District 215 Online Speech Contest

Best Practices Checklist

The official rules for the Online Speech Contest are available through the link provided. To further support your preparation, we have also developed a set of best practices to help you plan and conduct a successful contest.

1. Contest Governance & Planning

Review the 2026–2027 Toastmasters Speech Contest Rulebook in its entirety.

Identify the Online Speech Contest Chair and Chief Judge early.

Establish a complete contest leadership team with clearly defined responsibilities.

Establish a planning timeline working backward from contest day.

Determine how contestants advance through the District 215 contest structure.

Create a centralized repository for contest documents, forms, scripts, and procedures.

Hold regular planning meetings as the contest approaches.

Identify backup personnel for critical contest and technology roles.

2. Technology Team

Appoint a dedicated Technology Chair/Lead who is not simultaneously trying to runanother critical contest function.

Assign at least one additional technology support person.

Select and test the online platform well in advance.

Determine who controls host/co-host privileges.

Establish procedures for spotlighting/pinning contestants.

Establish procedures for muting/unmuting participants.

Determine whether participant chat will be disabled or restricted.

Disable or discourage reactions/emojis that could distract contestants or judges.

Establish a private communication method for contest officials if public chat is disabled.

Create a contingency plan for host or co-host connectivity failure.

3. Contestant Orientation

Conduct a mandatory contestant briefing before contest day.

Review eligibility and required contestant documentation.

Explain the speaking-area requirements.

Explain camera-position expectations.

Discuss lighting, sound, internet connectivity, and background considerations.

Explain what happens if the contestant experiences a technical failure.

Explain exactly when timing begins.

Confirm pronunciation of every contestant's name.

Confirm each contestant's speech title.

Determine speaking order according to the official rules.

Give contestants an opportunity to ask questions.

Provide contestants with a written technical checklist following the briefing.

4. Technical Rehearsal

Conduct a full technical rehearsal, preferably several days before the contest.

Have every contestant join from the same device, camera, microphone, internet connection, and physical location/setup they intend to use for the actual contest whenever practical.

Test microphone clarity and volume.

Test camera framing.

Test lighting.

Check for distracting or inappropriate backgrounds.

Verify that contestants have sufficient room for movement.

Test the contestant-to-Contest Master transition.

Test timer signals from the contestant's perspective.

Test ballot submission.

Test communications between the Chief Judge, judges, timers, ballot counters, Contest Chair, and technology team.

Simulate at least one technical failure during rehearsal.

5. Judges & Contest Officials

Recruit qualified judges according to Toastmasters requirements.

Conduct the Chief Judge's briefing separately from the contestant briefing where appropriate.

Protect the confidentiality and identity of judges.

Verify that every judge knows how ballots will be submitted.

Establish a backup method for ballot submission.

Confirm timers understand Online Speech Contest procedures.

Verify that ballot counters understand the digital tallying process.

Establish a secure method for the Chief Judge and ballot counters to communicate privately.

Have backup judges and officials available in case of connectivity problems.

6. Timing

Verify that both timers have reliable internet connections.

Make sure contestants can clearly see the timing signals.

Test timing signals during rehearsal.

Establish what happens if a contestant temporarily cannot see the timer.

Ensure timers understand precisely when timing begins and ends.

Establish a backup timing-display procedure.

Confirm how timing records will be transmitted privately to the Chief Judge.

7. Audience Management

Send the audience the meeting link and joining instructions in advance.

Encourage attendees to arrive early.

Establish whether a waiting room will be used.

Have an assigned person admit attendees rather than burdening the Contest Master.

Ask audience members to remain muted during speeches.

Ask audience members not to use reactions, emojis, chat messages, or other features that could distract contestants or judges.

Explain audience expectations before the competition begins.

Have technical support available for attendees without interrupting contest operations.

8. Contest-Day Technology Check

Open the online room well before the published start time.

Admit contestants and officials before admitting the general audience.

Conduct final microphone checks.

Conduct final camera checks.

Confirm timer visibility.

Confirm host/co-host assignments.  Verify contestant display names.

Confirm all judges and officials are present.

Verify backup personnel are available.

Confirm the speaking order with everyone who operationally needs it.

Verify all private communication channels.

Do not begin until the Contest Chair, Chief Judge, Contest Master, and Technology Lead confirm readiness.

9. Technical-Failure Protocol

Develop a written technical failure procedure before contest day.

Define what constitutes a technology failure versus an ordinary contestant mistake.

Establish who has authority to stop or pause proceedings.

Establish how the Contest Chair and Chief Judge will communicate during a failure.

Determine how a disconnected contestant will re-enter the platform.

Establish procedures for judge connectivity failure.

Establish procedures for timer connectivity failure.

Establish procedures for Contest Master connectivity failure.

Establish procedures for host/platform failure.

Brief contestants and officials on these procedures before the contest.

Avoid improvising technical-failure rules during the contest.

10. Ballots & Confidentiality

Determine the secure electronic ballot-submission method.

Test it before contest day.  Have a backup submission method.

Restrict access to submitted ballots.

Protect judge identities.

Ensure ballot counters have a private environment for tallying.

Establish a private communication channel between ballot counters and the Chief Judge.

Verify results before transmitting them to the Contest Chair.

Follow Toastmasters requirements concerning ties, protests, and disqualifications.

11. Contest Flow & Production

Develop a detailed run-of-show.

Script major transitions.

Minimize unnecessary dead air.

Assign one person responsibility for moving contestants on and off the virtual stage.

Make sure the Contest Master is focused on hosting—not troubleshooting technology.

Establish what appears on screen between contestants.

Prepare contingency language for unexpected delays.

Keep technical discussions off the main contest feed whenever possible.

Build deliberate pauses into the program where judges require time to complete ballots.

12. Communication & Member Education

 Announce the Online Speech Contest well in advance.

Clearly explain that this is a separate contest category, not simply an International Speech Contest conducted over Zoom.

Explain the basic contest format and advancement process.

Publish important dates and deadlines.

Provide links to official Toastmasters contest resources.

Offer an informational session or Q&A for interested members.

Provide clubs with material they can use to explain the contest to members.

Establish one official contact for contest-related questions.

Send periodic reminders as deadlines approach.

13. Final 48-Hour Review

Confirm every contestant.

Confirm every contest official.

Confirm backups.

Confirm speaking order.

Confirm meeting credentials and links.

Confirm contestant paperwork.

Confirm ballot system.  Confirm timer system.

Confirm private communication channels.

Confirm technology contingency procedures.

Send one concise final instruction sheet rather than multiple competing emails.

14. Post-Contest

Announce winners according to Toastmasters procedures.

Complete required results documentation.

Provide advancement information to the appropriate officials.

Securely handle or dispose of confidential judging materials as required.

Thank contestants and volunteers.

Conduct a short debrief with the leadership and technology teams.

Document technical problems and their solutions.

Record lessons learned for the next District 215 contest cycle.

Two practices deserve particular emphasis for your contest: require a real technical rehearsal and separate contest administration from technology administration. Your Contest Master, Chief Judge, and Online Contest Chair should not be troubleshooting microphones, admitting spectators, or figuring out spotlighting while the contest is underway.


Toastmasters specifically recommends providing online attendees with platform instructions ahead of time, encouraging early arrival, establishing expectations for online behavior, and avoiding reactions/chat that could distract contestants and judges.

Also, one distinction will be important in your District 215 communications: the Online Speech Contest is not the International Speech Contest held virtually. Toastmasters defines it as its own contest category, with contestants delivering a five-to-seven-minute speech live online.