Public Address Announcers and Emcees

WFTDA Public Address Announcers act as the voice of flat track roller derby in venue. At WFTDA postseason events, the Public Address role is divided, with a Public Address Announcer mostly working solo, and sometimes supplemented by an Emcee. A producer may also be staffed, to help track stats. The ideal candidate will have a great professional speaking voice with energy and enthusiasm at all times, be able to think on their toes and multitask, and possess a versatile and superior vocabulary. Both independently and together, Public Address Announcers and Emcees are to enhance production value and facilitate an appropriate level of crowd interaction and engagement.

For both roles:

• prior experience with public address announcing is required
• candidates need command of their voice in a variety of acoustic environments
• performance or event hosting background a plus
• a versatile and superior vocabulary is preferred

WFTDA Public Address Announcers must be well-educated in the sport of flat track roller derby, and able to speak with confidence in front of a crowd and provide some fan engagement. The Public Address Announcer is sometimes supported by a producer, who will help track stats and gather useful information from officials. The focus of the call will be on points scored, time remaining, penalties, reviews, etc; a running play-by-play commentary is not advised. Public Address Announcers will present statistics in an intelligent way that informs the audience. Additionally, this person will be required to announce all sponsorships as directed.

WFTDA Emcees are tasked with engaging the crowd in-venue, and helping Tournament Staff find unique ways to get sponsors and vendors involved. They must be entertaining, enthusiastic, and great with fans of all ages. This person will be required to announce in-venue audience participation games, halftime contests, tee-shirt tosses, and more, with the goal of getting fans more involved and excited about their experience at the tournament. The ideal candidate will also be comfortable with a highly dynamic and visible role in crowd participation, and be prepared to come equipped with ideas to enhance audience engagement between games and during breaks.

In addition to other requirements, Emcees need:

• comfort with improvisation
• creativity in brainstorming crowd participation activities that support event/activity sponsors

• Broadcast: Play-by-Play Announcer, Color Announcer, Producer
• Sideline Interviewer /Social Media Presenter
• Tournament Head Announcer (THA)
• Announcer Job Descriptions Home