Emcee Script: 4 Samples for Annual Dinners and Events

An emcee script is the written text a master of ceremonies (MC or emcee) reads to run an event: what to say before and after each item, who to invite to the stage, and how to move the room from the first announcement to the last goodbye. It follows the run of show, but the run of show is for the crew. The script is the words you actually say out loud.

This guide has 4 full English emcee script samples you can copy: a company annual dinner, an awards night, a formal conference and a short town hall. They're written for Malaysian events, so they also cover what most English samples leave out: who to greet first when a Minister and a Tan Sri are in the same room, when to stand for Negaraku, and what to say when the grand prize winner has already gone home. All four are also in a free Word file you can edit and print.

Short answer. A good emcee script has eight parts: a call to seats, a welcome with the order of address, the anthem and doa if your event has them, an introduction for each speaker, short links between items, instructions for guests, thanks, and a closing. Greet the most senior person in the room first, name only the top two or three, keep each link short, and write out every line you might fumble, especially names and titles.

What goes in an emcee script

Whatever the event, the script follows the same order:

1. Call to seats. Five to fifteen minutes before the start, get people into the room and phones on silent.

2. Welcome and order of address. Greet the VIPs by title, then everyone else.

3. VIP arrival, Negaraku and doa, where your event has them.

4. Speaker introductions. Name, title and one reason to listen. Then get off the stage.

5. Links between items. One sentence of thanks, one sentence on what's next.

6. Instructions. Dinner, breaks, photos, where to go, lucky draw rules. Say them once, clearly.

7. Thanks. VIPs, sponsors, the organising committee and the venue team.

8. Closing. What happens next, door gifts, and a safe journey home.

The script sits on top of two other documents. Your run of show holds the times, owners and cues for the crew, and your programme tells guests what's on (in Malay, the tentatif program). Finish those first, because every late change to them becomes a change to your script.

Order of address in Malaysia: who to greet first

This is the part of an English script most likely to go wrong, and copying a foreign sample won't help. Malaysia's official reference is the Prime Minister's Department circular SPA Bil. 4/2014 on forms of address, which covers emcee scripts and also applies to the private sector. Five rules cover most events:

• Start with the highest position in the room, host or guest, even if that person isn't officiating. If a guest outranks your CEO, the guest comes first.

• Name two or three people in full, then group the rest: "distinguished guests, Dato'-Dato', Datin-Datin, ladies and gentlemen."

• Office outranks title. A Minister or MP who is also a Datuk is "Yang Berhormat Datuk [Name]", not "Yang Berbahagia".

• Keep the honorific in Malay. In an English script, Malaysian practice is to say "Yang Berbahagia Tan Sri [Name]", not "Sir" or a loose translation. The one English pair we found confirmed by Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka is Tuan Yang Terutama for "Your Excellency".

• Confirm names and titles in writing with each guest's office the day before, and copy how they write their own name. Datuk and Dato' are different titles, awarded by different authorities.

This table gives the form of address, not a strict ranking. For a government event, ask for the organiser's current precedence list. If a Ruler or member of a royal household attends, don't adapt these samples: the script needs palace language and should be checked by the palace or the state protocol office.

A full greeting for a company dinner with a Minister as guest of honour:

Yang Berhormat Datuk [Name], Minister of [Portfolio];
Yang Berbahagia Tan Sri [Name], Chairman of [Company];
Yang Berbahagia Dato' [Name], Chief Executive Officer of [Company];
distinguished guests, Dato'-Dato', Datin-Datin, colleagues, ladies and gentlemen.

Inside one name, the order is honorific, royal lineage, office or rank, honours (highest first), academic title, Haji, then the name: "Yang Berbahagia Tan Sri Professor Dr. [Name]". Guests sometimes style themselves differently, so when in doubt, follow their office.

The greeting. "Assalamualaikum and salam sejahtera" is correct, and salam sejahtera includes guests of other faiths. Add "Salam Malaysia MADANI" only if government guests or co-organisers attend. We found no circular that requires it.

One more trap. When a speaker opens with "Tuan Pengerusi Majlis", they mean the chair of the organising committee, not you. You are the pengacara majlis.

