called a hook or a grabber.
I don’t want to close my eyes; it makes me feel awkward and exposed to be in a group of people with my eyes closed. Because of that, I keep my eyes open. The problem is when I keep my eyes open, I feel like some sort of horrible nonconformist rebel. I feel awkward with my eyes closed and I feel guilty if they are open. Either way, I just feel bad. Besides, half of the time when speakers tell audience members to close their eyes, they forget to tell us when we can open them. If you are wanting me to imagine a story, just tell me to imagine it, don’t make me close my eyes (rant over).
You should plan your opening to be intentional and with power. “Can everybody hear me” is a weak and uncertain statement and this is not the first impression you want to leave. Do a microphone check before the audience members arrive and have someone stand in different corners of the room to make sure you can be heard. Don’t waste your valuable speech time with questions that you should already know the answer to.
You should know that before you begin. Even if the presentations for the day are running over and you are the last speaker, you should ask the MC before you begin. Always plan your first words with power.
You should make your slides big, really big. Test out your slides in advance of your speech, walk all around the room and make sure you can read them. Have a friend check them out as well. You should know they are big enough because you planned for it and tested it.
People really hate having things taken away, not to mention that your audience may want to take notes on their devices. Chances are you are speaking to adults, let them determine if it is appropriate to have out their technology.
Stop apologizing! Stop making excuses! While these lines may be true, they just come of as excuses and can make the audience either feel like you don’t want to be there, or they just feel sorry for you.
Talking about your nervousness will make you more nervous and will make them look for signs of your nervousness. Just start your speech.
Do not start with hesitation. Plan the first words, memorize the first words, practice the first words. Do not start with “Ok, so um, now I’d like…” Plan strong and start strong.
Do Not Discuss Your Business with People Watching…Really! I Mean It! Many of us are giving and listening to presentations in an online format. I have attended numerous presentations this year through Zoom where I have to sit and watch while the organizers engage in personal small talk or deal with the details of the presentation. This is how the speech I recently attended began. “Donna, you are going to share your screen, right?” “Yes. I have my PowerPoint ready to go. Will you push “record” when I give the signal?” “Sure. Where did you say that button is again? Do you think we should wait five more minutes, I think we had more who were coming? Dave, what was the total we were expecting?” “Yeah, we had 116 sign up, but the reminders went out late so this may be all we have. We can give them a few more minutes to log on.” “Donna, How is your dog? Is she still struggling with her cone since her spay surgery? My dog never would wear the cone –she tore her stitches out and broke her wound open. It was terrible. Well, it looks like it is about time to begin, thank you everyone for coming.” If you are organizing an event online, hosting a speech online, giving a presentation online–please keep it professional. Most platforms will allow you to keep the audience in a waiting room until it is time to start. If you have a business to deal with, keep the audience out until you have everything ready to go. Once the audience is in the meeting, you should engage the audience in group-type small talk or you should just start the presentation. In professional settings, you should start the meeting on time. Why punish those who showed up on time to wait for those who aren’t there yet?
I asked my long-time friend, Bill Rogers, to write an excerpt to add to the book. I met Bill when he was the Chief Development Officer for a hospital in Northwest Arkansas and I met him again when he was reinventing himself as a college student getting a Master’s Degree in the theater. He would love to share a symbolic cup of coffee with you and give you advice about public speaking.
Perfect morning for a walk, isn’t it? Join me for a cup of coffee? Wonderful. Find us a table and I’ll get our coffee.
There you go; just like you like it. There’s nothing like a great cup of coffee on the patio of your neighborhood coffee shop, is there?
Now that you’re settled in your favorite chair, take a sip, and let that glorious caffeine kick in and do its stuff. Okay, let’s talk.
So, you were asking me about public speaking.
Well, let’s see. Where do we begin?
One of the first pieces of advice I ever received was to imagine that every member of your audience is sitting there in their underwear! Yeah, right. That never worked for me. I tried it once with a local civic group of community leaders both male and female. If the intent of that tidbit is to make you relax, it certainly didn’t work for me. It just made me more self-conscious…and more nervous. I not only got distracted, but I also lost my train of thought, I started sweating, and, of course, imagined myself standing there without clothes. Needless to say, that speech was a disaster and I’ve never used it again. I suggest you don’t either.
In the early days, I also relied very heavily on my typed-up speech. Now, there’s nothing wrong with that unless you find yourself reading it word for word as I did. Nothing is more boring nor puts an audience to sleep quicker than a speaker with their nose down reading a speech. There’s no connection and connection with your audience is key.
As you know, I love theatre and I’ve done a bit of acting over the years. Early on, I learned that the quicker I learned my lines, the more I could play, experiment, and shape my character. It relaxed me and gave me enormous freedom. It led me to find a mantra for myself: “With discipline comes freedom.” This freedom will allow you to improvise as your audience or situation dictates while still conveying the core message of your presentation. That discipline and its resulting freedom apply to public speaking of any kind and, I think, will serve you well.
Another old adage we’ve all heard is Aristotle’s advice. You know the one. No? Well, roughly, it’s to tell your audience what you’re going to say, say it, and then tell them what you just said. That’s the basic formula for public speaking. And it works as a good place to start.
However, effective speaking is much more and, to me, it starts with a story or even a simple sentence.
You know the feeling you get when you read the first sentence of a good book and it just reaches out and grabs you? That should be your goal with every presentation. One sentence to capture your audience’s attention. Something that causes them to lean forward. Something that sparks their imagination.
It doesn’t have to be all that profound either. It can be something very simple. A personal story that relates to your topic. A relevant fact or statistic that defines or illustrates the issue or subject matter at hand.
A couple of classics come to mind. The first is Alice Walker’s, “The Color of Purple.”
“You better not tell nobody but God.”
And the second one is from my favorite novel, “To Kill A Mockingbird,” by Harper Lee.
“When he was nearly thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm broken at the elbow.”
Both sentences hook you immediately. A few simple words speak volumes. After reading or hearing those words, you naturally lean in. You want to learn more. You want to find out what happens next. Every effective speech or presentation does the same thing.
Of course, make sure that the first and last thing you say to your audience is both relevant and appropriate. I share this out of an abundance of caution. I once worked for an internationally recognized and well-respected children’s research hospital and I was given the privilege to speak at a national educational convention. The room was filled wall to wall with teachers. I thought I’d be cute and add a little levity. I opened my presentation with this line, “You know, I’ve had nightmares like this…” Instead of the roars of laughter, I was expecting, a wave of silence ensued. Not only was the line not funny, but it was also wholly inappropriate and I immediately lost my audience. Not my best day. Learn from my mistakes.
Finally, let’s touch on the importance of approaching a speech as a conversation. You and I are sitting here enjoying our coffee and having a friendly, relaxed conversation. Strive for that every chance you get. You may not always have that luxury. Some speeches and presentations simply demand formality. But even in those cases, you can usually make it somewhat conversational. I always try to write my speeches in a conversational style. Like I’m talking to a friend…or trying to make a new one.
So, to recap: tell a story, learn your lines, hook your audience with a simple sentence, close with a question or call to action, use repetition, keep it conversational, treat your audience as a friend, and give yourself permission to relax.
Above all, be yourself. Allow yourself to be as relaxed as you are with those closest to you. If you’re relaxed, if you try to think of your audience as a friend, then, in most cases, they too will relax and they will root for you. Even if they disagree with what you are telling them, they will respect you and they will listen.
How about another cup?
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Advanced Public Speaking Copyright © 2021 by Lynn Meade is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.
Last Updated: July 29, 2023 Fact Checked
This article was co-authored by Patrick Muñoz . Patrick is an internationally recognized Voice & Speech Coach, focusing on public speaking, vocal power, accent and dialects, accent reduction, voiceover, acting and speech therapy. He has worked with clients such as Penelope Cruz, Eva Longoria, and Roselyn Sanchez. He was voted LA's Favorite Voice and Dialect Coach by BACKSTAGE, is the voice and speech coach for Disney and Turner Classic Movies, and is a member of Voice and Speech Trainers Association. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 1,710,212 times.
Are you on welcome speech duty for an upcoming program or event? You’ve got nothing to worry about—with the right format and tone, it’s super easy to write and present a welcome speech for just about any occasion. We’ve outlined everything you need to know, from your opening greetings and acknowledgments, to establishing the right tone and nailing your closing remarks. You’ve got this in the bag!
Patrick Muñoz
Grab your audience's attention with a strong opening. Start with a loud voice and a strong presence that welcomes everyone and gets them involved. Ask a question they can respond to or tell a joke — anything to connect with the audience. Do something that grabs their attention and excites them and makes them thrilled about the event.
To write a welcome speech, start with a greeting to your audience that’s appropriate to the situation. For example, you could try “Good evening ladies and gentlemen” if you’re introducing a formal event, or “Thank you everyone for coming on this sunny day” for a more relaxed occasion. After you’ve finished the greeting, introduce the event by talking about who organized it and what its purpose is. In the main body of your speech, acknowledge 2 or 3 people who played important parts in organizing the event. You should also emphasize special parts of the event that people should pay attention to, such as where dinner will be or where a conference session will take place. When you’re ready to conclude your speech, tell the audience to enjoy the event by saying something like “I hope you all enjoy the exciting speakers to come.” Finish your speech by thanking the audience for attending. For tips on how to introduce people at a special occasion, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No
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There have been many articles, even here on Best Delegate that talk about making speeches. However, none have been focused directly on the much feared “opening speeches.” A little bit about me – as the President of the General Assembly at THIMUN Singapore X (2014), I had the privilege of listening to at least 160 speeches from member nations and other non-governmental organization. Here are some definitive tips to use when making an opening speech:
Writing the Speech
1. Know the details
At some conferences, only the General Assembly delegates make opening speeches. In others, all committees have their own speeches. Make sure you know that you have to make a speech. In addition, make sure you know how long your speech needs to be. If you don’t know, stick to 50 seconds to one minute, though speeches in specialized committees are known to last from 1:30 – 3 minutes.
2. Focus on one topic only
We all don’t prepare a resolution for each and every topic to be debated at a committee. Focus on the issue that matters to your member nation the most and how that relates to the topics to be debated at the conference. When trying to get people to listen, depth is more important than breadth.
Some may argue that the purpose of an opening speech is to show your knowledge on everything – but for me, an opening speech is there to impress, to establish yourself as a leader and a good orator, which is something all committees love and need.
3. Word limit and time
We’ll talk about pacing later, but many people ask how many words is a good guideline for a one minute speech. If you are talking at the proper, slow pace – 150 words maximum is a good idea. It’s important to practice your speech before you deliver your speech, but you can bet that 150 words for one minute is a good idea. Remember, it’s about impact and depth, not breadth.
4. Formatting
Choose a font that you are most comfortable with, preferably Times New Roman or Arial, and make it 16 size font, justified, and 1.5 spaced. This could apply to other speeches you make as well. If you need to do so, bold, underline, or make notes after printing to make sure you know which words to emphasize or be careful in pronouncing. This format allows for you to be able to read everything clearly in the confusion of nervousness or unexpected events.
5. Make it interesting, but not too “interesting”
It’s always nice to hear a speech that does not start with “Good afternoon fellow delegates, esteemed Chairs, and distinguished guests.” Be creative with your entry by introducing the topic straight out.
Example: December 26th, 2004 is a day every expert in this room will never forget. 283,000 people were killed when an 9.1 magnitude earthquake caused one of the largest tsunamis in human history.
By introducing the issue with a “slammer,” you will gain everyone’s attention.
Most Chairs, including myself find it extraordinarily cheesy when someone makes another donut, mini-skirt, or Gandalf reference in their speech. Don’t be pretentious, cheesy, or vain in your speech, the opening speech isn’t the occasion for that and will make you look bad.
Delivering the Speech
1. Practice and be prepared
Make sure you practice at least one day in advance. Print your opening speech – it’s unprofessional to use an electronic device! Timing is especially important. You don’t want to work hard on your speech only for the Chair to ask you to “come to your closing remarks.” Make sure you have necessary items, be it your glasses or a reading light if necessary.
2. Body Language
You aren’t expected to make full eye contact during the speech nor are you expected to be as comfortable as the late Steve Jobs presenting the iPad. However, make sure you spend at least three quarters of the time looking at your audience.
If you’re unsure about what to do with your hands, put them on the podium. If you’re feeling more comfortable, use hand gestures. Never ever put your hands to your side or in your pocket.
3. Tone and Pace
I always tell Chairs I am training and delegates I’m helping that when they speak, they should be able to speak clearly and slowly enough for somebody to be able to copy what they have said word by word on paper. If you’re done saying 150 words in 30 seconds, you need to speak slowly. Speaking quick is not a speaking style – it’s distracts from your message and makes you seem like you want to end the speech as soon as possible.
Make sure you are talking into the microphone if there is one, and projecting your voice outwards. This does not mean shouting nor does it mean talking to yourself qualifies as making a speech.
4. Be confident
When the Chair calls your nation’s or organization’s name, walk up to the podium with confidence. Shoulders back, back straight, and walk at a good pace with confidence and preparedness. It definitely makes a difference seeing a confident speaker walk up and ready to make a speech rather than a scared speaker scurrying up to the podium.
5. Let mistakes happen
If you have taken all these things into consideration, you should be fine. If you speak too quickly or speak too slowly and get told to come to your closing remarks, that is fine. Take a mistake and don’t do anything with it. Move on.
Do not cringe to yourself or gesture that you’ve made a mistake, most people don’t even realize.
An opening speech is a small task that requires a lot of thoughtful planning. Stand out in the crowd and don’t make a speech someone else could have made with their eyes closed. Think about it and deliver it well, and the committee you’re in will be impressed and want to get to know you.
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3 step guide to writing a great master of ceremony opening speech.
Over the last 20 years I’ve had to write an Opening Speech for hundreds of large events where I have been engaged as the MC.
Some have been relatively easy, while others have required many hours of effort and thought.
Rather than reinvent the wheel each time, I now have a 3 Part Formula or Process I always follow. This both saves me time but also ensures that all the elements of a great opening speech are there.
