From a humble beginning in 1924, at the YMCA in Santa Ana, CA, Toastmasters International has grown to become a world leader in helping people become more competent and comfortable in front of an audience. The International Convention is an annual event that is held in different cities all over the world and is where the International Speech Contest is held to announce the World Champion of Public Speaking and is the site of their annual business meeting with additional continuing education sessions for members and officers.
As the stage needed to be 40'x60' for the World Championship Speech Contest, Toastmasters required a mutli-staging approach. The stage, however, also held four tiered officers tables during a banquet, so the scenic needed to be adjustable. A backstage entrance was also required for this year's event. The 2008 solution was two-fold. Since the Alberta Telus Convention Centre Exhibit Hall had high ceilings, we created a 22' high white chiffon translucent curtain, with both upstage and downstage lines to provide a backstage platform. As the Toastermasters logo is extremely important for the organization's marketing needs, we added a custom graphic logo above the entrance.
The lighting effects were designed by Freeman. The approach was to create depth of field and texturing so the chiffon would not appear as a simple white backdrop. The traditional Toastmasters Parade of Country Flags was added to present the global theme and represent the multiple countries in attendance.
Said David Kull, Manager of Meetings and Events, Toastmasters, "We are still hearing good things about this year's convention, another successful event!"