Sample 1: Emcee script for an annual dinner

For a company dinner in a hotel ballroom. The times follow the programme in our annual dinner planning guide, with registration opening at 7.30 pm, after Maghrib. Change anything in [brackets]. If it's an official government dinner, the Prime Minister's Department guide asks for evening events to end by 10.30 pm, so shorten the programme.

[8.05 pm, call to seats]

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the [Company] Annual Dinner [Year]. We'll begin in ten minutes. Please make your way into the ballroom and find your table. Your table number is on your ticket. If you need help, just ask any of our crew in the [colour] lanyards.

If guests can't find their table, this announcement turns into a traffic jam, and you end up repeating it to a half-empty room. With seating done in the Layout Designer, each guest's table is already on their ticket and phone, it comes up on screen when they're scanned at the door, and a button on their phone routes them to their seat. If you're still building the plan itself, our annual dinner seating plan guide has a free template.

[8.15 pm, welcome]

Good evening, everyone. Please take your seats, phones on silent, cameras very much on. My name is [Emcee Name], and I have the easy job tonight: I stand here while you eat.

Tonight's theme is [Theme], and some of you have taken that very seriously. Here's the plan. We'll start with a few words from our CEO, then dinner, then performances, awards and, right at the end, the lucky draw. So if you've got your eye on the [Grand Prize], you know you have to stay until the end.

Before you go on, ask how many guests are still outside. Start on time even if the room isn't full, but you don't want the main table stuck at registration when you call the VIPs in. With QR check-in, that's a number instead of a guess: the check-in dashboard shows checked in and remaining in real time, and can switch to progress by table, so the show caller, the person cueing the crew, can see whether table 1 is in before sending you on.

[8.30 pm, arrival of the CEO and guests of honour]

Ladies and gentlemen, please rise to welcome our Chairman, Yang Berbahagia Tan Sri [Name], and our Chief Executive Officer, Yang Berbahagia Dato' [Name]. A big round of applause, please.

[8.35 pm, Negaraku and company song]

Please remain standing for our national anthem, Negaraku, followed by the [Company] song.

(Say nothing while it plays. Standing for Negaraku is a legal duty under the National Anthem Act 1968.)

Thank you. Please be seated.

[8.38 pm, formal welcome]

Assalamualaikum, salam sejahtera and a very good evening.

Yang Berbahagia Tan Sri [Name], Chairman of [Company];
Yang Berbahagia Dato' [Name], Chief Executive Officer;
members of the Board, the management team, colleagues and guests.

Welcome to the [Company] Annual Dinner [Year]. This year we [one real thing: opened the Penang office, hit a target, survived the system migration]. Tonight is our thank-you to everyone who made that happen.

[8.40 pm, doa, if your event has one]

Before we continue, we invite [Name] to recite the doa. Please.

(After the doa) Amin. Thank you, [Name].

[8.45 pm, CEO's speech]

To share a few words about the year behind us and the year ahead, please welcome our Chief Executive Officer, Yang Berbahagia Dato' [Name].

(After the speech) Thank you, Dato'.

[Optional, yam seng toast]

Before we eat, please rise, raise your glass, whatever's in it, and follow Dato' for three yam sengs. Hold that "yam" for as long as you can. Nobody wins anything, but we will all be watching.

[9.00 pm, dinner]

Ladies and gentlemen, dinner is served. Please enjoy your meal. If you ordered a special meal, our crew will bring it to your table. Our first performance starts at 9.30, so you've got half an hour to eat, catch up and visit the photo wall.

[9.30 pm, performances]

I hope you've saved some energy, because the team from [Department] have been rehearsing after office hours for weeks, and I'm told it's not in their KPI. Please welcome [Act Name]!

(After the act) One more time for [Act Name]! Coming up next is [Next Act].

[10.00 pm, awards]

Now for the part of the night that's all about you. Presenting tonight's awards is Yang Berbahagia Dato' [Name]. When your name is called, please come up the stairs on my [left], shake hands, face the camera and leave on my [right].