I like to cook when I’m at home and in many ways putting together a great Master of Ceremony opening speech is like cooking a great meal.
Firstly you have to understand what you are trying to make, then the ingredients you are going to use and finally, how you are going to combine them!
We are going to dive in deep into each of those areas but I hope you can see how the metaphor works.
Understanding the outcome you are aiming for, the why, is important because your role as an MC is to help your client achieve their aims for the event. If you are not aware of those aims you could in fact hinder the process with ill considered comments or wrong emphasis. To go back to the planning of your meal, are you making sandwiches and finger food or designing a 5 course sit down banquet?
Secondly, while the ingredients of each opening may sometimes be very similar, often, like a good cook, you can substitute different things. You might change the spice to create a slightly different flavour or double the amount of another ingredient to add more kick or emphasis.
And lastly you can combine those ingredients in different ways. Some elements work better going in early, sometimes just a pinch near the end is all that’s required.
It’s unlikely that you are the organiser of the event itself, though this formula is just as useful if you are and are writing your own opening speech.
In most cases as an MC you will have an organiser, who is then your client. This is the person who has asked you to be the MC. It could be a business owner, CEO, your headmaster, the President of the Association etc. They have specific reasons why this event is taking place and it is your job to ascertain what they are.
In every situation you want to have a briefing session with this person either face to face or over the phone. This Briefing of course will cover your involvement in the whole event, but in this article we will just focus on the Opening.
Pro Tip – Check out the full list of Briefing Questions on page 102 of the Expert MC Toolkit & Resource Manual .
Knowing “why” the event is taking place will get you firmly on the right track to writing a great opening speech!
Is it a Celebration, an Information Night, a Product Launch, Team Building or an Awards Night?
And don’t take a simple answer like “oh, we have it every year” as an answer. Drill in a little deeper. The next question will open it up a bit more.
Building on the “why” question, I usually then ask … “how do you want the audience to Think or Act after the event?” This can be immediately after or when they get back to work etc.
Are they trying to motivate the audience to do something or get them to meet lots of new people. Are they making them more confident about their jobs or are they wanting them to sign up to buy something? Are they gearing up the audience for some hard times ahead?
Is there an actual Theme or Slogan for the Event? We have written about this before but this will give you big clues about what to say and possibly what to wear for the event.
Once you have some of this Big Picture stuff sorted, it’s time to get onto the nitty gritty. Now, sometimes these finer details won’t be known at the time of the briefing, but at least they have been flagged as something you need to know.
You obviously need to have a firm idea about the length of time that you are aiming for in an Master of Ceremonies opening speech.
Pro Tip – It’s always good to try and get a longer time allocation than you need or that you will write for. This allows some immediate flex time. If the event starts a little late, and it inevitably will, those extra couple of minutes you asked for may put you back on track.
Are there any official protocols that must be included?
In some countries and with some cultural groups, a Prayer is included at the start of formal proceedings. The National Anthem might also be sung.
Here in Australia many groups have an Acknowledgement of Country at the start of the event, a short few lines recognising the Traditional Owners of the Land.
I use this term to incorporate other things that also must be mentioned in your opening. The more formal an event the more specific you will be.
VIP Guests, Dignitaries etc will probably be mentioned by name in a specific order.
Depending on the type of event, Sponsors my also get a mention here.
Once you know what your client wants or expects, you can then start crafting the opening.
“Housekeeping” is a widely used term that covers all the small bits and pieces of information that may also need to be conveyed to an audience.
Examples are – Where are the Toilets, what is the Wifi Code, what time does the bus leave, etc. I also include in this group – “Please turn your Phones to Silent.”
Now, depending on the type of event it is, you may not need to go through all the House Keeping in your opening speech. I prefer to do it a bit later as I find it dilutes the impact of the opening a bit. In that situation, just mention the Phones before you introduce the first speaker and come back to the Housekeeping after them.
As an MC you should always keep in mind what happens next. So when you are putting together your opening speech you need to be aware of what happens immediately after you finish so you can make the appropriate link. But more importantly, know the appropriate “energy levels.”
For example you might be launching into a facilitated Teambuilding or Networking session, in which case you will be building the energy and fun. Alternatively, you might be introducing someone speaking on a sombre or serious topic that needs focus and respect.
Now we have the vital information – what we are trying to achieve and what must be included. It’s time for the third part of the formula, putting it all together.
A structure I have found incredibly useful is this …
Closer / Link …
This works just as well if you have only 3 minutes or if you have 15. Let’s look at it in more detail.
Getting peoples attention and interest right from the start is vital.
You need to confident and assured in your dress and demeanour and your words need to match.
It’s not a time for chit chat or repartee. Bang, get straight into it!
I’ve attended a couple of sessions with the Patricia Fripp, the British born, now American based speaker coach. (And sister of legendary guitarist Robert Fripp.)
Her advice for speakers is to start with something bold, a phrase or sentence that grabs attention and interest. I think the advice works just as well for MC’s as it does for speakers.
For several events business events I’ve started with …
“Princeton University, 1955. Professor Albert Einstein is handing out exam papers to his final year students …”
Did that get your attention? Did you want to know what happens next? Of course you do!
That works so much better than “Good Evening Ladies and Gentlemen, my names Timothy Hyde and I will be your MC for the event..”
After the quick story, (that relates totally to the WHY they are having the meeting,) you can then move into the welcome and greeting.
Remember also the Voice of God introduction. This will also grab peoples attention and let them know your name! It also enables you to move into something more meaty at the start.
Pro Tip – The full “Einstein Opener” mentioned above is found on page 33 of your copy of The Expert MC Toolkit & Resource Manual . The theme of Rapid Change, Innovation, Creative Solutions is perfect for many business type functions.)
Other great Opening Grabbers include
Once you have got the attention of the audience, you can do an official type welcome and include any Protocol type things you need to cover. VIP’s, Sponsors etc
You now move onto the Big Picture.
This will emphasis the Theme of the Event and Why are you all here.
This sets the context for everything to follow. You may mention a couple of highlights of the program coming up, the Who and the What.
I then like to move from Big Picture to the Personal.
So what I’m saying relates directly to each and every attendee.
Now, what is included here depends once again on what the client wants for the outcome of the event.
Are you motivating and enthusing them?
Are you planting seeds that they will get lots of information?
Do you need to reinforce the benefits of being here?
Are they here to – Network, Set Goals or Relax?
Pro Tip – Plant a seed of Co-operation!
In my Opening speech I always like to plant a seed of co-operation. This is a message that we need to work together to keep the event running on time. That running on time will enable all the Speakers to do their full presentations and if they do, YOU will gain maximum benefit from being here. You are busy people, it’s a packed agenda, we want you to gain a lot from being here and we want to finish on time etc.
I also reinforce this at certain times during the event by thanking them for their help.
Depending on what’s happening next, this is a good moment to either slip in any urgent Housekeeping or close up your opening and introduce the first activity or speaker.
I often would use an appropriate quote or a mention of the Theme again, taking it back to Big Picture.
This 3 Part Process will give you a good basis to start writing stronger Openings.
Part 1 gives you the WHY, the reason for the event and the outcomes you are aiming for.
Part 2 adds the details that must be incorporated.
Part 3 gives you a structure for the opening.
Timothy Hyde
Widely acknowledged as one of Australia's busiest & best MC's and a global authority on the MC Industry, Timothy Hyde shares his expertise and insights into this fascinating Professional Speaking niche via this site and a dynamic YouTube channel. His best selling book The ExpertMC Toolkit and Resource Manual has helped thousands of people worldwide improve their Emcee skills and in many cases, start earning a living by taking on the role.
Closing Speech
Step by Step guide to writing a great Closing Speech. This is aimed at MC's and Event Hosts writing an Emcee Script. However many of the Tips and Insights are applicable to Speakers doing the Closing...
Great Opening Lines for Emcee
Prefer to watch a Video? Here's one on the same Topic! https://youtu.be/wbl7TgacF04 An Insiders Guide to Great Opening Lines for any MC or Speech. A great Opening Line should aim to...
Welcome speech generator.
Creating an engaging Welcome Speech sets the tone for any event. In this resource, we offer a variety of speech examples to guide you in crafting a warm and impactful greeting. Whether it’s for a formal gathering, a corporate event, or a casual meet-up, our examples provide a framework for delivering a message that resonates with your audience. Learn how to start your event on a positive note, making every attendee feel valued and excited about what’s to come.
What Is a Welcome Speech? A welcome speech is a statement that signifies a beginning of any particular event, meeting, assembly, or celebration. It is used in order to cordially greet all participants in a gathering. In addition to that, it also contains important information about a special highlight in the event.
Just like any other speech, it follows a structure. Welcome speeches are intended to raise excitement, delight, and anticipation to every person in the crowd. Its very nature is to address an audience and deliver a message that is suitable for the special occasion speech .
Download Welcome Speech Bundle
There are different kinds of speeches according to the nature of its functionality. There is persuasive speech , retirement speech , and keynote speech. All of these requires skills and confidence to be delivered in the most convincing and appealing way. Adding to the list is the welcome speech which is important to mark a beginning of an event. A speech introduction has to be brief and energetic in order not to bore the audience. The speaker needs to be lively and high-spirited as well when delivering the speech. All these are but additives and factors to create a good welcome speech.
Greeting : Begin with a warm greeting to the audience. Example: “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.” Introduction : Briefly introduce yourself, mentioning your name and role or connection to the event.
Gratitude : Express gratitude to the attendees for their presence. Example: “Thank you all for being here today.” Special Guests : If applicable, acknowledge any special guests, dignitaries, or significant participants by name or title. Organizers and Sponsors : Recognize the efforts of the event organizers, sponsors, and volunteers.
Event Significance : Highlight the importance and purpose of the event. This can be a brief statement that encapsulates the essence of the gathering. Expectations : Share what the attendees can expect from the event, such as key speakers, activities, or outcomes.
Schedule Highlight : Provide a concise overview of the event’s agenda or key highlights without going into too much detail.
Engagement Request : Encourage attendees to participate actively in the event, whether through listening, asking questions, or partaking in activities. Networking Encouragement : If relevant, motivate attendees to network with each other, fostering a sense of community and collaboration.
Warm Wishes : Conclude with warm wishes for an enjoyable and successful event. Example: “I hope you find today’s event both enlightening and enjoyable.” Closing : End with a polite closing remark. Example: “Thank you, and let’s have a wonderful time together.”
Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, It is my absolute pleasure to welcome each and every one of you to the annual Gala Night of [Organization’s Name]. My name is [Your Name], and I am thrilled to be your host for this enchanting evening. First and foremost, I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to all of you for joining us tonight. Your presence adds a special warmth to our gathering and makes this event even more memorable. A special welcome goes out to our distinguished guests, [Names of Special Guests], whose support and dedication to our cause have been nothing short of remarkable. I would also like to acknowledge the incredible effort of our event organizers, volunteers, and sponsors. Without your tireless work and generous contributions, tonight’s celebration would not have been possible. Your commitment to excellence is what brings our community closer and makes events like these a resounding success. Tonight, we are gathered here not just to celebrate, but to reaffirm our commitment to [Organization’s Mission/Objective]. Through this evening’s activities, speeches, and performances, we hope to shed light on the impact of our collective efforts and the continuing need for support. As we move through the evening, I encourage you all to engage with one another, share stories, and enjoy the array of performances we have lined up for you. Let this night be a testament to the strength and unity of our community, as we work together towards a brighter, more promising future. Before I conclude, let me remind you to make the most of tonight. Let’s cherish these moments of joy, celebrate our achievements, and look forward to the new opportunities that lie ahead. Thank you once again for being here. I hope you have a wonderful time and leave tonight feeling inspired and uplifted. Let the celebration begin! Thank you, and enjoy your evening.
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A welcome speech is a key component of any event, setting the tone and making attendees feel valued and excited for what’s to come. Here’s a guide on crafting an engaging and warm welcome speech:
Your welcome speech doesn’t have to be four or five pages long like some graduation speeches . Here are a few tips to write one
Most of us have probably read or listened to a hundred or maybe thousands of speeches. That includes welcome speech outline. Maybe we can all agree here that the welcome speech sets the tone of the event. Welcome speech can be useful in many ways such as welcome speech for students , welcome speech for an event and many.
In reality, we always judge a thing by its first appearance. In the same way as in an event, we can tell how it goes by the welcoming or introductory rights. It is very important that the welcome speech template is prepared and well-versed in order to set the right expectations to the audience.
What do you say when welcoming guests.
When welcoming guests, express gratitude for their presence, extend a warm greeting, and convey excitement about their participation in the event. Make them feel valued and appreciated.
In a grand opening speech, acknowledge the significance of the occasion, thank attendees, share the purpose of the event, and express enthusiasm for the new venture or establishment.
A welcome address speech is a formal or informal presentation given to greet and acknowledge the audience at the beginning of an event or gathering, expressing hospitality, gratitude, and enthusiasm.
To give a warm welcome speech, use a friendly and inviting tone, express gratitude for the audience’s presence, acknowledge the significance of the occasion, and convey genuine enthusiasm.
Crafting a captivating welcome speech is an art that involves understanding your audience and the purpose of the event. For additional resources on writing and delivering effective speeches, the University of Nevada, Reno’s Writing & Speaking Center offers valuable tips on speech introductions, which can be found here. These resources provide insights into creating impactful openings that capture the audience’s attention and set the stage for a successful event.
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Creating a warm Welcome Speech for a community event
How to draft a Welcome Speech for new employees
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One of the hardest things about public speaking is knowing how to start a speech. Your opening line is your first impression. It’s how you capture attention. It’s how you captivate the audience. So how do you make sure you nail it every time?
The best way to know how to open a speech is to look at what has worked in the past. When we examined the top speeches of all time and the most popular TED talks of all time, we found some interesting speaking patterns.
Time has identified the top 10 greatest speeches of all time. They are:
#1: Socrates – “Apology”
#2: Patrick Henry – “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death”
#3: Frederick Douglass – “The Hypocrisy of American Slavery”
#4: Abraham Lincoln – “Gettysburg Address”
Opening Line: “Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.”
