Kate Fraser Smith

Running an Open House

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On Tuesday 8th April, London Victorian hosted a highly successful open-house meeting attended by 75 members and guests.

Headline Results

Total attendance:                        75
Guests attending:                        49
New members signed-up:        11
Marketing spend:                        £120
Videos produced:                        6
Views on LinkedIn:                    ~2,600

How did we do it?

Here are the key lessons learnt from this event that every Club can replicate, alongside ideas on how to do better still.

Make it a Paid Ticketed Event

London Victorians previously organised an open-house in March 2024 attended by around 35 people. While this was a successful event that led to some new members signing-up, one data point made me think; out of 41 people registered to attend only 10 had turned-up.

This time, we decided to charge anyone wishing to attend £5 to ensure buy-in and commitment from attendees. Another positive effect of this decision was to focus minds around creating a professional value-adding event which attendees would enjoy.

A Big Event Needs a Big Team

Our VP of Membership Nick Roberts spearheaded organizing this open-house meeting with support from myself and our VP of Public of Relations Sam Yates. Other members of the leadership team additionally help on more specific tasks like agenda management. We knew early on that more members would need to be involved as well, especially on the day to support delivering an amazing event.

With this in mind, meeting agenda was filled-in early on with excellent speakers, evaluators and a fabulous Toastmaster of the meeting to create a show on the day. Another team of member also looked at guest hospitality, signing-in, registering and mingling with guests in the evening.

In total almost 20 members played a part in making this event successful. It was truly driven by the whole Club.

Set Goals Upfront and Plan Accordingly

Initial discussions regarding the event’s format began 7 weeks before its scheduled date. Nick and myself agreed on all key parameters 6 weeks beforehand, with Nick emphasizing that value was a key proposition for attendees:

  1. The event’s theme would be public speaking essentials and tips, aiming it at attendees looking to improve their skills in a professional yet friendly atmosphere.
  2. A short interactive 15 min workshop ‘The 5Ws of Public Speaking’ kicked-off the event after intros from the President and Toastmaster.
  3. The agenda then followed best-practice written when I was Club Growth Director, with audience-led interactive evaluations of the speakers facilitated by the Toastmaster amongst other things.
  4. Space for ~20 Table Topics using question which attendees pre-answered beforehand while registering – ‘Tell us something unique, interesting or fun about you’ to be answered in one minute max. The Table Topics Master selected the most interesting answers for this segment and there were loads.
  5. A Testimonial from a member sharing her journey to wrap-up the event and encourage people to join.
  6. Networking over pizza after the event.

The goal was to attract ~80 people and fill all the seats in the meeting room. Paid marketing was part of the project plan, alongside creating a series of short 1min marketing videos to entice people.

For reference, the agenda of the event can be found on easy-Speak and the registration page on Eventbrite.

Do a Big Marketing Push

Like most Clubs, London Victorians mostly markets itself passively with a website, Facebook page, LinkedIn page and Google Business profile. On this occasion a more active use of all of these channels would be needed.

Content Creation – Nick, Sam and myself work together to create professional looking content to share across all marketing channels. Using the best photos at our disposal, we created an A4 poster, a square image for social media and 6 videos featuring our members encouraging people to attend. We used Canva to edit these materials and iPhones to shoot the videos in our venue.

Internal Promotion – Nick spoke about the event to Club members during every meeting in March and sent multiple WhatsApp messages in our group with the event poster included. Several members took on the challenge of inviting friends and colleagues to attend, and word of mouth likely brought in more registrations as well. Leveraging our membership also led to one of our members Josh agreeing to sponsor some tasty kombucha from his business to drink on the day too.

Eventbrite Marketing – Eventbrite promotes events to users according to their own interests, the possibility also exists to advertise directly on the platform to attract more views and registration. Our event page was continuously updated throughout the pre-event period to make it more attractive, eventually culminating in using features such as video headers and embedded agendas. We finally ran £30 of paid advertising ran on Eventbrite in March targeted at people living in London.

LinkedIn Posts – Nick took the lead in sharing posts about the event in his profile and the Club’s profile with members encouraged to reshare them. We additionally leveraged the videos we created into a campaign of 5 paid ads which was viewed ~2,600 times and brough in close to 100 visitors to our Eventbrite page. Not a bad spend of £60 and our Click-through-Rate of ~3,6% would be the envy of many marketeers.