Our first award is [Award Name], for [one-line reason]. The winner is... [Name], from [Department]! Please give them a big hand.

(Sample 2 below has the full script for this segment.)

[10.30 pm, lucky draw]

This is what some of you really came for, so here are the rules, and nobody can say I didn't tell you. Only guests who checked in at the door are in tonight's draw, and winners must be in the hall. When your name comes up, you have [one minute] to reach the stage. If you're not here, we draw again for the same prize.

Prize number [Number] is [Prize Name], sponsored by [Sponsor]. And the winner is... [Title and Name], from [Department]! Congratulations, come on up.

The hardest line in this segment is a winner's name, read cold in front of the whole company. In SOURems, the draw can run only from guests who actually checked in, so the winner is in the building. The name and title appear on a screen that can be read from the back of the hall, and every round is kept on record in case a result gets questioned. See it in a demo. For a small staff party, our free lucky draw wheel does the basic job, and our lucky draw prize ideas cover what to draw for, with Malaysian prices.

[11.00 pm, grand prize and group photo]

This is the moment you stayed for. Tonight's grand prize, the [Grand Prize], comes to us from [Sponsor]. To make the draw, please welcome Yang Berbahagia Tan Sri [Name]. Drum roll, please...

Congratulations, [Title and Name]!

Before anyone runs for the lift, please stay where you are for the group photo. Management and all our winners to the stage, please.

[11.15 pm, closing]

Ladies and gentlemen, that's our night. Thank you to Tan Sri, Dato' and the Board. Thank you to [Sponsors], to the team at [Venue], and to our organising committee, who haven't sat down since four o'clock. Most of all, thank you to all of you for a great year and a great night.

Please check your table for your belongings, and collect your door gift on the way out. Drive safely, and we'll see you next year. Good night!

Sample 2: Emcee script for an awards night

Use this on its own or as the awards segment of a dinner. Rule of thumb: allow about a minute for each named award, and call long-service recipients in groups, because 40 names read one at a time can take half an hour. Check every recipient's title and pronunciation with HR beforehand, and have someone hand you the names in order.

[Opening]

Good evening again, everyone. For the next [30] minutes, the spotlight is on the people who [carried this company through the year]. Every name you hear tonight was [nominated by colleagues and chosen by a panel].

Presenting the awards is [Title and Name]. When you hear your name, please come up the stairs on my [left], shake hands, take your trophy, face the photographer and leave on my [right]. Everyone else, your job is to clap as loudly as you like.

[Long-service awards, called in groups]

We begin with the people who've been here the longest. For [10] years of service: [Name], [Name], [Name], [Name] and [Name]. Please come up together.

(After the photo) That's [Total] years of service on one stage. Let's hear it for them.

[Individual award]

Our next award is [Award Name]. It goes to someone who [one specific thing they did: took over the Johor project in March and delivered it three weeks early]. The winner of [Award Name] [Year] is... [Title and Name], from [Department]!

(After the photo) Congratulations, [Name].

[Audience vote, for example best dressed]

This one's up to you. Scan the QR code on the screen and vote for tonight's best dressed. You've got two minutes and one vote each, so please vote for someone other than yourself.

(After voting closes) The results are in, and the winner is... [Name]! Come and collect your prize.

[Recipient isn't in the room]

[Name] can't be with us tonight, so [Manager's Name] will accept this on their behalf. Let's send the applause anyway.

[Top award]

And now, our highest honour tonight, the [Award Name]. To present it, please welcome [Title and Name].

(Pause, and let the presenter read it, or read it yourself.) This year's recipient is... [Title and Name]!

[Close of the segment]

That's all our winners for tonight. One last big hand for all of them, please. And to everyone else, there's always next year.

Sample 3: Formal emcee script for a conference or seminar

This is the conference morning from our run of show template, with a 30-minute opening ceremony added in front. Government guidelines limit an official ceremony to three speeches, with the host first and the most senior guest last. Ask the organiser about the doa: some institutions leave it out at multi-faith or international events.

[8.45 am, call to seats]

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Our opening ceremony starts in fifteen minutes. Please make your way into [Hall Name], take your seats and set your phones to silent. If you haven't collected your badge, the registration desk is at [Location].

