Icebreaker speech for a speaking club
Cue cards for your first prepared speech at a public speaking club: a four to six minute personal introduction with an opening hook, three short life chapters, what you hope to gain and a warm close.
Presentation10 cardsAbout 45 min to speakIntermediateWork
Webinar host script template
A run-of-show for hosting a webinar or online event: tech checks, welcome and housekeeping, speaker introduction, engagement prompts, managing Q and A from the chat, and a clean close with next steps.
Free to use, edit, print and study. No account needed: your set stays on this device.
The cards
- 1
15 minutes before
- Speakers in the green room, sound and camera checked
- Slides shared and tested
- Recording ready to start
- Co-host watching chat and Q and A: [name]
- Backup plan if a speaker drops: [plan]
- Phone silent, notifications off
- 2
Doors open (first 2 minutes)
Hello and welcome, everyone. We will start in about a minute while people join.
While you wait, tell us in the chat where you are joining from today.
Read out a few places to warm up the room.
- 3
Welcome and purpose
Welcome to [webinar title]. I am [name], [role] at [organisation], and I will be your host today.
In the next [minutes] we will cover [topic], and you will leave with [practical outcome].
- 4
Housekeeping
- This session is being recorded and we will send the recording to everyone who registered.
- Your microphones are off. Use the Q and A box for questions and the chat for comments.
- Captions are available under [button or menu].
- We will finish at [time].
- 5
Introduce the speaker
Our speaker today is [name], [role] at [organisation]. [One or two lines on why they are the right person for this topic.]
[Name], over to you.
- 6
Engagement prompts (during the talk)
- Poll at [time]: [question and options]
- Chat prompt: In one word, what is your biggest challenge with [topic]?
- Share results: [X] of you said [answer], which [speaker] will come back to.
- 7
Q and A
Thank you, [speaker]. We have had some great questions. Let us start with one that several people asked: [question].
- Group similar questions together
- Name the person if they are happy to be named
- Keep a list of unanswered questions
- 8
Time check
We have time for two more questions. If we do not get to yours, we will [answer by email / share a written follow-up].
- 9
Close and next steps
Thank you to [speaker] and to all of you for joining.
- Recording and slides: [when and how]
- Next step: [resource, sign-up, free trial, next event]
- Feedback: [one-minute survey link in the chat]
Have a great [morning/afternoon/evening], wherever you are.
- 10
If something goes wrong
- Speaker frozen: It looks like [name] has a connection issue. While they reconnect, here is a question from the chat…
- Slides fail: I will share them from my screen.
- Audio issue: Let us pause for a moment while we fix the sound.
How to use this template
A good webinar host makes the event feel organised and friendly, so the speaker can concentrate on content. This template is a run-of-show for the host from the technical check before going live to the final thank-you. It includes the welcome and housekeeping lines people expect, a short speaker introduction, ready-made engagement prompts, a structure for running questions from the chat, and a calm script for when technology fails. Print the cards or keep them on a second screen. The same flow works on any webinar or meeting platform, and for internal town halls, online training sessions, community meetings and product launches.
Tips
- Run a full technical rehearsal with every speaker a day or two before, on the same devices and network they will use.
- Have a co-host manage the chat and Q and A so you can focus on the speaker and the clock.
- Start on time even if numbers are still climbing; people who joined on time notice and appreciate it.
- Use a poll or chat question in the first five minutes. Audiences that interact early are more likely to ask questions later.
- Choose questions that help the most people rather than the first ones that arrived.
- Send the recording and promised resources within a day, while interest is still high.
Make it fit
- For a 30-minute webinar, cut the poll and keep Q and A to ten minutes.
- For a global audience, mention the time zones you are serving and consider running the session twice.
- For an internal company town hall, replace the speaker introduction with the agenda and the leaders who will speak.
- For a panel webinar, combine this host script with the panel moderator template's question plan.
- For an audience with accessibility needs, turn on live captions, describe any images on slides out loud, and share materials in advance.
Updated October 28, 2026