Talk it up at conference

Toastmasters International, a nonprofit that helps people improve communication and leadership skills, will host a conference in Tampa from May 13 to May 15. The event, at the Tampa Airport Marriot, is scheduled to have multiple competitions and workshops with specific educational purposes.

The first day of the event will feature a table topics contest, which tests each speaker's ability to answer questions “when they have no clue what's coming,” says Brenda Alloco, chairwoman of the event. Alloco tells Coffee Talk the think-on-your-feet style contest can help in an interview setting.

“We call it the elevator speech,” she says. “If you're stuck in an elevator and the CEO of your company says something to you, are you going to talk about sports and the weather, or will you spark a conversation that the individual will be impressed with and remember?”