27 After Dinner Speech Topics

My Feed

27 After Dinner Speech Topics

After dinner speech topics including 27 ideas, golden rules for after dinner speech writing and 8 tips for the delivery of an after dinner speech. The main purpose of this kind of public speaking is to entertain your audience. That doesn't mean you have to avoid serious topics. No, your second goal is to present serious information or to persuade. Many famous after dinner speakers have covered the most serious topics. The speech is most

frequently given after the listeners have eaten. Although it is possible to speak before and during lunch or dinner. Your tone has to be lighthearted and your topic has to be relevant. And besides that, the whole presentation of your after dinner speech topics has to be funny. After dinner speaking is performing and serious public speaking at the same time.

4 Golden Rules For After Dinner Speech Topics

Before you jump down to my 27 after dinner speech ideas, consider these guidelines:

Golden Rule 1 - First and above all, offer something to think about. Give an original point of view that will inspire the audience.

Golden Rule 2 - Know where you are. Recognize the atmosphere of the event or celebration. Most of the time the guests have enjoyed good food and drinks, and they are relaxed and feeling themselves good. Realize to whom you are talking - try to flow the after dinner speech topic in the mind set and group unity of the guests. Therefore also try to be on a similar wavelength.

Golden Rule 3 - Make a choice: do you want to inform the audience about important subjects, results, or thoughts? Or to persuade them to change their values, beliefs or behavior? Or do you want to set a social agenda by choosing special or noteworthy topics for an after dinner?

Golden Rule 4 - Make a serious point through humorous after dinner speech topics. Not a series of unrelated jokes. Apply a good sense of humor that is relevant to your message, the audience, the atmosphere and the purpose of the event appropriately in your speech topics.

27 Ideas For An After Dinner Speech

Your after dinner speech should be well organized. By creating a clear structure will help you to find, choose and develop many useful and successful after dinner speech topics. Use transition sentences. Focus on humorous topics that lend themselves to entertainment, jokes and oneliners. If you want to discuss very serious topics or provoking subjects, then always choose for a relaxed and humorous way. However, don't go too far, don't ask for radical or dramatic changes in values or attitudes.

INTRODUCTION

1. Study the occasion, look around, keep your eyes and ears wide open. Connect your impressions to the theme of the event by stating a firm, icebreaking and funny attention getter. Show the public that's the first one of the upcoming after dinner speech topics. For example relate a funny remark or joke about:

the seating arrangements
the room
the quality of the food and drinks
the unique unity of different kind of people
the bad weather
the previous speakers
what some guest just told to you about the meeting or your issue
the tradition of being together every year

and so on, to the topic or purpose of the event.

THESIS OF YOUR AFTER DINNER

2. Tell what serious point you want to make. And why?
To put it in other words: what is the central message or thesis statement of your after dinner topics?

3. Tell why your after dinner topic is important to you and your audience.

4. Give a brief preview of the main points and arguments in your after dinner speech topics.

BODY: THE SUPPORTING MATERIAL

Develop support for your thesis. Take time to research your after dinner speech topics thoroughly.

5. A great way to be successfull is interaction. Ask for answers on a question.

6. Present the results of a little poll you held earlier this day under the guests.

7. Play a simple game. For instance present a simple statement: Do you believe your company can reach a certain quotum this year? Then ask the guests who think Yes to stand or raise their hands. Same for the No voters. Use the hilarity and laughs to develop the pros and cons. And conclude with your central message. Of course speech topics like these are not suitable in very serious ceremonial settings. But, on the other hand - be orginal - give it a try ... If you succeed, they remember you as well as your message in lenght of years!

8. Use audiovisual humor - posters, pictures, music, video or DVD - for more understanding and insight.

9. Use humorous props in your after dinner speech topics to show, to clarify, to supplement and to reinforce your message. E.g. Show a little prototype of the building your listeners have to re-decorate together. Tell about the beauty, the work stress, the achievements and about the happy people who are going to use the buildig. Motivate them to team work. Show them the satisfaction.

