Family event host
The family event host who gets every age playing
A professional family event host for fun days, company family days, community celebrations and big family parties. I run the stage, the announcements and the games, so the children are involved, the grandparents are laughing and the day still runs to time.
What a family event host does
Talks to every age at once
Toddlers, teenagers, parents and grandparents, all in the same field or function room. I pitch it so nobody feels the day was aimed at someone else, and nobody is left on the edge watching.
Keeps the day on track
Welcomes, the running order, raffle draws, sponsor thank-yous, lost-child calls and the moment the weather changes the plan. You get to enjoy the day instead of chasing it.
Brings the games
Game shows on my own software, stage games and field games, picked for the crowd in front of me on the day.
Why a family event needs a proper host
Get the balance wrong and a family event goes one of two ways. Too formal, and the children drift off inside ten minutes. All games and no structure, and the day falls apart: the raffle never gets drawn and the people who organised it spend the afternoon firefighting.
I sit in the middle of that. Twenty years of hosting and a background in live television keep the running order tight, and as a dad of two I am usually the one running the games at family birthdays anyway. If you need a family fun day host, a host for a company family day or someone to hold a big family party together, that is the job.
- A briefing on who is coming, from the youngest to the oldest
- A running order with room for the games
- Announcements, draws and thank-yous done clearly and on time
- Games that pull in the shy ones as well as the show-offs
What I host
Family events I host
Planning a fun day from scratch? Start with my fun day ideas for the field and the stage.
Family games on my own game-show software
This is where I differ from most hosts. My game shows run on software I build myself, and I write every game for the people in the room: the questions, the answers and the way I present them. A family crowd gets a different show from a boardroom, and it should.
Every game can be played three ways: as a show with teams at the front, at the tables with every table as a team, or on guests’ own phones. See how it runs on my game software, or browse every game.
The games
Games the whole family can play
Family Fortunes
I write the survey questions for your crowd, then split the whole room into two teams and rotate the players every round. As many people as possible get a go at the board, and nobody is up there long enough to get nervous.
The Generation Game
I pick the challenges to suit the room. At one family event we ran an egg-and-spoon race judged on the silliness of the walk, not on who won. The conveyor belt of prizes on the big screen finishes it off.
The Quiz Show
Categories pitched so the youngest and the oldest at the table both have a shot at an answer. Families play as teams, or every table plays as one.
Play Your Cards Right
Played at the tables so nearly every table gets a turn, or at the front with a few brave volunteers. Higher or lower needs no explaining, so the youngest guests can shout along from the first card.
Heads or Tails
Everyone stands. I flip the coin, hands on head for heads, hands on bum for tails, and a wrong call sits you down. Five minutes, any age, and a lot of noise when it gets down to the last few.
Personalised game shows
For a birthday, an anniversary or a family reunion, I write rounds about the guest of honour and the family: the stories everyone already tells, turned into survey answers, quiz categories and bingo calls.
From a function room to a field of 80,000
Plenty of family events are outdoors, and outdoors is a different job. I have presented family festival events with crowds past 80,000, with more than one stage, changing weather and running orders that move on the day. At that size a microphone won’t do the work for you, and you can’t afford a dead minute when the crowd can drift to another stage.
I have warmed up crowds of 5,000 and more at the Color Obstacle Rush and led a singalong with 10,000 people at a fireworks night. On the field it is tug-of-war, relay races, wheelbarrow races and team challenges, commentated so the people watching are as involved as the people pulling. For main-stage festival work, see my festival presenter page.
See it in action
Family events, on camera
Family event emcee
Family event host reviews
Family and community clients
Kevin hosted our annual football Graduation Ceremony and he was truly exceptional throughout the event. He had a remarkable way of engaging with the audience making it fun for all the children and parents. He was even courageous enough to get people dancing on their feet which really added to the atmosphere of the event.
Thanks Kevin for the fantastic job you did as compere for our annual Love Bedford Day last weekend. Great interaction throughout the day. Just the right amount of conversation amongst music too. Will be in touch for future events…
I can’t thank you enough, Kevin made the whole day so much fun, everyone loved him. Get in contact with him, get him on your social media, he’s wicked.
How it works
Booking me takes three steps
Send your date
Use the form below or call. I’ll tell you straight away whether I’m free.
A free chat about the day
Who is coming, the ages in the room, the running order and the games that would suit. No obligation.
Confirmed and prepared
I arrive early and briefed, check the sound with your team and know every name that needs saying right.
FAQ
Family event host FAQs
What does a family event host do?
A family event host runs the day from the front: welcoming everyone, keeping the running order on time, making the announcements and running games that get every age involved. It is one person who is both the MC and the entertainment, so the people who organised the event get to enjoy it too.
What kind of family events do you host?
Family fun days, company family days, community and town celebrations, school and club events, fireworks nights, and big family parties such as milestone birthdays, anniversaries, christening parties and family reunions. Indoors or outdoors, from a function room to a field.
Are you a children’s party entertainer?
Not in the magic-and-balloons sense. I am at my best when adults and children are in the same room and both need entertaining. For a party that is only a room of five-year-olds, a specialist children’s entertainer is usually the better fit. For a family party where every age turns up, that is exactly what I do.
Can you personalise the games for our family?
Yes. Tell me about the guest of honour and the family stories everyone already knows, and I will write them into the games as survey answers, quiz categories and bingo calls. Anyone who would rather not be mentioned is not.
Do you host outdoor family events?
Yes, plenty. I have presented family festival events with crowds past 80,000, and I am comfortable working with sound engineers, stage managers and changing weather. Field games such as tug-of-war and relay races are part of the job.
How much does a family event host cost?
Every event is quoted individually, because a two-hour family party and a full fun day are very different jobs. Send me the date, the venue and roughly how many people are coming, and I will come back with a quote. There is no obligation.
Do you travel?
Yes. I host family events right across the UK.
Enquiries
Tell me about your family event
Send me the date, the venue and who is coming, from the youngest to the oldest, and I’ll tell you how I’d host it.