Sydney wins Toastmasters International 2010 International Convention

The world public speaking organisation Toastmasters International has chosen Sydney to host its 2010 International Convention, the first time the event has been staged outside North America.

The four-day convention will attract 2000 orators from around the world and inject almost $6 million into the local economy.

Toastmasters International is a world public speaking and leadership development organisation with more than 10,000 clubs and 200,000 members in 90 countries. Its aim is to improve its members’ public speaking and foster better communication in business, politics and everyday life.

“It is entirely fitting that Sydney will host an organisation that upholds the same principles as our city’s conference sector,” said Sydney Convention and Visitors Bureau Managing Director Jon Hutchison. “It is through better communication – and through bringing people together to interact – that business sectors and organisations can thrive.”

The Toastmasters International Convention will be held in August 2010 at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, a partner in the SCVB’s bid for the event.

Together the Centre and SCVB visited the Toastmasters International headquarters in California in May last year to meet with organisation executives and discuss the merits of Sydney’s bid. In September the SCVB joined with its Melbourne and Gold Coast counterparts to host a visit by two Toastmasters officials who inspected hotels and convention venues before making recommendations to their Executive Board.

Past Toastmasters International conventions have been held in Atlanta, Reno, Toronto, Washington, Phoenix, Calgary and Massachusetts.

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