Writing tips for a smooth meeting journey
March is the month of several literary national holidays—World Poetry Day, National Speech and Debate Education Day, National Grammar Day, National Proofreading Day, National Write Down Your Story Day and World Storytelling Day.
When writing and delivering event scripts, you want to be eloquent, engaging and effective—this could all come down to the words. Here are some writing tips and common writing mistakes to keep in mind as you are writing event scripts for yourself or the event host.
Use Colors, Fonts and Line Separations
When writing for public speaking, use color and/or font changes and line separations to keep thoughts separate for the flow of the script. If it is a run-on paragraph, speakers and emcees can get confused or start to have anxiety in front of a live audience, which may lead to improvisation you may not appreciate.
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Keep Intros Succinct
Attendees came to hear you speak about something other than what they can easily Google. Don’t let bios and company descriptions eat up the first half of your script. Time each section as you rehearse, balancing background information with valuable messaging.
Pronounce Names Correctly!
Spell out names phonetically on your event script and highlight the ones you may have trouble with. You always want to be respectful, and it can appear careless if you stumble over someone’s name. Ask the person how to pronounce their name correctly and practice out loud. They will thank you for the courtesy.
Don’t Forget About Your AV Team
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Keep your AV team in the loop about the flow of your event script and make sure they have a finalized version of it at least a week before your event. This is especially important if your speakers are using any visual aids or a host is relying on a teleprompter. Always keep several copies of your script on hand to give to any and everybody who might need one on the AV team.
Don’t Wait Until the Last Minute
Give yourself or whoever is delivering the script plenty of time to read, reread, proofread and practice. You want to have the flexibility to close your computer at night and come back to your work the next morning with a fresh set of eyes. It will just add stress if you procrastinate!
This article appears in the March 2023 issue. You can subscribe to the magazine here.