#5: Susan B. Anthony – “Women’s Rights to the Suffrage”
#6: Winston Churchill – “Blood, Toil, Tears, and Sweat”
#7: John F. Kennedy – “Inaugural Address”
Opening Line: “We observe today not a victory of party, but a celebration of freedom — symbolizing an end, as well as a beginning — signifying renewal, as well as change.”
#8: Martin Luther King, Jr. – “I Have a Dream”
#9: Lyndon B. Johnson – “The American Promise”
#10: Ronald Reagan – “Remarks at the Brandenburg Gate”
How do all of these historical greats start their speeches? Is there a difference between these and some of the more modern top TED talks?
Before we dive in, let’s recap with some critical do’s and don’ts when opening a speech:
Here are the opening lines to the top 10 Ted Talks of all time according to view count:
#1: Sir Ken Robinson – “Do schools kill creativity?” Opening Line: “Good morning. How are you? It’s been great, hasn’t it? I’ve been blown away by the whole thing. In fact, I’m leaving.”
#2: Amy Cuddy – “Your Body Language May Shape Who You Are” Opening Line: “So I want to start by offering you a free, no-tech life hack, and all it requires of you is this: that you change your posture for two minutes.”
#3: Simon Sinek – “How Great Leaders Inspire Action”
#4: Brene Brown – “The Power of Vulnerability” Opening Line: “So, I’ll start with this: a couple years ago, an event planner called me because I was going to do a speaking event.”
#5: Mary Roach – “10 Things You Didn’t Know About Orgasm” Opening Line: “All right. I’m going to show you a couple of images from a very diverting paper in The Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine.”
#6: Julian Treasure – “How to Speak so that People Want to Listen” Opening Line: “The human voice: It’s the instrument we all play.”
#7: Jill Bolte Taylor – “My Stroke of Insight” Opening Line: “I grew up to study the brain because I have a brother who has been diagnosed with a brain disorder: schizophrenia.”
#8: James Veitch – “This is What Happens When You Reply to Spam Email” Opening Line: “A few years ago, I got one of those spam emails.”
#9: Cameron Russell – “Looks Aren’t Everything; Believe Me, I’m a Model” Opening Line: “Hi. My name is Cameron Russell, and for the last little while, I’ve been a model.”
#10: Dan Pink – “The Puzzle of Motivation” Opening Line: “I need to make a confession at the outset here.”
What can we learn from these opening lines? There are some patterns that can help us. First, let’s start with what you shouldn’t do. Have you ever made one of these cardinal speaking sins?
Anything technical! This is a big mistake people make when they have not done a tech check ahead of time or are feeling nervous. Never start with these openers:
Your nervousness. Many people think it is vulnerable to start with how nervous they are about speaking — you can mention this later, but it should not be the first thing. Why? People will then only be looking for signs of your nervousness. Don’t start with:
A lackluster or non-believable nicety. It’s great to be grateful to the person who introduced you, but it’s not a great way to include the audience. It’s ok to thank the audience for being there—but do it at the end (not as your opening line). These are all too boring:
Boring, shmoring! I have an exception here if you can make it funny. Ken Robinson started with a nicety and then turned it into a joke. He said, “ “Good morning. How are you? It’s been great, hasn’t it? I’ve been blown away by the whole thing. In fact, I’m leaving.”
Get even more public speaking tips with our related resources:
A story. The absolute best way to start a presentation is with a story. There is nothing better to capture the imagination and attention of an audience. Try to use these speaking openers as fill-in-the-blanks for your speech.
In his talk, “The lies our culture tells us about what matters,” David Brooks started off with a great opening line AND a story. He said, “So, we all have bad seasons in life. And I had one in 2013. My marriage had just ended, and I was humiliated by that failed commitment.” Makes you want to watch right…
And if you need help on storytelling basics, be sure to check out some of my top 5 favorite speakers .
A BIG idea. Sometimes you want to share your big idea right up front. This can be helpful because it is intriguing and gets people clued in right away. All TED speakers try to integrate their big idea early.
I love how Stacy Smith starts off her talk with her big idea framed in an interesting way. She said, “Today, I want to tell you about a pressing social issue. Now, it’s not nuclear arms, it’s not immigration, and it’s not malaria. I’m here to talk about movies.”
Special Note: Be very careful to NOT deliver your one-liner by re-reading your title slide. You also want to position it as exciting and intriguing. For example, don’t say, “Today I am going to talk about body language.” Instead say, “Today I am going to teach you the single most important thing you can do to improve your charisma… and it starts with your body.”
A quirky one-liner. If you can use humor — do it! Humor or curiosity is a great way to start a speech on a high. You can get creative with these! Think of an interesting fact about you, your audience or your topic that can lead you into your content.
When I gave my TEDx London Talk I started off with a quirky one-liner that immediately got a few laughs. It was “Hi, I’m Vanessa and I am a recovering awkward person.” It worked so well it is also the first line of my book, Captivate .
II love the way Eve Ensler opens her speech with an interesting one-liner: “For a long time, there was me, and my body.”
This is a great tip from Conor Neill. He says that it is great to start with a question that the audience is asking themselves or would be very curious to know the answer to. This might be phrasing a pain point or worry for your audience.
See Cono Neill’s examples here:
Did you know…? Any interesting factoid or curiosity is bound to intrigue your audience. This is great if it leads into your content or a story. I like to start with did you know… Here are some that I use. You will have to fill in the blank for your audience:
Jamie Oliver does this amazingly in his TED Talk. He starts with this mind-blowing fact, “Sadly, in the next 18 minutes when I do our chat, four Americans that are alive will be dead through the food that they eat.”
Hopefully these opening lines will give you some ideas to use to open your speech.
Do you know how to end on a high? Leave a lasting impression in your presentation? Science tells us that the first and last parts of your presentations are the most important. Get our FREE download to get our closer guide.
20 thoughts on “how to start a speech: the best (and worst) speech openers”.
Love your material
didnt help me but still good stuff
Thank you Vanessa. I’ve been a public speaker for 25 years and I’m impressed with your content here. Thank you. Looking forward to a deep dive into more of your material. With gratitude.
Found these examples super informative. Can’t wait to mix match the examples to see which one will work best for my presentation!
I am preparing to make a presentation on Public Speaking and came across your article. This is very instructive and timely too.Many thanks.
Comments are closed.
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“ Well begun is half done” – Mary Poppins.
A killer speech opener will make the difference between a presentation that makes you soar or your audience snore .
I’ve researched the whole web to find nine killer speech openers to make your audience lean in and listen rather than tune out and daydream.
You’ll see how masters of the craft have used them, and how you can too.
Number seven takes chutzpah to pull off. Ready for the whole list of killer speech openers?
One of the best ways to open your speech with a buzz is to startle or shock them.
You can shock an audience in many ways, but they all rest on the major senses of V.A.K.S:
We don’t want your audience tasting your talk, but it should leave a good taste in their mouths.
Changing Minds suggests asking if the audience is awake after appearing from a flash bang and a cloud of smoke, and this might work for you if you’re a magician or playing some kind of character for your speech like a genie.
Suppose you aren’t going for the magic angle.
In that case, you can shock them on a psychological level instead, as Conor Neill recommends, and tell your audience a surprising fact or statistic that makes them question their thinking or beliefs.
“Did you know that half the water on earth is older than the sun?”
Questions like these will shake an audience awake and turn on their critical thinking nervous-system.
Don’t take my word for it; you can see an incredible demonstration of the shock opener in Mohammed Qahtani’s speech, The Power of Words .
Qahtani opens by taking out a cigarette and placing it into his mouth before trying to light it. The audience is so shocked that they gasp and tell him to stop.
Remember, if your audience is shocked, they are listening.
Your audience doesn’t always have to be jolted to attention with a shock opener, though you can use a more subtle approach to grab their focus.
The story opener.
You can set the tone of your speech instantly with a story .
In Hollywood, filmmakers and directors use an ‘establishing shot’ to set the tone and theme of the entire film.
When creating your speech, think of a short story that sums up your talk.
Maybe you tell half the story to begin with, and then the other half at the end.
The important thing is your tale must be relatable . If your audience can’t imagine themselves in the story, they won’t be engaged.
We all experience very similar things in life:
We are all cut from the same cloth, so it’s good to be reminded that others are going through what we face or think as we do.
Bryan Stevenson does a stellar job of recounting his mischievous grandmother in his TED talk, We need to talk about an injustice .
The best thing is, you can combine a story-opener with any other speech opener in this list.
It’s truly versatile.
One of my favourite speech openers is next, though.
I love this speech opener.
What better way to hook your audience than to intrigue them with mystery or a juicy secret?
Have a look at Daniel Pink’s TED Talk The puzzle of motivation . After he begins, Pink, looking like a guilty man sent to the gallows, tells his audience:
“I need to confess something, at the outset here. A little over 20 years ago, I did something I regret. Something I’m not particularly proud of”.
Wow. How intriguing, right?
You have to admit; you want to know what he’s about to confess.
Choose every sentence, every word, and every mark of punctuation to increase the tantalisation temperature.
Whether it’s a secret or confession, the Intrigue Opener piques just enough curiosity in your audience to keep them from checking WhatsApp.
As humans, we need closure.
We do not like open loops.
That’s why it is both enthralling and aggravating when someone plays on our need to be sure.
Just as we cannot stand an open loop, we are instantly engaged when someone gives us a puzzle to solve.
You’ll notice the best speeches, books, TV shows, and films do not spoon-feed you all the information.
I’ve always liked the way Malcolm Gladwell writes his non-fiction books, because they contain puzzles that you solve as a reader.
This puzzle needs to be related to the speech or presentation you’re delivering, of course. It cannot be a random puzzle and will ideally be impossible or extremely difficult to solve at first.
After the speech begins, and the puzzle is revealed, you should slowly drop hints on how to solve the mystery.
Up next, speech openers that use a physical object to create curiosity in the audience’s mind.
One of the most potent ways you will captivate your audience is to use a powerful prop in your opening address.
What better way to capture an audience’s imagination than to show them a mysterious or beautiful object?
If you’ve never seen the Prop Opener done well, then have a look at one of the greatest speeches of all time:
Dananjaya Hettiarachchi’s, See Something .
Danajaya enters with a simple rose in his breast pocket, takes it out, gazes at it nostalgically, smells it and then begins to speak.
This same prop appears again right at the end of his speech to end his talk with a flourish.
There are many different props you can use.
JJ Abrams used a Mystery Box to absorb the audience’s attention, and used the box as a metaphor for his entire career.
If you think the prop opener is just for TED Talks and Toastmasters Final Speeches, remember that most company product launch centre around one or more props.
Steve Jobs revealed his new products in ever-innovative ways.
Still, while the last two speeches I’ve mentioned opened with physical items, most of Jobs’s presentations built intrigue through the sight of the product.
So remember, you can use an object, or tease your audience with the absence of a prop, but make that prop integral to your talk.
You don’t always have to use a prop, of course.
A more minimalist approach to opening your speech uses the best audience reaction a speaker can receive: laughter.
Using laughter to win over your audience is the golden ticket to immediate rapport with your audience.
Jack Schafer, PhD at Psychology Today, said that People Will Like You If You Make Them Laugh , which seems obvious, but at least you know we have scientists on the case.
He also mentions that constructing humour requires and projects a high level of intelligence .
Of course, laughter is subjective, but it is also infectious, and if you get enough members of your audience to titter, it will spread across the whole group.
If you want to see just how quickly you can win an audience over with humour, have a look at Ken Robinson’s subtle but delightful ability to raise a chuckle in his speech Do Schools Kill Creativity?
Ken’s ability to speak conversationally to an audience of thousands is genuinely remarkable.
If you break down his humour, it is easy to see how you could include similar content in your presentations.
Whether you can pull it off as well as Ken is another story.
Not everyone feels like they can be a comedian, though; I get that.
Well, that’s alright because there are other ways to open your talk that play on other strong emotions.
You can inspire your audience, too.
One of my favourite ways to help beginner speakers to open their presentation is with a quote.
A quote acts like a story in that it sets the tone and theme of your speech, but it takes much less effort and even less skill.
An effective quote is usually only one line long and supported by the credibility of the original author who uttered those words.
Watch the way Clint Smith opens his TED Talk The Danger of Silence .
Using Martin Luther King’s voice to start his speech gives Clint what psychologists call the transference effect .
Just by citing someone else, especially someone admired and famous, you redirect the emotions an audience have towards that person onto yourself.
One caveat to using quotes, though:
Fact check them . I cringe whenever I see someone incorrectly quoting someone.
Have you ever heard the quote by Albert Einstein:
“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over, and expecting different results”?
A great quote, isn’t it?
But Albert Einstein never said those words .
A quick check on Reuters will help you add more credibility to your inspirational opener.
Finally, try to use a quote few people have ever heard. Inspiring words have been filling the archives of history for millennia. Seek out something that has been left dusty on the shelf, rather than the same recycled iterations.
Next, let’s look at a type of bold speech opener that take real chutzpah to land well.
A powerful speech opener that will take confidence is the perspective shift opener.
This opener will lead the audience in one direction before changing direction and setting a new pace for the speech.
Cameron Russel does a fantastic job of controlling the frame in her TED Talk, Looks aren’t everything. Believe me; I’m a model.
Russel takes to the stage dressed in a skimpy dress and begins to tell the audience about her career, but then does a rapid wardrobe change on stage in front of the entire audience.
This change of dress sets a new tone, feel, and direction for the speech.
If you can change the audience’s perspective or frame of reality, you are in the driving seat.
One of the best things you can hope for as a speaker is moving hearts and changing minds.
If you aren’t a confident speaker, start small.
Vanessa Van Edwards suggests never mentioning how nervous you are.
It’s distracting and makes the audience pick up on all the subtle nervous energy and cues you give off. Control the frame instead and act cool and confident: they will buy into it.
Another great way to hold frame control over an audience is by using the power of silence .
Silence is a valuable commodity in today’s noisy and distracting digital world.
Creating silence at the beginning of your talk can profoundly affect your audience and their focus.
Did you ever have a teacher at school who used silence effectively?
