Purpose:
An Open House is designed to showcase Toastmasters to prospective members, highlight the benefits of joining, and demonstrate the value of communication and leadership development. Clubs should aim to create an engaging experience that inspires guests to join.
This comprehensive document will guide you through organizing and executing an Open House at your club, step by step.
What to expect in this document?
Recommendation for organizing an Open House at:
Index:
Before the Open House
During the Open House
After the Open House
- Thank you email and follow-up with guests
- Internal debrief and lessons learnt
- Reporting to Club Growth Director for reimbursements
MARKETING STRATEGIES:
- Start at least 2 weeks before the Open House
- Set a GOAL for how many guests and new members you wish to gain
- Make sure maximum people are invited to the Open House through various avenues suggested below.
- REGISTRATION will allow you to assess the effectiveness of marketing for your target groups (they can be very different for different groups)
- Consider both paid and free marketing options based on your needs
- Utilize Canva Templates offered by District 60
Restricted Club Marketing Recommendations
Reach out to your HR/L&D seeking opportunities to market to larger audiences (org./location wide):
- Company/college emails
- Intranet posts
- Internal Newsletters
- Display promotional materials in common areas – cafeterias, break rooms, elevators, digital bulletin screens/monitors
- Announce at New Hire Orientation, Townhalls and other such events/sessions
Pro-Tip
- Tag Guests or participants on social media posts for more visibility
Community Club Marketing Recommendations
- Community centres, gyms, schools, and public bulletin boards
- Condo bulletin boards
- Universities and college campuses (if they do not have an existing club)
- Social Media – Don’t forget to tag D60 on all pages for higher visibility
- District 60 LinkedIn
- District 60 Instagram
- District 60 Facebook
- Other event pages:
- Eventbrite
- MeetUp: Join the MeetUp group per your Division and send an email to prm@toastmasters60.com with your details (name, MeetUp handle, club name etc,. requesting upgrading your status to Event Coordinator)
Pro-Tip:
- Invite an organizational leader as a sponsor in Restricted Clubs to talk about the importance of Communication and Leadership skills in career growth
PLANNING THE EVENT:
Select a Chair – Someone experienced who can plan and put the event together – doesn’t have to be a club officer. The Chair leads the event planning – they’re the director of the show.
- Identify strong people for roles below. If needed, reach out to other clubs to fill these roles
- A high energy Toastmaster of the Day
- At least one Prepared Speaker – Someone who can connect with your target audiences’ group and reflects them – Use Stagetime if required
- Speech Evaluator – Speech Eval. speaks to everyone in the room while presenting their evaluation and gives some tips that anybody could use
- Table Topics Master – topics should be easy enough to attempt but challenging enough to stretch – click here for a list of topics
- Fill all other roles – preferably only 1 person per role
- SAA – someone who can welcome guests and make them feel comfortable at the event
- General Evaluator
- Timer, Ah Counter and Grammarian (TAG Team)
Digital Guest Packet link –> Click here. Guest Packet link –> Click here.
Hybrid Clubs are recommended to make sure both lists above are followed in addition to:
- Have a virtual and in-person timer
- Choose tech friendly venue and test AV in advance
- Ensure inclusivity between in-person and virtual guests
DURING THE OPEN HOUSE
The Open House runs like any other club meeting with special focus on guests. Click here to access a typical agenda.
Engaging guests – before the meeting starts
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- Assign greeters to make attendees feel comfortable
- Provide name tags and guest packets (physical or virtual)
Compelling their return – during the meeting
- Include a brief introduction explaining what guests will experience during the meeting (can be part of the Toastmasters’ or General Evaluator’s intro)
- Ask guests to stand up/unmute and introduce themselves in the beginning of the meeting – preferably during the President/Meeting Chair’s address
- Encourage guests to participate in Table Topics – if possible have all guests speak
- Towards closing, ask all guests to stand up/unmute themselves and share their experience
AFTER THE OPEN HOUSE
Thank you email and follow-up with guests
- Follow up with the guest with a follow up email – please see below for a ready template
- Add them to the guests’ Whatsapp Group (if any) – seek their permission to do so
- Invite them to the following meetings, especially other special events
Internal debrief and lessons learnt
- Organize a club officers and role takers’ briefing to gather any internal feedback
- Create feedback mechanisms for all members to share feedback about the Open House
Reporting to Club Growth Director for reimbursements up to 50$ (CAD)
- Open House should be hosted between April 1 and June 10, 2025.
- Submit links to social media promotions of the Open House
- Submit guest list and event details including a photograph of the Open House
- Submit a reimbursement request with valid bills towards refreshments, printed materials, marketing expenses and decorations
- Click here and go to page 8 to go through the eligibility details for reimbursements
- All claims must be submitted before June 15, 2025
OPEN HOUSE FOLLOW UP EMAIL TEMPLATE
Subject Line: Thank You for Visiting [Club Name] – Let’s Stay Connected!
Body:
Dear [Guest’s First Name],
It was a pleasure having you with us at our [Club Name] Toastmasters meeting on [Date]!
We hope you enjoyed the experience and gained valuable insights into how Toastmasters can help you improve your communication and leadership skills.
At [Club Name], we are dedicated to creating a supportive and fun environment where members can grow personally and professionally. If you have any questions about what you saw or would like to learn more about how Toastmasters works, please don’t hesitate to reach out via our club contacts below.
Here’s a quick recap of our club details:
- Club Name: [Club Name]
- Next Meeting: [Date and Time]
- Location: [Meeting Address or Online Meeting Link]
- The club’s Social Media links: [Add links here]
- Upcoming events: [list a few workshops, contests if applicable, open house or something that the club is planning]
- Resources [info and links on Pathways, TMI, D60]
We’d love to see you again at an upcoming meeting! Feel free to join us as often as you’d like before deciding if our club is the right fit for your goals.
If you’re ready to take the next step, I’ve attached our membership application form for your convenience. You can also find more information about Toastmasters International at toastmasters.org.
Thank you once again for visiting us. We look forward to seeing you again soon!
Warm regards,
[Your Full Name]
[Your Role in the Club]
[Phone Number]
[Email Address]
