Speech Contest Quick Guide

Complete guide for organizing and participating in Toastmasters speech contests

Speech Complete Contest Toolkit

Everything you need to run successful speech contests at club, area, division, and district levels

The District 85 Speech Contest Kit provides comprehensive resources for contest chairs, officials, contestants, and volunteers. This kit is updated annually to reflect the latest Toastmasters International rules and best practices.

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2025-2026 Contest Season Updates

This year's contest kit includes updated rules for virtual and hybrid contests, new judging criteria, and enhanced accessibility guidelines. All contest officials must review the updated rulebook before participating.

Speech Contest Quick Guide

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2026 Contest Guide

Complete Guide for all Toastmasters speech contests.

PDF β€’ 12 pages Updated: Jan 2026
Download Guide

2025 D85 Contest Finalists

International speech contest finalists

Watch the outstanding speeches from our 2025 District 85 International Speech Contest finalists. These speeches represent the highest level of speaking excellence in our district.

Iris BI

"The Imperfect Match"

An inspiring speech about embracing vulnerability as a strength in leadership and communication.

Watch Video 7:31 β–Ά

Lessie CHEN

"What's Waiting"

Inspiring speech about overcoming barriers and creating opportunities for the next generation.

Watch Video 7:47 β–Ά

Vijay VASANT

"In is the Only Way Out"

A powerful metaphor about building connections between cultures, generations, and ideas.

Watch Video 7:46 β–Ά

James WANG

"Lei Lei Lei Lei"

Exploring how true listening transforms relationships and creates understanding in a noisy world.

Watch Video 7:47 β–Ά

Hazel XU

"How Can It Be"

Motivational speech about taking the first step, even when the path ahead is uncertain.

Watch Video 7:29 β–Ά

John ZHANG

"A Masterpiece"

How embracing failure leads to growth, resilience, and ultimately, greater success.

Watch Video 7:19 β–Ά

Note: These videos are provided for educational purposes to help contestants and clubs prepare for speech contests. Please respect the copyright of the speakers.

Additional Contest Resources

More tools to support your contest preparation

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Virtual Contest Guide

Complete guide to running online contests including platform setup, technical checklist, and virtual audience engagement.

View Guide β†’
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Past Winners Archive

Collection of winning speeches from previous years with analysis of what made them effective.

Browse Archive β†’
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Contest Analytics Dashboard

Track contest participation, results, and trends across District 85 over the past 5 years.

View Dashboard β†’

Need Help With Contests?

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Email Contest Chair

For questions about contest rules, procedures, or official documents.

d85@d85toastmasters.org
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Request a Contest Official

Need a trained judge, chief judge, or contest chair for your event?

Request an Official β†’
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Schedule Contest Training

Book a training session for your club or area contest team.

Schedule Training β†’