Felix Uhlig is an event presenter with confidence, charm and a keen instinct for hospitality.
For over 16 years, he has been hosting a wide variety of live events – from corporate events and conferences to galas, roadshows and digital and hybrid productions. What sets him apart is his ability to combine clear structure with a palpable ease, remaining calm even in dynamic situations and ensuring that the audience, speakers and directors alike feel at ease. Influenced by his training in the luxury hotel industry, he brings a keen sense of etiquette, timing and atmosphere to his work. In this interview, we talk to Felix about what makes a presentation truly successful, how to switch elegantly between languages and target groups – and why a good event is especially successful when everyone in the room feels seen.
Interview with Felix Uhlig
Felix, how did you become a presenter, and what sparked your interest in this profession?
I have always been the class clown – even as a child and at school. I was able to prove this right away in Year 4 during my first school musical. This ‘noisiness’ was not always conducive to my career and unfortunately cost me a few extra rounds.
After completing my training as a hotel manager, I quickly realised that I was more suited to the stage. Whether 10, 100 or 10,000 people were listening to me never bothered me, so I quickly turned my dream into reality and started my own business in 2010.
What were the biggest challenges you faced in your career as a presenter, and how did you overcome them?
Three things – taxes, visibility and the school of life
I only got to grips with the first of these in 2015, after a lot of research and outside support. I solve the visibility issue through (now) many contacts, i.e. a large network of event organisers and colleagues from the presenting industry.
The school of life never ends, but I believe that with 16 years on stage, at the microphone and in front of the camera, I have already gained a lot of valuable experience and mastered numerous challenges.
What qualities and skills do you consider most important for being a successful presenter?
I am an absolute host. Whether it’s through my training, when friends and family are visiting at home, or even on stage. I just love it when my guests feel comfortable. It helps to recognise wishes before they are expressed.
In addition, I speak German and English at native speaker level. This is helpful in international projects, where you can communicate in one language off stage and use one or both languages on stage for the event.
Tech affinity: I mean… if it has a button or a display, I’m quite happy to have it at home. 😅
In summary: host gene, internationality, independence on site and humour.
Can you tell us about a particularly memorable or challenging event that you have hosted?
In 2024, during a 20-minute break in the renovation work, a customer asked me to ‘keep the guests entertained’ for that time. The stage was an arena surrounded on all four sides by stands filled with guests. I solved this with a spontaneous ‘audience as choir’ improvisation that I had once seen Jacob Collier do. It was incredible. It worked incredibly well. Twenty minutes of goosebumps for everyone involved, and at the end, numerous guests came up to me and told me how impressive and beautiful they found this part.
How do you prepare for a presentation, and what strategies do you use to remain flexible during an event?
My preparation for an event/project starts a maximum of two weeks (preferably one week) before the event/project. If I start earlier, everything will be forgotten by the time the event comes around, and too many other things and events will happen in the meantime.
Research and communication with speakers, participants, the company, the event’s objective, communication with those responsible. Then there are moderation cards, which contain less and less text. From continuous text to key points, to keywords, to no more cards and everything in my head. This way, I am free on stage and can interact better with the guests.
What are the most important trends and developments in the field of moderation and event management that you are currently observing?
Co-creation. Guests want to be significantly involved in the programme. Nobody wants the classic front-of-house sound system anymore. I love interacting with the audience and getting them involved.
AI? Not really an issue in live moderation. AI avatars cannot do what real live moderators can do. Improvisation, empathy… that has to come from people.
What advice would you give to someone aspiring to a career as a presenter?
Do it. Start right now. If you feel something burning inside you, let it out. Gather experience, make mistakes, expand your network. And deal with the topic of taxes from day one. 😂
How do you deal with difficult or unexpected situations during an event?
When appropriate: humour. It can solve so many problems. In almost any situation. If it’s not appropriate, my experience helps me do the right thing. Even spontaneously. It’s like muscle memory. It’s ingrained. Like when someone throws you a ball out of nowhere. You catch it or block it. It’s just something you do.
Book Felix Uhlig as a presenter: 1 (704) 804 1054 or welcome@premium-speakers.com