Lonnie Somers
Voice Talent
Voiceover for Live Events
I have been a voice talent for more than 25 years, from on-air broadcasts to hundreds of live, in-person events.
Compassionate, Collaborative, Gregarious, Industrious, Positive
Live Announcer
Colfax Marathon
Denver’s Mile High Turkey Tro
Running Denver TV
For the past two decades, Lonnie has organized, produced, and directed many styles of events that he has also been the voice talent for. Organizing/producing events gives him the unique understanding of how the event needs to flow. By being in-tune and aware of what is and should be happening, he is better able to connect and engage with the audience. At a live event, there is no luxury of re-takes, so it is important to be proactive and think quickly in certain situations. While having a good voice is important, it is also about being able to connect with the audience and not just talk at them. Even though Lonnie is holding the mic, it’s not about him.
Lonnie has been the voice of many mass-participant endurance events such as Rock n’ Roll Marathon, National Breast Cancer Marathon, Denver Broncos 7K, American Lung Association stair climbs, and Running USA industry conference. Announcing in a professional stadium is one of his favorite opportunities. He enjoys creating excitement and engagement with fans/spectators in that dynamic environment and finds it truly invigorating to be enveloped by the energy of the crowd in 360 degrees.
There are three ways that Lonnie brings a personal touch to announcing:
- He connects with the audience by making them the focus. He is merely a guide in helping bring out the stories that exist and make those people the heroes of their own stories.
- He has intimate knowledge of the production process for live events and can lend his expertise to the planning as well as the execution with confidence and authority that is unheard of.
- He can feed off the audience’s engagement to enhance the event, keeping the mood and the atmosphere on key with the message.
Lonnie’s decades of event production set him apart from those who are simply voice talent. He can help bring a calmness to event management. He understands the flow of an event, can read the room, can think quickly when needed, and can brighten the mood. He keeps the event moving along and on time. Overall, his job is to bring you, your company, your cause to the center of attention. He will make YOU shine while creating a level of energy and sophistication that ultimately creates a memorable and engaging experience.
Event management can be a logistical nightmare. Despite best efforts, things can go awry. Lonnie specializes in keeping the event running smoothly. He helps keep things on time and makes sure the audience is feeling relaxed and having fun, even when hiccups happen by being proactive or thinking quite literally on his feet when a situation arises.
Lonnie loves a good dad joke or two. Eighties music trivia is his jam. He’s not afraid of costumes. He’s a believer in hard work. Creating relationships is his superpower. He’s an endurance athlete. He’s a dad of twin girls who turn him into mush with their smiles and spirit. His wife is his best friend and keeps him humble.
Success Stories
When doing live hosting for an expo, Lonnie always seeks fun, interactive ways to draw attention to the top sponsors to help increase engagement. At one expo, a jewelry company owner had a giant 8 x 10 calculator with large print. It reminded him of the not-yet-released iPad. He stepped to the mic and announced that the very first iPad prototype was at their booth but had just one app. Attendees rushed over in excitement to see this, only to discover it was a giant calculator. Everyone got the joke, and it created an ice breaker and engagement opportunity for the sponsor. The next week, Lonnie got a nice message from the jewelry store owner saying that they had the best sales they’d ever had at an event expo due to that engagement idea.
At a recent finish line/awards ceremony Lonnie hosted, there was a costume contest. Some folks were super decked out in the theme, but one couple had pretty basic costumes themed after the movie “Elf.” As he presented each participant to the audience, he joked with this couple and challenged them to name the five food groups (a classic scene from the movie). They couldn’t have been more stumped, but laughed through it and got some help from the audience. Later that evening Lonnie got an email from the couple letting him know that they studied up further on the movie and they will never forget the five food groups. They thanked Lonnie for all the laughs and let him know that they look forward to participating in events where he is on the mic at because they always have so much fun listening to his puns, antics, and engagement with the participants.
Happy Clients
Services
Recorded
- Commercial Voice Over
- Corporate Voice Over and Narration
- Audiobooks
- Promos
- Podcasts
- Animations and Cartoons
Live
- Events
- Sports Announcing
- PA
- Host/ Emcee
- Auctioneer
- Public Speaking
People Are Saying…