When my English classmates were noisy, our teacher Mr Rylance would hold up his hand for silence.
Slowly, we would settle down and focus on his raised hand.
A few would giggle, but that would peter out until we all sat in a hypnotic stillness.
If you want to see an example of how to use silence, then look at Neal Glitterman’s speech The Power of Silence .
You can see how much gravity silence can have , especially as a speech opener.
The final killer opener I want to introduce you to is the big promise opener.
I believe that all speeches and presentations should contain a big promise, as it tells your audience why they should keep on listening.
Ideally, your big promise will be your speech title or phrase that pays, which is a recurring foundational phrase you will use throughout your presentation.
A big promise is your way of making a deal with the audience : you listen to me, and you’ll get something in return.
Creating a big promise at the beginning of your speech is like adding a teaser trailer to the beginning of a TV show. It suggests a reason you should stick around.
When Arthur Benjamin introduces his talk Faster than a calculator by announcing:
“I am a human calculator!”
You know that proof is on the way.
Remember the essential rule of the Big Promise Opener: make it big, and keep your promise.
I hope you feel that I kept my promise of sharing nine killer speech openers to start a presentation.
Did you notice any other speech openers at the beginning of this article?
Don’t forget; these openers can be mixed and matched.
You can include a number of these speech openers in the same presentation to create more impact.
Let me know which of these killer openers was your favourite, and let me know if you have any more you’d like to share.
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Short opening remarks for a program.
If you’ve ever been to a corporate program, you know that everyone pays close attention to the welcome speech.
The opening remarks are what entice the audience to listen with interest or not want to participate at all.
Given this, short opening remarks for a program are quite significant and should be both lengthy enough to appropriately address everyone in the room and concise enough to avoid boring anyone.
A compelling first line and introduction can quickly grab the audience’s attention. Therefore, making a good first impression is crucial to maintain their interest and excitement throughout the entire event.
Using short speeches is useful when the speaker wants to keep it straightforward, succinct, and impactful without detracting from the main event.
1. You are welcome to [program name]. We’re so happy you could be here with us today.
2. We appreciate your attendance at [program name] and wish you a good [morning/afternoon/evening].
5. I’m glad you could join us for [program name]. We are eager to get started since we have a fantastic program of events planned.
8. Here you are at [program name]. We’re so happy you could join us today to take part and learn.
9. Thank you for attending [program name] this today. We are eager to share with you ideas that will transform your life.
Here is an example of an opening speech for an event that you can use as a model or template if you’re unsure of what makes a opening speech.
2. Welcome to our award show. I am _. We feel honoured to kickstart our prestigious ceremony. We have a special guest who will be unveiled soon. Meanwhile, sit back and have fun.
3. I _ welcome everyone to our 11 biannual event in our department. It’s wonderful seeing how many people chose to be here. Your enthusiasm is contagious. We have a lineup of events that will surely tickle your toes. Please stay tuned as the events unfold. Enjoy!
1. You are welcome to [party name]. We are very happy that you could share in our celebration.
4. We’ve got a wonderful [party/celebration] planned for you today, and we can’t wait to unveil them to you.
5. We appreciate your attendance at [party name]. For you, we have a fun schedule of events and surprises planned.
7. Welcome to [name of party]. We are looking forward to celebrating with you and having a terrific time.
10. Welcome to [party name] and good morning. We’re so happy you could join us in our celebration. Let’s make this a celebration to remember!
2. Welcome to the conference this year! We join together to exchange ideas, insights, and experiences with tremendous excitement and enthusiasm. We’re all here because [conference topic] is something we’re passionate about, and I do not doubt that the coming days will be full of insightful conversations, new connections, and lots of motivation. I appreciate your presence and wish you a wonderful time.
4. Welcome to the conference this year! We are honored to have you all here with us, and we can’t wait to exchange ideas and experiences, as well as to learn from one another. We’re all here because [conference topic] is something we’re all enthusiastic about, and I do not doubt that the coming days will be full of insightful conversations and fresh connections. I appreciate your coming, and I hope you have a great time.
5. Welcome to the conference this year! We are incredibly appreciative of those who put this program together. Thank you for making time for this. Have a blast!
2. Welcome everyone! We are really happy to have the chance to collaborate online and share knowledge. Feel free to ask questions, share ideas and more importantly, network.
3. Welcome to the online event for this year, everyone! We appreciate having you all here with us (virtually, of course), and we can’t wait to share our knowledge and experiences with you all. We’re all here because [event topic] is close to our hearts, and I do not doubt that the coming hours will be full of fascinating conversations and new connections. So let’s make sure to leave this gathering with a sense of empowerment! Thank you again for coming.
Make every new students feel at home in your school with these short welcome speech for new students:
3. Welcome! We are overjoyed to have you here with us and are eager to get to know you all. We wish you the best of luck and hope you study and develop as much as you can while you are at [school/university]. Please inquire if you need assistance and ask plenty of questions. We’re here to encourage yo your success. Welcome again to school/university!
As a teacher, it makes a big difference when your students warm up to you. It makes learning a breeze for both of you. Get started with one welcome speech for students by teacher from this list.
2. Hello, pupils! I’m glad to have you all in my class today. This year, I’m thrilled to be your teacher, and I’m also eager to learn from you. We’ll be working twice as hard. No room for laziness. Ask if you need anything or if you have any questions. I promise to be your biggest support.
3. Greetings, students! I feel privileged to be your teacher this year. Tell me your name and what you do in the comments. We have a lot to learn and do together, and I am sure we can accomplish a lot. If you have questions or reservations, feel free to spill. Have a nice day.
If you feel overwhelmed writing a welcome speech for religious gathering, check the following for ideas:
1. Good morning everyone. Welcome to _. We feel blessed to have you hear today. Thank you for choosing to honor God. If you’re worshiping with us for the first time, you’re welcome to this big family. Enjoy the service.
3. It’s a wonderful thing to be alive, and it’s more wonderful to behold your lovely faces. If you’re just joining us, welcome to this part of the Kingdom. You are loved.
6. Hello and welcome again to God’s house. As we’ve gathered, let God’s spirit dwell within us. Allow yourself to enjoy God. If there’s a new person beside you, tell them welcome to church.
9. It makes my heart glad that you’re all here. To the newbies, you have a special place in our hearts. I pray that God’s love overwhelms you in worship today.
A short welcome speech for church can be a great way to make your church me
1. A big welcome to church. Thank you for choosing to worship God in this place. We hope you have a great time here.
At times, there will be need to make opening remarks sample for different purposes. You don’t want to be stuck when those periods come.
Prepare ahead with these samples below:
3. Welcome to this year’s charity event, everyone! We are incredibly appreciative of the chance to band together and help [cause/charity]. We are all present because we value the value of giving back and the strength of the community. We appreciate your presence; let’s work together to change the world.
5. Welcome to this year’s graduation ceremony, graduates, family members, and friends! We are thrilled to have the chance to recognize the accomplishments of our graduates. This is a unique event, one on which we should reflect on all that we have accomplished and look ahead to all that we will accomplish in the future. Thank you for coming, and on this historic occasion, congrats to our graduates!
80 template of attractive short welcome message for customers on whatsapp, instagram, online store.
Hrideep barot.
An Opening Remark is the first sentence, phrase, or paragraph you utter at the beginning of your speech or presentation. Opening Remarks determine whether or not the audience will be intrigued enough to sit through the rest of your talk . The main purposes of opening remarks can be summed up as follows:
Here’s the game plan for this article:
2. audience expectations from opening remarks.
2. props and placards, 3. the potential of a promise, 4. sing a song, 5. strike the minds with a startling statement, 6. influence with imagination.
9. the strength of storytelling, 10. propose a problem, 1. writing opening remarks for meetings/seminars, 2. writing opening remarks for virtual meetings, 3. writing opening remarks for ceremony/event, in conclusion.
Even after reading this, you might wonder, ‘Why is it important for me to focus upon opening remarks?’ After all, it’s just a part of the overall structure of your talk, right?
Now, let me ask you something!
Have you ever found yourself in a situation where the moment a speaker started delivering his talk, you immediately felt disconnected and just couldn’t pay attention to it?
Soon, you began to yawn and decided to check up on the people sitting beside you but surprisingly, you found them staring at their wristwatches waiting for the talk to get over.
Most likely the reason is that the speaker forgot to pay attention to his/her opening remarks and because of this very reason, failed at capturing the audience’s attention. So, ask yourself, ‘Do you wish to be that speaker?’ NO, right?
Before I dive into the Complete Guide on ‘What to Say in Opening Remarks?’ , let’s first discuss a few guidelines that you must keep in mind while crafting your introductory remarks!
An opening remark can cover 10-15% of the total duration of your talk. For example, if you are delivering a 7-minute long talk, your opening remark must last for at least a minute.
Let’s face it- every single time, we listen to a strong introduction, we ponder ‘How did the speaker do it effortlessly?’
Well, my friend, the secret lies in thinking from the audience’s perspective ! (a crucial step that most of the speakers skip)
This is the only way to figure out what will work in your opening remarks. So, ask yourself,
While each situation/issue is different, there are certain Do’s and Don’t’s of opening remarks that you need to keep in mind to not make your audience snooze on you! Because come on, we don’t wish to be those boring monotonous speakers!
Serve a sneak-peek.
Remember how the trailer of any movie gives you an idea of what the movie is about but doesn’t give all the information to make you curious enough for the remainder of the movie? That’s exactly what we need to do here!
At the beginning of your speech, provide the audience an idea about the theme of your talk but don’t give it all in!
Give them questions to ponder over! After listening to your opening remarks, your audience should go like, ‘Umm, that’s interesting! Tell me more about it!’ But how do you do that? Keep an eye out for the section in this article where we talk about interesting ways to begin your speech.
Now that you have your audience’s attention, your mission now is to make them trust you!
Because admit it, for the audience to truly believe your arguments, they must first trust you!
Consider thinking from your audience’s perspective and ask yourself, ‘What aspect of my life would relate the most with my audience and the theme of my talk?’ Once you have got your answer, narrate that personal anecdote! (Don’t go on blabbering, keep it short and sweet!)
This is pretty self-explanatory! You would any day prefer a speaker who is smiling and seems confident as opposed to someone who has a serious face on with a monotonous voice.
So, remember to maintain eye contact (but not stare at them!) to make your audience feel like you are talking to them and not at them. But if you are afraid of maintaining eye contact, here a few things that you can try out:
Lastly, put on a smile if your speech topic calls for it (If it’s a sad topic, don’t smile, obviously!).
Bid ‘goodbye’ to a bland ‘good morning’.
Starting your speech with a plain ‘Good Morning’ is by far the most mundane way and doesn’t really add to the listening experience of your audience.
After listening to a bland ‘Good Morning’, they would most likely go like, ‘Ah, here we go again!’ and we don’t want our audience members to think that way! So, put on your creativity hat and make your introductory remarks interesting!
As discussed in the previous section, we wish to be creative but not too creative. Let me tell you why! We focus so much on making our introduction creative that we incorporate too many interesting elements, adjectives, and idioms-all of these together confuse the audience. We need to strike a balance between creativity and simplicity.
For example, if you are talking about ‘Why more people are watching dark content these days?’ Don’t start your speech narrating the emergence of OTT Platforms, it’s too broad! Instead, prefer narrating a personalized story of binge-watching dark content.
Avoid crafting an opening remark which is too long, stick to the time limit guidelines we discussed in one of the previous sections of this article. Keeping our opening remarks too long can bore our audience members to sleep and as a result, they might lose all their interest!
We’ve made an in-depth video of things we should NOT do when it comes to opening our speech. Check it out for deeper insights:
A strong speech introduction serves two purposes:
Below-mentioned is the list of 10 best ways to write a strong introduction without sounding boring:
Starting your speech by throwing in some statistics, be it positive or negative, can help you capture your audience’s attention. Here’s how:
In this TED Talk, Dr. Tharoor uses statistics to arise the curiosity of his audience members using the exact method that I stated above. Check out the video to understand it better!
Opening Remark :
How many of you here are under 35? Okay, that seems pretty representative of the country; 65% of India is under 35. How many of you are under 25? Okay. Then you are not so representative because we have half of the Indian population pretty much under 25. We are an amazingly young country!
Now, this is just one way of presenting the fact in an interesting way. Well, we have written an entire article on ’11 Unique Ways to Present Facts Without Sounding Boring’ . So, make sure you check it out!
Instead of simply coming on to the stage and start speaking, shock your audience by doing something different. We all love surprises and with the right props and placards, you can get your audience interested for the entire duration of your speech.
No technical rules here! Put on your creativity hat and think ‘What Prop can you bring onto the stage which will relate to the theme of your talk?’ Once you have got your potential answers, ask yourself, ‘Which prop is the most convenient yet effective?’ Then, bring that prop onto the stage.
Hold on, don’t just present your prop! Use it as a guiding light to present the theme of your talk in a really engaging manner.
Let’s assume that you are delivering a talk on ‘Walking the Pathways of Sustainability with Old Modes of Transportation.’ This time, instead of simply starting to talk, you can enter the stage riding a bicycle!
Sounds interesting, right? (I’m sure your audience would find this to be intriguing too!)
Now, get off that bicycle, and speak about the theme of your talk by building a connection with that bicycle. This way, the audience would remember your theme nicely and be intrigued for the rest of your talk as well.
To witness the application of this technique in action, watch this TEDTalk by Hans Rosling on ‘The Magic Washing Machine’. Hans Rosling brings a washing machine on stage to illustrate his point. Here’s how:
Opening Remarks:
I was only a four years old when I saw my mother load a washing machine for the very first time in her life…
An irresistible promise would lure the audience in towards your speech in the hope of wanting to know more and that’s what you aim for, right?
But while you are at it, please make a point not to overpromise or exaggerate because this will hurt your credibility as a speaker and make the audience lose all their interest.
Step 1: Keep your opening statement something as simple like ‘Today, I’m about to tell you the secret to…’
Step 2: As a continuation of this statement, tell your audience what your secret is all about? For example, ‘Today, I’m about to tell you the secret to maintaining a healthy diet without losing out on junk food.’
