Getting your speech off to a good start is of paramount importance - but if you do not liaise with the Master of Ceremonies, it could be a disaster.
A few years ago, I was at a dinner when John Rutherford (arguably Scotland’s best ever stand-off with 42 caps) was the main speaker. He mentioned that back in 1983, he had just returned from playing rugby in New Zealand and had been asked to speak at a business lunch in his hometown of Selkirk in the Borders.
He had never spoken at a business lunch before - so he phoned Bill McLaren (for almost 50 years the Voice of Rugby as a BBC Commentator), who lived up the road in Hawick, and asked his advice.
Bill said “John - no problem - all you have to is construct a good first line, memorise it - and everything will flow from there”.
So, John put the phone down - and, after much thought, decided he would say “I have just come back from New Zealand, where rugby is more important than religion” - and he practised this line, again and again for the next couple of weeks,
The day of the lunch arrived - and John was ready - and the Master of Ceremonies said “It now gives me great pleasure to introduce to-day’s guest speaker, John Rutherford, who has just come back from New Zealand, where rugby is more important than religion!”