Contest Chair

A running order of what the Contest Chair will need to organise on the day of the competition 

Humorous Speech Contest

Before it starts

  1. have a Contestants Briefing and answer any questions about the rules;
  2. draw for speaking positions;
  3. fill in each Contestant’s Name and Speech Title in the correct order on page 2 below;
  4. get each Contestant to sign an ‘Eligibility and Originality Certificate’ and give all completed certificates to the Chief Judge;
  5. ensure that the Timers have their forms and understand their role;
  6. ensure that the Counters have their forms and understand their role;
  7. ensure that the Chief Judge briefs the judges and gives them their forms;
  8. check that you know the correct pronunciation of any difficult names or titles.


The Contest

  1. Chief Judge: Introduce.
  2. Protests: Explain that any protest, by a contestant or judge, must be lodged with the Chief Judge or yourself prior to the announcement of the winners at the end of the meeting.
  3. Timing: a) begins with the Contestant’s first definite communication;
  4. b) lights are at 5 minutes (green), 6 minutes (amber) and 7 minutes (red) – the lights remaining on until speech conclusion;
  5. c) a Contestant will be disqualified if the speech is less than

4 minutes 30 seconds or more than 7 minutes 30 seconds.

  1. Positions: List the order of the Speakers.
  2. Mobile phones: Ask for them to be switched off.

Introduce each Contestant and Title as on page 2, without comment, in the sequence:

Speech number  … Contestant … Title … Title … Contestant.

Announce 1 minute silence after each speech.

After the 1 minute (or 2 minutes if required) silence following the final speech:

  1. ask Counters to collect voting slips & timesheets;
  2. ask Counters and Chief Judge to leave the room and count the votes.

* Winners announced are:

  • if 5 or more Contestants: 3rd, 2nd and 1st places
  • if 4 or less Contestants: 2nd and 1st places

Table Topics Contest

Before it starts

  1. have a Contestants Briefing and answer any questions about the rules;
  2. draw for speaking positions;
  3. fill in each Contestant’s Name in the correct order on page 4 below;
  4. get each Contestant to sign an ‘Eligibility and Originality Certificate’ (eligibility only to be certified) and give all completed certificates to the Chief Judge
  5. ensure that the Timers have their forms and understand their role;
  6. ensure that the Counters have their forms and understand their role which includes looking after the Contestants outside the room and ushering them in one at a time (or you could appoint separate Ushers to do this);
  7. ensure that the Chief Judge briefs the judges;
  8. check that you know the correct pronunciation of any difficult names.

The Contest

  1. Chief Judge: Introduce.
  2. Protests. Explain that any protest, by a Contestant or Judge, must be lodged with the Chief Judge or yourself prior to the announcement of the winners at the end of the meeting.
  3. Timing. a) begins with the Contestant’s first definite communication;
  4. b) lights are at 1 minute (green), 1½ minutes (amber) and 2 minutes (red) – the lights remaining on until speech conclusion;
  5. c) a Contestant will be disqualified if the speech is less than 1 minute or more than 2 minutes 30 seconds;
  6. Positions. List the order of the Speakers.
  7. Mobile phones: Ask for them to be switched off.

 Ask all Contestants except the first to leave the room with a delegated Counter/Usher.

Call upon and introduce each Contestant as on page 4, without comment.

Read the Topic twice.

Announce 1 minute silence after each Topic.

After the 1 minute (or 2 minutes if required) silence following the final speaker:

  1. ask the Counters to collect ballot slips & timesheets;
  2. ask the Chief Judge and Counters to leave the room and count the votes.