Few people understand the pivotal role that a Conference MC plays. Much like workplace safety if everything goes well, you don’t notice that person introducing everyone was ‘the mortar that held the bricks together’. It’s only when things go wrong that you realise how a bad MC can kill the event!
Luckily Ben Hurley (that bearded guy from 7 Days) was the MC for the 2020 Central Otago Health and Safety Forum (COHSF) Conference and he rocked it. He had just the right of amount of sincerity and levity for the occasion. He had obviously done his research on his speakers, asked some great questions and not once was caught staring blankly into space or playing Candy Crush. He genuinely seemed interested in what was going on.
Given that he is an award-winning comedian, it wasn’t surprising that we also had some laugh out loud moments. Ben suggested a few alternative letter configurations that we could use for our organisation’s name and told a hysterical story about a sporting legend and the Queenstown gondola.
If you have a conference to plan and want to keep your attendees awake and engaged, we’d highly recommend that you contact Ben and ask about that ‘Gondola Story’. The COHSF committee would like to formally thank Ben for taking the time to be our MC and we welcome him back anytime.
QUICKFIRE QUESTIONS
1. What has been the highlight of your working career?
Interviewing top musicians like Slash, Weezer and Queens of the Stone Age
2. What has been the hardest decision that you have had to make during your working career?
Coming back to New Zealand after being in the UK. Then ‘7 Days’ started so it worked out ok
3. What was the hardest lesson that you have had to learn?
The reality of being away from home is not as romantic as it sounds, especially when you have kids.
4. If you could go back to your first year in your professional role, what advice would you give to your younger self?
Don’t panic!
5. What advice would you give to people starting out in their comedy career?
With social media taking over it’s hard. Give it a go, see if it works and if it doesn’t get out.
6. What is the key message from your presentation?
Give the event some levity
7. What is the one thing you would like the audience to do when they leave the conference?
Book me again!
GET IN CONTACT
Website: www.benhurley.com
Email: richard@ncomedy.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ben.hurley.92
Twitter: twitter.com/benhurleycom