The main duty of the Toastmaster is to act as the host and make introductions. The Toastmaster leads the audience through the evening and creates an atmosphere of fun, respect, and support. 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.
Before the meeting
- Contact all speakers in advance to ask them for their speech title and something interesting which you can use when introducing them (e.g. hobbies / education / how long a member in the club / why this topic for this audience etc.).
- Prepare introductions for each Speaker. A proper introduction can add to the success of the Speaker’s presentation.
- Prepare remarks which can be used to bridge the gaps between program segments. You may never use them, but you should be prepared to avoid possibly awkward periods of silence. Therefore, you can print out a detailed agenda in EasySpeak for yourself at the button „detail“, in order to be informed about the exact timetable (see picture below).
- Print the Agenda via EasySpeak. Therefore go to the meeting agenda and use the button „agenda“ at the upper right corner. A pdf will open, which you can print. In average, we have 25 people in our audience.
At our venue
- Arrive early (ca. 30 min) in order to finish any last-minute details.
- Check with the speakers for any last-minute changes.
- Check whether all roles are filled up.
- Talk to the General Evaluator to ensure all club participants know their roles and responsibilities.
During the meeting
- Take your audience on a pleasant journey and make them feel supported and valued.
- Always lead the applause before and after each presenter.
- After your introduction of another presenter, remain standing on stage until you have shaken hands – signifying your hand over of control of the meeting – then be seated.
- When another presenter has finished, shake hands again to signify that control of the meeting is returning to you.
- Don’t be too hard on yourself – we are all here to learn
- Most importantly: Have fun!
This is all you need, but if you want more inspiration for this role ask an experienced member or check:http://www.toastmasters.org/Members/MemberExperience/MeetingRoles/Toastmaster.aspx
Further information on making good introductions: http://toastmasters.wikia.com/wiki/Introduction