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Toastmasters Week in March every year is the time to put your thoughts, imagination and creativity to work and decide what your club can do to promote Toastmasters during Toastmasters Week.
Toastmasters Week was 1-14 March 2010.
Magpie runs Workshop
Magpie Toastmasters Club ran a Communication and Leadership Workshop in March 2010: This evening was organized with a very small team with the assistance of David Gore of the Hastings Toastmasters. The Theme was "Listen Well, Speak Well, Lead Well". The workshop looked at what communication and leadership is all about and also exactly what Toastmasters is.
Toastmasters gave presentations on:
- Listening for Leaders- Effective Communication
- Thinking on your feet-The knack of impromptu speaking
- Getting the best out of others-The skills of positive evaluation
- Tell the world-Promoting your organization in the community
- Learn by Doing-Finding opportunities.
25 people attended and 12 non-members signed the attendance register.
Very positive feedback was received from the audience.
Division G goes Ape
This year for Toastmasters Week Division G decided to create some eye catching posters for its displays around Christchurch. After deciding a few ideas they explored were not the right ones they came up with the faces of one of our closest relations, the orangutans. With a couple of captions added that were seemingly related to what might be depicted by the apes' expressions, they were ready to print as up to A2 sized posters. (Note that the quality of the images played a major part in deciding which ones could be used.)
Once the posters were up they instantly drew curious people over to learn more. They greatly contributed to increasing the attention paid to our displays.
In addition to these, we also had a couple of business oriented posters to appeal to the interests of business people. The one asking for the viewer’s opinion was very well received but unfortunately due to the image quality it was only able to be printed as A3 posters.
The point we want others to learn is that with the right images there are lots of opportunities to attract the attention and curiosity of passers-by.
You can view the 4 posters below, with the final photo showing one of the display stands:
As part of Toastmasters Week the attached advertisement will appear in the NZ Herald "Join a Club" feature on Tuesday 19th February 2008.
On Sunday 18 March 2007, members of the Naumai South Taranaki Toastmasters Club increased awareness of their club and organisation in their local community by installing Toastmasters road signs on structures at the two main entrances to Hawera, Taranaki. Ivan Willis, Gerard O’Hanlon, Daveena Taylor and Daniel Hovell erected one Toastmasters International logo and one “0800 PEOPLE” sign each at the Northern and South highway approaches to Hawera. The 0800 PEOPLE sign was made locally by Zodiac Signs. This action was one of the outcomes of a regional project initiated by immediate past Area B2 Governor Stephen Bovett. Funding was made possible through a TSB Community Grant. Naumai South Taranaki Toastmasters Club intends to receive even greater visibility by publishing an article in their local newspaper The South Taranaki Star and encourages Toastmasters Clubs throughout District 72 New Zealand to implement this excellent public relations initiative.
The photos below show the signs being erected.
Hawera's welcome board is now complete! Daniel Hovell (L) and Ivan Willis (R)
Something to grin about (0800) people. Daveena Taylor and Gerard O'Hanlon
 
Drilling Toastmasters into Taranaki! - Daniel Hovell (L) and Ivan Willis (R)
The Whangarei Toastmasters Club set up a display window at Whitcoulls Whangarei.
To fit in with the District theme, we have a section, where some of the Whangarei Toastmasters contributed anecdotes on their association with Toastmasters.
Robin Grieve, tells about his experience over many years in Toastmasters. Ross Mullan gives the perspective of a fairly new Toastmaster. Contributions were also made by Talia Mana, Peter Bruce and Rose Oosthuysen.
Flyers, advertising Toastmasters were also given out to passers-by.
It is amazing how ideas grow. It all started with a combined Rotorua Toastmasters clubs officer training meeting. Peter Harington, Area Governor D5, led a brainstorming session on what the Rotorua clubs could get together and do to promote Toastmasters Week 2006. What grew in that meeting was a plan to have a "Speakers Challenge" at the Rotorua City Focus. The City Focus is an area at the heart of the central city set aside for community use.
Toastmasters set up a stage and challenged members of the public to give a table topic to a toastmaster to speak on for a minute. Challengers were given chocolate bars as an incentive. If they couldn't think of a topic they could draw one out of the "toaster". Others handed out flyers and talked to shoppers one on one about Toastmasters. In between challenges club members spoke about Toastmasters. With the use of a loud amplifier and speaker system everyone in town that day now knows about Toastmasters.
It was a great success. The Toastmasters there handed over 200 flyers about Toastmasters in Rotorua, with all the club contact details. There were even have some guests arranged to come along to meetings that week. For the Toastmasters who spoke it was a whole new dimension to their speaking careers, speaking to shoppers in a public place with microphone was a whole new experience. Well done for rising to that challenge.
Some participants commented how much fun it was mixing with people of other clubs from the city and feeling part of the wider Toastmasters community.
