One way to measure a club’s success is by its membership numbers. I think we can all agree.

While every club wants new members, gaining those new members can be challenging.

Open houses are a great way to attract and convert those guests into new members. Past International President Lark Doley, DTM, said, “One of the most successful ways to “show and tell” the value of Toastmasters to potential new members is to host a community open house.”

Hosting an open house will allow your guests to experience your club’s culture. Organizing an open house is a big task; for it to be successful, you will need a planning team of other officers or club members. Ensure you designate someone on your planning team to follow up with every guest. You can host the best open house ever, but it is all for nothing if you don’t follow up with your guests. Are you planning an open house for your club but don’t know where to start? I have provided some resources below on how to run an open house. Has your club hosted an open house successfully? If so, I want to hear from you about what your club did to make it a success.

How to Run an Open House:

Here are some great resources with step-by-step guides on how to run an open house.

https://d57tm.org/how-to-run-an-open-house/

https://d91toastmasters.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Open-house-Meetings- Organisation.pdf

District 6 Open House Challenge

With Talk Up Toastmasters (see more below) right around the corner, this is the perfect time to start thinking about hosting an open house. I am challenging every club in District 6 to host an open house before March 31, 2025. Once your club has set a date for your open house, e-mail me the details of your open house tara.bolanda@d6tm.org

Talk Up Toastmasters

Program Dates: February 1 – March 31

Toastmasters love to connect, so take advantage of it. The Talk Up Toastmasters membership program is the chance to encourage your members to invite guests to a special meeting where prospective members can learn about Toastmasters and its many benefits. Then add five new, dual, or reinstated members with a join date between February 1 and March 31, and you’ll receive a special Talk up Toastmasters ribbon to display on your club’s banner. Qualifying clubs can also earn a special discount code for 10% off their next club order. (The discount code expires six months from the issue date and is not valid with any other offer.)

Applications and payments for members with a join date between February 1 and March 31 must be received at World Headquarters or online no later than March 31. Adding transfer and charter members does not count towards Talk Up Toastmasters credit.

The winning clubs will be revealed online within a few weeks of the submission deadline.

Winning clubs should allow up to 10 business days to receive their award if they are located in the United States, and up to 21 business days if they are outside of the United States.