The short answer
For a company CNY luncheon, start with the time available, the meal service and the people speaking. The illustrative 60-minute plan below combines a welcome, leadership address, optional lo hei, lunch and a short activity. Your organising committee can adapt it to the venue, headcount and company preferences.
Illustrative 60-minute CNY luncheon programme
This is an original planning example, not a universal ritual order, a fixed package or a transcript of an actual past event. Adjust every block to your confirmed venue timings and company culture. Clock times are relative: 00:00 is when you want the programme to begin.
00:00 to 00:05 · Seating (5 min) · Organiser
Guests find their tables. Background music plays if arranged. The organiser confirms headcount and signals the emcee when the room is settled.
Emcee prep: confirm the leader’s preferred name and title with the organiser. Check the microphone level.
00:05 to 00:08 · Welcome (3 min) · Emcee
Spoken line: “Good afternoon, everyone. Welcome to [COMPANY NAME]’s Chinese New Year luncheon. Thank you for joining us. I am [EMCEE NAME], and I will be your host for the next hour.”
State any housekeeping the organiser has confirmed, such as the venue’s exit information and photography arrangements. Hand over to the company leader promptly.
00:08 to 00:13 · Leadership address (5 min) · [LEADER NAME AND TITLE]
Spoken handover: “To open our luncheon, please welcome [LEADER NAME], [TITLE], for a few words.”
The leader delivers a short seasonal address. The emcee does not interrupt or ad-lib during the speech. When the leader finishes, the emcee thanks them by name and transitions to the next segment.
00:13 to 00:23 · Lo hei (10 min) · Organiser / Venue
Optional. If your company includes lo hei, agree who will lead it before the event. Lo hei is a communal dish-tossing custom practised among friends, colleagues and families, with restaurant staff often introducing the ingredients and greetings (National Heritage Board).
Spoken cue: “We are about to begin our lo hei. [VENUE STAFF NAME] will guide us through. Please gather around your tables.”
Before this segment: confirm with the venue who leads, whether the emcee has a microphone role during the toss, and when meal service begins afterwards. If your event does not include a lo hei, reallocate these 10 minutes to the meal or add a short team segment.
00:23 to 00:45 · Meal service (22 min) · Venue
In this example, the meal has its own uninterrupted block. The emcee pauses announcements and games while guests eat; agree any essential announcements or different service format with the organiser and venue.
The designated timekeeper watches the clock. For a 10-minute overrun, one option is to omit the eight-minute quiz and shorten the five-minute prize/photo block to three minutes, if the organiser agrees. Confirm that any remaining prize handover can fit; otherwise agree a later finish. Do not try to recover the time by rushing meal service.
00:45 to 00:53 · Seated quiz or activity (8 min) · Emcee
Optional. A short table quiz or audience activity brings the room back together after the meal. Agree the format, questions, answers and any prizes with the organiser before the event. Keep participation voluntary.
Spoken line: “Welcome back, everyone. We have a short quiz before our prize presentation. Each table will need one spokesperson. Here is our first question.”
If your event skips the quiz, use this slot for a second short address, a group photo or additional meal time.
00:53 to 00:58 · Prize presentation and photo (5 min) · Emcee / Organiser
Spoken line: “Congratulations to our winners. [PRESENTER NAME] will present the prizes. Winners, please come to the front for a quick photo.”
If a lucky draw replaces the quiz prizes, follow the organiser’s confirmed eligibility and draw rules. The lucky draw emcee script template covers the spoken blocks and cue sheet for that format.
00:58 to 01:00 · Close (2 min) · Emcee
Spoken line: “Thank you, everyone, for a wonderful afternoon. On behalf of [COMPANY NAME], wishing you all the best for the year ahead. Please check with [ORGANISER NAME] if you have any remaining questions. Have a great rest of your day.”
The emcee hands the room back to the organiser for any final logistics.
Organiser handoff checklist
Share this information with your emcee before the event:
- Names and pronunciations. Confirmed preferred names, titles and phonetic guides for every person introduced on the microphone. Use the speaker introduction and pronunciation brief to collect these from each speaker directly.
- Supplier cues. Who leads the lo hei, who serves, who operates the AV? List contact names and signal methods. Confirm the venue is ready before announcing the toss.
- Timekeeper. Name the on-site person responsible for watching the clock and cueing the emcee between segments.
- Optional participation. State which segments are voluntary. Guests who prefer not to join the lo hei or quiz should be comfortable remaining seated.
- Contact person. One decision-maker available throughout the event for last-minute changes or questions.
- Emcee availability. Confirm hosting hours, arrival time, any preparation or rehearsal, and language scope in the quotation discussion.
Frequently asked questions
Does a CNY luncheon need an emcee?
It depends on the programme. A simple meal with one leadership speech may only need an organiser to make the introduction. If there are several speakers or activities, a host can help coordinate the introductions and handovers. Agree those responsibilities with the organiser.
How does a luncheon programme differ from a dinner programme?
This example fits the spoken programme and meal into one hour, with two optional activities. An evening D&D may have a different balance of speeches, entertainment or social time. Choose the actual duration and tone from your brief, rather than assuming that every lunch is short or informal.
Can the emcee lead the lo hei?
Discuss this with the venue and the emcee before the event. At many venues the restaurant staff lead the toss and introductions. The emcee may provide a microphone introduction and transition, or the venue may handle the segment entirely. Agree the division beforehand.
What if our company does not do lo hei?
Omitting the ten-minute block leaves a 50-minute programme. You can finish ten minutes earlier, or keep the one-hour slot by adding those minutes to the meal or another agreed segment. Update the cue sheet so the organiser, venue and host use the same timings.
James’s own services portfolio includes CNY corporate hosting work. His hosting is English-led with conversational Mandarin; brief any formal Mandarin requirements separately. For the full corporate event hosting brief, visit the corporate event emcee page. To discuss your luncheon programme, contact James with your event date, venue, audience size and programme outline.
Related guides: Company Event Welcome and Thank-You Speeches · Annual Dinner vs Dinner and Dance · Lucky Draw Emcee Script · Speaker Introduction and Pronunciation Brief