‘Talk to One Person’: The Art of Arena Announcing with Chuck Cureau
Chuck Cureau, the Public Relations Director at SeaWorld San Antonio
August 30, 2024
The former SeaWorld trainer and San Antonio Spurs In-Arena Host shares his tips for speaking to audiences of thousands.
Chuck Cureau, the Public Relations Director at SeaWorld San Antonio, knows a little something about speaking to packed arenas. In the late ‘80s, he began performing in front of thousands multiple times daily as a beluga whale and dolphin trainer at Sea World. At nights, for the past 16 years, he has been the In-Arena Host for the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs.
On episode 236 of the “PR 360” podcast, Cureau shared his secrets for effectively communicating with massive audiences and his advice is counterintuitive. Instead of attempting to address the entire arena, the emcee should narrow their focus to a single person. He believes this singular focus fosters a connection with the hundreds, if not thousands, of people sitting near them.
“The first thing I think for me that's cardinal rule number one is you're not talking to 20,000 people,” he told the podcast. “You look out to the audience; you make eye contact with one person. There may be 50 to 100 feet between you and them, and the 20 people sitting around them are so far away, they can't really tell what you're looking at. They all think you're locking eyes with them because there's that distance.”
“That’s the bit of advice that I'd give to someone new starting out in the public speaking realm is talk to one person, make it a conversation with that one person,” he added. “I try not to say, ‘ladies and gentlemen,’ or ‘boys and girls,’ I try to make it seem like I'm just talking to you. ‘Hey you!’ It's a little bit more personal.”
The next time he addresses the crowd, Cureau will focus on someone else in another section of the arena to “spread the love” around the building. “That's what I tell the new animal trainers when they come [to SeaWorld]. Pick someone out, talk to them, and then just avert your gaze and move to the next person, and by the end of the presentation, you will have made the connection, and everybody feels special in the whole venue,” Cureau said.
Cureau uses the same philosophy when making on-camera appearances.
“You look into that camera, and you're just talking to one person because the person on the other end is just that person looking at their phone, television, or computer screen. So, talk to one person,” Cureau said.
Janek Tutta, the founder of Speak and Conquer, echoes Cureau's advice. He says that focusing on just one part of the audience gives the speaker an air of confidence. "Everyone else seeing you will have the perception that you’re supremely confident because your eyes are not going all over the place,” Tutta writes. “So, whether there are lights on the audience or not (it doesn’t matter), just randomly pick different spots. You don’t want to be like a water sprinkler, going back and forth. It shouldn’t be that consistent.”
Public speaking can be intimidating, especially when addressing audiences of thousands. However, by staying calm and directing their attention to a single person, emcees can project confidence and create a powerful connection with the entire audience.
This interview was edited for time and clarity.
