How to Prepare a Welcome Speech

A welcome speech marks the start of any special event or occasion requiring a formal opening. It could be a meeting, a lecture, a workshop, or a celebration.

The focus of the speech is always the audience and the goal is to make them look forward to whatever is coming next. You are uniting and bringing them together in the common purpose at the heart of the occasion.
To strike the right tone in the language you use consider the audience and the event. Is it fun? Is it serious? Think about the common interest everybody shares. This will give you clues to guide your language choice.

The essential elements to cover in your welcome speech are:

• to specifically acknowledge any important guests



• to generally welcome all the guests, stating the name of the event and host and thank them for coming



• to give a brief introduction of the host



• to give a brief introduction of the occasion



• to give any especial welcomes ie.,to the important guests



• to introduce the next speaker if appropriate



• to conclude

Now let's put all the elements above into a simple sample welcome speech that you can adapt for your own use.

"Sue-Ellen Thomas, Jim Smith, Jane Brown and all of our guests, welcome. We are delighted to have you here to participate and share in the 5th annual Children's Day hosted by Parents United. Thank you for coming. That many of you travel long distances serves to remind us all just how important our work is.

Parents United is committed to actively raising the quality of life for every child. We want all children, regardless of race, creed or circumstance to achieve their full potential. Our task is to make it possible. Our mission is to provide practical, step by step assistance.

This year our theme is literacy. We've named the day 'Readers by Right'. Thanks to the United Nations Univeral Declaration of Human Rights we are aware of 'rights' in many spheres, including education. That 1948 agreement declared in Article 26 education should be compulsory and free for children. That avowed goal, is as pertinent today as it was 59 years ago. It's a goal I know we all share - the full development of the human personality. As a body Parents United recognises good reading skills established in childhood as the foundation to fulfilling and ongoing education.

We are honored to have Sue-Ellen Thomas, Jim Smith and Jane Brown with us today. All three are esteemed specialists in teaching young children to read. Sue-Ellen has worked for many years with educational authorities to establish programs that put in place the necessary pre-reading skills. Her efforts need no introduction. The results speak for themselves. Jim and Jane bring their passion and knowledge of how to reach those in our communities who are frequently overlooked or bypassed. Their work among English-as-a-second-language families has bridged gaps that were deep dark chasms.

Prepare yourself to be challenged, excited and inspired.

And before I handover to Lesley Watts, our coordinator for 'Readers by Right', who will outline the day's events, I want to say once more on behalf of the Parents United organizing committee, welcome. It's a pleasure to see so many of you here."

Remember:
Before you give your speech ensure you've got the names of all the special guests you need to welcome. Make sure you know how to pronounce them properly and double check that the remarks you're going to make about each of them are factually correct. Use your introduction of them as a 'teaser' for what is going to come. It will help create anticipation in the audience.

Unless you've been requested to do otherwise, keep your welcome speech brief, 1 to 2 minutes is generally sufficient. Use the S-S-S formula for success: Short, Simple and Sincere. Your listeners will appreciate it.

Do you need help rehearsing your welcome speech?
You'll find it here, including step by step instructions for making cue cards.

If you're shaking in your boots at the thought of having to give your welcome speech, you've got assistance right here. Take your time. Follow the steps and you will give your speech successfully.

To see the full range of public speaking help see the site map here.

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