using the word Emcee instead of MC. But that’s interesting too, as MC is just a contraction of Master of Ceremony and Emcee is just the phonetic spelling of MC.
We will get to some of the different usages soon. So what springs to mind when you think MC or Emcee? Do you see an image of Joel Grey as the MC in the ground-breaking Broadway hit musical Cabaret, a role he later reprised in the movie with Liza Minnelli?
Perhaps a smart wedding MC, introducing the VIP guests at the reception, setting the tone and controlling the flow and important activities of the evening? Or perhaps a witty Comedy Club professional, skilfully turning a crowd of strangers into an audience, introducing the different feature acts, providing linking material and possibly crowd control? The slick corporate MC, tying different threads together to reinforce the themes of a conference, conducting onstage interviews, facilitating panel discussions and providing warm ups and ice breakers? Perhaps you imagine a boisterous Ring announcer, winding up the crowd before a title fight in boxing or MMA? Or do you imagine a Hip Hop Artist, playing with words and sounds, rhymes and rhythms as they work the crowd into a frenzy? Let’s have a look at some of these in closer detail.