Moderator in International Seminar: Ubud Writers and Readers Festival 2017

My experience of becoming an MC have been heard and known by a lot of people already. Especially people in my university. By saying university, yes the whole university not only specifically my department, which is English department—since my major is English Literature.  I am really grateful that my talent and skill in presenter and public speaking related is recognized by many. This is like a stepping-stone for me to develop myself better in this industry. 

From left to right: Rahelita Luki, Jock Serong, Abdillah Jabbaar.

My first time of becoming a moderator was in Ubud Writers and Reader Festival 2017. In this event, I was also the English language MC (yes, this seminar was bilingual which used two languages: Indonesian and English). The head of the committee wanted me to be the moderator as well to lead the question and answer session and translate what the speaker was saying to the audience and vice versa—this was because the keynote speaker was from Australia, Jock Serong, the author of the On the Java Ridge Novel, and the majority of the audiences were Indonesian. 

Long story short, I accepted the offer and who might have guessed that being a moderator, especially for international seminar like this was very interesting for me. Not only because it is about public speaking but also, get to talk with the keynote speaker directly, lead the question and answers session, plus write the summary of what the keynote speaker delivered and the questions from the audiences had given me a whole new experience.

I have always enjoyed becoming an MC because I get to train my confidence in front of a lot of people. but being a moderator has lifted my skill to the whole new level where I am not only talking to the audience but also I have to deliver things which the keynote speakers have said and make the audience more understand about the point of what have been delivered. It challenged my skill even more which then develop my critical thinking alongside with my confidence of public speaking. 

This will challenge me even more when the keynote speakers are from abroad countries because I have to deliver the whole point of the seminar in English and I have to think in English as well, so that both sides: the audiences and keynote speaker, can connect with each other and question and answers session, later on, will come smoothly. 

For the following post, I would like to share what to do and what not to do for becoming an MC and moderator. So stay tune on my blog, my dear readers.