How to Come Up With Creative Themes for a Toastmasters Meeting

Toastmasters International is a nonprofit organization that strives to help members improve their public speaking skills. This important communication skill is useful in job interviews, presentations, sales pitches, eulogies and informal talks. Many people are terrified of speaking in public, and Toastmasters groups meet on a regular basis to evaluate and give feedback to members' presentations. Creative and lively theme topics are encouraged to help build confidence and poise. Coming up with ideas for your group is relatively easy to do.

Instructions

1

Revolve your themed meeting around a popular book series or movie, such as "Harry Potter". Convert the regular meeting room into Hogwarts School. Ask everyone to come in costume. Turn the meeting place into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, with the Presiding Officer taking on the Hogwarts Headmaster Professor Dumbledore role. Ask each participant to speak based on topics related to the Harry Potter theme and present their topics while in character.

2

Create themed events around holidays. For example, on Valentine's Day, the theme can be romance. Ask members to wear red and print the meeting's program on Cupid theme paper. Purchase romantic table decorations, like roses, candles and boxed chocolates, and offer members a glass of wine when they enter. Ask members to be prepared to speak, utilizing famous quotes of love and romance. Speak about how Valentine's Day is celebrated around the world.

3

Incorporate our culture's love of pets into a theme night. Ask speakers to come prepared to speak on unforgettable furry companions they've loved. Decorate the tables with silver bowls, rubber squeaky toys and biscuits. The love of pets is an easy topic for most pet-centric speakers to relate to.

4

Revolve your theme around the illusion of magic. Ask members to dress like magicians or Houdini and be prepared to speak on the magic of believing.

5

Search the evening news or read the paper for topical events that lend themselves to theme nights such as stories of courage, inspiration and survival.

6

Reach into the past and invite noted historical figures to speak at your event. Invite Albert Einstein, Florence Nightingale or Benjamin Franklin. Have the speakers describe their discoveries or historical significance of their lives.