sit downHow to be a Good Host as the Toastmaster of the Evening

 

You can find a step by step guideline on how to be the Toastmaster here: Toastmaster of the evening – Guideline (PDF)

 

How can you Profit from Being the Toastmaster of the Evening?

You can get at least four things from being the Toastmaster of the evening;

  1. Give lots of mini speeches – normally four
  2. Do a poll
  3. Learn how to introduce a presenter, and
  4. Practise being a host

 

Why do we have a Toastmaster of the Evening?

Any event profits from being hosted. To have one speaker hand over to the next is doable but not ideal. Every speaker’s credibility is boosted by a good introduction. Crowd work is best done not by the speaker himself but by another person.

The Tostmasters guarantees that the audiences needs are fulfilled and that the evenig is run als well as possible. Therefore you need to prepare well in advance.

 

How To

You open the meeting after the president is finished and preside over the first part of the evening. You ensure that the meeting stays on time and remains interesting.

You ask the people on stage and you guide them back off the stage. Use a handshake or some other form of (physical) contact to make it hapen. It does not have to be a handshake – but is should be something that happens between you and the next person who owns the stage and later back again.

It is your responsibility to make sure the roles for the evening are filled. Write emails, call (works like a charm), beg, and bribe if you can. Only a well prepared meeting can be a good meeting.

Usually this task will not be assigned to you until you are familiar with the Club and its procedures.

 

The Main Duty of the Toastmaster is to Make Introductions

Participants should be introduced in a way that enourages the audience to listen to them. The Toastmaster creates an atmosphere of interest, expectation, and receptivity.

 

Before the Meeting

Make sure all roles are filled.

Call the Table Topics Master to discuss his or her duties. Remind the Table Topics Master that programme participants should not be called on for responses. IF you set a motto – make sure to inform the Table Topcs Master about it as early as possible.

Call all Speakers in advance to remind them that they are speaking. Tell them about the motto you might have set. Ask them what makes them a credible presenter of the topic they chose. Put this in your introduction – if it is not used by them themselves. If it is, ask them for something else.

Call all Evaluators in advance to remind them that they are evaluating. Tell them about the motto you might have set. Ask them if the know which objectives the speaker has set for herself/himself.

Call the General Evaluator to confirm the assignment.

Remember that performing as Toastmaster is one of the most valuable experiences in your Club work. The assignment requires careful preparation in order to have a smoothly-run meeting.

 

At the Meeting

Arrive early in order to finish any last-minute details.
Check with the speakers for any last-minute changes.
Sit near the front of the room for quick and easy access to the stage.

 

During the Meeting

Preside with sincerity, energy and decisiveness. Take your audience on a pleasant journey and make them feel that all is going well.
Always lead the applause, before and after each presenter.
After your introduction of another presenter, remain on stage until you have “shaken hands” – signifying your hand over of control of the meeting – then sit down. When another presenter has finished, shake hands again to signify that control of the meeting is returning to you.

 

After the Meeting

Ask for feedback!

 

Technicalities

  1. Organize the evening – make sure all roles are filled.
  2. Ask the speakers to send you an introduction – or to put it on easyspeak.
  3. Open the meeting by saying a few words about the evening, about how it is run, and then intoduce your little helpers, the functionaries.
  4. Before you introduce the speaker, ask the evaluator to inform the audience what the speaker’s objectives are.
  5. Introduce the speakers in such a way that applause accompanies them from their seat to the stage.
  6. After every speech we have two minutes for written feedback. Do not talk during that time. Just stand an stage. Guard the stage.
  7. After all three speeches are done,  ask for a vote for the best speaker. Do not do this, if there are only two speakers or less.
  8. Ask the Table Topics Master to explain what Table Topics are, and
  9. Ask who will join us for dinner after the meeting. Open the five minute break.
  10. Never leave the stage empty.

 

 

The usual Flow of a Splendid Speakers Meeting

 

The meeting is opened by the president or the highest board member in attendance. They great the guests and introduce the Toastmaster of the Evening.

After that it is your turn.

You do an introduction, maybe a small speech with regard to the motto, and then call upon all functionaries except the listener to explain their roles.

For each of the speakers, you call their evaluator to give the objectives, introduce the speaker and have him/her give their speech. After each speech take 2 minutes for written feedback from the audience. Repeat until all speeches are done. Ask the audience to vote for best speech.

After the speeches ask the Table Topics Master to the stage to explain table topics.

Take the count of who will join us for drinks and dinner and start the break.

If you have a good idea and the date fits – DARE TO DO A MOTTO NIGHT!