What’s a Demo Meeting?

By Nikki Nanos

You may have joined your club and never thought about the fact that it all started with a Demo Meeting. A Demo Meeting is just that—a demonstration of a meeting to a group that sees the value in Toastmasters. It’s just an abbreviated meeting: we need a Toastmaster, a General Evaluator, Duty Holders, Table Topics Master, a Speaker, and an Evaluator.

Here are just a few of the benefits:

• You get to meet new potential Toastmasters by helping with a demo meeting.
• You get to meet and work with fellow Toastmasters you may never had a chance to work with before.
• Heck, you might even meet that special person in your life. (I haven’t given up hope on that yet.)
• You can give a speech in front of a new audience.
• You will most likely be evaluated by someone other than one of your own club members.
• You can get credit in your CC or CL Manual… just don’t forget to bring it with you.
• You’ll become the next District 50 Toastmasters' Facebook sensation.
• You will have fun.
• And it is a great learning and growing experience.

If you can spare an hour in your day and volunteer yourself to help out with a Demo Meeting; you won’t regret it. Check the District 50 FaceBook page, there are always postings of Demo Meetings coming up, and we have roles to fill. Come join us, and join in the fun!

Why DEMO?

By: Michelle Woodley, CC, ALB
Area 65 Director 2015–2016


It was April 27, 2016 in North Dallas, Texas. It was unusually cool for a Spring day in Texas; only 88 degrees. You know by now the temperatures are above 90 degrees. But enough about the weather.

I jumped in my car and headed to Addison for my first DEMO meeting. What possessed me to do that? Actually there were several reasons:

Helps you get out of your comfort zone:  I am celebrating my 8-year anniversary with my home club. While I love my club and enjoy meeting with them every week, I have become very comfortable. The meetings are nowhere near stale nor boring, but I have become comfortable. Even though I’ve been in Toastmasters for several years and have been very involved in the organization this year, I have to be honest with you…I was nervous to attend this DEMO meeting. I didn’t know what to expect when I decided to attend the meeting. For me, Toastmasters is about pushing your boundaries and getting out of your comfort zone. Attending the DEMO meeting, allowed me to step out of that zone.

Meet current Toastmasters:  I was Area Director, and therefore, very involved in Toastmasters. I have met a lot of Toastmasters. And at this DEMO meeting, I managed to meet even more current Toastmasters, including a Toastmaster whose husband and mother worked at my current employer. It truly is a small world.

Meet new people and watch them experience Toastmasters for the first time:  Attending a DEMO meeting is a great networking opportunity to meet new people due to a great organization. There were Human Resources representatives and civic servants (firemen and policemen) at the meeting, all eager to learn about Toastmasters and what the organization has to offer.

You’re one step closer to getting that snazzy Booster Award Pin:  Need I say more?

Knowing you may be part of the next BIG THING:  If the attendees of that DEMO meeting are able to get 20 members and charter immediately or later down the line, you can have that warm fuzzy feeling knowing that you were a part of the start of a new club! 

What’s better than that? Maybe the free lunch that was served to all attendees. Mmmm…nope…the warm fuzzy feeling is much better.