Business leaders, students, and current and potential members of Toastmasters International could all benefit from the upcoming Natural State of Speech, the fall conference for District 43 of Toastmasters International.

The conference, Oct. 28-29 at the Holiday Inn Hotel Springdale in Springdale, is geared towards Toastmaster members but the public is welcome to participate. You do not have to sign up for the entire conference to participate.

“Along with the speech contests, the district conference offers many educational sessions that allow you to develop your communication and leadership skills,” said Isaac Gaona, conference chair and president of the Walmart ISD Toastmasters Club, when the conference was initially announced. “New Toastmasters benefit as do as our more tenured members.”

The conference will give Toastmaster club members from all of Arkansas, north Mississippi and western Tennessee the chance to improve their speaking skills through contests and educational sessions in three tracks: Communication, Leadership and Toastmasters. The 85 clubs in those three areas make up District 43 of the International Toastmasters Club.

A few conference highlights include:

• Ed Tate, internationally known motivational speaker and 2000 World Champion Speaker will provide the keynote address during the conference.
• Neile Jones, well-respected anchor for KNWA, author and community advocate, will be honored with the Communication and Leadership Award.
• Three tracks of sessions include Communications, Leadership and Toastmasters

There are several ways to connect with the District 43 including Facebook and on the organization’s website.

To register for the event, visit https://www.onlinesignup.org/D43TM.

Toastmasters International is a non-profit educational organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of meeting locations. Headquartered in Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., the organization has more than 270,000 members in more 13,000 clubs in 116 countries. Since 1924, Toastmasters International has helped people of all backgrounds become more confident in front of an audience.