Every Toastmasters speech contest begins in a club meeting room. The winners move on to the area, then the division, then the district.
Whether you want to compete, judge, or help behind the scenes, this is where to start.
The Gilbert Way
Gilbert members don't just attend contests. They compete, they judge, and they volunteer. Every year, our members step onto the contest stage at the area and division levels in both the International Speech Contest and whatever second contest the district selects that year: Humorous, Tall Tales, Table Topics, or Evaluation.
We've had members advance to the division level in both contests. We've had members serve as judges at every level, including international. And when we're not competing or judging, we're in the audience with pompoms, cheering for every speaker from every club.
That's the Gilbert way. We take the work seriously. We take the stage seriously. And then we cheer really hard for each other.
What you can compete in
Each year the official contests are International plus a second one the district chooses. Any of the five can also be the theme of one of our own practice contests.
Thinking of competing? Read the Contestant guide →A 5-to-7-minute speech, usually motivational in nature. This is the official contest that leads to the World Championship of Public Speaking. It runs at every level: club, area, division, district, and beyond.
All contestants watch the same 5-to-7-minute speech from a test speaker. Then each contestant delivers a 2-to-3-minute evaluation of that speech. Contestants are judged on the quality and usefulness of their feedback.
A 5-to-7-minute speech built on clean, original humor. This isn’t stand-up comedy. It’s a themed speech that happens to be funny. The humor should serve the message, not replace it.
An impromptu 1-to-2-minute speech. Every contestant responds to the exact same question without any preparation. Contestants wait outside the room until it’s their turn so they can’t hear the question or the other speakers.
A 3-to-5-minute speech with a wildly exaggerated, far-fetched, and improbable theme. Delivered in a colorful, dramatic style. The more outrageous, the better, as long as you commit to it.
From Club to International
Win the club contest and you move up through the area and division to the district. If you competed in the International Speech Contest, the road keeps going: district winners advance to the international level, toward the World Championship of Public Speaking.
Win the official club contest and you represent Gilbert at the area contest.
Winners from the clubs in our area compete against each other. We show up to cheer for every speaker, not just ours.
Area winners meet at the division contest: a bigger room, a bigger audience, and the same rules.
Division winners compete for the District 3 title.
Only the International Speech Contest goes beyond the district. District winners advance to the international level, toward the World Championship of Public Speaking.
Not competing?
Every contest needs a crew. These roles put you in the room, close to the action, without stepping on stage. Ask the President or the Contest Chair for more info.
Who runs a contest
The Contest Chair organizes and runs the entire contest. They're the host for the evening. They recruit contestants, communicate the rules, prepare the agenda, arrange certificates and awards, and manage the event on the day of. If you want to know what leadership looks like in Toastmasters, this is it.
The Chief Judge manages the judging process. They recruit and brief the judges, explain the scoring criteria, handle the ballots, and ensure the results are accurate and fair. They're the one person in the room who knows the results before anyone else.
Common questions
