District 109

Area Contest F1 - In person
2026-03-07 11:00 - 16:30 (Europe/Zurich)
Ready. Speak. Shine. — The stage is yours!
Saturday, 7 March ·
Location: Vienna
EURICH Performing Stage
Mariahilfer Str. 51, 1060 Wien
Doors open: 11:00 | Program Starts: 11:30 | Program Ends 16:30

Area Contest D1
2026-03-07 13:30 - 17:30
Location: The International House of Associations, Rues des Savoises 15, 1205 Genève.
More information to follow. Check here: https://www.romandiespeakers.ch/

Area Contest B4 - In Person
2026-03-08 17:00 - 20:00
Location: Tel Aviv, In person.
Time to be confirmed!
More information to follow!

R10 Live News
2026-03-08 19:00 - 20:00
Link: https://www.youtube.com/live/6jiQB3bRjGQ?is=58fwH6NJuopmUJJA

Club Loyalty Program –Retention Series #3 - Matt Kinsey, DTM
2026-03-12 18:30 - 19:30
Club Loyalty Program –Retention Series #3
🎤 Keynote Speaker: Matt Kinsey, DTM
🗣 Speech Title: “Why Are You Worried About Retention?”
📅 March 12
🕡 18:30 CET
🌐 Online Event: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/qTv4GeTqQCS0CAaRfFIt0Q
Are we focusing too much on retention and not enough on building momentum?
Join us for a powerful and thought-provoking session with Matt Kinsey, DTM, 2022–2023 International President of Toastmasters International.
Matt’s journey is anything but ordinary. A business owner, musician (he plays eight instruments!), lifelong learner, and former minister, he joined Toastmasters for free food and stayed for transformation. What truly captured his attention? The power of evaluation.
Over nearly 20 years, seven clubs, one chartered club, and five DTM awards, Matt has learned that growth happens when we challenge ourselves, seek feedback, and keep moving forward.
He compares Toastmasters to riding a bicycle:
👉 It’s hard to balance when you’re standing still.
👉 It’s easy to balance when you’re moving.
In this high-energy keynote, Matt will challenge how we think about retention, engagement, and growth and why loyalty starts with momentum, connection, and purpose.
💡 3 Benefits of Joining This Session:
✅ Rethink retention from a leadership perspective
✅ Learn how to build connection that lasts
✅ Gain practical insights to strengthen club loyalty
Matt deeply believes in the mission of Toastmasters: empowering people to make a difference in the world. His leadership is rooted in growth, feedback, and helping others rise.
If you care about your club’s future…
If you want members who don’t just join but stay and thrive…
If you believe loyalty is built, not demanded…
This session is for you.
Let’s move forward together

Area Contest A5
2026-03-14 08:00 - 17:00
Location: Milan, In person.
Time to be confirmed!
More information to follow!

Area Contest F4
2026-03-14 08:00 - 17:00
Location: Vienna, In person.
Time to be confirmed!
More information to follow!

Area Contest D3
2026-03-14 13:00 - 18:00
Location: Nestlé, Rue de l’Hôtel-de-Ville 1, 1800 Vevey
More information to follow. Check here: https://www.romandiespeakers.ch/

Area Contest B4 - Online
2026-03-15 18:00 - 20:00
Location: Online
Time to be confirmed!

Area Contest E1
2026-03-18 08:00 - 17:00
Location: Zurich, UBS Innovation Forum – Max-Hogger-Strasse 81
Time to be confirmed!
Registration is required in advance!
More information to follow!

Peer-to-Peer-Mentors - Lilian Shaftacola, DTM
2026-03-18 18:30 - 19:30
Workshop Title: Finishing the Year Strong
How do great leaders close a year with momentum, clarity, and unity?
Join us for an empowering session with Lilian Shaftacola, DTM – Region 10 Advisor, a leader who truly embodies what it means to “be there and care.”
Lilian brings a leadership philosophy rooted in action, empathy, and unwavering commitment to people. Her approach is built on five powerful pillars:
🔹 Support Without Hesitation – Showing up consistently and offering help wherever it’s needed.
🔹 Empathy in Action – Listening deeply to understand concerns and respond with care.
🔹 Flexibility Under Pressure – Adapting quickly to evolving District needs and challenges.
🔹 Objective Leadership – Remaining calm, fair, and solution-focused during disagreements.
🔹 Organized Execution – Turning vision into results through preparation, structure, and follow-through.
Lilian doesn’t just speak about Toastmasters’ core values she lives them. She actively promotes teamwork, ensures every voice is heard, and works tirelessly to keep leaders motivated and aligned.
With strong conflict management skills, refined active listening, and a passion for coaching, she helps leaders unlock their full potential.
Her belief in preparation as the foundation of success, combined with her contagious enthusiasm for “the magic of Toastmasters” inspires action and accountability.
If you’re a District leader, Club officer, or member who wants to close the term with purpose, energy, and impact, this workshop is for you.
💬 The session includes a live Q&A, so bring your questions and real club challenges.
📅 18 March
🕡 18:30 (Rome Time)
🔗 Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/LliQl0FkS-agdcLD-6lKng#/registration
Questions? Send us cgd@district109.org

Brand Ambassador Corner
2026-03-19 19:00 - 20:30
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/IONvH-bASdSkRQEoig5qwg
This workshop serie is especially valuable for Club Presidents, VPPRs and anyone in communication roles.
🎯 During this Brand Compliance Lab, you will create your own brand-compliant flyer for a Toastmasters event.
👉 you will work hands-on on your flyer
👉 I will guide you step by step during the creation
👉 you will receive feedback from the group and from me
By the end of the workshop, you will have:
✔️ a brand-compliant flyer
✔️ a clearer, more professional and more appealing design
✔️ a checklist you can reuse for future events
Bring an event idea.
Leave with a ready-to-use flyer

Area Contest F3
2026-03-21 08:00 - 17:00
Location: Villach/Carinthia.
Time to be confirmed!
More information to follow!