10. Positive sides and the possibilities. Try to turn serious and sad issues or problems up-side-down. E.g. Let them look in a real mirror. Say: ladies and gentlemen, look in this mirror. Tell who is the best, the greatest, the smartest, or the hardest worker - fill what's appropriate. Use your after dinner speech ideas to confront them in a positive, amusing way with their hesitations in case you have to inspire them to change their views. Yes, a parody on Snow-white :-)

11. Turn the negative aspects of something into positive aspects for a humorous effect.

12. One of the most succesfull topics for an after dinner is to demonstrate how something works or has been made. E.g. In case of an award presentation: ask the winner to lend the award for a few minutes. Then hold it up, and tell how it was made. Of course you suggest that it's made of cheap fake materials. You don't want to have this thing. You even don't know where to put it in your home. After that cheating part, you suddenly say: but even if it's made of plastic or other cheap materials, I would love to have ten of these awards. Since it stands for a very important value of life. Fill in the value or belief, and wide out about that value. Tell what it means to us.

13. Use wordplay in relation to the event.

14. Refer to common senses and thoughts. Wink, smile, and say: but of course is the understatement of the year!

15. Make your after dinner speech topics personal. Tell about common personal experiences that draws the public and you closer together.

16. Tell an anecdote to create identification.

17. An amusing story about yourself can build your credibility. She or He is one of us, knows what to do and how to do it, they might think. A self deprecating experience related to the event always works. Spoof a little bit, but don't make a fool of yourself.

18. Tell an inside practical joke, describe it.

19. State a common known oneliner of the school or company president or your boss. Imitate his or her character, weird expressions, dialect or moods, by changing the tone of your voice. Don't overact this after dinner speech topic. Keep it cool and functional, but funny of course!

20. Present funny statistics, expert opinions, quotes and expressions that cause relief or show an incongruity.

21. Look for studies, surveys, facts and evidence that help to understand your thesis and the purpose of your after dinner speech topics. Show your expertise and credibility.

22. Refer to the accomplishments of well-known members of your public. Perhaps vip's, special or mystery guests? Award winners? Why is their succes a good example of the thesis of your after dinner speech topics?

23. Look for significant results of polls, and concrete and humorous examples of the after dinner topic. Tell how other communities, schools, companies or clubs have tackled the issue of the event.

24. Talk about important political, economic, international issues in society. Incorporate them in a funny way in your in after dinner speech topics. Pay attention to the needs and interests of your audience, to things they like to hear about.

ENDING

25. Conclude by listing the main supporting points of your after dinner speech topics. Use a famous oneliner. E.g. Say: I'll Be Back ... next year, to see if you have done what you want to do!

26. Then toast to the success of the purpose of the meeting.

27. The last of all my ideas for after dinner speech topics: Wish them all the best and thank everyone for their attention.

After Dinner Speech Topics And The Occasion

Now that you read the example after dinner speech topics in my outline above, determine the occasion and its purpose(s). Always ask yourself: What is the purpose of the event or occasion? To help you brainstorming ideas for a speech, I have sorted out a few situations at which after dinner speech topics are required.

Welcoming - welcome the guests, the hosts and praise the other speakers for their contribution to the event.

Business occasion, company dinner, kick-off meeting - speak about the necessity of the work that has to be done, about your potential or the ways to tackle the problems.

Social occasion, family reunion, annual meeting - address the past and the plans for the future in the after dinner.

Fundraising event - thank sponsors, donors and raise funds. Tell how the money come in.

Work meeting - present the do's and don'ts of this work session in a humorous way. How to plan, develop, and finish projects.

Okay, these are just some examples of after dinner speeches. In the next paragraphs I will show you more after dinner speech topics. Just pick out the ideas and topics that are appropriate to your special event. Take a particular interest or a strong point of view as starting point.

8 Tips For Delivering After Dinner Speech Topics

Use these tips!

1. Keep smiling! Don't sound angry or negative.

2. Use effective language.

3. Use note cards, indexcards or even a print out of your after dinner speech topics if you are not a very experienced speaker.

4. Make eye contact with your listeners.

5. Avoid religious humor, racist or ethnic, sexist, and even political humor that could offend or provoke individuals or groups. It can destroy your credibility.

6. Don't make your public feel alienated or uncomfortable.

7. I recommend a 8 to 10 minutes time limit. Sometimes even 2 or 3 minutes will do. Ask the hosts. Not longer, you don't want to be a party killer?

8. Practice your talk in front of a friend, rewrite, time the lenght, rewrite again and polish your after dinner speech topics.

Home to Speech Topics Help from After Dinner Speech Topics