Contest Season (Part 2)

What I've learned about Organizing a Contest
This year as an Area Director, I'm ineligible to compete. Instead I've been a busy volunteer! It takes many people to organize and put on a speech contest. Contests need a Chairperson, Chief Judge, voting judges, a Tiebreaker judge, timers, ballot counters, and Sergeants-at-Arms. Plus a test speaker for the Evaluation contest, and possibly a Registration Chair and a Refreshments Coordinator for bigger contests.

Lesson 1- Make lots of good connections because you're going to need volunteers. Getting a number of eligible judges can be especially tricky. Help out other toastmasters with their contests and hopefully they'll help you too!

Lesson 2-All of the volunteers (and the competitors) need to be briefed before the contest. If you can't find your officials you won't be able to complete the briefings. In my first contest, people kept going missing! For my second contest I reminded officials to please stay in the room until after your briefing. This small reminder helped us complete briefings and end the contest on time.

Lesson 3- Plan backups. I attended one contest where the Organizer had arranged for 10 judges when only 5 were needed. Two of the judges couldn't make it at the last minute and she still had 3 to spare. Have extra judges, extra pens, extra copies of forms and a spare test speaker just in case. Knowing you're prepared takes a lot of the pressure off of organizing a smooth contest.

What lessons have you learned during contest season?