Facebook Posts – We posted once or twice per week reminding people to attend the event, sharing images and the videos we created. A short-paid marketing campaign using an image also gathered ~8,000 impressions and led to a spike in traffic to our Eventbrite page.

Past Guests & Newsletter – The event was promoted to all of our past members and guests via our newsletter, which led to a few familiar faces coming back to the Club and enabled us to reconnect with some old members as well.

Business Networks – Nick took the initiative to reach out to the Victoria Business Improvement District and other similar networks in the area. Through grit and a few phone calls with the right people, he was able to get our event added to one of their websites and a promotional newsletter going to businesses in this part of London.

The effectiveness of these campaigns helped fill on the room on the day and the week beforehand as well which saw a record 17 guests attending.

Make it a Show on the Day

Executing this event properly was crucial and all meeting functionaries alongside the hospitality team were brief beforehand regarding their task. Our Toastmaster for this meeting Lucy also took care in ensuring that all contingencies were planned for so that nothing was left to chance.

In the end everything went smoothly and QR codes were spread around the room encouraging attendees to join the Club. Pizzas arrived on time and everyone had something to eat.

How did we do?

Out of 59 guests who registered to attend, 49 turned-up, vindicating the Club’s decision to charge for attendance. What’s more we now have a whooping 10 new members who signed-up after attending the event, no doubt prompted by a special offer to waive the £30 joining fee to attendees. Ticket charges covered all marketing costs, and some of the pizza. So, by all accounts this was an amazingly successful event made possible by a great team!

I personally learnt or relearnt a lot from helping its organisation and I know the same is true for Nick and Sam.

The Club will likely organize another open-house next spring in 2026, and here is what we will aim to do even better next time:

  1. Plan ahead even more – In hindsight locking everything 8 or even 10 weeks in advance would have enabled us to have a solid few weeks to shoot more marketing videos and create more content.
  2. Read the fine-print regarding videos – Our marketing videos were successful but could have had far more power, if we had been able to use them on Facebook. For some reasons Facebook rejected them for advertising purposes, and we lacked the time to research this further and make any claim. YouTube also only accepted our videos as shorts once the background music was removed, despite it being copyright free.
  3. Have a bigger team – We needed a 4th person in the organising team, especially to support with marketing and there was a time in late March were we all found ourselves stretched doing everything. Another team member could have helped with getting more content out.

By Florian Bay DTM – Past District 91 Director

 

Celebrating Success and Finishing Strong

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Dear Toastmasters,

Thank you to everyone who attended our District Conference held from 2-4 May at the Radisson Red Heathrow. Your enthusiasm, engagement, and support made the event a great success. Whether you joined us for the educational sessions, the networking opportunities, or the speech contests, your presence was greatly appreciated and contributed to a memorable experience.

Congratulations to Our District 91 Speech Contest Winners
We witnessed truly inspiring performances during this year’s contests. Please join me in congratulating our champions:

District 91 International Speech Contest Winner 2025 and
District 91 Humorous Speech Contest Winner 2025
Dan Magill, Croydon Communicators, Division H

District 91 Evaluation Speech Contest Winner 2025
Matthew Robertson, Bloomsbury Speakers, Division C

District 91 Table Topic Speech Contest Winner 2025
Christopher Bovell, The Speakers of Croydon, Division H

I would like to extend a special thank you to all the contestants who took part, and for raising the bar with a consistently high standard throughout the contests.

Distinguished Club Incentive Winners
We are pleased to recognise the following clubs that achieved Distinguished status for the first time, or for the first time in three years. This accomplishment demonstrates strong leadership and member engagement, there is still time for other clubs to win this incentive.  Winners so far include:

  • London Corinthians
  • LSBU
  • 104 London Debaters
  • Camberley Speakers
  • Cheltenham Speakers
  • Melting Pot Toastmasters
  • Deutsche Bank Toastmasters
  • Barking Toastmasters

Congratulations to all involved for your hard work and commitment.

Pathways 100% Enrolment Award
We also wish to acknowledge the clubs that achieved 100% member enrolment in the Pathways learning programme. This is an important milestone and a strong indicator of member development and club strength.

