District 84 Conference 101:

What Happens at the Conference?

So you're thinking of registering for the conference, but aren't quite sure what you are signing up for. Here's the lowdown on what you can expect!

FRIDAY:
Friday, when you arrive for registration (probably sometime between 3-5pm), the first thing you'll probably notice is that the Westin Hotel in Lake Mary/Heathrow is crawling with all manner of characters straight from the Sci Fi universe. You'll go to registration, where you'll pick up your conference book and other materials. If this is your first time attending a conference, you'll have a special registration area with materials just for you. We love our ‘First-Timers', and work hard to ensure they are properly oriented, and that they enjoy their first conference experience.

Once you've registered, you may wish to engage in some of the activities that our Conference Committee has planned. We expect they'll be a lot of fun. You may also want to view the raffle table, to see what items appeal to you -- it's fun to buy some raffle tickets, and test your luck. There are always some cool prizes on display, that just might go home with you...

Friday is our Science Fiction theme night, so if you are so inclined, dress up as an alien, a Starfleet Officer, or a Man in Black -- you are only limited by your imagination and your budget! It turns out that our District 84 Toastmasters love to don costumes -- wait until you see your friends (old and new) in their Friday Sci-Finery.

(Note: Contestants for Friday night's Table Topics Speech Contest might want to forego costumes for the evening, but that choice is theirs.)

Friday evening, there is a banner parade, where all the clubs in attendance are encouraged to have a representative carry their banner into the banquet room. The banners will be hung overnight, so on Saturday your club banner will be displayed on the walls of the banquet hall.) Once the banner parade is completed, and the formalities of opening the conference are over, we all settle back to enjoy a banquet (when you register, you'll have your choice of three entrees).

After our banquet, we hold the Table Topics Speech Contest, where the winner from Divisions A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, & I all compete. As you can imagine, by the time these individuals have won Table Topics in their club, their area, and their Division, we have the benefit of having excellent speakers competing in this competition. The competition is educational, exciting, and a lot of fun for everyone in the audience. Can you pick the winner? Will your Division come out on top?

We will have an outstanding Keynote Speaker, David Henderson, the 2010 World Champion of Public Speaking.

After the Table Topics Speech Competition, we have an open Hospitality Suite, where everyone is welcome to come and enjoy, meet up with old friends, and make new ones. There will be a contest (details to come!), music, snacks, and good times for all in Ten Forward and/or Quark's Bar.

SATURDAY AM:
Saturday morning starts early for the First Timers, with a special program just for them! It's going to be a lot of fun, so don't dare miss it!

The morning continues with educational programs on offer. There will be three hours of programs, with at least three and as many as five programs on offer each hour. Choose what sounds good to you!

SATURDAY AFTERNOON:
Lunch is provided on Saturday (choose your entree at registration) as part of your registration fee. Saturday afternoon is our District Council Meeting, where we will hold our elections for the next Toastmaster year. Be sure, if you are a voting member of the council, that you register at the proxy table!

During the District Council Meeting, those members and guests who do not participate will be able to attend fun workshops, such as one on creative writing.

SATURDAY EVENING:
Saturday evening is our gala, where we all dress up. Men usually wear suits, and women wear cocktail or evening clothes. You'll be impressed - District 84 Toastmasters clean up very nicely! We enjoy another banquet, and then the real show begins.

Our District 84 International Speech Competition starts after the banquet, where our Division A through I Contest Winners compete for the District 84 title. The winner of the District 84 competition will go on to compete at the Toastmasters International Convention in August of this year, which convention is being held here in Orlando, Florida, this year. The ultimate winner of that competition will become the 2012 World Champion of Public Speaking.

We will also celebrate the accomplishments of our new DTMs, with the traditional ‘DTM Walk'. Once you see it, you'll want to get your DTM, and make the walk yourself one day.

After the speeches are over, and the winners announced, we will adjourn to the hospitality suites for one last evening of camaraderie.

By the end of the conference, we will have all made new friends, learned new things, and saved the dates in our calendars for the next conference!