Don’t Get Roasted During Your Holiday Toast

Do you have your holiday toast down pat? Toastmasters International is seeking videos  (opens in a new tab) of people’s best holiday salutes for a “best-of” compilation the organization hopes will inspire less-experienced toastmasters this holiday season.

“We hope that the ‘best of’ video will inspire people to follow Toastmasters’ tips for giving a toast,” said Toastmasters spokesman Dennis Olson. “The holidays are a special time for family and friends to come together and celebrate. A well-done toast can make those celebrations that much more memorable.”

The campaign is part of Toastmasters’ video brand contest, launched in August 2013, which shares videos submitted by some of the more than 300,000 international club members demonstrating their excitement about the organization.

“We have found that this campaign has been very successful and has increased engagement with our members,” Olson said. “With the holidays approaching, we decided to follow the same format and request holiday toast videos from our members, which we will compile and create the ‘best of’ video showcasing what to say—and what not to say—when giving a holiday toast.”

According to Toastmasters, good holiday toasts are less than three minutes long and feature

• a prepared speaker who stays on topic
• an original, heartfelt, and customized message
• creativity and humor
• the speaker standing, lifting his or her glass by the stem, and saying, “I’d like to propose a toast.”

Interested participants have until November 17 to submit a video of their best (and worst) toasts, and the final assembled video will be shared on Toastmasters’ social media platforms throughout the holidays.

This isn’t the first time Toastmasters has stepped in to help alleviate people’s public speaking and presentation woes. Last year, the organization reached out to recent college grads to help them prep and master the communication skills and confidence needed to succeed in job interviews.

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