Winter 11 Featuring: The Buckingham Palace Awards Ceremony ...

IPSC 30th ANNIVERSARY DINNER
The English-Speaking Union’s International Public
Speaking Competition was started in 1981. It originated as
a public speaking tournament between England and
Australia. Thirty years later, it has evolved to become one
of the largest international public speaking tournaments in
the world with representatives from nearly 50 countries
competing against each other every year.
To commemorate the 30th anniversary of the IPSC,
participants and alumni were invited to attend a
commemorative dinner at ESU Dartmouth House on 25
May (the evening before the first round heats!). The
participants had spent a beautiful, sunny day at Hampton
Court Palace before arriving at ESU Dartmouth House for
a drinks reception. A number of displays were set up in the
courtyard, showing maps and information on the countries
that participate in the IPSC and photos of past participants
and competitions. This gave guests a lot to talk about and
the opportunity to mingle.
After the reception, the full delegation was invited to the
Long and Small Drawing Rooms where a three-course meal
was served. Seating was arranged so that this year’s
participants could talk to those from previous years (many
of whom were also alumni adjudicators for the 2011
competition), as well as ESU members, supporters and
organisers.
During the meal, a number of participants and alumni
spoke about their experiences of the ESU and the IPSC,
and gave the participants an insight into the value of the
organisation, the competition and the skill of public
speaking itself. The winner of IPSC 2010, Moataz El
Issrawi, told how the ESU and the IPSC had changed his
life in Lebanon, creating opportunities for him and making
him a more confident person. Everyone who spoke made
reference to one of the most valuable aspects of the IPSC;
by the end of the competition, every participant has 80 new
friends, each from countries all over the world!
DIALOGUE 31