[9.00 am, arrival of the guest of honour]

Ladies and gentlemen, please rise to welcome our guest of honour, Yang Berhormat [Full Name], [Position], accompanied by Yang Berbahagia [Full Name], [Host's Position].

[9.02 am, Negaraku]

Please remain standing for Negaraku.

(Say nothing while it plays.) Thank you. Please be seated.

[9.05 am, welcome and order of address]

Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh, salam sejahtera and a very good morning. [Salam Malaysia MADANI, if government guests or co-organisers attend.]

Yang Berhormat [Full Name], [Position];
Yang Berbahagia [Full Name], [Host's Position];
Yang Berusaha [Full Name], [Position];
distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.

On behalf of [Organiser], welcome to [Conference Name] [Year], with the theme "[Theme]". Over the next [two days], we'll hear from [number] speakers on [topic].

[9.07 am, doa, if your event has one]

To begin, we invite [Al-Fadhil Ustaz Name] to recite the doa. Please.

(After the doa) Amin. Thank you, Ustaz.

[9.10 am, host's welcome speech]

We now invite Yang Berbahagia [Full Name], [Position], to deliver the welcoming address.

(After the speech) Thank you, [Title and Short Name].

[9.18 am, officiating speech and launch]

It is our honour to invite Yang Berhormat [Full Name], [Position], to deliver the officiating address.

(Agree a time limit with the speaker's office beforehand. After the speech:) Thank you, Yang Berhormat, for your words this morning.

May we now invite Yang Berhormat to the stage for the launch. Photographers, please come forward. Ladies and gentlemen, please count down with me: three, two, one!

With that, [Conference Name] is officially open. A big round of applause, please.

As a token of appreciation, we invite [Title and Short Name] to present a memento to Yang Berhormat. VIPs, please stay on stage for the group photo.

[9.35 am, keynote]

Our first speaker is [Full Name], [Job Title] at [Organisation]. [One reason to listen: they have run the region's largest trade show for ten years.] Please welcome [Name].

(After the talk) Thank you, [Name]. Please stay in your seats while we set the stage for our panel.

[10.05 am, changeover: use the five minutes]

While the crew get the stage ready, a few quick notes. The Wi-Fi network is [Network] and the password is [Password]. Toilets are [Location], and the surau is at [Location]. Slides will be sent to you after the event.

[10.10 am, panel]

Our panel this morning is on [Topic]. Your moderator is [Name], joined by [Name], [Name] and [Name]. We'll have time for questions at the end, so please wait for the roving microphone. Over to you, [Moderator].

(If you're running late, cut the questions first.) Thank you to our panellists.

[10.50 am, coffee break]

We'll break for coffee in the foyer now, and please do visit our sponsors there. At [11.20], we split into three rooms: [Track A] in Room A, [Track B] in Room B and [Track C] in Room C. Please be in your room by then, as sessions start on time.

Each breakout room needs a room host with their own short version of this script. If sponsors or CPD points depend on who attended what, our guide to session-level attendance tracking shows how to count each room.

[Closing, end of the day]

Ladies and gentlemen, that brings us to the end of [Conference Name] [Year]. Our thanks to Yang Berhormat, our speakers, our sponsors, the team at [Venue] and the organising committee. Please take two minutes to complete the feedback form at the QR code on screen.

Thank you for joining us, and have a safe journey home. Wassalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh, and good day.

Sample 4: Short emcee script for a town hall

For a 30-minute internal session with one host. The product launch version is at the end.

[5 minutes before, call to seats]

Good morning, everyone. We'll start at [Time] sharp. If you're joining online, please mute yourself. There are plenty of seats in front, and yes, your manager can still see you at the back.

[Start, 1 minute]

Good morning, and thanks for making the time. I'm [Name] from [Department], and I'll keep this moving. We have [30] minutes: [Name] on the year so far, [Name] on [Topic], and then your questions. If you have a question, scan the QR code on the screen and send it in any time.

[First speaker, 10 minutes]

To start us off, here's [Title and Name], our [Position].