Step 3: Now, don’t reveal your secret in the opening remarks itself. Wait till the body of your talk to reveal your secret!
Opening Remark:
So, I know the secret to getting anything you want in life.
Allow me to ask you, ‘Are you intrigued after listening to her statement?’ (At least I am) But your task as a speaker doesn’t get over here, look at this video to see how she presents this secret and structure her talk to be all the more persuasive.
No, I’m not kidding! I mean it. Public Speaking is not just about simply speaking, your task as an orator is to inform as well as engage your audience.
And what’s a better way to engage your audience than singing a song?
Now, if you are not at all confident about your singing skills, don’t go for it! Go for any of the remaining 9 techniques but if you are a decent singer, I’d suggest that you go for it! After all, no one’s judging you, all you need to do is present your idea effectively!
Step 1: Pick a song, yes! There are two ways here: Either you can go for a song which you can disagree with while presenting the theme of your talk or you can go choose a song to agree with.
Step 2: Once you have a song that resonates with your theme in one way or the other, pick up a stanza (Don’t go for more than 2-4 lines here). Ideally, prefer picking the lines which you can directly relate with your theme and at the same time, the lines are popular enough for the audience to recall the song.
Step 3: Sing the song, tell if you agree or disagree, and then, present your theme in the follow-up statement
The stars in the sky remind me why I live by love and I dream the future is bright as I look towards the sky. I live by love and I dream…
In this TED Talk, Kamica sings a song that talks about how music heals a soul and acts as a therapist. This, by the way, was also the theme of the talk she delivered. Check out this video to know in detail how exactly she effectively conveyed her theme in the opening remark- all because of a song!
What do I mean by this, you ask? You need to present an unpopular thought as our opening sentence , something that stands in opposition to the general belief of the public.
When you do this right, your audience will be intrigued to know more about how you defend this thought and that’s all what you are looking for- their undivided attention!
While deciding on this startling opening remark, ask yourself the following questions:
Hi, my name is Frank and I collect secrets.
Intriguing, isn’t it? That’s how Frank Warrren started his TEDTalk, ‘Half A Million Secrets’. Look at it!
We all love day-dreaming! So, why not use it to our advantage?
Present a step-by-step chain of thoughts for the audience to follow and let them immerse in that reality. For this to truly work, make sure that your description is vivid to control your audience’s thoughts.
Step 1: First things first, decide on the emotion you wish to channel- Is it positive or negative? My suggestion would be to go for negative emotion since it is comparatively more powerful. Having mentioned this, present a scenario of “ what will happen if the audience chooses not to listen to you? ” Tell them what they have in store to lose.
Step 2: Next, present a series of thoughts (in the order of progression) for the audience to follow.
Step 3: Throw in a question at the audience. If you are channeling the negative emotion, ask something scary like, “Would you prefer being in such a scary situation? No, right?” Similarly, while channeling the positive emotion, ask something optimistic like, “You enjoyed that, didn’t you? So, how can we sustain this in reality?”
Let’s take an example of Ric Elias TED Talk where he channels the negative emotion with the help of his powerful imagination by narrating a story of a plane crash. Look at how he builds up this piece of imagination.
Imagine a big explosion as you climb through 3,000 ft. Imagine a plane full of smoke. Imagine an engine going clack, clack, clack. It sounds scary. Well I had a unique seat that day. I was sitting in 1D.
Present an opportunity towards the audience to think with you and not think for you .
This ‘What if’ hook will bring both you and your audience on the same page. Once this is done, with the help of powerful storytelling as the next step, you can make the audience buy your thoughts in a structured manner.
Open up your talk with the phrase ‘what if’ and follow it up with a question.
One thing to keep in mind here is that your question should not reflect an existing reality but present a conflicting thought that challenges the existing perception of the public.
This way, the audience would truly ponder over your question and when they do, wait for some time and then, answer that question by yourself. Trust me, the audience will be more inclined to believe you!
To witness this technique in action, watch this TED Talk where Cynthia Thurlow asks her audience a thought-provoking question regarding our daily meals.
What if I told that breakfast being ‘the most important meal of the day’ was wrong?
There’s no rocket science here! If your topic is closely related to a culture or even a place for that matter, the best bet is to wear that representative outfit to stand out.
Before you dive into this method, cross-check with the event administration regarding dress code specifications. If no specifics are given and you have a theme wherein you can pull off a unique outfit, GO FOR IT!
While representing Bhutan’s steps towards sustainability, Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay decided to wear a traditional outfit to represent his country in its truest essence. Watch this TED Talk to know how he connects his outfit with the overall theme of the talk.
In case you are wondering, No, I’m not wearing a dress and no, I’m not saying what I’m wearing underneath. This is a gho. This is my national dress.
Be it real or fictional- we all love listening to gripping stories. Do you have a personal anecdote to share? Awesome! If not, there’s nothing to worry about.
You can craft your own story as well or narrate a friend’s story too. But one thing to remember here is that our stories should hold realism. Don’t go too overboard because if the audience gets a hint of exaggeration, they might not believe you!
Mountain Curve is by far one of the most popular techniques to narrate a gripping story! Here’s how:
Begin with establishing the setting and then, slowly work linearly towards the climax of the story (the key challenge/problem). Once you have reached the stage of climax, focus on the step-by-step resolution of that conflict (solution).
Want to know about more ways of effective storytelling? We have written an entire article on ‘9 Storytelling Methods for your Upcoming Presentation’. Go check it out!
Watch this TED Talk as the orator Michael narrates a camping story and relates it with the theme of his talk, ‘Why renewables can’t save the planet?’.
When I was a boy, my parents would sometimes take me camping in California…
Remember how every movie begins with introducing a problem and focusing the entire narrative towards solving that one problem? That’s exactly what needs to be done here!
What’s that one related problem that you are addressing in the theme of your talk? Once you have identified this problem, use the call and response technique to prove the viability of that problem in front of your audience.
But hold on, ‘What is the call and response method?’ Here’s how it works:
Once you have got your desired response through the show of hands, mold your rest of the talk towards solving that problem and give your audience a key takeaway!
While delivering a TEDTalk on ‘What makes a good life?’, Robert Waldinger begins his talk by proposing a problem. Here’s how!
What keeps us healthy and life as we go through life? If you were going to invest, in your future self, where would you put your time and energy?
Looking out for some more examples and inspiration to craft a strong opening remark? We have written an article highlighting 15 Best Speech Opening Examples and How to Use Them? Do check it out.
Even after reading about all these tips, I’m sure you must be wondering, ‘How do I decide on which technique to use?’
Don’t worry! I’m listing down a few scenarios along with the techniques which work the best there. So, let’s dive in!
Since meetings and seminars demand you to act professionally, you should not really go overboard with creativity and try incorporating fun and engaging elements.
Keeping the opening remark precise, minimalist, and to-the-point is what will work the best here.
Here are a few techniques that you can swear by in such a situation:
With the digitization stepping into our lives, virtual meetings have become an inescapable reality.
Since the attention span is really less in these online settings, you must strive towards making your talk engaging yet informative.
Here are a few techniques that can help you craft a suitable opening remark in this case:
But all these techniques won’t work until and unless you are comfortable talking to a camera. If you are not, make sure you check this article on ‘How to Speak (Well) on Camera? ‘
With an interesting line of order already at your disposal, your work as an orator is comparatively a lot easier in this case.
Since the tone of ceremonies and events tend to be either semi-formal or informal, you can afford to be a little creative by employing the following techniques to use:
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Be wary of the fact that the opening remarks can make or break your talk!
I hope that this article provided you with some valuable insight into crafting a strong introduction for your speech. Remember not to use too many techniques at once as it will confuse and disinterest your audience.
Use one or a combination of two complementary techniques at the maximum to craft an effective opening remark and you will be good to go!
The next step now is to start working on your closing remarks. Don’t worry, we’ve written an article on ‘ 10 of the Best Things to Say in Closing Remarks ‘ for you to refer.
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Naturally, everybody anticipates the introductory speech for an event. And that is because it is the opening speech for an event that sets the tone for the entire event or any function. One can easily attract the attention of the audience with a catchy first line and introduction. So it is very important to make a good first impression. And sustain their attention and excitement through the entire duration of the event. In this article, we will look into different sample welcome speeches for an event one can present. It can be a Long Welcome Speech For An Event or a Short Welcome Speech For An Event.
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Long Welcome Speech for an Event
This form of opening speech for an event is extremely important when one intends to take time and welcome and extend gratitude to everyone involved in making the event successful.
Good Morning everyone, a very warm welcome to the respected teachers and the incredible parents. I am so grateful to welcome our students to the commencement ceremony (mention the name of the event). I feel privileged to open this event and stand here where many accomplished men and women who I admired and looked up to once stood.
A very special welcome to our Chief guest (mention his/her name) who truly has set a benchmark for multi-hyphenated achievements. She/he is an entrepreneur, coach, and author of the best-selling books in our country and even abroad (mention their achievements). Her/his quiet charitable endeavors at such a young age command attention to the person they are and the upbringing they had. Thank you for accepting our invitation to address our students who will start another new chapter in their lives.
A semester has passed, and another year has come to an end. I am certain that you are all feeling anxious and giddy with excitement at the same time. This is the final official ceremony that my dear students will attend in our prestigious school/college (mention the name). We are all gathered here to give our certificates for completing this year successfully.
We are fortunate to have so enthusiastic and talented students who have brought laurels to the name of our school. It has only added to our school’s prestige and good name. The support and encouragement of the parents throughout the entire year are truly remarkable. Be it a sports event, dance and singing competition, quiz, or any important tournament they stood by like a rock. Our faculty is thankful for the cooperation and trust that you have shown in us. It would not have been possible without your guidance.
The passion for life that I have seen in you as students for everything you do is extraordinary. Whatever you put your mind to I am certain that you will achieve it. Going ahead there will always be trials and tribulations in life, always remember that you just have to believe in yourself. When you have faith, you have confidence in yourself and that will come in handy wherever you go.
There are no free lunches in the world, just because you studied here doesn’t mean you are entitled to all the opportunities. You must remember that you have to work harder and earn to be deserving of every opportunity you get. Take every challenge you face as an opportunity for another chance to prove your worth. Also, know the difference between people to who you have to prove yourself and those you need not prove to.
Always remember to have a sense of humor in life only that will get you through the tough times. Life is truly special and with patience and hard work certainly, you will make responsible decisions for yourself, your family’s side, and your country as well. Take accountability for your failures and learn from them. Don’t let anything bring you down and be this passionate and driven as you are today. Keep achieving and go high with flying colors.
Thank you.
This form of welcome speech for the event is helpful when the presenter wishes to keep it simple, short and effective without diverting focus from the main event.
Good Morning everyone, a very warm welcome to all present here, respected teachers and the parents, and students. A special thanks to the Chief Guest of the day (mention his/her name). It’s an honor to be graced by the presence of such an accomplished author and entrepreneur. Thank you for accepting the invitation for giving the keynote speech today and guiding our students to new beginnings.
I am standing here, feeling lucky to be a part of a small way of our student’s life.
This school is so proud of all you have accomplished and every achievement you have garnered for yourself. This is the highly multi-talented batch of students in our school. You have been excellent performers in academics and won so many olympiads and awards. And you don’t hold back even in extracurricular activities like sports tournaments, like martial arts, football, basketball, and badminton. Our school has always been a top performer in inter-school events like dancing, singing, speech, elocution, and debate.
The book club that you have started which is now thriving also shows your innovative side.
The teachers have guided you in all your endeavors and your parents have constantly supported you too. This would not be the same without them. I extend my sincere thanks to all the teachers and parents for their understanding and support.
From now you will start a new journey and often have to deal with challenging situations alone along the way. All I can say is that I know you will make wise decisions and choose the right one. Whatever you do with conviction. No mountain is too high and the sky is only the limit. Be limitless in all that you do and like you have brought laurels to our school continue to do so for everyone around you. Looking forward to all that you are gonna start and make waves. All the best.
The significance of the welcome speech can be understood from the following points:
It is significant since it marks the beginning of an event and gives a brief knowledge about the following sequences of events to the audience.
It is the most vital part of any event as it sets the right tone for an event and gives a particular way to carry on for it.
Here are some of the tips that one must follow while giving a welcome speech-
For a formal event, welcome the audience using serious language by picking an appropriate greeting such as, "Good evening ladies and gentlemen." You can also use phrases for welcoming the audience to the event such as, "It is my pleasure to welcome everyone to our beautiful venue tonight."
Here you must note that the tone should be kept more serious if the event is an important occasion. Also, use more formal language and avoid cracking any inappropriate jokes.
The Guests can also be greeted informally by using light-hearted language. Straightforward greetings are more preferred such as, "Good morning everyone!" You can also express your gratitude towards the guests by using phrases.
For special guests, one can add individual greetings by including their names when they are a part of the audience. The special guests may include people of honor, those who may play a particularly important part in the event, or the ones who have traveled a long way to be there.
Introduce the event by providing a short introduction to the name and purpose of the event. You can say the name and age of the event, if relevant, and talk a little about the organization conducting the same.
This is helpful when one needs to keep it short and use simple and effective language.
Welcome to all the teachers and students. Special thanks to the chief guest for graciously accepting to speak to our students on the commencement day.
It is indeed a special occasion and an important moment for the students who will embark upon a new journey now.
I am certain that you are wondering and probably anxious about what the future holds in store.
The challenges are for everybody, how you deal with them is what makes you stand out.
Try not to fit in with the norms, rather challenge and question them.
Don’t take failures to heart, see them as learning.
Always keep learning and don’t stop being curious.
Do everything that you are interested in, it is never too late to start.
Be there for your loved ones, as without their presence many things would be different in your life.
Take time to appreciate the little things and be your role model.
Base on what the experts have compiled as welcome speeches here. Focus on the points you want to mention in a speech regarding the event and practice. Once you start, you will surely feel more confident. Be expressive and interactive with the crowd to make the welcome speech a success.
