How to Run a Live Interview on Stage

The best live interview is the one where the audience forgets there is an interviewer.

From rugby internationals at the WRU Official Members Club to chief executives at corporate events, the guests who give the most are the ones who feel the conversation is about them, not about the person holding the microphone.

Research the guest properly

Not the press release. The interviews they gave three years ago, the story they tell when they relax, the subject they are tired of being asked about. Preparation is what lets you ask the second question, and the second question is where the interview lives.

Earn each question with the one before it

A list of questions is not an interview. Each one should follow from what the guest just said. If they surprise you, follow the surprise. The audience can tell the difference between listening and waiting to speak.

Know when to get out of the way

This is the part most interviewers find hardest. When a guest is in the middle of a good story, the only job is to stay out of it. No clever follow-up, no bridge to your next point. Let the room have it.

• Agree the themes with the guest beforehand, never the exact questions.
• Open with something they enjoy talking about, not the hardest question.
• Keep the audience Q&A to the end and keep it moving.

In one line

The best live interview is the one where the audience forgets there is an interviewer.

Questions people ask

Rhys Morris is an event host, MC and compere working UK-wide, and the CEO and founder of the event operations platform TRM Flex. Read more about live interviewer and fireside chat host or send an enquiry.