Speech contests are a Toastmasters tradition. Learn why you should compete and download valuable resources to organize your next contest.
Each year thousands of Toastmasters compete in the Humorous, Evaluation, Tall Tales, Table Topics and International speech contests. Competition begins with club contests and winners continue competing through the area, division and district levels. The International competition has two additional levels — semifinal and the World Championship of Public Speaking®.
Resources to organize and compete in contests
Learn why you should compete
District 57 leaders organize one contest season each year
Spring Contests: International and Evaluation Contests
Club Contests – held in January
Area Contests – held in February
Division Contests – held in March
District Contests at the District 57 Annual Conference – April 25, 2020
International Speech Contest – 5 to 7 minutes in length:
This contest provides an opportunity for members to put all their skills together into a performance that can take them as high as the International level. Speeches can be on any topic at all, and those that win are typically motivational or inspirational in nature. Some speeches are funny, others are serious, but it should be the best speech you can give, and it must be original. The winner at the District level will compete at the International Convention in August.
Evaluation – 2 to 3 minutes in length:
The speech will be an evaluation of a target speaker. The target speaker gives a speech which all the evaluation contestants are to evaluate. The contestants are taken from the room and given five minutes to prepare their speeches and make notes. Then, their notes are taken away and they are brought back into the room one by one (at which time the contestant gets his notes back) to deliver their oral evaluation of the target speech. Since no contestant hears what another said about the target speech, the judges can compare the analytical abilities of the contestants.
Resources to organize and compete in contests
Learn why you should compete
Last updated: 12/16/19