The following clubs have earned this award:

  • London Olympians
  • Medidata
  • LSBU
  • Legacy Speakers
  • ZigZag
  • Arun Speakers
  • Chiltern Speakers
  • Oxford Orators
  • Moody’s
  • Wembley Stadium Speakers
  • London Toastmasters

Well done for your focus on education and development.

Let’s Finish Strong
As we approach the end of the Toastmasters year, I encourage all members and clubs to maintain momentum and finish the year on a high note. Whether you are working toward a personal goal, supporting fellow members, or helping your club achieve Distinguished status, your continued effort will make a meaningful difference.

Thank you for your dedication and commitment throughout the year. Let us continue to strive for excellence and celebrate every success along the way.

Warm regards

Debbie Williams
Program Quality Director 2024-2025
District 91

 

Launching a Corporate Summit in District 91

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Launching a Corporate Summit in District 91

Are you currently in a corporate role? Have you ever sat through a pointless meeting? Can you think of even ONE organisation that may benefit from bringing Toastmasters in-house but not sure how to go about it?

These are just a handful of the reasons why we’re hosting a corporate summit in London this June – and maybe, just maybe, it will be the first of many.

 

Why it is my Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM project)

Even now, I need to correct people (more so in other Districts) when they assume that I’m already a Distinguished Toastmaster because I’ve been a member over nine years and I’ve served as District Director. Just the other day, in a virtual session I’d been asked to be involved with in another District, I was referred to as DTM over 10x! 🙂

For me, it was never about three letters, but feeling that whenever I become a Distinguished Toastmaster with the hardware, it would be the culmination of multiple paths coming together and one that would benefit this organisation/District based on my own learnings during my time as a member and where I’d spotted gaps in my leadership journey.

When I joined the ‘Trio’ as Club Growth Director back in 2020, I learned that our approach to taking Toastmasters into company settings may need to be different, and more importantly, for when it does land in a company setting, for its longevity to be longer than the current average lifespan for a ‘corporate closed club.’ 

 

What’s this summit all about?

In order for us to have success in a company setting, we need to partner with companies as modelled in Past International President, Pat Johnson’s handbook on this subject. This goes beyond an existing Toastmasters member selling the idea to their boss and creating the equivalent of a community club in a company. I also can’t tell you the number of times that I’ve heard people say that they think Toastmasters would be great in their company, but they either don’t know where to start or don’t take it any further because they think that they will end up doing the work!

That definitely shouldn’t be the case! It takes a team to get it off the ground and whilst the person suggesting it is part of the process, the Toastmasters program to become part of an employee development program is the preferred approach. This event is aimed at HR/L&D/Employee Engagement Professionals who would be interested in exploring whether Toastmasters could work in their companies for this purpose. 

The summit will include a demo/taster session, a panel discussion Q&A and a couple of presentations on how Toastmasters fosters leadership development and effective communication in the professional world. 

 

How can you help?

Let me go back to the third question at the beginning.

Can you think of just ONE organisation that could benefit from a Toastmasters program in-house? Write it down now. 

If that organisation is based in the UK and has at least 1000 employees (ideally based in the UK), please share this link with someone in HR/Learning or Engagement at that company…

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/toastmasters-corporate-summit-2025-tickets-1369962126599

When they register, a member of the corporate summit team will review and confirm if they have secured a spot! Fulfil one of your Toastmasters promises, by giving this market the opportunity to explore the benefits of what Toastmasters offers.

If you’d personally like more information on any of the above, wish to attend or support, please contact District 91. 

 

Rupa Datta

Signing Off

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Last month, May 2025, marks nine years since I first joined Toastmasters in May 2016. As the end of June approaches, it also signifies the conclusion of four successive years on the District Leadership Team, six consecutive years as a DEC member, and seven years of service on the District Council. This is a moment of transition, and one that invites thoughtful reflection.

The journey has been filled with memorable milestones and meaningful achievements. Among these were leading District 91 to President’s Distinguished status in 2023/24 program year for the first time in eight years, being named Division Director of the Year in 2020/21, and contributing to the organisation of the 2020 “Lock Down” District Conference, as Registration Director and Designer which was successfully delivered online in just six weeks under the leadership of Diana Robertson. This project demonstrated that, even in the face of adversity, extraordinary outcomes are possible when we come together with purpose and resolve.

