In the world's largest speech contest, 88 Toastmasters advance to semifinals

RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, Calif., July 10, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The results are in: 88 contestants from a pool of more than 30,000 participants in 116 countries have earned their chance to compete in the Toastmasters World Championship of Public Speaking. These contestants will compete in a semifinal round of speech contests on Aug. 22, where nine finalists will emerge. The nine finalists will showcase their oratory two days later, on Saturday morning Aug. 24, in a quest to become the 2013 Toastmasters World Champion of Public Speaking (@Toastmasters: #TIConv13).

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"The globally diverse talent pool creates a challenging and inspiring atmosphere for both the audience and the contestants," says John Lau, Toastmasters 2012-13 International President. "Winners of the contest often become professional speakers who, by their very example, demonstrate the power of the Toastmasters program to change lives."

The 2013 semifinalists hail from major cities around the world. See the complete list here.

The popular contests will be held during the Toastmasters International Convention, Aug. 21-24, in Cincinnati, Ohio. Other highlights of the convention include Opening Ceremonies, which will feature keynote speaker Roger Love, an expert on vocal power.

During a dinner in her honor, Susan Cain, author of best-selling book Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking, will accept the Golden Gavel award—Toastmasters' highest honor given to an individual distinguished in the fields of communication and leadership.

Other expert presenters include:

• Judy Carter, humorist and author of The Comedy Bible, will share how to turn life's "eureka" moments into speech material.
• Erica Dhawan, leadership expert, journalist and Harvard and MIT graduate, will explore how connecting all generations drives innovation.
• Sam Davidson, an author, entrepreneur and co-founder of Cool People Care, will share practical tips on how to identify personal talents and lead with maximum impact.  
• Hassan Tetteh, M.D., MBA, Assistant professor of surgery, U.S. Naval commander and thoracic surgeon, will discuss how to create an enduring personal legend.

To learn more about the Toastmasters World Championship of Public Speaking and the 2013 International Convention, visit www.toastmasters.org/Members/Convention.aspx.

About Toastmasters International

Toastmasters International is a nonprofit educational organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of meeting locations. Headquartered in Rancho Santa Margarita, California, the organization has more than 280,000 memberships in 13,500 clubs in 116 countries. Since 1924, Toastmasters International has helped people of all backgrounds become more confident in front of an audience. For information about local Toastmasters clubs, please visit www.toastmasters.org. Follow @Toastmasters on Twitter.

SOURCE Toastmasters International