Event Host & MC
A great event host or MC does more than fill the gaps between speakers. They hold the room together across a full day, manage the energy when it needs managing, and make everyone on stage feel like they belong there. Jonathan Griffiths has done exactly that: for audiences of 50 to 1,000, across the world.
Event hosting or MCing is its own discipline. It is not a lighter version of keynote speaking. The skills overlap, but the job is different: you are there to serve the event, not to own it. That means reading the room across eight hours, not forty-five minutes. It means knowing when to step forward and when to step back. It means keeping an audience of up to thousands of people engaged between sessions, across a full day, in a language that may not be their first.
Jonathan has done all of it: from international event briefings with Japanese corporate audiences, to partner awards in black tie, to full-day technology summits with breakouts, panels, and live Q&As. The variety matters. Every event has its own rhythm, and the host's job is to find it quickly.
What an experienced host brings
What Jonathan brings
A conference day has a shape. Energy peaks after the opening, drops after lunch, and needs careful handling in the final hour. Jonathan reads the room and adjusts: not through gimmicks, but through a working understanding of what the audience needs at each moment.
Panels fall apart when the moderator doesn't have a strong enough grip. Jonathan draws out quieter voices, redirects the ones that run long, and keeps the conversation going somewhere. He has done this across multiple events, across different sectors and formats.
Awards evenings are high-stakes for the people winning. The MC's job is to give every moment its due weight and keep the room warm and engaged in between. Jonathan has hosted black-tie awards evenings and understands the difference between conference MC and evening host.
Hosting a briefing for a Japanese corporate audience at the Rugby World Cup requires something different from a domestic tech conference. Jonathan has navigated this: the pace, the tone, the cultural awareness that makes an international audience feel included rather than accommodated.
A good introduction does two things: it tells the audience what they're about to get, and it gives the speaker a room that's ready for them. Jonathan works with speakers before the event: understanding their material, agreeing the handover, and making sure they feel briefed and settled. On the day, every speaker is introduced properly and handed back to the room cleanly when they finish.
Schedules slip, speakers run long, AV fails. An experienced MC absorbs all of it without making the audience feel the friction. Jonathan has managed full-day programmes live on stage and knows how to keep things moving when the plan stops being the plan.
Events hosted
A selection of events Jonathan has hosted as event host or MC: across sectors, formats, and audience sizes. These are examples of the range, not an exhaustive list.
MSP Global
Barcelona, approx. 1,000 people, full day
Rugby World Cup 2019 Hospitality Partner Briefing
Japan, approx. 500 people, full day, Japanese audience
Pax8 Mission Briefings
Approx. 100 people, full day, MC and panel moderator
Acronis Cyber Days
Approx. 100 people, full day, MC and panel moderator
Partner & Customer Awards Evening
Approx. 100 people, black-tie evening
Staffbase VOICES & Awards
Approx. 80 people, full day, MC and awards host
"I had the pleasure of sharing the stage with Jonathan Griffiths when he hosted a recent event, and he was a genuine standout. A natural on stage, he held the room with real warmth and ease from the first moment to the last. What struck me most was the blend of energy, likeability and humour. He kept the audience engaged throughout, set a generous tone for every speaker, and handled the running order so smoothly that the whole day simply flowed. That is harder than he made it look. If you are looking for a speaker or MC who can carry an event with confidence and bring a room with them, I would recommend Jonathan without hesitation."
Roberto Forzoni Keynote Speaker
Rugby World Cup 2019 — Hospitality Partner Briefing, Japan
For event organisers & bureau agents
Event host and MC engagements can stand alone or combine with a keynote across a conference day: some clients find that having Jonathan both host and speak gives the event a stronger through-line. He's happy to discuss what makes sense for the brief, the audience, and the format you're working with.
All enquiries come directly to Jonathan. He personally replies within 2 working days: no PA, no holding form.
Downloads: short bio, long bio, headshots, media kit →Book Jonathan as your event host or MC
If you're planning a conference, summit, awards evening, or full-day event and you want a host or MC who has done this at scale: get in touch. Jonathan personally replies to every enquiry within 2 working days.
Book Jonathan →Or email hello@jonathangriffiths.co.uk for bureau enquiries