A good banquet welcome speech depends on the speaker, occasion and audience. Often at the start of an event, such as a banquet, someone will give a speech. Sometimes this person will be a famous or inspirational figure who has some kind of relevance to the event. The other kind of person to give a welcome speech would be a member of the group, such as a best man or the organiser of the banquet. This is often a nerve-wracking moment as the speaker may not be used to speaking to an audience. Therefore, there are some tips that can be given to help nervous speakers. Preparation is key. It is not advisable to write out the whole speech as you will not then make eye-contact with your audience, something which is very important to do. If the speech cannot be totally memorised write notes on cue cards featuring key points to jog your memory. Opinion is divided on whether an early joke is recommended. Provided that a joke would not be inappropriate, a well-delivered joke can ease tension in both the speaker and audience. The tone should be appropriate for the audience too. You should deliver a speech clearly, loudly and with language suitable for your audience. It should not be too long otherwise people may get restless, but long enough to be useful. The final sentence should be strong, possibly funny, but memorable so that people remember it. Even if the rest of the speech has not gone well, a good finish could save it. Unfortunately each occasion requires different preparation, tone, length and content, so there is no definitive ‘perfect speech’. However, with correct preparation, a good joke (if appropriate), eye contact, relevant words, the right language and a strong finish, most welcome speeches should go well.
