Do you have to give a speech at the upcoming school event? A template for a welcome speech may ease your nervousness and help you draft a speech with all the necessary elements.
A short speech that is given by one of the members of the organizing committee in order to introduce the event at hand to the guests and audience is known as a welcome speech. As the main purpose of such a speech is to open the function, it is important that the speech maintain the fine balance between being formal and casual at the same time. A speech so drafted allows to set the right mood for the event.
Occasionally a welcome speech also serves as an introduction speech, providing an introduction to the guest of honor at the event. In such a situation it is important that you narrate anecdotes about the person which are not very widely known. This will make your speech more interesting. The details in the speech should be in reference with the event that he is guest of honor at. Telling everyone at an office party that the chief guest likes vacationing at Las Vegas may not be the most appropriate thing to say.
Such a speech should always be informative, positive in its tone, and complementary. In this article, not only do we give you a template for a speech but also tips on how to write the speech, and some ideas for the same.
Writing Welcome Speeches
While referring to a template for a welcome speech is the easiest way to draft such a speech, it is a good idea to keep in mind some handy tips that will help you. Mastering the art of giving speeches becomes much easier if you are aware of public speaking techniques. Given below are some tips on how to write this speech and how you can ease your anxiety before delivering the speech.
- Every speech will obviously start by welcoming your guests and audience to the event. If you have a guest of honor, then welcome him separately and thank them for coming to the function.
- It is important for you to decide what the tone of your speech is going to be. This will depend on the formality of the event and the nature of the event. You need to decide accordingly if the speech is going to be funny, inspiring, or entertaining.
- Your speech is intended for the audience and the main aim of any such speech should be to pique their interest in the event by telling them what is planned ahead. Referring to a sample will tell you that it is important that you ensure that your audience is enthusiastic about the event and the function.
- Before you end your speech it is important for you to check whether or not there are any other speakers addressing the audience after you. If this is the case, then you need to introduce the speaker at the end of your speech.
- The start and the end of the speech need to be the most impactful as these are the parts of the speech that the audience takes back home with them. Try to start or end the speech with some quotes or interesting incidents, that the audience will remember.
- As you are drafting a welcome speech, there will be no speech topic defining your little oratory piece but still it may be a good idea to have a theme running through the welcome speech. Most speeches follow this idea.
- To prepare yourself for the final day, deliver the speech in front of your friends or in front of the mirror for practice. Delivering it in front of friends and family will allow you to get responses which will help you improve as a whole.
- At the end of the speech it is absolutely important that you thank the audience for listening to you and hope that they enjoy the event which has been organized for them.
Template
With the tips given above you should easily be able to draft a welcome speech with absolutely no issues. There are many books and online resources that will allow you to refer to templates and samples. Remember that a speech written to welcome guests to an event should always be heartfelt.
| W | Start by welcoming everyone to the event and mention dignitaries individually. |
| E | Everyone at the event or the function should be thanked for coming for the event. |
| L | Let the guests at the event be aware of the reason for organizing the event and what its significance is. |
| C | Comment on the history of the event and how far you have come from the first time this event was ever organized or since when the organization was first formed. |
| O | Refer to the occasion and talk for a few minutes about the importance of the event in itself. |
| M | It is essential that there be mention of an interesting anecdote or a quote that has an impact on the audience. |
| E | Always end the speech by thanking the audience again and hoping that they have a great time. |
Now that you know what the proper template is and you have at hand various tips that you can use to draft a welcome speech, you need not be nervous if you are asked to deliver a speech to an audience welcoming them to an event.
