At the Swiss School of Business and Management Geneva, we are committed to fostering both academic excellence and personal development. Recently, we had the pleasure of hosting a Toastmasters Demo Meeting, giving our students a valuable opportunity to experience how Toastmasters meetings are conducted and to develop their public speaking and leadership skills in a supportive environment. Toastmasters International is a US-headquartered nonprofit educational organization that operates clubs worldwide to help people develop communication, public speaking, and leadership skills.
The session, led by Toastmasters members Alan Kikuchi-White, Leonilda Renaldo, Hulya Kurt, Pietro Ferrario, Thorsten Arndt, and Yoko Owatari, was designed to introduce students to the core elements of Toastmasters. As the Toastmaster of the Evening, Yoko Owatari guided us through the meeting structure, which included prepared speeches, evaluations, and Table Topics—a segment focused on impromptu speeches on various random topics.
The event featured two well-prepared speeches from Yoko Owatari and Alan Kikuchi-White. These speeches were followed by constructive evaluations from Leonilda Renaldo and Hulya Kurt, offering feedback on areas of strength and suggestions for improvement.
Guests were also encouraged to participate in the evaluations, contributing their insights into the presentations.
One of the highlights of the evening was the Table Topics segment, led by Thorsten Arndt, which invited four Immersion Students to deliver impromptu speeches. These students were asked to speak for one to two minutes on various topics, demonstrating their ability to think on their feet and communicate effectively in spontaneous situations. It was truly inspiring to watch them rise to the challenge and showcase the power of public speaking, including the importance of tone, word selection, and body language.
In addition to the speaking activities, Pietro Ferrario provided timer reports throughout the session, ensuring the meeting stayed on track and adhered to the Toastmasters format. The event also included a segment where Pietro Ferrario explained the mission of Toastmasters and how the organization helps individuals develop essential communication and leadership skills, fostering greater self-confidence and personal growth.
The meeting concluded with a Q&A session, where guests and members had the opportunity to ask questions about Toastmasters and how to get involved.
This Toastmasters Demo Meeting was a fantastic opportunity for our students to learn more about public speaking and leadership in a fun, supportive atmosphere. We were impressed by the courage and enthusiasm displayed by our students, especially during the Table Topics segment. Thank you to ToastMakers for this valuable workshop and we look forward to more Toastmasters events in the future.
At SSBM Geneva, we are proud to provide opportunities that help our students grow both personally and professionally. Public speaking is a valuable skill that will serve them well in their academic journey and beyond, and we are excited to continue supporting their development through initiatives like Toastmasters.