(After the talk) Thank you, [Name].

[Second speaker, 5 minutes]

Next, [Name] will take us through [Topic].

(After the talk) Thank you, [Name].

[Live poll, 2 minutes]

Before we get to questions, a quick poll. Scan the QR code and answer this: [Question]. You have one minute.

(When results appear) [Number] percent of you said [Answer]. [Name], any reaction to that?

[Questions, 10 minutes]

Let's go to your questions. One question each, please, so we can get to more of you. First up: [Question].

(At time) That's all we have time for. [Name] will answer anything we didn't reach by email by [Day].

[Close, 1 minute]

Three things to take away today: [One], [Two] and [Three]. Thank you, everyone, and have a good rest of the day.

[Product launch version: replace the poll and questions]

This is what the team has been working on for [Number] months. Please look at the screen and count down with me: three, two, one! Ladies and gentlemen, introducing [Product Name].

(Keep a backup video ready in case a live demo fails.)

When things go wrong: rescue lines for emcees

A good emcee isn't someone who never has problems. It's someone who has the line ready before the problem happens.

The VIP is late

Ladies and gentlemen, our guest of honour is on the way and will join us shortly. While we wait, please enjoy this video from [Company].

(Keep 10 to 15 minutes of filler ready: a video, a slideshow or a short performance. Get your cue from someone in the lobby, and don't announce the arrival until the VIP is at the door.)

The VIP sends a representative

We have been informed that Yang Berhormat [Name] is unable to join us due to unavoidable commitments, and is represented by Yang Berusaha [Full Name], [Position].

(Update your greeting and every later invitation. The representative is addressed by their own honorific.)

The microphone or sound fails

Please bear with us for a moment while we sort out the sound.

(Stop, smile and wait. Don't joke about the crew from the stage. Keep a spare microphone at the lectern.)

A video or slide won't play

We'll come back to that shortly. Let's move on to [Next Item].

(Never narrate the problem, and never ask from the stage whether someone can fix it.)

A speaker runs over

(Don't interrupt a VIP. Agree a time signal with speakers beforehand, and put time cards where they can see them. When they finish, say thank you in one sentence and move on.)

You're running late

Ladies and gentlemen, we'll move straight on to [Next Item].

(Don't announce a change as a mistake, and don't rush everyone. Ask the show caller to cut the item you both marked earlier.)

You get a name wrong

My apologies. [Correct Title and Name].

(Correct it once, sincerely, and carry on. Never make a joke of it.)

A lucky draw winner isn't there

I'll call this name one more time: [Name]. Since [Name] isn't in the hall, we'll draw again for the same prize.

(Announce this rule at the start of the segment so nobody is surprised.)

Maghrib falls during the event

We'll pause here for Maghrib. The surau is at [Location], and we'll resume at [Time].

English and Bahasa Malaysia lines for bilingual events

Many Malaysian company dinners run in both languages. There's no official rule for this, but one pattern works well: give the greeting once in full with proper honorifics, repeat instructions in both languages, and don't translate every link or the night doubles in length. For complete Malay scripts and pantun, see our guide to skrip pengacara majlis.

How to write your own emcee script

1. Start from the final run of show. Each row that needs a voice becomes one block in your script. If you don't have one yet, start with our run of show template.

2. Write the fixed lines first: the welcome, the greeting and the closing. Get names and titles in writing, and note the pronunciation of hard names beside them, including Chinese and Indian names and company names.

3. Write one link for each change of item. One sentence to thank the last person, and one to set up the next.

4. Say it aloud with a timer. As a rule of thumb, not a measurement, allow a minute for every 120 words or so, because pauses and applause slow you down. Your own timer is the number that counts.

5. Mark what you'd cut. Agree with the show caller which links and items go first if you run late.

6. Print it. Use a large font and numbered pages, and mark cues with a pen. Don't read from your phone: the screen sleeps and notifications arrive.

7. Rehearse in the room. Use the real microphone, learn where the lectern, stage stairs and VIP route are, and agree who tells you when the VIP has arrived, when the food is ready and when to speed up.

