Special Occasion Speaking

Special occasion speeches mark events that pay tribute to a person, group, place, institution, idea, monument, or event. The role the speaker performs is to highlight the reasons for the occasion. The speaker may also express the beliefs and values held by the attendees at the event, inspire the audience, and create a sense of unification.

The following section outlines the types of commemorative speeches and effective strategies when presenting. Below are suggested organizational patterns for each of these types of speeches (Makay, Butland, & Mason, 2013).

Speech of Introduction

1. Greet the audience

2. Reference the occasion or event

3. State name of the person to be introduced

4. Provide a brief description of the person’s speech topic, company position, role in the organization, or whatever applies to the event

5. State details about the person’s qualifications in the context of the occasion

6. Submit a positive, upbeat closing statement

7. Ask the audience to provide a warm reception for the guest speaker

Speech of Welcome

1. Honor the person and what brings them to the event

2. Provide brief biography and extraordinary achievements

3. Furnish details on why the person is present at the event

4. Ask the audience to provide a warm reception for the guest speaker

Speech Presentation of an Award

1. Greet the audience

2. Reference the occasion

3. State the history and importance of the award

4. Provide a summary of qualifications for the award

5. Provide reasons the person is receiving this award

6. Announce the recipient’s name

7. Present the award

Speech of Acceptance of an Award

1. Express gratitude for the award

2. Praise the people that made the award possible

3. Statement of appreciation to those presenting the award

4. Express gratitude for the award

Speech of Farewell

1. Express sorrow for the person’s departure

2. State the enjoyment of the association with this person

3. Provide a brief description of why the individual will be missed

4. Announce friendship and best wishes for the future

5. Invite the individual to return

Speech of Dedication of a Space

1. Give a reason to the audience for assembling for this occasion

2. Provide a brief history that led to the efforts for this event

3. Predict the company's future success, organization, group, or person

Speech of Inauguration

1. Express gratitude for being elected or installed in the office

2. Declare the theme or problem-solving focus while in the office

3. Outline policy goals

4. Appeal for hope in a prosperous outlook

Keynote Address

1. Orient the audience to the theme of the convention

2. Reference the goals of the organization and why those goals are essential

3. Provide a brief description of the critical events of the convention

4. Close with an invitation for active participation in the convention

Transitions, Signposts, and Internal Summaries

Transitions, signposts, and internal summaries are the glue that connect the main ideas together and create flow for the listener. Cohesiveness and continuity create a logical progression so the audience can more easily follow the speaker’s main ideas.

• Signposts designate where you are in the speech. For example, "My first main point is the cause of workplace stress.”

• Transitions indicate movement between main points. Transitions also provide clarity on how main points interact with each other. For example, “Now that I have discussed the main factors of what causes workplace stress, let us move to discuss some of the effects on employees in the workplace.”

• Internal Summaries are helpful to the listener when a lot of information has been presented. Summaries remind the listener of the key ideas. For example, "In this first main point, I discussed three factors of work stress: long hours, conflict, and heavy workload which all contribute to low morale."

One effective strategy in creating flow for the listener is to provide an internal summary, a transition, and signpost the next main point. For example, (Internal Summary) "In this first main point, I discussed three factors of work stress: long hours, conflict, and heavy workload which contribute to low morale. (Transition) Now that I have discussed the main factors of what causes workplace stress, let us move to discuss some of the physical effects on employees. (Signpost) My second main point is how this stress affects employee morale.”

Now that we have explored the organizational structure of informative, persuasive, and special occasion speeches, we will look at the finer details of opening and closing presentations in the next section.