Equally important were the initiatives that strengthened the long-term foundation of our District. These included redesigning the district website, and co-creating the Thanks Toastmasters campaign alongside Susan Rayner, Florian Bay and Arnaud Sartre. These efforts were not merely creative projects; they were strategic tools that empowered clubs, enhanced member engagement, and reinvigorated our shared identity during Covid and the years immediately after. It was gratifying to see that the campaign was used in the recent tube campaign run by this years team.

Naturally, the past six years serving the district first as an Area Director and then as IPDD, have not been without challenges. From the global pandemic in March 2020 and its long-term effects to economic pressures and, most recently, the 33.3 per cent membership fee increase introduced by Toastmasters International during my term as District Director last year, our District has had to adapt swiftly and often. Yet through all these trials, we have succeeded when we have worked together as a team. We have grown stronger, together.

Behind every achievement are a team of people who made it possible. I am filled with gratitude for the many individuals and clubs who supported me throughout this journey.

To my home club, Chiltern Speakers, thank you for providing the foundation of my leadership path. I extend special thanks to Brett Freeman and Paul Imre, and to my first mentors, Jacquie Hogan and Eddie Maguire, who inspired me to take on club and district leadership roles. In more recent years, Adrian Lane and Carolyn Johnson, along with Jacquie and Eddie, continued to provide unwavering support and encouragement.

To Thame Speakers, my second home club since 2019, thank you for welcoming me so warmly. I am especially grateful to Alison Morris, John Morris and Deborah Stevens for their encouragement, support and friendship.

I am also deeply appreciative of my fellow leaders including, Chris Walker and Nadya Hamedi, with whom I served as Division Directors during the difficult Covid year of 2020/21. Your commitment and resilience were exceptional. Chris, thank you especially for your outstanding service as District Chief Judge in 2022/23. Nadya, your contributions across several areas including club growth, membership education and data cleansing were immensely valuable. Your thoughtful approach and behind-the-scenes efforts were greatly appreciated.

I also extend my sincere thanks to Rose Nakibirango, who served as District Parliamentarian, and to Valerie Slavina, who took on the responsibilities of District Finance Manager last year with great skill, diligence and care. Each of you played a vital role in sustaining the district’s stability and progress.

A heartfelt thank you goes to Janet Alkema, who provided consistent support during my tenure as Division D Director and later stepped up to serve as District Administration Manager. Your reliability, dedication and good humour brought clarity and continuity during times of change.

I would also like to acknowledge John Drinkwater for his thoughtful collaboration as we explored digital marketing strategies to expand the district’s reach and relevance. And to Nikita Parks for her work as my PR Manager and helping to realise the Membership Anniversary Campaign.

My thanks also go to Nadya Hamedi, Juli Chapman, Massimo Guadagnino and Rick Cooper for their role in establishing the Pathways Support Group in early 2023. Their efforts were central to the district achieving Smedley Distinguished status for club quality, with 104 of 163 clubs becoming Distinguished, a remarkable achievement reflecting collective club excellence in 2022/23.

To my mentors; Hillary Briggs, Arnaud Sartre and Florian Bay. Thank you for your guidance, generosity and time. Hillary, your mentorship during my terms as Club Growth Director and Programme Quality Director laid the foundation for much of what followed. Arnaud, your openness and clarity always helped me consider different perspectives. Florian, your strategic insights during my term as District Director helped me to lead with confidence. I am truly grateful to each of you.

There are many others who contributed to this journey, both in and outside of District 91, far too many to name, but please know that your support, no matter how visible or discreet, made a difference. You helped shape my journey and the successes we achieved as District 91 in 2023/24.

 

The greatest lesson I have learned is that leadership is not defined by title or tenure, but by service. It requires genuine connection, active listening and continuous dialogue with clubs and members. Ensuring that expectations, goals and processes are clearly communicated and mutually understood is essential to success. This year, as I continued to support clubs, I was reminded once again of the importance of this principle.

 

As I now step away formally from the official leadership roles within the District, I do so not with sadness, but with gratitude. I am proud of what we have accomplished together. I look forward to continuing to support clubs and members in an informal capacity, and I am confident that our paths will cross again at meetings, contests, conferences and beyond.

