1. 16 Special Occasion
& Group Speaking

2. Speeches of Special Occasions
 Speeches of introduction
 Acceptance speeches
 After-dinner speeches
 Tributes and eulogies
 Speeches of nomination
 Public testimony
 Roasts and toasts
 Mediated speaking

3. Speeches of Introduction
 A short speech that introduces someone
to an audience
• Prepare the audience
• Be accurate and up to date
• Connect with the audience

4. Acceptance Speeches
 Speech given by an individual who is being
recognized, honored, or given an award
• Be thankful and humble
• Be succinct
• Contextualize the award

5. After-Dinner Speeches
 Usually serve as a featured part of an
organized event
• Be entertaining and lighthearted
• Focus on a theme
• Avoid presentation media

6. Tributes and Eulogies
 Tributes – gives credit, respect,
admiration, gratitude, or inspiration to
someone
 Eulogies – speech of tribute presented as
a retrospective about an individual who
has died
• Emphasize emotion appropriately
• Provide inspiration

7. Your Assignment
 Your final speech is to deliver a tribute speech on a famous person who
inspires you to become a better person!
 A tribute speech gives credit, respect, admiration, gratitude and
inspiration to someone who is famous and in his/her lifetime
exemplifies an extraordinary character and service to humanity.
 For this assignment, famous is defined as a person who is widely
known and is honored for his/her achievements for the greater good
of humanity.
 Tribute speeches should offer the audience the opportunity to reflect
and appreciate the person.
 The speech should also stimulate and strengthen the audience.

8. Famous Person
 When selecting a person to honor, please consider
the following:
1. The character of the person
2. Personal stories help to build on his/her
character/achievements
3. His/her achievements and contributions to humanity

9. Writing Format
 The goal is not to give away major details that the public would know about
the famous person until the concluding paragraph.
 In writing this speech, it is similar to your informative speech in that you
have an introduction with the following:
 Introduction
 Greeting
 Attention Getter(s) (entertain, sing, poetry, quotes, questions, story)
 Your Name
 Thesis/Main point of why you are honoring him/her
 Example of main point: Today, I am honoring an outstanding woman
because of her selfless character.
 Note: You will not introduce the name of the honoree until the
concluding paragraph

10. Body of the Tribute Speech
 In the body of the speech, the main
point is to show illustrations of the
woman’s selfless character.
 Stories that build upon her selflessness
character (stories that are not common)
 Each topic sentence in your body needs to
reflect selfless contributions to humankind.
Your required to start the topic sentences
with selfless.

11. You will creatively introduce your honoree in the concluding
paragraph with a toast and the following:
Toast leading into the introduction of the honoree
 “Catchy” phrases for your concluding paragraph
Here‘s to you..(name of honoree)
I salute you…………………..
To my greatest inspiration ………
I honor you……………………..
I celebrate you………………
Here’s a toast to you………
After you introduce the first and last name of your honoree, share with your
audience members additional details about him/her that are common to the
listener
Restate the main point/thesis

12. Speeches of Nomination
 Speech that demonstrates why a
particular individual would be successful at
something if given the chance

13. Public Testimony
 Factual information and opinions about
policy issues presented to government
bodies or public institutions
• Narrow your comments down to the basics
• Contribute something original and useful to
the discussion
• Organize your thoughts into key words and
phrases you want your audience to remember

14. Roasts and Toasts
 Roast – humorous and good-natured
ridicule directed toward the guest of honor
at an event
 Toast – brief remarks celebrating the
accomplishments of a guest of honor at an
event

15. Mediated Speaking
 Learn as much as possible about the
structure and format of the event
 Dress appropriately
 Write a brief presentation outline
 Limit your physical movement
 Be assertive, confident, and to the point
 Speak clearly, with good volume
 Avoid jargon and acronyms
 Focus on the audience, no the camera

16. Presenting in Small Groups
 Oral report
 Panel discussion
 Round table discussion
 Symposium
 Forum
 Videoconferencing
 Preparation and practice

17. Evaluating Small Group Presentations
 Preparation as a group
 Coordinated presentations
 Effective listening
 Clear references to the group
 Goal achievement

18. Relevant Websites
 Special Occasion Speeches: How To
 Tips in Preparing Group Presentations