A big effort by Kim McGrouther, recently awarded DTM, who did so much of the Toastmasters role. Doing an hour on the microphone is a big task, and she did it really well, truly a DTM performance!
Peter Harington
D5 Area Governor
Here's some great Window Displays from Toastmaster clubs around New Zealand during Toastmasters Week 2005:
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Spinnaker Toastmasters Club in Whitby mounted a poster and information display. Items consisted of quotes by club members, photos of club members in action, meeting and contact details, The Toastmaster magazine and take-away invitations.
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Whangarei Toastmasters Club put up a window display in Whitcoulls, with their club banner and Toastmaster resources and books on display.
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Glenfield Club put up a window display in Takapuna Paper Plus. Also an afternoon display in Glenfield Paper Plus. We held an open night which proved very successful.
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Public Service Toastmasters Club held their annual open air pizza meeting during a beautiful evening at Queens Wharf in Wellington. The meeting had a nautical theme.
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Chartered Chatterers Toastmasters club fly a vertical banner
outside their meeting venue
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Here's a selection of some of the other events held throughout New Zealand in 2005:
- Shop window and mall displays by Spinnaker Toastmasters Club of Porirua City, Whangarei Toastmasters Club, Central Hawkes Bay Toastmasters Club of Waipukurau and Glenfield Toastmasters Club of the North Shore. Area D6 organised two attractive displays in Hamilton in Chartwell Square and at Kmart.
- Radio interviews on 94.8 FM Maori Radio and cinema advertising in New Plymouth by Nga Manu Reo Toastmasters Club
- A member of the club, Denis McLeod CTM delivered a 'live' speech on 94.8FM and was evaluated 'live' by Toastmaster Hoani Brown CTM. Another club member Darren Hulton CTM was interviewed 'live' about Toastmasters by host Donna Leatherby.
- A great show by Nga Manu Reo Toastmasters Club displaying what Toastmasters is all about!!!
- Newspaper article in the Kapi Mana News of Porirua on Titahi Bay Toastmasters Club
- Leaflet drops by Newlands Toastmasters Club of Wellington and a mammoth 5,000 leaflet drop by clubs in Christchurch as well as another 800 leaflet drop to Christchurch business houses
- Open nights and demonstration meetings at Public Service Toastmasters Club of Wellington, Kaiapoi and Oaklands Toastmasters Clubs of Christchurch and Hastings Toastmasters Club, and Pania Toastmasters Club of Napier
- Christchurch, Oaklands and Kaiapoi Toastmasters Clubs appeared on Canterbury Television (CTV) in Christchurch
- Toastmasters banner carried by Claire Read, Area A4 Governor when in the annual 'Round The Bays' event in Auckland
- A Sausage Sizzle at 'The Warehouse' in Invercargill along with a Quiz Night at a local tavern have been great publicity for all the Area C5 clubs: 5.30 Forum, Alexandra, Foveaux, Gore, Grand, Hokonui, Invercargill and Queenstown Toastmasters Clubs.
- Toastmasters stall at the Ostend Market by the Waiheke Island Toastmasters Club
Well done to all these clubs and to the Toastmasters who were prepared to show their skills to the wider community. We will all benefit from the enthusiasm and momentum generated by these promotions.
What is more, most of these promotions can be run AT ANY TIME by clubs. Give those promotions that appeal a try!!!
- Articles in community newspapers. Especially speechcraft/Youth Leadership Graduation/Results of contests. Include photos and captions.
- Soap box oratory in Malls and city lunch time parks
- Flyers under car windscreens (especially at railways stations)
- BBQ/Sausage sizzle in public places/community fairs/flea markets and hand out flyers. Dress up to be noticed.
- Hand out Toastmasters bookmarkers at the local library
- Noticeboard displays - Shopping Malls, Local library, Medical Centre, Gyms, Post office. Include tear off tags with contact number.
- Judging at school speech contests
- Sandwich board stand with Toastmasters sign ($20 from District Supplies) outside meeting room inviting people in
- Make a 'Communication Award' to local Mayor/Principal/politician and get a photo of presentation in the local paper
- Mobile meetings outside - Parks, Picnic Areas etc. especially in summer.
- Interview over local radio
- Check that your details on the New Zealand website are correct (venue, meeting time, contact numbers)
- Leave copies of The Toastmaster in waiting rooms/gyms etc. with club meeting times and contact number
- Advertise club or area speech contests and charge to attend
- Window displays of Club Banner, posters, The Toastmaster, photos etc. especially local library and shopping centres during Toastmasters Week.