In closing, I reflect on the core values of Toastmasters that have been at the heart of our District’s progress: integrity, respect, service, and excellence. These values are not merely ideals to aspire to, they are the foundation upon which every success, every connection, and every accomplishment has been built. It is by living these values that we create an environment where everyone can thrive and realise their potential.

I remain inspired by the courage, commitment, and kindness shown by those who offered their unwavering support. We rise by lifting others. As I step down from this role, I will carry these values forward, and I encourage each of you to do the same. The future of District 91 remains bright and having met hundreds of you during my leadership journey I have every confidence that we collectively, will continue to inspire, empower, and achieve greatness, as a district.

Thank you, District 91, for the opportunity to serve. Thank you for your trust, your encouragement and your partnership. As I step away from the DLT at the end of June, I carry forward the lessons learned, the friendships made, and the accomplishments we’ve achieved. It has been a greatest honour to be part of this leadership journey – District 91.

Remember – happiness brings success!

Diane Richardson

If you’re a student or early in your career, Toastmasters could be the edge you are looking for.

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“Sometimes, the smallest step in the right direction ends up being the biggest step of your life. Keep walking.”

Three years ago, I took what I thought was a small step — I joined a corporate Toastmasters club under District 121 in India, simply to improve my communication and leadership skills. I started as a quiet member, not knowing that this very decision would one day become the foundation of my entire personal and professional transformation.

Back then, I juggled work responsibilities and Toastmasters meetings. It wasn’t easy. But with every role I took — from Vice President Membership to Vice President Education, and eventually President of the club — I grew. Not just in title, but in confidence, in resilience, and in purpose. Even after my term ended, I stayed on as a mentor, because Toastmasters had become more than just a club. It became my training ground for life. I was managing a full-time job, juggling deadlines, and trying to find myself — and still, I showed up for Toastmasters. Why? Because it gave me something no classroom or job ever had: a belief in myself.

1.5 years ago, I made one of the most difficult decisions of my life — I moved to the UK for my master’s degree. Leaving behind everything familiar, I landed in a new country, surrounded by a new culture, with new struggles and endless uncertainties. Life wasn’t easy. It was messy. It was overwhelming.

And yet, I knew exactly what I had to do: find a Toastmasters club.

I joined Surbiton Speakers Club (Area D53, Division D, District 91) almost immediately. While others were still unpacking, I was stepping onto the stage again — because that’s where I felt strongest. Even though I was drowning in assignments, working part-time jobs, navigating visa pressures, and battling homesickness, I still showed up.

A few months later, I became Area Director for Area D53. It felt surreal — a newcomer in a foreign land, now leading leaders. But Toastmasters didn’t care about my accent, my passport, or my background. It only cared about my willingness to grow. And through that role, I built deep connections, found mentors, and more importantly — found myself again.

The UK job market is no joke. Rejections pile up. Doubts creep in. But when I sat across from the interviewers, I spoke with clarity, confidence, and authenticity — because I had been practicing for this moment in every Toastmasters meeting. Every Table Topic was a mini-interview. Every speech, a pitch. Every leadership role, a preparation for the real world. And they worked.

And then, one day, the call came. I got the job. Right after my master’s. And I know, in my heart, that Toastmasters was the reason I was ready. To every student reading this, every job seeker wondering if they’ll ever “make it” — let me tell you this:

-> You will feel lost.
-> You will doubt yourself.
-> You will feel like giving up.

But please — don’t. Just take one small step. Join that meeting. Say yes to that role. Deliver that shaky speech. Show up for yourself, even when no one else does. Because one day, when you’re standing on the other side — proud, confident, and employed — you’ll realize: Toastmasters didn’t just teach you to speak. It taught you to live.

I am who I am today — because of Toastmasters. And that’s why, wherever I go, I carry its message with pride. It’s not just a club. It’s a lifeline. Life will be tough. But growth happens in discomfort. Hard work might not pay off immediately — but it always does, eventually. I managed my studies, my part-time job, my life, and still made time for Toastmasters. And today, I stand proud — not because it was easy, but because I never gave up.

Thank you, Toastmasters, for turning my quiet voice into a confident one, and my fear into leadership.

With gratitude,
Jeevan George John
Vice President of Education
Surbiton Speakers Club, Area D53, Division D, District 91