Club Speech Contests FAQ
The Contests Excellence team has issued useful guidance for speech competitions.
These Frequently Asked Questions are designed to help you and your club with the planning and running of excellent club contests.
Does my club need to run contests?
No, contests are entirely optional.
What are the rules for contests?
Refer to the latest version of the speech contest rule book. This explains how to run the contests correctly and is the official source of the rules
What are the contest types and how many can our club run?
There are six offical Toastmasters International contest types: the International Speech contest, Evaluation contest, Humorous Speech contest, Table Topics contest, Tall Tales contest and the Online Speech contest. Your club can choose to run any, all or none of these
Which contest types are run at Area, Division and District level?
Each program year the District Executive Committee has to decide which contests to run in order to best serve the needs of the District. The process for this is described in the speech contest rule book. For the 2025-26 program year District 71 will run the International Speech Contest, Evaluation Contest, Table Topics Contest and Online Speech Contest at Area, Division and District level
Which contest types are run at International level?
Only the International Speech contest is run at international level. The winner of our District final for the International Speech contest will go forward to the international quarter finals.
If we don’t run a speech contest in our club, can a member of our club still compete at Area level?
Yes. Each club in good standing is permitted to choose its contestant for each Area contest by whatever means the club desires. If a club contest is held, it must comply with the rules in the rulebook and the contest result is final
My club doesn’t meet online. Can we still compete in the online speech contest?
Yes. You could consider running the contest in addition to your regular meetings and can ask other clubs in your Area for help. If you do not wish to run an online contest and one of your members wants to represent your club at the Area level, then you can simply inform your Area’s speech contest organiser of your nomination
My club only meets online, can we still run all the speech contest types?
Yes. Competitors can participate online in all contest types at club level. The restriction on physical presence only applies beyond the club level, for all contest types except the Online Speech Contest
Can our club run the Humorous Speech contest?
Yes. Communicating effectively with humour is a valuable skill that your members may wish to develop. The Humorous Speech contest will not be held at Area, Division and District levels in the 2025-26 program year but success within your club is always worthy of recognition and celebration
Can our club run the Online Speech contest in-person
No. If your club chooses to run the Online Speech contest then it needs to be run online. The purpose of the contest is for people to develop their skills in online communication. However, your club can still use another method to select your candidate for the Online Speech contest at Area level
When are the Area contests?
Your Area Council will agree the dates and locations for your Area contests. Please contact your Area Director for more information.
The Online Speech contest for your Area must be completed by Sunday 26th October. Your Area contests for International Speech, Evaluation and Table Topics should must be completed by Sunday 22nd March.
When are the Division contests?
Your Division Council will agree the dates and locations for your Division contests. Please contact your Division Director for more information.
The deadline for the Division Online Speech contest is Sunday 16th November 2025 and the deadline for all other Division contests is Sunday 12th April 2026.
When are the District Finals?
The District final for the online speech contest will be held on Saturday 29th November 2025. The District finals for all other contests will be at the District Conference on 8-10 May 2026.
What should we do after our club contest?
Immediately send a fully-completed Notification of Winner form to your Area Director or the person in your Area that is organising your contests. Each Area will decide a deadline for these, based on the length of time it will take them to organise the contest. Remember to list all your contestants, not just the highest placed winner. If you do not provide the results of your contest in time then it might not be possible for your club to be included in the Area contest.
How many people from my club can compete in an Area contest?
To provide a fair opportunity to members of all clubs, irrespective of Area or Division, each club can have one contestant in each contest type. For clarity, this is one person for the International Speech contest, one for for the Evaluation contest, one for the Table Topics contest and one for the Online speech contest.
What if the winner of my club contest is unable to attend the Area contest?
The next highest-ranked person that is available to participate will be able to represent your club. This is why it is important to list all of your contestants on the Notification of Winner form
I have more questions. How do I get help?
Contact your Area Director or a member of the Contests Excellence team
