Contest Resources
For Spring 2025, International and Table Topics Speech Contests from Area up to the District level are IN-PERSON ONLY. An additional ONLINE-ONLY speech contest will be held up to the District level.
Click here for the Area and Division contest schedule.
You may already have experience with online contests in recent years. Conducting traditional, in-person speech contests require different processes and procedures. Whether you are a Contest Chair, Club Officer, contest participant, or an Area or Division Director looking for guidance, these resources will help you plan and hold a contest at any level.
Checklists & Forms
These planning checklists help ensure that all necessary items are covered during the contest and pre-contest briefings.
Contest Chair Checklist for Online: a guide to assist the Contest Chair or VPE in planning the contest and organizing the team. It includes contest roles, tech tips, an overview of the pre-contest briefings and contest day, and sample program agenda.
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- Guidelines on how to conduct and promote a Contest
- Organizing an Online Speech Contest
- Contest Planning Template Spreadsheet
- Speech Contest Eligibility Checker: This tool allows club and district officers to check membership status, club status, and if a member is serving as a club or district officer.
Contestant Briefing Checklists for Online: pre-contest checklists the Toastmaster uses to brief contestants about the contests.
Chief Judge Briefing Checklists: pre-contest checklists the Chief Judge uses to brief voting judges, tiebreaker judges, timers, ballot counters, and SAA.
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- 2024 Evaluation Speech Contest Chief Judge Briefing Checklist – Online
- 2024 International Speech Contest Chief Judge Briefing Checklist – Online
- Counter’s Tally Sheet
- Speech Contest Time Record Sheet and Instructions for Timers
- Online Ballot Submission Form – Evaluation Speech Contest – Google Form (Make a copy in your local drive!)
- Online Ballot Submission Form – International Speech Contest – Google Form (Make a copy in your local drive!)
Contest Slides & Awards
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- Break Slides Area/Division Level
- Thank You Slide (example)
- Contest Certificates (jpgs) – Insert in your closing awards slides, then insert text boxes to add content.
- Speech Contest Certificate Set (fillable pdfs)
How to Run a Successful Online Contest (TLI, January 30, 2021)
Scripts
Scripts provide step-by-step direction and speech content for each of the contest officials identified in the contest program―the Sergeant at Arms, Contest Chair, Toastmaster, Chief Judge, Timer, and others. These may be modified as long as the contest rules, speaker introductions, and timing in the script adhere to the Speech Contest Rulebook.
Zoom Resources
Zoom Contest Tips
Timer Zoom Backgrounds
Zoom Security Best Practices
Speech Contest Kits
Toastmasters International provides the documents, for purchase or free download, that you need to hold a speech contest at any level.
Speech Contest Rulebook: the official document that governs speech contests in Toastmasters.
Rulebook Changes: what changed from the previous Toastmaster’s year rulebook.
FAQs
Additional Resources
Speech Contest Tutorials: three video lessons explaining the fundamental principles of speech contests.
Conduct Quality Speech Contests (for area and division directors)