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
Greet the audience
Reference the occasion or event
State name of the person to be introduced
Provide a brief description of the person’s speech topic, company position, role in the organization, or whatever applies to the event
State details about the person’s qualifications in the context of the occasion
Submit a positive, upbeat closing statement
Ask the audience to provide a warm reception for the guest speaker
Speech of Welcome
Honor the person and what brings them to the event
Provide brief biography and extraordinary achievements
Furnish details on why the person is present at the event
Ask the audience to provide a warm reception for the guest speaker
Speech Presentation of an Award
Greet the audience
Reference the occasion
State the history and importance of the award
Provide a summary of qualifications for the award
Provide reasons the person is receiving this award
Announce the recipient’s name
Present the award
Speech of Acceptance of an Award
Express gratitude for the award
Praise the people that made the award possible
Statement of appreciation to those presenting the award
Express gratitude for the award
Speech of Farewell
Express sorrow for the person’s departure
State the enjoyment of the association with this person
Provide a brief description of why the individual will be missed
Announce friendship and best wishes for the future
Invite the individual to return
Speech of Dedication of a Space
Give a reason to the audience for assembling for this occasion
Provide a brief history that led to the efforts for this event
Predict the company's future success, organization, group, or person
Speech of Inauguration
Express gratitude for being elected or installed in the office
Declare the theme or problem-solving focus while in the office
Outline policy goals
Appeal for hope in a prosperous outlook
Keynote Address
Orient the audience to the theme of the convention
Reference the goals of the organization and why those goals are essential
Provide a brief description of the critical events of the convention
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.