1. How do we start a welcome speech?
A welcome speech is always started by greeting the audience. You can welcome the audience in a serious language for any formal occasion. Also, you can pick an appropriate greeting such as, "Good evening ladies and gentlemen." Then you can welcome the audience to the event using a phrase such as, "It is my pleasure to welcome everyone to our beautiful venue tonight." This endeavours way the guests feel elated and respected in the event. Moreover, this gives a sense of formality to the audience and pays them high respect.
2. How can we welcome a guest with a speech?
To welcome a guest to any events one may address the chief guest with a formal salutation, like Dr./ Mr./ Mrs./ Ms., etc. One can add the recognitions of the guests after researching their achievements and current work of the guest before and include this in the speech. The achievements must be framed in a sequence that starts from the present or in exact reverse order. At last, the one must bid a thank you to the guest and appreciate their presence at the event.
3. What is an introductory speech or a welcome speech at an event?
An Introduction speech or often known as the Welcome speech is an opener written to introduce the event, the speaker, and the purpose of the event that will be taking place. It is helpful to provide the audience with details of the event, its background, and about the special guests, and their achievements to establish the credibility of the event concerning the audience in a way that shows respect and importance for them at the event.
4. What are some welcoming words that can be used in a welcome speech?
Some of the welcoming words for a welcome speech include the following:
Glad welcome. "It's a glad welcome we bring to you this morning, filled with the desires, hopes, and dreams we all share."
Hospitable welcome. "We're delighted to offer the most hospitable welcome we can."
Amiable welcome. "Dear guests, look around you! We owe you an amiable welcome to this evening.
Gracious welcome. “It’s our pleasure to offer you a gracious welcome to the event.”
These are some of the welcomes that can be addressed to the audience for an event.
5. Where can I get the welcome speech for an event?
The students can easily get the Welcome speech for an event from the Vedantu website for free. The website offers the students several other free resources like essay writing on different topics, resources for writing, and others. They can be easily accessed from the web and also be downloaded in pdf format for future reference or viewed online as this will help the students to easily learn and practice the much-needed co-curricular skills along with their studies.
If you’ve ever attended a corporate event , then you know the welcome speech gets all of the attention. The welcome speech is what allures the attendees to either listen and take interest… or not want to participate at all. Given that, welcome speeches are really important and should be long enough to address everyone properly but short enough to not bore everyone in the room.
If you’re wondering what a great welcome speech looks like, here’s a sample you can use as a guide or template to help create your very own welcome speech:
Good Morning/Afternoon/Evening,
Thank you to each and every one of you for being here with us today. We are very pleased to be able to welcome those of you that have been with us for a long time now as well as those who are new to the (group/community/association etc.)
Today marks our 10 th annual group meeting and we are proud to be able to host it today here at this wonderful place with all of you.
Before we get started, I would like to express my sincere appreciation to all of you who generously helped us make this event come together to become a success. (Include the names of the individuals you wish to thank here) We couldn’t have done it without you!
In today’s gathering, I would like to focus on all our new volunteers who have joined us since (January 2013, for example).
You have all been chosen to be a part of our association due to a mutual passion for (company’s vision/mission). Your passions help us all to unite and the energy we create is what allows us to achieve our individual as well as group goals. We need you as much as you need us and that why we are grateful to have you join us here at (insert the name of the company).
During the next few months, you will be learning about the different initiatives through our planned activities, seminar, and special events where you will be able to join in and get hands on experiences. I hope these will help you grow to be more productive and smart.
Well, I don’t want to take too much of your time, I need to leave some time for (insert the name of the next person) to introduce himself to all of you and fill you in on some of our up coming activities/projects. Today will be fun and full of learning.
So a very warm welcome to each and every one of you, if youhave nay questions, suggestions, clarifications, or just want to say “hi”, you can find me in the lobby.
Thank you very much for listening and let us welcome, (insert the name of the speaker or guest). Thank you!
If you need help planning your next corporate event, give us a call at (516) 354.7797 .
By: Grace He | Updated: December 01, 2023
Here is our list of the best conference opening remarks examples.
Conference opening remarks examples are statements that introduce your meeting to attendees. Examples include serious opening conference remarks, funny opening conference remarks, and inspirational opening conference remarks. The purpose of these remarks is to set the tone for your conference while welcoming attendees to the meeting and introducing your topics for discussion.
These ideas are similar to examples of opening and closing remarks for meetings , check-in questions for team meetings , and team building programs .
This list includes:
Let’s get to it!
From short messages to inspirational remarks, here are our top opening statements for conferences.
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Conference opening remarks are crucial in setting the tone for your meeting. For example, positive remarks can motivate attendees to engage more actively with the material. Serious remarks, on the other hand, can signal to attendees that the conference’s subject matter is more somber or significant in tone.
We recommend using your opening remarks to alert attendees to your conference’s main topic or theme. You can also share your meeting agenda and encourage participants to follow along throughout the event. Opening remarks create the perfect opportunity to give team members a warm welcome and introduction to start your event on the right foot.
Next, check out team building quotes for work and team building activities for conference calls . You can also check out our team building meeting guide .
Here are answers to common questions about conference opening remarks examples.
Conference opening remarks are opening statements, introductions, and sayings to welcome attendees to your event. These remarks can add an element of organization to your event by giving participants an idea of the topics and themes you will cover.
Conference opening remarks are important in setting the tone for your meeting while keeping participants engaged. The best conference opening remarks should motivate and inspire attendees to pay close attention and participate in your event.
For example, your conference opening remarks can include an overview of the event’s agenda, motivational quotes, or reasons for your meeting.
Writing a good opening address for a conference can be difficult. To simplify the process, we recommend restating critical information and reminding attendees of the event’s agenda. Your opening remarks should give participants a better understanding of the goal and purpose of your event.
Author: Grace He
People & Culture Director at teambuilding.com. Grace is the Director of People & Culture at teambuilding.com. She studied Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University, Information Science at East China Normal University and earned an MBA at Washington State University.
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People & Culture Director at teambuilding.com.
Grace is the Director of People & Culture at teambuilding.com. She studied Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University, Information Science at East China Normal University and earned an MBA at Washington State University.
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With Examples
Writing an opening speech in MUN can be a bit challenging.
Common questions we get from delegates before going to a conference. “What should I say in my opening speech?” “Should I read out my Positions Paper?” “How do I take all the research I did and fit it into a short opening speech?”
Before you start working on your MUN opening speech, you should know the topic, done some research, and preferably already have written a position paper .
A MUN opening speech should cover the following:
What not to do:
Do not repeat the problem . Everyone knows what it is. Repeating the problem is a great way to waste precious speech time. Your first sentence should be what you want to do. That is what the other delegates are more interested in.
Your first sentence should be a clear clash. To impact the committee it is not enough to bring vague ideas. There needs to be engagement between delegates and your ideas need to be discussed by others.
You know your idea is important when countries that oppose your idea fight against it while countries who are on your side support it. Other delegates’ ideas clashing with yours is what gives them both life and makes them interesting and relevant.
For this reason, a good MUN opening speech needs to have:
Information
Clash is your solution in one specific sentence. The Clash is framed as a two-sided solution which the other side can object to. Information is properly used facts. Call to Action is the policy you want to see implemented. The guide below will explain how the CIA formula works and how to use it to create your influential, informative, and rhetorically sound opening speech. Let’s get to it!
CIA is the foundation for any MUN opening speech. A strong CIA speech, will convey a clear and consistent message to your fellow delegates that you know what you are talking about and have a plan. Clear communication is the key to successful MUNing in your committee. Missing your C lash, I nformation or A ction can result in confusion about where you stand on the matter and your outlook on how to solve the issue at hand.
Just Remember CIA:
I nformation
C la sh – What you want to do in one specific sentence. .
I nformation – Relevant facts. numbers, that support your speech. Information can also be facts about your country that justify your position.
Call to A ction – How you will carry out the one line “what” you states in the Clash.
Before we explain how each part of CIA works, it is vital to understand clashing with at least a few other delegates is an important litmus test for how relevant your talking points are.
A Model United Nations opening speech should present a problem, as you perceive said problem, and give one or more practical policy proposals on how you propose to solve it. However, if everyone agrees with you, no one will talk about your ideas.
When no one talks about your ideas, they will fade from the discussion. This is why your framing of the problem needs to clash with the world view of other delegates. The debate between you and those who oppose your ideas will keep both ideas alive. Hours later, if you find a compromise with the other side, you will get credit for making the biggest difference. If you cannot find a compromise, you get credit for sticking to your principles. In both cases, if your clash is central to what takes place in the committee, you will get the credit for shaping the discussion and bringing the ideas that led the direction the committee took.
This is why it is not enough to say what is correct, or even important. It needs to arouse some kind of response to remain relevant and important. Ideally, the way you frame the debate will be so relevant and well presented that the committee clashes along the lines you set and the rich and relevant discussion takes up a central place in the committee, or at least is relevant to enough delegates to keep it going as a secondary discussion. For this reason, the first part of your MUN opening speech is called a Clash.
What you want to do.
Clash definition: A confrontation of solutions.
We cannot censor people who incite violence in a country with freedom of speech. Vs We must censor people to ensure physical safety from those who successfully incite violence.
You cannot censor and not censor at the same time and there you have a strong clash.
For something to be a clash, delegates from your committee need to be on either side of it. If there are no two sides, the committee won’t debate it. Instead, your ideas will either unanimously go straight to the unimportant clause section of the resolution or fall entirely out of discussion. Either way, it will not be central to determining the direction the committee goes.
Examples of Clash:
Revoking asylum status for anyone who does not agree to get vaccinated at the border.
Advocating for megacities to have their own independent legal system.
The United Nations should fund water filtration in countries that suffer volcanic eruptions.
In all of these examples, there is a clear ‘yes’ or ‘no’ question. The answer to these questions will be the main one to divide the committee room.
An idea that everyone agrees on is Off Clash . Off Clash statements (Like the Ebola virus is bad or tornados are dangerous) are a waste of precious speech time that could be further used to develop your Clash or Call to Action. (More on Clash and Off Clash in the expanded explanation below)
Which clash should you choose?
Some topics have many possible clashes. In those cases, you should choose the one you feel will be most relevant to the discussion.
Committee : World Health Organization
Topic: Combating the Zika Virus
Clash 1: Increase the number of doctors sent to Peru to treat Zika.
Clash 2: Remove patent restrictions to let countries locally develop medicines to counter Zika.
Clash 3: Suggest countries around the world teach children about the world’s top deadliest diseases.
The general concept of combating Zika is an Off Clash topic. No one will say the Zika virus is a good thing. To find the Clash you need to go one level deeper and decide what type of discussion will best serve our country’s interests.
It is clear that Clash 3 will save the least leaves and bring the least immediate benefit. It will also likely get little or no discussion time.
When choosing between Clash 1 and Clash 2, Paraguay would open for Clash 2, as creating generic medicines would be cheaper not only for fighting Zika but could also make medical treatment cheaper across the board. This idea would also be of interest to Angola, who faces similar constraints on creating generic medicines, even though they do not have the Zika virus. As a rule of thumb, it is better to choose a clash that is not only relevant to your country but many others can also agree with it.
Information = Hard facts that support your case
A strong MUN speech needs to have relevant facts and numbers that support parts of your speech.
Without information, your fellow delegates can only rely on your word, which might not give enough credibility to what you have to say. Numbers, names, dates and hard facts show what we are saying exists in the real world and is not an opinion. Numbers are the best form of information to use and the hardest to argue with.
No “Information”
The coral reefs are very important. Huge numbers of people who live near a reef. Corals also protect the shoreline of many countries. Also, many countries, like the US, and make a lot of money from tourism.
With “Information”
The coral reefs are very important. 962 million people (Roughly an eighth of the world’s population) lives within 60 miles of a reef. Additionally, corals protect 100,000 miles of shoreline in over 100 countries from being batters by the ocean’s force. The coral reefs also generating billions of dollars in tourism revenue. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service estimates the annual commercial value of U.S. fisheries from coral reefs to be over $100 million.
Which sounds smarter?
Information does not exist in a vacuum. There is no such thing as facts for facts sake.
Information in a CIA speech should always do one of the following:
Information in follow up speeches usually moves between these four. In earlier speeches the “I” focuses more on your own world-building and less on countering other countries. However, MUN simulation has a lot going on and the Information should be used, as deemed appropriate, on a case by case basis.
Call to Action (CtA) is a statement designed to give instructions for an immediate response.
In MUN, your CtA is the practical policy to solve the issue you set up in your clash.
Without a clear CtA other delegates will not know what to do with the Clash and Information you presented. Worse, they can use what you set up in your speech to justify other CtA’s.
A Call to Action needs to be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time Bound (SMART).
Your CtA needs to be specific as to:
Clash: Let’s send teachers to the refugee camps in Ethiopia.
CtA : Hiring 300 teachers who specialize in teaching English and Math, to United Nations run high schools at the 3 refugee camps in the Tigray region in Ethiopia.
We can’t send “teachers” as we don’t know what types how many, where to send them or what they are going to do. However, when we look at the CtA, we can guestimate the cost of 300 teachers who specialize in English and Math and now know where to send them.
A good Call to Action explains the problem, the solution and what it’s going to do.
Specific actionable policy ideas will allow you to direct the discussion, and later take credit for the ideas when everyone else has the same general stance (ex. “humanitarian aid”).
The opening speeches at most MUN conferences are 60 seconds.
However, you should ask your conference team if you are unsure about the opening speech times since this could differ. Take into considerations, a delegate could motion to change the opening speeckers time during the course of the conference or a chair could change the time due to other unforeseen reasons …. So even if the opening speech is as short as 30 seconds, or as long as two minutes, the structure remains the same.
Call to Action
Clash breaks into two parts, clashline and explanation.
How to start an MUN opening speech
A good MUN opening speech goes straight to the point. The longer you take the more of a risk you run that they’ll find someone else to focus on like passing a note, writing an opening speech of their own, chatting to the delegate next to them, etc. Your strong opener is your Clashline.
Clashline – Your first few lines. It tells the listener what clash you want to focus on. Shouldn’t be more than 10 seconds.
