5 top tips to combat nerves and lead a first-class event

I couldn’t begin to count the number of times I’ve led an event, whether that be hosting sessions, chairing roundtables or standing up on podiums. 

It’s part and parcel of many of our professional lives, but we don’t often talk about the anxiety that comes with having to speak publicly.  

I’m the same: despite frequently feeling unable to eat anything in the run up to speaking, I don’t voice how I’m feeling. 

A little while ago, Be the Business held an in-person all-hands. Throughout the day, various colleagues would be presenting to the rest of the team, and I’d heard on the grapevine that many of them were anxious about the prospect. 

So, fresh from chairing a roundtable that meant I couldn’t even think about eating breakfast, I decided to share with the team that I get nervous too.  

But over the years, I’ve found steps that work for me, so I can eliminate any unnecessary stress and focus on leading a successful event: 

Step 1: Get to know the other attendees beforehand. If it’s an external meeting, I use LinkedIn to put names to faces and start the conversation. Knowing who I’ll be talking to makes it less daunting when I walk in. 

Step 2: Have my briefing notes ready ahead of time. I always print my notes out the night before so that I can be completely familiar with what I’m saying. It also reduces stress the morning of the event and means I’m not having to look at my screen during the meeting. I find it helps to have a one-sided briefing note too, so I can see all my notes without flipping through pages, which reduces unnecessary distraction and makes it easier to stay on track. 

Step 3: Give extra attention to the start of the event. How you open an event sets the tone, so it’s important to have a strong start that engages everyone and gets the conversation flowing. By focusing on my opener, I can get one of the most nerve-wracking moments over, and it’s then easier to get into the rhythm of a conversation. 

Step 4: Arrive at the venue with plenty of time to spare. This may seem like an obvious one, but turning up to the venue minutes before I’m set to speak just adds to the nerves. By arriving early, I can get an idea of the room’s layout, where I’ll be speaking from and even meet the attendees before proceedings kick off. If I’m speaking at a conference, I’ll often stand at the podium before anyone arrives to see what the room looks like from that angle! 

Step 5: Allow myself a quiet moment before the event. The last time I spoke at a roundtable, we were in a fantastic location, so I gave myself a moment or two to focus on the view. Even when there’s nothing to look at, taking this time allows me to clear my mind and control my breathing before stepping into the event. 

I’m not an expert in combatting pre-event anxiety, and everyone will have different steps that work best for them. But in sharing my process before an event, I hope to highlight that it’s OK to have nerves in our professional lives.