Monday, November 10, 2014
What I learned from Toastmasters Conference and Humorous Speech Contest at Brighton 2014
The autumn Toastmasters conference was held at Brighton and I stayed in the contest hotel, The Thistle.
From the bedroom window I could see the coloured lights in the atrium lounge below and right through the building to the sea beyond.
Friday night started with a fancy dress party on the theme of Halloween. (For pictures of that see later post.)
Workshops included Gaynor on Gestures.
Gaynor was brilliant, entertaining as well as informative. She reminded us about using the whole stage, sometimes to show a physical journey, or to progress through time, but not walking back and forth aimlessly and distractingly.
Improv with the Maydays
Table Topics Contest
I'm planning to use my experiences at the conference for a speech to clubs about what I learned from the contests and workshops.
The Impromptu Table Topics Contestants' Speeches
The impromptu speeches are great fun. The topic was, You have been chosen to star in a TV commercial ... what is your favourite TV event and why?
The first speaker reminisced about the Fall of The Berlin Wall, a major historical event which gave a feeling of hope. He had two topics. What did I learn from listening to a topic impromptu speech containing two stories?
The difficulty with two anecdotes is that you must tie the two subjects together, transition from one to the next confidently and fluently. You must use only the barest pause. A long pause leaves the audience anxious that you have lost your way, or that they are missing the connection between the two subjects.
Finally you must clearly summarise mentioning both, without being repetitive and leaving your listeners again wondering - what's the connection between these two subjects? You must not merely summarise but find a dramatic, surprising, preferably witty punchline, reflecting both topics.
The Planned Humorous Speeches
David Jones, always humorous.
Humorous Speech Contest Winner
A speech confronting our fears of terrorism and making us feel comfortable. A man with a big black beard describing how somebody sees him and shouts, 'Terrorist!' So he throws himself on the ground. Then realises that the warning refers to him.
Here's the winner of the Humorous Speech competition holding his trophy.
Labels: Contest Winner, Humorous Speech Contest, Improv, Speakers Clubs, Toastmasters International