Examples of Clashlines:
Syrian refugees who spent over three years in refugee camps should get work visas Countries should be responsible for their own epidemics The UN should send food aid to the people of North Korea
Clash explanation – Your next few seconds should explain why what you are speaking about is important by showing why your clash is the correct one.
Examples of Explanation: Clashline: “The UN should send unconditional food aid to the people of North Korea.” Explanation: “The leadership is stable and not looking to change any time soon. Life will continue the same for the elites as the people are starving. This is why the food should be sent now.”
This is a good example of getting straight to the point. Within four sentences we have a clear idea that human rights come second to the leadership of the DPRK. This clarity of Clashline and Explanation can be used in any MUN committee from the General Assembly, ECOSOC, DISEC, SOCHUM and WHO to the Security Council and even a crisis committee.
Information Facts in your speech always have a purpose. That purpose is almost always one of the following: – Show why your Clash is the most relevant – Show why your Call to Action will make the biggest difference – Explain why your country has the position it does – Disprove information brought by another delegate
Use of information to strengthen a speech
Clash: The UN should send unconditional food aid to the people of North Korea. Kim Jong Un is 35 years old. He’s not going anywhere anytime soon. At the same time, 10.5 million people, which is 41% of the total population, are undernourished. Life will continue the same for the elites as the people are starving.
You should describe your policy / solution halfway through your speech at the latest. This is because you need time to elaborate on your solution. No idea is clear in one sentence. You will need time to explain why it is important and why it is going to work.
Use of Call to Action
The United Nations should send 240 million tons of food aid to the Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea. This food should be sent over two years. 30 million should be sent every three months as long as Kim Jong Un abides by the following.
This text can be turned into clauses for a draft resolution. The main idea is clear.
Closing your Opening Speech
After your Call to Action, a summary sentence can be a nice way to close your speech.
However, this should not come at the expense of your content or important details of your Call to Action. Style should never trump substance.
What if you have extra time in my opening speech?
If you find yourself with extra time in your opening speech, and you used the CIA format in your speech.
Do the following:
It should be rare to have extra time in your opening speech if you planned wisely, when you happen to find yourself with extra time use it strategically.
How it impacts your opening speech.
There are three types of MUN topics, Open, Semi-Open and Closed.
Types of MUN Topics:
Open Open topics are very broad and should be significantly narrowed to create the clash in an opening speech.
Example – Combatting the Slave Trade
This topic is very broad and could be about anything that has to do with slavery in the world today. What does slave trade mean? It could be child slavery, forced labor or the sex trade. It could be placed in the developed world or developing world. It could be about countries of origin, transit countries or destinations. To be debatable the opening speech needs to move from the topic to something specific to set the Clash.
Semi-Open Semi-Open topics are similar to open topics and should be narrowed and focused. They have more direction than open topics but you are still required to choose from a few directions to set the clash.
Example – The right to the internet of children in developing countries
There is an understanding of what types of countries and populations that we’re focusing on but there is still work needed to set a Clash. What ages are the children? Who is providing the internet, government, the UN or an NGO? What about the devices to use the internet?
Closed topics have a clear main clash. Most, or all, of the countries in the committee will fall onto one side or the other. For closed topics, countries without a clear point of view still need to pick a side before they can begin discussing the issue.
Example – Sending aid to the people of North Korea.
While you still need to decide what types of aid, how much and what conditions, the question of “should we send aid” is a yes or no question that each country should have an opinion on and which strongly influences their starting point in the discussion.
You can learn more about the three types of MUN topics here.
Below are MUN opening speech samples for an open and closed topic.
The following MUN speech examples show both good and bad opening speeches. After the speech, there will be a breakdown according to CIA and an analysis of the speech evaluating what worked, what didn’t and why.
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Committee: World Food Program
Topic: Eradicating Global Hunger
Country: Norway
Honorable chair distinguished delegates,
The first step to stopping starvation is improving access to clean water, critical for food growth. Half of the 800 million people without access to clean water live in Sub-Saharan Africa. The Kingdom of Norway believes that the WFP’s efforts should focus on community-oriented aid to promote self-sufficient living. Norway thinks self-operated water harvesting devices are a good way to do this. The University of Akron in Ohio developed a water harvester that produces 10 gallons of drinking water per hour from thin air. The UN should purchase, and distribute, water harvesters to the countries most in need such as Niger, Burundi and Mozambique. For the UN to ensure long term success, the WFP should transfer harvesters and not funds to the countries in need.
The Breakdown
The first step to stopping starvation is improving access to clean water , critical for food growth. Half of the 800 million people without access to clean water live in Sub-Saharan Africa . The Kingdom of Norway believes that the WFP’s efforts should focus on community-oriented aid to promote self-sufficient living. Norway thinks self-operated water harvesting devices are a good way to do this. The University of Akron in Ohio developed a water harvester that produces 10 gallons of drinking water per hour from thin air . The UN should purchase, and distribute, water harvesters to the countries most in need such as Niger, Burundi and Mozambique . For the UN to ensure long term success, the WFP should transfer harvesters and not funds to the countries in need.
Clash – Improving access to clean water is how we tackle global hunger.
When asked in a question, “Does stopping starvation means providing access to clean water as the first priority?” Some countries will agree and some will not.
Information – 400 million people don’t have access to water in sub-Saharan Africa. (Numbers) Water harvester in the University of Akron produced 10 gallons of water per hour. (Numbers and names) Niger, Burundi and Mozambique are countries that could use this. (Names)
Call to Action – The UN should replace cash with water harvesters and give them directly to the people in need.
This Call to Action has two parts. In a follow-up speech, Norway can say that they give $975 million in aid to sub-Saharan countries. This can support why they want to make sure their investment is spent correctly. Also, even if the committee doesn’t go for water harvesters, or even water, the idea of not sending cash to the countries in need can still be central to the discussion.
Speech Analysis
Norway is hedging her bets and, while going in strong, leaves room to maneuver. The subtext of her case is countries should use whatever they are given responsibly and handing cash to governments is not an effective means. As long as whatever policy is chosen is done more responsibly (by what Norway considers responsible) she can still have a strong impact on the committee even if none of her policies go through.
Committee: International Organization for Migration (IOM)
Topic: Changing visa policy to combat illegal migration
Country: United Kingdom
Honorable chair distinguished delegates,
The United Kingdom is strongly against making visa access easier. While the death of the 39 Chinese found inside a refrigerated lorry from Bulgaria on October 23rd, 2019 is regrettable, our only option is informing potential migrants of the danger to themselves.
Illegal migration into Britain is around 650,000—give or take a couple hundred thousand. Many of these enter countries on tourist visas and then stay. Changing the laws will only give smugglers more opportunities.
Britain proposes the UN create translated online platforms to apply for legal visas, while also showing the dangers of illegal migration. The UN should invest in the proliferation, so this information reaches the right people. The smugglers who get past our x-ray machines, canine units, heartbeat monitors and carbon-dioxide sniffers are extremely resourceful. If we loosen visa laws, they will adapt and continue to take money from the poor but now with the white hats, we handed to them.
Honorable chair distinguished delegates, The United Kingdom is strongly against making visa access easier . While the death of the 39 Chinese found inside a refrigerated lorry from Bulgaria on October 23rd, 2019 is regrettable, our only option is informing potential migrants of the danger to themselves . Illegal migration into Britain is around 650,000 —give or take a couple hundred thousand. Many of these enter countries on tourist visas and then stay . Changing the laws will only give smugglers more opportunities.
Britain proposes the UN create translated online platforms to apply for legal visas, while also showing the dangers of illegal migration . The UN should invest in the proliferation , so this information reaches the right people. The smugglers who get past our x-ray machines, canine units, heartbeat monitors and carbon-dioxide sniffers are extremely resourceful. If we loosen visa laws, they will adapt and continue to taking money from the poor but now with the white hats, we handed to them.
Clash – Do not change the visa laws. Like at all.
Information – 39 victims inside a lorry from Bulgaria (numbers and names), Illegal migration into Britain + – 650,000 (number), x-ray machines, canine units, heartbeat monitors and carbon-dioxide sniffers (specific names of detection methods.)
Call to Action – UN online platform in local languages explaining the visa process and warning of dangers. UN should create a mechanism to make sure the platform reaches relevant people. (How to reach people needs elaboration in later speeches)
This speech starts with the UK clearly stating that they are against changing visa status, which shows which side of the main clash he is on. He brings information which he knows those who want to change visa status to save lives will bring up and says, despite that, he is against.
The UK brings many new stakeholders into the discussion such as the resourceful smugglers and how most illegal migrants come with tourist visas and stay.
As draft resolutions are practical policies, it isn’t enough to be against changing visas. The UK also needs to propose something proactive. The online resource is a good policy proposal in that it gives the IOM sometimes to advocate for which does not require a change in visa law. All countries that don’t want to change their immigration policy can get behind this idea that does not really change anything. It’s a position that many countries could back and might even get a majority. By putting the focus on resourceful smugglers, the UK is moving away from the danger to human life by saying the real enemy is the smugglers, who will be empowered by changing visa law.
Example bad opening speech - #1.
Committee : ECOSOC
Country : Egypt
TOPIC : Rebuilding the Middle East
We, the Arab Republic of Egypt believe that we should help rebuild the Middle East and specifically Syria .
While the 580,000 casualties of the civil war in Syria are extremely regrettable, the real victims are the people trying to stay alive in the conflict zone that is modern Syria. More than 6.2 million people are displaced . 13.1 million are still in need of humanitarian assistance . The estimated unemployment rate stands at 54 percent . Also, 83.5 percent of the 19,454,263 Syrians live below the poverty line . Cities have been engulfed in crime, police stations closed down and the overall police personal dropped from 100,000 officers to 20,000 . Rates of theft increased, with criminals looting houses and stores. To fix this problem we need to rebuild the Middle East by rebuilding Syria!
Clash – Rebuilding the Middle East = Rebuilding Syria
Information – A lot of facts about how difficult life is in Syria.
Call to Action – There is none.
This speech starts with the clash going half way. It focuses the rebuilding efforts on Syria. This excludes Iraq, and other candidate states, but is also a fairly predictable option which could be expected from a majority of delegates (at least if the committee takes place late 2019).
After the place setting in Syria, the speech brings many facts. This shows research but a clear lack of focus. The facts shows life in Syria is difficult, but the knowledge that life is difficult for Syrians is something everyone in the committee probably knows. The information is scattered between those who need aid, those who are unemployed and the information about dropping police forces. There is no Call to Action to make use of the data so the listener is left with the conclusion that life in Syria is hard, which they knew before the committee began.
Furthermore, the information in this speech can be used to support almost any Call to Action, from sending emergency humanitarian aid workers throughout the country to giving 100% support to Bashar Assad to reassert full control. This is the danger in giving a speech with a sort of Clash, Information and no Call to Action. Anyone can use your facts to support their own agenda.
Country : Ireland
The Republic of Ireland declares that we need to rebuild the Middle East ! Ireland believes that we should take action against the war and apply sanctions against the rebel terrorists in Syria and even resort to military action if necessary to stop the war. Syria is in such a poor condition because of the west’s irresponsible behavior regarding the war. The millions who died and fled are directly our fault. This is the same level of neglect seen after the Vietnam war in 1975 , when we left over 2 million as the casualty count and fled to lick our wounds and rebuild ourselves. Once the war is over, we should send financial aid to rebuild Syria again and prevent any future wars from happening.
Clash – Unclear. 1) Rebuild the Middle East (off clash), 2) Apply Sanctions against rebel terrorists in Syria, 3) Resort to military action.
Information – Vietnam war ended in 1975. Casualty count of over 2 million.
Call to Action – Send financial aid.
This speech is a mess of mixed messages. The Clashline is Off Clash, as there likely isn’t a country who would say they do not support the idea of rebuilding the Middle East (whatever that means). We then hear “we should apply sanctions against the terrorists in Syria” with no further explanation of how this will work or who they are. We then hear “resort to military action to stop the war” with no explanation about who we are taking action against. It could be the undefined terrorists mentioned before. It could be the Syrian army. It could be someone else.
The information in this speech is about the Vietnam war. The example is extremely dated, and the numbers undefined and possibly incorrect. However, the larger issue with the information is that it doesn’t serve a purpose. The west abandoning the Middle East is never even hinted at in the beginning of the clash. It also has nothing to do with the one liner Call to Action that comes later.
The Call to Action, if we can even call it that, has nothing to do with any previous part of the speech. If anything, sending aid is the opposite of sanctions and war, both of which have nothing to do with the American withdrawal from Vietnam in 1975.
Overall, this is a confusing speech where each part sends a different message from the other parts. This speech is very open to highjacking by another delegate who will say that this speech supports their ideas. Another option is this speech is ignored. What is clear is the direction the committee takes will likely not be set by this speech.
Committee : ECOFIN
Country : Peru
Topic : Responsible Usage of Arctic Resources
Peru believes that every Arctic country has the sovereignty to use their resources .
However, because of the climate changes, we should create a special committee that will discuss this subject and find ways to decrease the ecological damage. The Arctic region contains major reserves of uranium, copper, tungsten, gold, diamonds and most importantly gas and oil . In addition, it’s one of the largest freshwater reservoirs in the world. Climate changes and release of contaminants in the Arctic have potential to affect European and global weather patterns. The Arctic is particularly sensitive to the effects of global warming, and icebergs are melting at a rapid rate. Scientists fear that it will cause a significant rise in sea levels around the world, and that in the 20th of the 21 century there will be no ice zone at all during the summer.
Clash – Countries can use resources within their territory.
Information – Names of resources in the arctic and some more scattered data.
Call to Action – Create a special committee.
This speech starts with a pretty clear Clash, that countries who have access to the arctic can use their resources as they please. The next line contradicts the first and presents either an alternative Clash or a Call to Action in the form of creating a “special committee” to find ways to decrease egonolical damage (first time this is mentioned). The rest of the speech is an array of information that doesn’t really point at anything. Some of it counts as Information in the form of new facts but most of what is said doesn’t really serve a purpose. At the end of the speech we are left wondering what was the point. From the third sentence the speech rambles on with no connection to the Clash or Call to Action which end up forgotten by the end of the speech..
