From Jacqueline Purcell AC
Gold Division B Governor
It was Ralph Smedley, founder of Toastmasters who
said: The unprepared speaker has a right
to be afraid’ and this rings true for all toastmasters, especially when it
comes to contests. The stakes are high
and if you are a competitive speaker, you cannot help but feel some anxiety
mixed with an unmistakable adrenalin rush.
But why should you care enough to give up an entire Saturday?
Because watching speakers compete is tremendously informative. Ralph Smedley
said that we observe, not only what works and what doesn’t, but we also learn
from a speakers’ choice of, and knowledge of their topic. This makes attending
Toastmasters a double learning curve…and when it’s contest time, surely, it
becomes a triple learning curve! The reason this is so, is because contestants
will showcase the very best that they have to offer, because the stakes are
high.
This year the Division B workshops are especially
interesting because of the mix of commercial speakers and high profile experts who
rarely find the time to attend such functions. You will hear from Keynote Speakers such as Dr Robin Walker, producer of
Croydon Television on his topic: The Power of Television. Robin
has a special offer, exclusively for Toastmaster audiences, but you’ll have to
be at the contest in order to hear the details.
The popular TV
personality, Suzanne Parker will tell of her fascinating journey: How I became a
TV Presenter. Those aspiring for a TV career should not miss this
opportunity to ask her questions.
Julie Kertesz DTM,
persuaded workshop speakers such as world
class trainer, Joanna Yates to explain why we should Connect
with True Stories how it can
liberate our personalities and assist us in finding our authentic style. She
explains how
and not only why. Christopher Howell has a background in Psychology,
Organisation Development and NLP. His workshop
topic is entitled: At the Service of your Audience with
top techniques on how to engage at a high level no matter whether you are
speaking to 50 or 500. If you want to know how to connect and be memorable,
don’t miss that session. Andrew P Bennett DTM follows with an insightful: Body and Voice workshop
that gives speakers a commanding lead when they present. He really knows how to
manage a stage!
The ever
popular, Freddie Daniells delivers: Seven Insights into
Winning International Speeches and he should know because he has seen
and learnt from the best in the world.
This year the standard of contestants is
exceptionally high with quick thinking and clear points of view from our topics speakers plus humorous speakers who are all very funny. I laughed from start to finish when hearing
the amazingly funny stories, well delivered with comic timing intact!
But why should we attend contests? I believe that
it’s in order to bench mark ourselves against the best in the business. When we
compare ourselves with others we realise one of two things… how far we have
come or how far we have yet to go. For the contestants it’s about how well they
perform when the stakes are high. This is all valuable information to know.
See you on Saturday 19 October 2013.
Prepare to Laugh and Learn!
Date: 19 October 2013
Time: 9.30am – 4.30pm
Venue: Freemasons Hall Address: 60, Great
Queen St, London WC2B 5AZ
Nearest
Tubes: Covent Garden or Holborn. To book
your place, please go NOW to: http://divisionbcontests.eventbrite.co.uk/