Area D1, D2, D3, D4 Online Contest
2026-03-21 09:30 - 17:00
Location: Online
More information to follow. Check here: https://www.romandiespeakers.ch/

Area Contest A2
2026-03-21 14:30 - 17:00
Location: Rimini
Agenda below:

R10 Live News
2026-03-22 19:00 - 20:00
Link: https://www.youtube.com/live/543o_Dt1tp4?is=Y6iXVuGG47us6UF3

Areas E1-E4 Online Speech Contest - English Only
2026-03-23 08:00 - 17:00
Location: Online
Time to be confirmed!
More Information to follow!

Area Contest A4
2026-03-28 08:00 - 17:00
Location: Vicenza, In person.
Time to be confirmed!
More information to follow!

Area Contest F2
2026-03-28 08:00 - 17:00
Location: Mondsee (near Salzburg), In person.
Time to be confirmed!
More information to follow!

Area Contest A3 - In person
2026-03-28 08:00 - 17:00
Location: Roma, club Virtus Oratoria

Area Contest D4
2026-03-28 13:00 - 17:00
Location: To be defined
More information to follow. Check here: https://www.romandiespeakers.ch/

Club Growth Café session
2026-03-30 19:00 - 20:00
Club Growth Café | District 109
What actually works. Straight from the people doing it.
Growing a Toastmasters club is not a theory problem. It is an execution problem.
This session brings two of D109’s sharpest leaders to the table:
🏆 Vanessa Stournari, Area E3 Director, who scaled growth beyond the club level and made it stick.
⭐ Berenice Millan, Vice President Education at Walk The Talk Zurich TM, who redefined what member experience looks like inside a club.
No fluff. Just real lessons on retention, engagement, and building clubs that last.
🔹 Practical strategies you can use immediately.
🔹 Insights from leaders who built success by doing, not just observing.
🔹 For Club Officers, District Leaders, and anyone serious about their club’s future.
📅 30 March | 🕐 19:00 CET |
💻 Zoom ID: 817 7818 6553 | Passcode: [REDACTED]
👉Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/rDGm04ngQLWNvBT6WSPhQQ#/registration

Area Contest D2
2026-03-31 13:30 - 16:00
Location: Impact Hub Geneva.
More information to follow. Check here: https://www.romandiespeakers.ch/

Peer-to-Peer Mentors Past International President Richard E. Peck, DTM
2026-04-04 18:30 - 19:30 | Online Event
Let’s Talk Leadership
What truly defines a great leader?
Is it the title we hold… or the impact we create?
Join us for an insightful online session with Richard E. Peck, DTM, the 2020–2021 International President of Toastmasters International, for a powerful conversation on leadership in today’s world.
📅 4 April
🕡 18:30 (Rome Time)
🔗 Register here : https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/LliQl0FkS-agdcLD-6lKng
💬 Live Q&A Included
In this engaging session, Richard will explore key leadership themes including:
🔹 Essential leadership traits that inspire trust and action
🔹 The difference between positional leadership and true influence
🔹 Common unsuccessful leadership styles and what we can learn from them
Richard joined Toastmasters in 2006 at the recommendation of renowned motivational speaker Les Brown and quickly rose through the organization’s leadership ranks. During his presidency, he launched the International President’s World Tour, connecting with members in over 140 countries and speaking across five continents.
A recipient of the U.S. Presidential Award for Volunteerism, Richard is widely recognized as a leader, mentor, and coach who has inspired audiences around the globe.
His leadership philosophy is simple yet powerful:
“Being a leader is not about being the center of attention; it’s about being the epicenter of action.”
Whether you are an emerging leader, a seasoned executive, or someone passionate about personal growth, this session will provide practical insights to strengthen your leadership impact.
Join us for an inspiring conversation on leadership that moves people — and creates results.

Club Loyalty Program - with Jim Kokocki, DTM
2026-04-09 18:30 - 19:30
The world needs effective leaders — and your journey starts with clarity, consistency, and courage.
Join us for an inspiring online session with Jim Kokocki, DTM, Past International President of Toastmasters International (2015–2016), as he shares powerful insights to help you stay committed and grow as a communicator and leader.
📅 9 April
🕡 18:30 (Rome Time)
🔗 Register here : https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/He34s456RaCrhekexfbPRQ
💬 Live Q&A Included
In this session, Jim will help you:
🔹 Gain clarity in your leadership journey
🔹 Strengthen your commitment as a Toastmaster
🔹 Unlock your potential through consistent growth
With a rich background in leadership, coaching, and communication, Jim brings decades of experience — from leading a global organization to mentoring individuals and publishing impactful books on public speaking and leadership.
✨ Tenacity is the difference between starting… and truly growing.
If you’re ready to elevate your Toastmasters journey and lead with purpose, this session is for you.

Division F Conference
2026-04-11 08:00 - 17:00
Location: Graz, Austria
More information to follow soon!

Division E Conference in person
2026-04-11 08:00 - 17:00
More information to follow!
Time to be confirmed!

Division B - Conference and Contest in Rhodes, Greece
2026-04-16 08:00 - 2026-04-19 17:00
Location: https://www.rhodesplazahotel.com/conferences/
Agenda:
Greek Festival (greek language competition) – 18th April
International Speech Contest – 19th April.

Division E - Online Speech Contest - English Only
2026-04-18 08:00 - 17:00

Division A Conference 2026 - Genova
2026-04-18 08:00 - 2026-04-19 17:00 | Genova
The Division A Conference will be hosted by Erzelli Club in Genova, in 18-19 April 2026.
More information to follow soon!
