How to conduct a Toastmasters Demo Meeting?

Toastmasters International provides a number of materials which will help you to conduct "Successful Demonstration Meetings" for prospective new clubs. Conducting a Demo meeting is the first step to get new members to officially charter a toastmasters club.

Also read: 

Steps involved in chartering a new toastmasters club

Sample email response for the lead/request to charter a new toastmasters club

Before the demo meeting

1. Ask the club sponsor 
• to arrange for a projector, microphone, writing board etc.,
• to make printed copies of meeting agenda available to everyone
• to download Introduction to Toastmasters PPT and make it available in a PC/Laptop
2. Arrange meeting role players 
• Toastmaster of the Day, 
• Table Topics Master of the Day, 
• General Evaluator
• Prepared Speaker (just 1 or 2. Speech should be from Competent Communicator manual and preferably, a CC Project 5 or CC Project 6. Helps the evaluator to cover all the aspects of public speaking)
• Table Topics Master to pick some simple topics (NO SITUATIONS/ROLE PLAYS... may pick some funny quotes. Senior toastmaster to review this to make sure that the topics are audience friendly)
• Timer, 
• AH Counter, 
• Grammarian
• Sergeant at Arms
3. The role players are HIGHLY recommended to use the Successful Meetings - Role player Templates
4. Get timing cards (or) some Red Yellow Green props
5. All role players have to be informed to be at the venue at least 20 minutes in advance to clear the security procedure.

Meeting Agenda

1. SAA opens the meeting, introduces the presiding officer (1 minute)
2. Presiding officer briefly talks about Toastmaster International and the two tracks - communication & leadership. Also tells the audience that they'll know more about Toastmasters after the demo session... when walking through the PPT (3 minutes)
3. Presiding officer introduces Toastmaster of the Day and hands over the control (1 minute)
4. Toastmaster of the Day introduces the 3 meeting segments (3 minutes)
5. General Evaluator introduces his/her team (3 minutes)
6. Prepared Speech (7 minutes)
7. General Evaluator and his/her team presents their reports (10 minutes)
8. Table Topics Session (5 speakers max * 2 mins each = 10 minutes)
9. Toastmaster of the Day hands over control to the Presiding Officer (1 minute)
10. Presiding officer to walk through the Introduction to Toastmasters PPT himself or asks a senior toastmaster to walk it through

Before the demo meeting

1. Follow up with the club sponsor and help them to complete the steps involved in chartering a new toastmasters club by filling and submitting the club charter applications to Toastmasters International.