Local newspapers are interested in promoting community interests, and in anything innovative, unusual, or imaginative. But they work on a shoestring and may not have a spare reporter or photographer to attend your event. So take your own photos and write your own article - short sharp sentences, snappy headlines and captions. If you can include the local Mayor/MP/Principal so much the better (Peter Dunne always attends a Youth Leadership Graduation - the local paper always publishes a photo of him presenting graduation certificate). Keep it non-specific in terms of the date. Often articles are kept on file until a 'gap' appears in the newspaper layout.
- Speechcraft courses (by far the best method)
- Pub charities (paid for room hire of one club for 12 months - $1200)
- Business sponsorships (Banks etc.)
- Showcase Talent Evening - Humour Galore. Mail out tickets. Food/Wine etc.
- Gold coin bucket each evening for those members who do not bring along a guest.
- Trusts - go to local Council website and find out what trusts are available for Educational Enterprises. (Wellington City Council has 10)
- Club Auction evening (Club member offer services or objects for a club auction - great fun)
Here are some more ideas your club could do for the next Toastmasters Week:
1 Open Club Meetings.
Hold an open club meeting. Advertise the upcoming event outlining the agenda. Impress with your excellence in programming, fantastic speeches, challenging table topics and great timing. Involve your visitors and sign them up as a new member while they are there.
2 Talk Toastmasters ...
Wherever, to whoever, whenever possible. Promote Toastmasters as a communication organization to your friends and work colleagues. Make a pact with yourself to tell a different person about Toastmasters every day.
3 Speechcraft & Youth Leadership.
Toastmasters week is a good opportunity to plan a Speechcraft or Youth Leadership programme. Advertise in the local paper and consider running the programme at a venue outside the clubs' usual setting.
4 Promotional Talks.
Offer to give a talk to your work, church, hobby group or a public location such as a market day or library.
5 Toastmasters lapel badges.
Show your pride and wear the Toastmasters lapel badges you have earned. This will surely incite comment and conversation. Have you a T/Shirt, coffee mug, bumper sticker or mouse pad that can be shown off.
6 Public displays.
Ask at a shopping centre if you can use a shop window space for a week. Arrange a colourful, eye-catching display in a shop window. Hang your club banner, spread out some manuals and Toastmaster magazines, display club trophies. A couple of anecdotes telling of personal benefits boldly typed in large font hanging beside the banner will attract and maybe motivate viewers. List a typical agenda, again boldly typed in large font.
7 Radio Slot.
Is anyone brave enough to ask for a speaking slot on the radio or speak at a mall?
8 Eye catching fliers.
Every club, these days, will have a computer whiz who may be willing to create easy to read, eyecatching fliers for a letter box drop or distribution in places where people gather either in the workplace or community for example library, doctors dentists and hospital waiting rooms, bulletin boards and by the water cooler or photocopier. Decide what your club is going to do. Involve everyone if possible and dare to be different, you could boost membership and will increase awareness of your club and the Toastmasters programme in the community.
Toastmasters' week was from 1-14 March, although it actually lasts for a fortnight to enable all clubs to participate during the week of their meeting.
This year, a nationally coordinated advertising campaign was held aimed at the corporate market. There was one activity that covered Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch - the Speaking a Barrier? Promotion.
Speaking a Barrier? District Promotion
Over 20 car park entry and exits in the busiest areas of Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch, were adorned with the Toastmasters message during Toastmasters Week 2004. With the help of Wilson Parking, who gave up their fee for the advertising, and Parking Space advertising, the company owned by Ian Stewart, a Toastmaster, there were signs on all of the barrier arms on the entry and exit from 20 of the busiest car parks in the major cities.
The message is "Speaking a Barrier?" "Join Toastmasters today".
Toastmasters sign proves a winner
This photo is of a Toastmasters sign erected near the northern motorway in Christchurch recently. Permission was sought from the person living adjacent to the land, which is owned by the Belfast Freezing Works, and was paid for by Division G. It is in a very prominent position, facing traffic from the North Canterbury District and during peak hours thousands of cars pass by. "At this stage it is hard to gauge the response, but if you don't try, you'll never know" says District Public Relations Officer John Dingwall. [8 August 2004]
And here's how to signwrite a car for maximum effect:
Many Clubs have historically organised a promotion at the local mall. These have drawn a question straight after contacting the local mall operating company about Public Liability insurance from Toastmasters WHQ. Toastmasters International has insurance to cover Toastmasters activities in public areas to the tune of $US1m.
To obtain that proof for the mall operator, you send an email to Chris Perez at cperez@toastmasters.org. All Toastmasters' club meeting places are covered by liability insurance. The club can request a certificate of insurance by sending the details of:
- what you are doing, where and when
- plus Mall Operators contact details (fax number) to Toastmasters International
- and they will fax proof of insurance to the mall operator about 3 days prior to the event.
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Has your club used a great promotional idea? Then let everyone know about it!
Email webmaster@toastmasters.org.nz with details and photos of your promotional activities. |
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