Gerhard Köstner - Englische Rhetorik im Konferenzsaal

Zunächst müssen Sie natürlich die Teilnehmer begrüßen. In den meisten Fällen hat man als Vorsitzender ja eher formlose Arbeitsbesprechungen, routinemäßige Abteilungssitzungen, Projektbesprechungen, Sachstandsbesprechungen, Workshops, etc. zu leiten bzw. zu moderieren und kann entsprechend formlosere Begrüßungsformulierungen wählen.

(Evtl. mit einer witzigen Bemerkung, wenn man mit den Zuhörern sehr vertraut ist.)

Good morning everyone. It´s wonderful to see your bright and shining faces.

My friends: I know you too well to call you ladies and gentlemen.

Good morning / afternoon / Hello everybody / everyone.

How are you (doing) this morning?

How is everything? / How is it going?

I trust / hope / that everything is well.

Did you enjoy the show / dinner / match last night?

Welcome everyone to this session on …

It is wonderful / I am delighted / to see many friends and colleagues from the diplomatic / scientific / business community here with us today. Thank you for being here.

It´s good to see you all here.

Good to see you again.

It's a pleasure to see so many of you here.

It´s been ages since we last met.

First of all, I would like to express my gratitude on behalf of …

Thank you (everyone) for coming (at such short notice).

Thank you for coming out on this dreary morning.

Thank you for taking time out to be here to join us today.

Thank you for taking the time to join us here today.

Thank you for joining us (on this lovely Monday morning).

I hope you had a good trip.

I really appreciate you all / Thank you all / for attending today.

Thanks for your participation.

Thank you for participating in this session.

I know that many of you went to great efforts to be here.

I know and admire the enormous efforts you are making here.

As the host of this International Congress on Laser Technology, I want to thank you very much for your participation and attention.(Als Gastgeber dieses Internationalen Kongresses …)

We are pleased to host this conference in Munich this year.(Konferenz ausrichten)

Die Höflichkeit gebietet es dann, dass Sie sich als Vorsitzender Ihren Zuhörern kurz vorstellen, damit diese wissen, wer da vor ihnen spricht.

My name is John Hancock. I will be sitting in the Chair this morning.(den Vorsitz führen / die Sitzung leiten)

I´ll be chairing this meeting.

It is my pleasure to chair this meeting today.

I will act as Chair during this meeting.(Vorsitzender)

I am the acting chairman until we have a permanent one.

I will be serving as the session chair.

I shall be presiding over this meeting.(… den Vorsitz führen)

I´ll be the presiding officer during this conference.

This is really the first time I am speaking to you as your presiding officer.

Darauf folgt nach der formlosen Begrüßung die formlose Eröffnung der Konferenz oder Tagung, wobei ohne weitschweifige Begrüßungsformeln zum eigentlichen Thema der Veranstaltung übergegangen wird.

Ladies and Gentlemen, this will be an impromptu press conference.(… aus dem Stegreif)

This meeting is held over the (tele)phone.(Telefonkonferenz)

This meeting is a conference call.

There is no agenda today and the proceedings will not be minuted.(… Sitzungsverlauf wird nicht protokolliert)

Good morning everybody. Have a seat please.

Please have / take / a seat, everybody.

If you will take your seats please, we´ll begin.

Please be seated, everybody.

Please be seated so the meeting can begin.

The House is not in order.(Bitte um Ruhe)

Could we have quiet, please.

Please take your conversations off the floor.(Privatgespräche außerhalb des Sitzungsraums)

Please avoid side conversations which distract other participants.(stören)

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, it´s now 10 o´clock.

It´s time to get started / It´s time to begin.

I think we´ll begin now.

I think we might begin / get under way / start / get started.

Shall we start?

OK / Well / Right, shall we get started?

If we are all here, let´s get started / let´s start the meeting.

Well, since everyone is here, we should get started.

Let´s get started. We have a full agenda today.

We have a lot of work ahead of us.

We have a busy day ahead of us.

We shall begin momentarily.(US: in Kürze / gleich)

Right / OK, let´s begin.

Let´s get busy.(Packen wir´s an)

OK, let´s get down to business.(an die Arbeit gehen)

Let´s talk business.

Shall we get down to business?

Let´s go / get / down to brass tacks.(zur Sache kommen)

Without any further ado and in the interest of saving time,

I suggest that we get / go / down to brass tacks.

Let´s get down to it.(zur Sache kommen)

Let´s get down to the nitty gritty of …(ins Eingemachte gehen)

Let´s get (right) down to the nuts and bolts of …

Let´s get the show on the road.(Es kann los gehen)

Let´s get the ball rolling.(Fangen wir mal an)

Ok, we´re in business.(Es kann los gehen)

Bei formelleren Anlässen, wo sich möglicherweise auch Personen von höherem Status oder VIPs unter den Zuhörern befinden, gestaltet sich die Wortwahl je nach Art der Veranstaltung etwas förmlicher, und es eignen sich eher Formulierungen wie diese:

Mr President, Ladies and Gentlemen, …

Ladies and Gentlemen, distinguished guests / delegates, …

Esteemed guests home and abroad, …

Ladies and Gentlemen, Minister / Secretary Hamilton, Excellencies, honoured guests, distinguished foreign ministers, colleagues and friends.

Mr President, honored clergy, Mayor Collins, city councillors and distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, …

President Cole, distinguished guests of this Association, ladies and gentlemen.

Ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of …, I would like to extend to you a very warm welcome to this exciting event / kick-off meeting.(Auftaktbesprechung)

I´d like to welcome all of you to the Council of Foreign Relations.

I have the pleasure of welcoming you to this Convention.

Ladies and gentlemen, it is a privilege to open this debate on …

Ladies and Gentlemen, first, I´d like to welcome you all.

First, I want to extend a warm welcome to you all.

On behalf of … allow me to extend a warm welcome to all of you.

I think I know most of you, but there are (also) a few unfamiliar faces.

Welcome to … (name of company or city ). It´s good to have you here.

It gives me / It is a / particular / great / pleasure to welcome you here today.

Auch wenn es nicht sehr häufig vorkommen dürfte, so kann es doch sein, dass Sie als Vorsitzender oder Präsident einer Versammlung hochkarätige und bedeutende Persönlichkeiten im Publikum begrüßen müssen und dafür die richtige Anrede kennen sollten.

It is a very great honour for me to chair this conference (at this historic event, etc.).