HOW TO HIRE · EVENTS & ENTERTAINMENT · CHECKED OCTOBER 2026
How to hire an MC / toastmaster in Ireland
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.
A mc / toastmaster in Ireland costs €300–€900 per event, typically around €500. Here is how to check that in a minute, what to ask before you book, and what you must be handed when the job is done.
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THE 60-SECOND VERSION
Hiring an MC / toastmaster in five steps
- Are you a trader, and can I see that in writing?No register covers MC / toastmaster work, so trader status is what your consumer rights hang on — audience Engagement — an effective MC engages the audience with humour and interaction, making the event more enjoyable.
- How does event's location change the price?A mobile visit costs more than going to them. — ask before the quote rather than after.
- How does MC's experience change the price?Experience costs more per hour and shows in the finish. — ask before the quote rather than after.
- How does program Coordination change the price?It is agreed before the work starts, not after. — ask before the quote rather than after.
- What is not included?Event Introduction — an MC or Toastmaster will introduce speakers, performers, or important guests at your event — get the exclusions named in the quote, because a MC / toastmaster job is priced on what was agreed and not on what was assumed.
BEFORE YOU BOOK
Check before you book
No register applies
NO REGISTER APPLIES TO DJS, BANDS, MARQUEE HIRERS OR ENTERTAINERS. What exists instead is insurance that venues demand and music licensing that the VENUE normally holds through IMRO and PPI, not the performer.
Look for the trader badge and the ID-checked badge on the Locufy profile — both are checked by us, not claimed by the provider.
What to check instead
Public liability insurance at the level YOUR VENUE requires — ask the venue first, then the supplier, because the venue sets the number; For anything with a structure or a ride, the inspection or test certificate; A written contract with the date, the hours, the set-up time and the overtime rate; What happens if they are ill — a named arrangement, not reassurance; Whether they have played your venue before, and what the power and access are like; PAT testing on their equipment, which many venues ask to see.
Ask for each of these before you agree a price, and get the answers in the same message as the quote.
Insurance
Expect public liability, and employer's liability if they bring crew. From a company, ask for the insurer, the limit and the VAT number, and ask who actually attends: the team that turns up may be employed, subcontracted or both, and only one of those is supervised by the firm you are paying.
Ask to see the current certificate of insurance — the insurer's name, the limit and the date it runs to.
Trader or private seller
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 a trader must tell you they are a trader, and your consumer rights — work carried out with reasonable skill and care, and a cooling-off period on a contract agreed in your home or online — apply to traders and not to private sellers. On Locufy the trader status is shown on the profile.
Look for the trader badge on the Locufy profile, and ask anyone else for it in writing before you agree a price.
VAT
VAT at 23%, the standard rate Revenue publishes for this service. Ask whether the price you were given includes it. A trader under the €42,500 registration threshold does not charge it; one over it must, and must show it separately.
Ask whether the figure you were given includes it, and for the VAT number if they are registered — Revenue publishes the rate for this service. revenue.ie →
A good answer: No register covers MC / toastmaster work, so trader status is what your consumer rights hang on — audience Engagement — an effective MC engages the audience with humour and interaction, making the event more enjoyable.
A good answer: A mobile visit costs more than going to them. — ask before the quote rather than after.
A good answer: Experience costs more per hour and shows in the finish. — ask before the quote rather than after.
A good answer: It is agreed before the work starts, not after. — ask before the quote rather than after.
A good answer: Event Introduction — an MC or Toastmaster will introduce speakers, performers, or important guests at your event — get the exclusions named in the quote, because a MC / toastmaster job is priced on what was agreed and not on what was assumed.
A good answer: Expect public liability, and employer's liability if they bring crew — fundraising Event MC — guides charity events or auctions, encouraging donations and keeping participants motivated throughout the event.
A good answer: A written scope and a price before the MC / toastmaster starts, and an itemised invoice after — award Ceremony Presenter — handles the presentation of awards, introducing nominees and winners while maintaining a celebratory atmosphere.
Getting the quote right
- Event's location — a mobile visit costs more than going to them.
- MC's experience — experience costs more per hour and shows in the finish.
- Program Coordination — it is agreed before the work starts, not after.
- Audience Engagement — a small difference here makes a large difference to the total.
- In writing before anyone starts — a message on Locufy counts
- What is NOT included, named
- Who actually attends, and whether they are employed or subcontracted
- The VAT number, and whether it checks out on the Revenue register
Walk away if
- They will not talk about it: event's location — a mobile visit costs more than going to them
- They will not talk about it: MC's experience — experience costs more per hour and shows in the finish
- They will not talk about it: program Coordination — it is agreed before the work starts, not after
- A price for the MC / toastmaster before anyone has asked the size, the access or the condition of what they are working on
- Cash only, or a large deposit before anything at all has started
- No written quote, or one that moves once the MC / toastmaster has begun
What an MC / toastmaster costs: €300–€900 per event
The figures are for the job, per event, and a quote for your own is the only number that binds anyone. Wedding mc and Corporate event host each carry their own band. MC / Toastmaster price guide →
Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.
KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE
MC / toastmasters near you, with the badges that matter shown
ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.
Or post the job free and let them come to you.
- Look firstEvent's location — a mobile visit costs more than going to them — that is what the MC / toastmaster is judging on the first visit, and a price given without it is a guess.
- Agree what is being doneMC's experience — experience costs more per hour and shows in the finish — put in writing before anyone starts, because it is the document you both read back at the end.
- The work itselfProgram Coordination — it is agreed before the work starts, not after — and anything found on the day that was not in that is priced before it is started.
- Check it togetherAudience Engagement — a small difference here makes a large difference to the total — walked against the written scope rather than against the feeling of it, while the MC / toastmaster is still there.
- What you are handedThe itemised invoice and any guarantee on the workmanship and the parts, look for an MC with experience relevant to your specific event type.
- Event Introduction
- An MC or Toastmaster will introduce speakers, performers, or important guests at your event.
- Audience Engagement
- An effective MC engages the audience with humour and interaction, making the event more enjoyable.
- Corporate Event Host
- Facilitates corporate gatherings, conferences, and seminars, keeping the audience engaged and informed.
- Award Ceremony Presenter
- Handles the presentation of awards, introducing nominees and winners while maintaining a celebratory atmosphere.
- Fundraising Event MC
- Guides charity events or auctions, encouraging donations and keeping participants motivated throughout the event.
- Call-out
- A fixed charge for turning up, separate from the work itself. On a short MC / toastmaster job it is often most of the bill, so ask whether the first hour is inside it.
AFTER
When the job is done
Hiring an MC / toastmaster: questions people ask
The cost can vary based on the event's location, the MC's experience, and the duration of the event. Additional services such as custom scripts or special requests may also increase the price.
While many events can be managed by a general MC, specific occasions like formal weddings or corporate events may benefit from a qualified Toastmaster. They bring expertise in etiquette and formal proceedings.
Yes, many MCs offer package deals that include additional services such as event planning or entertainment. Inquire about bundled options to save on costs.
An MC generally does not handle technical aspects such as sound equipment or lighting. Their focus is on hosting and facilitating the event rather than managing logistics.
NO REGISTER APPLIES TO DJS, BANDS, MARQUEE HIRERS OR ENTERTAINERS. What exists instead is insurance that venues demand and music licensing that the VENUE normally holds through IMRO and PPI, not the performer.
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 the work must be carried out with reasonable skill and care, and put right if it is not. Say what is wrong in writing first.
MORE GUIDES