District 18 Toastmasters to hold spring conference May 3

District 18 of Toastmasters International will hold its spring conference Saturday, May 3, at Dover Downs Hotel and Casino in Dover. The conference brings members and nonmembers alike together to network with like-minded people, elect district officers and attend workshops.

In addition, they will hear skilled speakers compete in the Table Topics and International Speech Contest. The winner of the International Speech Contest will earn a chance to compete in the Toastmasters World Championship of Public Speaking. This competition will occur at the Toastmasters International 84th Annual Convention, which will be held Aug. 20 to 23, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The keynote speaker will be Darren LaCroix. In 2001, LaCroix earned Toastmasters International’s title of World Champion of Public Speaking, when he out-spoke 25,000 contestants from 14 countries to win. As a keynote speaker, he has addressed audiences around the world as well as clients such as IBM and Fidelity investments.

Known as the person who helps speakers launch their careers in professional speaking, LaCroix has helped and supported many speakers and is in high demand as a speaking coach. As cofounder of The Humor Institute and a co-creator of The Humor Boot Camp, LaCroix directs seminars that help presenters wisely use the power of humor to lighten up their presentations. He is also an award-winning producer of the film "Healing, Hope, and Humor."

For information about local Toastmasters clubs, go to www.toastmasters.org. Follow @Toastmasters on Twitter.