Contest Tips

How to run a successful Club/Area/Division Speech Contest

Remember - It's YOUR contest as the Official - YOU are responsible for it!

The STARS of the event are the Contestants. They should feel the experience was worthwhile, even if they did not place in the competition.

The 7 Ps to check off - Planning, Preparation, Promotion, Personnel, Provisions, Performance and Post Contest.

Planning

Set Date and Time (check with next level Official to see if it clashes with anything)
***Avoid hosting same day as District events.

Research Venue/Online Platform and Host Club

What style of contest (i.e. lunch/dinner, at seated tables, afternoon tea, theatre seating, virtual, hybrid)
Separate small room/Breakout Room for briefings for Chief Judge, Judges, Timers and Counters, and another separate room for Contestants (silent room)
Costings - Room Hire/Online Software, catering (if applicable0, print, trophies, certificate holders, etc.
Keep sound/audio in mind (check acoustics/Sound/Visual - pending whether at physical venue or online)
What time can District Sound Team/Zoom Master get access (for Division Contests - need 2 hours before start for physical and hybrid contests, and one-hour before for online contests)
Have a walk-through of venue (check for any risks, loose cables, trip hazards, stage, sound, parking, food, disability access and if online whether the breakout rooms, share settings, waiting room message, and host/co-host settings are correct)

Confirm Venue, catering and any other requirements

Catering can make or break a contest (BUT keep it simple - lower the cost better to invite more audience members)
Confirm what platform is being used and the registration process for online meetings.

Confirm Host Club with President

Does the Host Club want to run a raffle (applicable during face-to-face meetings)?

Plan and set budget - copy through to Club President and then D70 Budgets Officer

For Division level factor in costs for Sound Team (usually about 3-4 who do not pay & ensure food/drinks for long days)

Book sound/audio team for Division contests well in advance

On they day the sound team will need a table for their equipment for physical contests.
They normally require 2 hours setup and pack-down time post contest (for online contests at least one hour each)
Check if venue already has sound equipment or the host has an online platform.

Advise D70 Webmaster so they can advertise on D70 website

Prepare flyer and distribute in lead up to the Contest (e.g. at Club and Area Contests)
Discuss PR opportunities with the PR Team (e.g. Website, Facebook, Instagram, Meetup, Community noticeboards)

Invite any dignitaries such as the Division and/or District Director, and any local/venue host dignitaries

For Evaluation contest - find a test speaker

Provide an inexpensive gift to the Test Speaker to thank them during their post speech interview.
Buddy up with other clubs, areas, Divisions to source a test speaker for each other.

Draft Agenda items

Consider timings of each Contest (refer to the end of this document and also example runsheets on this site)

Allocate people to specific jobs, i.e. raffle and ticket sellers, and door/zoom attendants.

For Division level - liaise with D70 Sound Team - a female assistant will be required to mic-up female contestants.
Setup and Clean up support (pre - during - post contest)

Supplies - Trophies, certificate holders

Participation and Place-Getter Certificates, Appreciation Certificates to acknowledge sponsors and officials.
Judging forms, Timing sheets, Biographical information, Eligibility & Originality, Counters sheets, speaking order sheet
Timing lights/backgrounds, stop watches, deck of cards to draw the speaking order, how timers will communicate with each other during the contests.
Supplies - other itesm, such as extension cords, scissors, sticky tape, gaffer tape, paper, pens, cardboard and markers, Zoom background images, PowerPoints, Digital Certificates.
Signs are handy to point people to the room, and to reserve spaces for judges, VIPs and contestants during physical contests; for online contests prepare the waiting room messages, breakout room names, background image to notify members to rename, mute themselves.

Consider an excel spreadsheet that has all different tabs such as Attend & Pay List, How to officially introduce the dignitaries, Contest Timeline, Contest Personnel, Speaker status and eligibility, Contest forms held, To Do List, Speaker Order format

Consider a What/When/Who To Do list - list things that need to be done 6 weeks out, 2 weeks out, day before, on the day, etc.