Country : Cuba
The Arctic states are completed and integrated by customary international sea law and several treaties. The Arctic includes areas of the national sovereignty. Cuba fully respects these sovereign rights and will be ready to play their role to confront global challenges with its scientific and technological expertise and leading companies to contribute to a sustainable Arctic development while respecting the ecosystem and indigenous people.
In this frame, Cuba expects the extending bilateral and multilateral cooperation in the Arctic, in the framework of international law to create a committee to cooperate in the following subjects : wider access of geo- strategic interest , scientific cooperation on climate change and environmental protection , economic expertise in the use of mineral resources , cooperation on human lives in extreme climate conditions .
Clash – None.
Information – None.
Call to Action – Create a committee to do basically everything.
This speech opening with what is clearly not a clashline. Cuba then says they “fully respect sovereign rights” and continue with a run on sentence (specifically how they will “ play their role to confront global challenges” using “scientific and technological expertise and leading companies” to “contribute to a sustainable Arctic development” while “respecting the ecosystem and indigenous people.”)
This delegate’s opening speech, unknowingly, tries to cover everything. The same can be seen in their call to action where the committee is created to do 5 separate things, which could each be an entire Call to Action in its own right.
This speech is hard to follow and tries to commit to so many different things. As a result, almost any other delegate can say that Cuba supports them. There are buzzwords like terms that have no clear link between them such as “sustainable Arctic development”, “ecosystem”, “indigenous people” and more. Overall, it is a difficult speech to follow where the listener is left without a clear idea of what the delegate wants, unless if what they want is absolutely everything.
Country : Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic says we have to take care of the arctic . It is important because there are many resources there which the world will be sad to lose. It also has endangered species.
We have not been careful with the arctic. Countries could also go to war over it. We need to be responsible. This means setting up mechanisms to protect the environment. We should also create treaties to protect nature and the natural resources there.
We owe it to our children and their children to take care of the arctic . We will have failed them if they ask us “why were you not responsible”. We need to be able to have an answer. As ECOFIN, we need to make sure the United Nations ensures that its member states use the arctic responsibly or do not use it at all. If we want an arctic when we are older we need to protect it today!
Clash – The clash in this speech is off clash.
Information – There are zero facts in this speech.
Call to Action – “take care of the arctic” which could mean anything.
This speech could have been written by someone who only read the name of the topic. Everything in it is general. No fact is present and no original idea is presented.
The only merit of this speech is that it can be read dramatically but even then there is nothing to remember except for lines like “we owe it to our children and their children to take care of the arctic.” At best, this speech shows eloquence and a knack for drama. What it does not do is set or drive debate in any way. Coming away from this you can assume no research was done and there is possibly a lack of understanding of how a MUN works.
At this point, you should be able to understand the different parts of a MUN opening speech and how they work together. Inspired by the examples and opening speech analysis, the patterns and characteristics of a good MUN opening speech should be clear. The final part of the opening speech process is the modifications you will sometimes need to do to adapt your speech to the previous speeches that came before yours.
MUN RULE: Always ready to adapt in real-time. This rule applies to your opening speech.
Just because it’s your first speech , doesn’t mean it’s the first speech in the committee room.
Ideas will come up from the very first opening speech in the committee. Once a delegate utters the words,“Honorable chair distinguished delegate” you should be ready to make a few modifications to your opening speech. Adapting to the room and the ideas is key to success in MUN.
Factor in the speaking order
Opening speeches are usually heard alphabetically. Other options are reverse alphabetical , in order of seating or completely at random .
Write your speech to build on top of others
Take note of the first letter of your country, write your speech with your place in the speaking order in mind. Countries with the letters A through C often give the first speeches, since not every committee has interviews countries with every letter in the alphabet. : )
(Remember although most conferences have opening speeches in alphabetical order, this is not a guarantee)
The countries who start their opening speech have first crack at defining the terms, setting the Clash and introducing the first Calls to Action.
More delegates on your Clash = Better
If you are not the first delegate making an opening speech, it is very possible you will join an existing Clash. Joining other delegates with the same idea is not a bad thing. The more delegates who subscribe to your world view the better chance you have to get a majority.
Hearing your Clash by another delegate in previous speeches is a very good thing. This lays the foundation to start building your coalition already during the opening speech stage through a tactic called echoing .
If you are not the first delegate making an opening speech, think what is likely to have been said and add to it. It is very possible you will join an existing Clash. This is not a bad thing. The more delegates there are who subscribe to your world view the better chance you have to get a majority.
As long as it isn’t Off Clash, hearing your Clash in some of the previous speeches is a very good thing. This means you can start building your coalition already during the opening speech stage through a tactic called echoing.
Echo others
Echoing is mentioning another country by name in your speech. You can echo that you agree with them or disagree. You can directly quote or paraphrase. Echoing is not limited to opening speeches but it is a very potent strategy to use when you aren’t the first speaker.
How to Echo:
Echoing in an opening speech is usually best done right before your clash. You can also echo a country in the middle of your speech but it has a larger chance of getting missed.
Echoing in an opening speech can look something like this:
“Portugal agrees with Denmake, France and Haiti and disagreed with Russia and Pakistan.”
When you mention another country by name their ears perk up and they listen. You want allies and the opposing bloc to listen. You definitely want the countries you mention by name to listen.
Echoing in an opening speech needs to have a purpose. The purpose is usually to start putting your coalition together. Mentioning someone else in your speech grants you street credit with them. On a secondary level echoing helps set the Clash. Other countries will see that a number of delegates see your Clash as the issue to discuss and can choose to come on board, or at least acknowledge the Clash as something to be addressed.
If you are not one of the first speakers echoing it is also a way to show other delegates that you’re listening. If you mention countries who spoke at the beginning when you’re one of the later delages to speak, it sounds like your stopped listening at the beginning. It’s better to echo a country from the beginning, middle and a few speakers before you. This way the delegates in the room know your are attentive.
Echoing other delegates as a way to communicate with them from within your opening speech. Those extra words can help you start building coalitions, and agreeing on what reality the committee is taking place in, before the opening speeches end.
Finally, remember that echoing is part of your word count . If you’re going to echo, factor that into your speech time. A strategy some delegates use is writing their opening speech with 10 words less than fits a minute to leave room for echoing.
Saying CtA Best > Saying CtA First
Some MUN topics have a limited number of policies that can be implemented. If you’re a further down the opening speech list it is very likely someone said your policy, or something like it. This too is a good thing. When the topic has only three or four viable policies, it should be expected that some ideas will repeat themselves.
If you’re dealing with an earthquake there are only so many ways to rescue people from under the rubble.
If you’re dealing with a virus, there are only so many ways to vaccinate and research an antidote.
This is why would should not worry about saying the Call to Action first. On some topics, if you’re the only one to say it, you likely have a much larger problem
This is where going into detail and SMART policy come into play. You can echo the other countries who mentioned your policy idea in one line and develop it. If they gave one line at the end of their speech but you take 25 seconds to explain, the credit will go to you.
Remember that your opening speech is not the end, it’s a beginning. The delegate who best develops the idea, and pushes it the furthest over time, is the one who gets the credit. Also, you don’t need to do it alone. Having one or two strong allies will make a big difference when it comes to getting your Call to Action a central place of the draft resolution. MUN is a team activity and there is no promise of an easy ride to a majority. That is also part of the fun and the magic that is MUN. Be open to working with others and see the other delegates who try to set your Clash or introduce your Call to Action as an opportunity. CIA alone is more work for you. Others joining and supporting your CIA is the essence of cooperation and leveling up in Model United Nations.
There you have it. The secret to writing a great MUN opening speech. Remember, a speech alone is not though. You need to combine it with proper country representation , good coalition work, and resolution writing . However, if you give a bad opening speech you will need to work extra hard to catch up afterward. This can potentially be especially hard in an expert room.
You will also have to give other speeches after the first one. There are all types of follow up speeches that are needed to keep your CIA going. Once the ideas are out, their repetition is key to keeping your ideas on the table and yourself relevant. However, now that you gave a great opening speech, you have a much better chance to influence the direction the committee takes.
You should also use the tools of CIA speech writing to critically listen to others. Listen to hear what they are missing, whether it’s a Clash, a Call to Action or data to back it up. Write notes on their speeches and factor that into your general strategy.
The tools you gained here are relevant for high school MUN, college or university MUN as well as for other platforms that involve public speech. More importantly, these tools can also be used outside of MUN. After all, being relevant, interesting and driving conversation are even more important outside of a Model UN committee simulation. Make these tools second nature and they should serve you well for a long time.
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Analyze their response and tweak the joke accordingly if necessary. Starting your speech with humour means your setting the tone of your speech. It would make sense to have a few more jokes sprinkled around the rest of the speech as well as the audience might be expecting the same from you. 4.
There are six common or standard content items in a good welcome speech. These are: Greetings to welcome everyone and thanking them for coming along. Acknowledgement of special guests, if there are any. An introduction of the event itself and a brief overview of special highlights the audience will want to know about.
4. Make them laugh. Injecting a little humor into your opening line puts everyone at ease and makes your speech more memorable. Just make sure your joke is relevant and doesn't offend your audience. Example: "They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but if the doctor is cute, forget the fruit!". 5.
Remember to present your data in a clear, accessible way, and always cite your sources to maintain credibility. 10. Creating a Powerful Hook with Anecdotes and Quotations. Anecdotes and quotations can be a powerful tool in your opening speech, serving as hooks that draw your audience into your presentation.
Step 1: Think of all the questions that can help you to set the theme of your speech. Step 2: Make a point to not include close-ended questions and questions that are simply TOO GENERIC. Step 3: The last element that your question must include is the element of curiosity.
A long opening speech for a commencement ceremony. Good morning everyone! I would like to extend a very warm welcome to our esteemed faculty, astounding parents, and our dear students. ... Welcome Speech Samples for National Holidays. Below is a sample of a welcome speech typically delivered during Annual Day. Substitute the appropriate details ...
Typical Patterns for Speech Openings. Get the audience's attention-called a hook or a grabber. Establish rapport and tell the audience why you care about the topic of why you are credible to speak on the topic. Introduce the speech thesis/preview/good idea. Tell the audience why they should care about this topic.
Doing this will give you an idea of how to catch the attention of your listeners. 2. Acknowledge The Guests. Of course, one of the purposes of giving an opening speech at every event is to welcome the guests. Convey how thankful the organizers are for their acceptance of the event invitation. Also, do not forget to thank them for sparing time ...
Ask a question they can respond to or tell a joke — anything to connect with the audience. Do something that grabs their attention and excites them and makes them thrilled about the event. 3. Add individual greetings for any special guests. Include the names of special guests that are part of the audience.
1. Practice and be prepared. Make sure you practice at least one day in advance. Print your opening speech - it's unprofessional to use an electronic device! Timing is especially important. You don't want to work hard on your speech only for the Chair to ask you to "come to your closing remarks.".
3 Step Guide to Writing a Great Master of Ceremony Opening Speech. Over the last 20 years I've had to write an Opening Speech for hundreds of large events where I have been engaged as the MC. Some have been relatively easy, while others have required many hours of effort and thought. Rather than reinvent the wheel each time, I now have a 3 ...
Use phrases like "Good morning," "Welcome," or "Thank you for being here.". Introduce Yourself: Briefly introduce yourself, including your name and role, to establish your connection to the event or organization. Express Gratitude: Thank attendees for their presence.
Opening Lines of the Top 10 Greatest Speeches of All Time. #1: Socrates - "Apology". "How you, men of Athens, have been affected by my accusers. I do not know.". #2: Patrick Henry - "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death". "Mr. President, it is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope.".
One of the best ways to open your speech with a buzz is to startle or shock them. You can shock an audience in many ways, but they all rest on the major senses of V.A.K.S: Visual. Auditory. Kinaesthetic (touch) and Smell. We don't want your audience tasting your talk, but it should leave a good taste in their mouths.
Here are some examples of short opening remarks for a program. 1. You are welcome to [program name]. We're so happy you could be here with us today. 2. We appreciate your attendance at [program name] and wish you a good [morning/afternoon/evening]. 3.
2. Props and Placards. Instead of simply coming on to the stage and start speaking, shock your audience by doing something different. We all love surprises and with the right props and placards, you can get your audience interested for the entire duration of your speech.
Naturally, everybody anticipates the introductory speech for an event. And that is because it is the opening speech for an event that sets the tone for the entire event or any function. One can easily attract the attention of the audience with a catchy first line and introduction. So it is very important to make a good first impression.
So a very warm welcome to each and every one of you, if youhave nay questions, suggestions, clarifications, or just want to say "hi", you can find me in the lobby. Thank you very much for listening and let us welcome, (insert the name of the speaker or guest). Thank you! If you're wondering what a great welcome speech looks like, here's ...
Here is our list of the best conference opening remarks examples. Conference opening remarks examples are statements that introduce your meeting to attendees. Examples include serious opening conference remarks, funny opening conference remarks, and inspirational opening conference remarks. ... As I was preparing my speech for today, my partner ...
The first thing to consider when writing a welcome speech is the length of your speech. Do thorough research before writing a welcome speech. Write an engaging short welcome speech for an eventof any kind. Include thanks to the guests for being part of the event. Avoid clichés in your speech and practice saying it aloud.
For your next opening speech, try out the following recipe: - Pull your audience in with a thought-provoking question, anecdote or fact. - Highlight the importance of the topic, preferably linking with your future solutions. - State your country's position on the topic, express your priorities and set a foundation.
A MUN opening speech should cover the following: Problem. The specific problem you want to solve - 1 line. Clash. Solution - What you want to do about the issue - 1 line. Information. Back up your views on the issue and solutions with facts from research. - 2 lines. Action.
Sample Opening Speech 1. Honorable Chair, Esteemed delegates. The delegate of ----------- is delighted to be part of the 12th annual SIMUN conference. He/she hopes that his/her fellow delegates will engage in relevant debates, in order to make this conference productive. Let's all take wise decisions after considering every resolution.