How to be a good emcee

• You're not the show. Your job is to get people on and off the stage. Thanks after a speech is one sentence, not a summary of the speech.

• Use specifics, not adjectives. "Took over the Johor project and delivered it three weeks early" beats "an outstanding leader".

• Slow down for names. Say them as if they're the most important words on the page, because to that person they are.

• Watch the room. Look up at the end of each sentence. If people are still eating, wait. If they're restless, cut your next line.

• Dress one level above the dress code, and within the theme if there is one.

• Drop the stock phrases: "without further ado", "last but not least", "a person who needs no introduction", "time waits for no one".

Download the emcee script samples (Word)

All four samples and the rescue lines are in one editable Word file: download the emcee script samples (.docx). Replace the text in [brackets], delete the segments you don't need, and print it in a large font.

Where SOURems fits

SOURems is an event management platform used by Malaysian organisers for the guest side of an event, from the invitation to the report afterwards. We don't write scripts or supply emcees, but we handle the things an emcee is always waiting on:

• Knowing when to start. Guests check in by QR scan on staff phones, and the dashboard shows who has arrived against who's expected, overall and by table.

• Guests finding their seats. Each guest's table is on their ticket and phone, with a route to it on the venue map.

• Titles that are right. Each guest's record can hold a title such as Tan Sri, Dato' Sri or Haji, and it carries through to emails, WhatsApp messages and lucky draw winners.

• A fair lucky draw. Draw only from guests who checked in, show winners on a screen readable from the back of the hall, and keep every round on record.

• Live polls. Guests vote from their phones, and a results page made for projection updates as the votes come in.

Where we're not the right fit: we don't book emcees, run AV or build the stage. If you want someone to run the whole night, pair us with an event management company.

Running an annual dinner or conference soon? Request a demo and tell us your date and headcount in the form. We'll show you how check-in, seating and the lucky draw would run for your event, and we reply within 24 hours. You can also see how it works for event organisers in Malaysia.

FAQ

What is an MC script?

An MC script, or emcee script, is the text a master of ceremonies reads to run an event: the welcome, the greeting to VIPs, speaker introductions, links between items, guest instructions and the closing. "MC" and "emcee" mean the same thing. Emcee is simply M.C. spelled out.

How to emcee a program script?

Take the final programme or run of show and write one block for each item that needs a voice. Open with a call to seats, greet the most senior guests first, introduce each speaker in a sentence or two, and thank them in one sentence. Read it aloud with a timer, print it in a large font, and rehearse in the room with the real microphone.

How to be a good emcee?

Prepare names and titles in writing, start on time, keep your links short, and keep the attention on the people you introduce. Have rescue lines ready for a late VIP or a failed microphone, and agree signals with the person calling the show.

What should an emcee say to open an event?

Keep it simple: "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to [Event Name]. My name is [Name], and I'll be your host tonight." At a formal Malaysian event, add the greeting after the VIPs have arrived: "Assalamualaikum, salam sejahtera and a very good evening", followed by the top two or three guests by title.

How do you close an event as an emcee?

Thank the VIPs, sponsors, venue team and organising committee, tell guests what happens next, and end warmly: "Please collect your door gift on the way out. Drive safely, and we'll see you next year. Good night!" At a formal event, you can end with "Wassalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh".

How long should an emcee script be?

Only as long as the links need, because most of an event belongs to the speakers and performers. Sample 1 in this guide is about 750 words for a three-hour dinner, which is roughly six minutes of talking at a rule-of-thumb 120 words a minute. Time your own with a timer.

Who should an emcee greet first at a Malaysian event?

The person with the highest position in the room, whether host or guest. Name the top two or three in full with their honorifics, such as "Yang Berhormat" or "Yang Berbahagia", then group everyone else. The official reference for honorifics is the Prime Minister's Department circular SPA Bil. 4/2014.

Should an annual dinner emcee use English or Bahasa Malaysia?

Use whatever your guests are most comfortable with. Many Malaysian companies use both, with the greeting given once in full, instructions repeated in both languages, and everything else in the main language of the night. Malaysian titles stay as they are in either language.