A master of ceremonies, MC for short, guides an event as its host: they open the day, connect the programme segments and keep time and energy on track. In Germany the same role is called Moderatorin or Moderator, and it is mostly international companies planning an event here who search for the English term.
One term, two worlds
Depending on where you come from, "MC" evokes two different professions. In music, the MC is the voice at the microphone next to the DJ. At business events, master of ceremonies means something else: the person who runs as the thread through a conference, gala or company celebration. The term is standard in the English-speaking world and appears on every event concept there. German organisers write Moderation into the programme instead. The service is the same. If you are planning for an international audience and searching for an MC in Germany, you are looking for a moderator with confident stage English.
What an MC delivers at a business event
The role starts before the event: briefing, running order, coordination with show control and speakers. On stage, the MC opens the day, introduces speakers so the room knows why it should listen, and builds bridges between programme segments. They absorb delays, trim elegantly when the schedule slips and keep the energy in the room, even after the lunch break. At award ceremonies and galas the festive part comes on top: names, laudations, applause at the right moment. In short, the MC is the host acting on the organiser's behalf, so the organiser can be with their guests.
What to check when booking in Germany
Search under both terms, MC and Moderator, otherwise you only see half the market. Then check three things: experience with your format, real bilingualism rather than a welcoming phrase, and references with scale and language. An example from Jasmin Wölke's practice: at the Bosch Global Sales Summit, a company reference, she led three days of programme with more than 500 participants from 40 countries, bilingually throughout. Exactly this constellation, an international audience at a German venue, is the classic case for an MC in Germany.
What to do now
Clarify format, date and the share of each language, and the question of terminology becomes a concrete enquiry. The path from enquiry to confirmation is described on booking a moderator. How bilingual programmes work is shown on English-speaking moderator, and the fee logic on what an event moderator costs.