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RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, Calif., Aug. 02, 2017 — After six months of rigorous competition, 102 contestants have risen from a pool of more than 30,000 participants from over 100 countries to earn their spot in the semifinals of the Toastmasters International Speech Contest. The competition takes place at the organization’s 86^th Annual International Convention, held Aug. 23-26 at the Vancouver Convention Centre.

The 102 speech contestants from Toastmasters districts around the world advanced to the semifinals after surviving four earlier rounds of elimination through club, area, division and district speech competitions. Their five- to seven-minute speeches were judged on content, organization, gestures and style.

The semifinals take place Aug. 24, where 10 finalists will emerge and compete again the following day in the Toastmasters World Championship of Public Speaking.

“The International Speech Contest brings some of the best speakers in the world together as they compete for the coveted title of Toastmasters World Champion of Public Speaking,” says Mike Storkey, Toastmasters 2016-2017 International President.

The 2017 semifinalists hail from major cities around the world. View the complete list here.

In addition to speech contests, the convention will host visitors from all over the world celebrating achievements of the past year and attending events such as opening ceremonies, education sessions, keynote presentations, elections of officers and inauguration of the organization’s incoming International President.

Each of the 102 contestants has an interesting story to share about their journey to the Vancouver stage. To set up an interview with a contestant from your area, email pr@toastmasters.org.

About Toastmasters International

Toastmasters International is a worldwide nonprofit educational organization that empowers individuals to become more effective communicators and leaders. Headquartered in Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., the organization's membership exceeds 345,000 in more than 15,900 clubs in 142 countries. Since 1924, Toastmasters International has helped people from diverse backgrounds become more confident speakers, communicators and leaders. For information about local Toastmasters clubs, please visit www.toastmasters.org. Follow @Toastmasters on Twitter.