Who attends

Successful contest winners from either the Clubs in your Area or the Areas in your Division (winners and runners up)
Make sure they are eligible - refer to Contest Rule Book and online Speaker Eligibility Checker
Send placegetters a congratulatory letter (see sample) noting the time they are expected to arrive , clothing choice, who to check in with on arrival, and a map/sign-on method.
Include a copy of the Contest Chairman's briefing, Rulebook, and the Judges Ballot (for the respective contest).
Chief Judge (often at Club level may be the Area Director, Area level may be the Division Director, Division level may be the Program Quality Director)
Judges - Refer Contest Rule Book for the number required (Contestants cannot judge at Area level and above)
Dignitaries
At Division level - possibly District Officials (District Director, Program Quality Director, Club Growth Director, Public Relations Manager, Administration Manager and Candidates for the next year)
At Division level - Annual Conference Chairman
Local and venue dignitaries - make sure to introduce them to the Trio (DD, PQD, CGD)
Contest personnel (the support cast) - Send them a written explanation of what is expected of them. Do not expect anyone to know what you want from them, no matter how experienced they are.
Send biographical data forms to the contest Toastmaster at least one (1) week in advance.
Advise the timing for each segment of the contest, e.g. welcome 2-3 minutes, invocation 2-3 minutes.
Advise the welcomer the names of people to be mentioned in the welcome (including role, education level and pronunciations).
For physical contests, advise the raffle ticket sellers/drawers that "a good raffle is a quick raffle" - allow 5 minutes and possibly 4-6 prizes only. Proceeds go to the host club (after all expenses are covered).
Club members
Family and Friends
Chair, Toastmaster and Judges to help collate all relevant documents that need to be submitted / collected
Treasurer to manage finances - Prepare budget with Host Club President and submit to District Official (Area and above levels, to notify the Contest Budget Officer or Program Quality Director)
Contest Chair to check with Chief Judge how many judges there are and who the anonymous judges are to arrange appropriate check-in on their arrival.
Contest Chair to check with Chief Judge for Evaluation Contest to supply name and club of Test Speaker for approval
Bio and Eligibility forms from contest level previous to yours (Clubs to submit to Area, Area to submit to Division, Division to District).

The Money

The contest is about getting as many people as possible to your area or division contest to see the best speakers.

Work with your host club Treasurer. Do not handle the money yourself. For physical contests:
Consider changing the catering, venue or time of contest to reduce the attendance fee.
Minimum water is required (in particular for contestants)
Decorations are not necessary (not allocated within the budget).
Ask host club to donate raffle prizes to maximise the returns on the raffle. Avoid spending money buying raffle prizes.
Create a spreadsheet of all paying and non-paying attendees for the door staff.
Collect money prior to the event (if possible via internet transfer) to prevent a long line up at the door.
Ensure there will be a float in case change is required for door takings and the raffle.

Other things to consider are:

Shop around for your engraving. Think ahead. Some engravers charge as little as $2.50 per plate.
(TBC - D70 has traditionally purchased the trophies in bulk for the Division Contests and had those pre-engraved minus the winner/runner-up's names - please factor in the costs in your budget. Contact Division Director if you would like similar trophies. If trophies are not purchased from Toastmasters International, no Toastmaster name or logo brand are allowed on those trophies, unless approved by Toastmasters International.)
Give thank you cards/notes to judges and other special guests. There is no need for a gift when they have already been given seats to a fantastic contest and/or dinner.
Create interesting flyers and send them to all the clubs in your area/division. Send the District Webmaster webmaster@d70toastmasters.org.au the area/division contest flyers to place on the website..
Develop an editorial for the newspaper to attract attention and have more people attending.

Things to remember

It is YOUR contest. It is YOUR responsibility!
Choose your venue/online platform and host club carefully and wisely
Plan and keep reviewing and keep planning
The event should be well planned
The event should be well run with an engaging MC
The event should not be an undue burden on any participant, with respect to time, and/or expense
The experience must offer every participant something of positive value
By all means, avoid even the appearance of exclusivity, favouritism, or unfairness. If contestants, officials, or audience members leave the competition feeling frustrated because of how the event was run or how it was judged, they will not want to return.

Contest Timings

International Speech and Humorous Speech Contests (5-7 minutes) - green on 5', yellow on 6', red on 7' until end of speech.
Evaluation Speech Contest (2-3 minutes) - green on 2', yellow on 2-1/2', and red on 3' until end of speech.
Table Topics Speech Contest (1-2 minutes) - greenon 1', yellow on 1-1/2', and red on 2 until end of speech.
1 minute silence between speeches (except for last one until the Judges finish their ballots)
Speech Evaluators have 5 minutes to take notes at the conclusion of the Test Speaker's Speech. They will be taken to a separate room to write their notes; SAAs will monitor the contestants in a breakout room online or where physical they will collect the notes and return these once the respective contestants are ready to present.

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