Playcon

Playcon is the Annual Toastmasters International District 74's Maxicon Conference. It is held in South Africa.

Here's your Personal Invitation!
You are cordially invited to attend the Annual Toastmasters International District 74 (Southern Africa) Maxicon Conference to be held at Misty Hills Country Hotel, Muldersdrift, Johannesburg.

Thursday 18 May to Sunday 21 May 2006

Our vision: Toastmasters International empowers people to achieve their full potential and realize their dreams. Through our member clubs, people throughout the world can improve their communication and leadership skills, and find the courage to change.

PlayCon 2006 – Making Public Speaking Fun!


 * Register now on www.maxicon.co.za
 * Convenor: [mailto:convenor@maxicon.co.za convenor@maxicon.co.za]

Or contact: If you know something I don't (and you're bound to) please add it to this web site. This is an on-line collaboration forum for anybody who's going or who wants to go.
 * Beauty Zondi, Attendance Portfolio Manager on cell 083 279 1361 – [mailto:Beauty.Zondi@standardbank.co.za Beauty.Zondi@standardbank.co.za]
 * Rob Douglas, Registrations Portfolio Manager on cell 082 773 5840 fax 086 680 3293 – [mailto:douglas.home@telkomsa.net douglas.home@telkomsa.net]

Frequently Asked Questions
(If you have anything to add to these questions, please click "edit" and add them! The Playcon committee - and other ordinary toastmasters – may be able to answer your question)

Why is this conference more expensive than last year?
Playcon (Maxicon 2006) is a radical departure from other years. We want to get 500 people there! The only real way to do that is to run the kind of conference that will appeal to the corporate, non-Toastmaster crowd. So we've chosen an up-market, professional conference venue to attract the corporate rand. If you would like to see the budget, please get hold of Keryn House at convenor@maxicon.co.za (Do you have another question on this topic? Click "edit" on the right hand side, and add your question!)
 * The price includes all meals (lunches, teas etc)
 * Thanks to personal contacts, we have negotiated late-payment deposits and excellent rates.
 * We have a professional event manager who has forfeited her fee to run this conference for us.
 * In a survey of Division H, we found that 65% (A WHOPPING TWO THIRDS) of all people who had never attended conference before said that it was because they didn't know about it. It wasn't because of price. It was because they didn't know.
 * It's a numbers game. The more people we get, the more attractive we can make it!

Where do we stay if we want to stay with other Toastmasters and not at an expensive hotel?

 * You can request or offer accommodation on this page. (Do you have another question on this topic? Click "edit" on the right hand side, and add your question!)

Why is this going to be different than other years?

 * Content
 * Top-class, non-Toastmaster keynote and other speakers. For the final list, have a look at http://www.maxicon.co.za or read the rest of this site.
 * With the theme of Making Public Speaking Fun.
 * The content is designed to attract non-Toastmasters
 * The conference will have many breakaway sessions, not just plenary stuff. We'll be learning by doing.


 * Venue
 * Top-class venue
 * Includes all meals
 * Disability-friendly
 * Easily accessible to Lanseria/JNB International


 * Scope
 * We're aiming at a wider audience
 * Southern African (not just South African)
 * Toastmasters and non-Toastmasters
 * First-time attendees and non first-time attendees

(Do you have another question on this topic? Click "edit" on the right hand side, and add your question!)


 * Where do we register?
 * Click on http://www.maxicon.co.za to register. Or get hold of Rob Douglas at registrations@maxicon.co.za

(Do you have another question on this topic? Click "edit" on the right hand side, and add your question!)

Highlights of the Conference

 * See Southern Africa’s top speakers compete in the finals of the World Championships of Public Speaking
 * Learn about First Steps in Public Speaking, Speechwriting, How to develop your Creativity, Humorous Public Speaking, Competitive Speaking in a selection of interactive workshops and discussion groups
 * Hear local keynote speakers on how you can motivate others by adding fun to your work and to your training programmes
 * Learn about Toastmasters International and how this world-wide non-profit organisation can help you and your own community and organisation!

Details of the programme so far
As of 15 August 2005, this is what's been lined up!


 * If you're not growing, you're dying. Lessons from Eagles - Dr David Molapo
 * Adding Humour to Business Presentations – Rod Taylor
 * Say it like you mean it - Voice coaching with Delia Thompson, the Communication Academy
 * Discovering the creativity of your right brain.
 * Mini public speaking course modules 1 & 2 (for the non-member and newer member)
 * "Oh no, not training again!" - games trainers play
 * Speechcraft for Fun and Profit – a “how to” course
 * It’s not just how you say it – it’s what you say, too – Speechwriting

Playcon – day by day

 * Beer tasting on Thursday 18 May 2006 (Sponsored by Bavaria Breweries)
 * Friday 19 May: Keynote Speakers
 * Saturday 20 May: Parallel "Playshops" and Discussion groups
 * Saturday is also the finals of THREE public speaking competitions. Who will be the region's best speaker in 2006?

Wish List
What would you like to see at the conference? Please list it here: /Wish List/

Toastmasters Shop
Place advance orders here for Toastmasters goodies. Click on the /Advance orders/ link.

Getting there

 * Lifts offered, requested

Sponsorships

 * What Sponsorship opportunities exist?

Electronic networking board

 * /Hook up/ with individuals who are going

Useful contact numbers
You can get the phone numbers from the official Playcon site at www.maxicon.co.za. Here are the mail addresses.


 * Convenor: Kerryn House – [mailto:convenor@maxicon.co.za convenor@maxicon.co.za]
 * Registrations: Rob Douglas – [mailto:reg@maxicon.co.za reg@maxicon.co.za]
 * Marketing: Cindy McAdam – [mailto:market@maxicon.co.za market@maxicon.co.za]
 * Venue: Lisa Fisher – [mailto:venue@maxicon.co.za venue@maxicon.co.za]
 * Attendance: Beauty Zondi – [mailto:attend@maxicon.co.za attend@maxicon.co.za]
 * Cheron Keller – [mailto:finance@maxicon.co.za finance@maxicon.co.za]

Where to stay

 * Misty Hills
 * Accommodation wanted/offered

Marketing Team
The aim is to have 500 people at the conference. We want:
 * Number (500 attendees)
 * Scope (Diversity – age, disability, race, country, TM/non-TM, Gender)
 * Interaction
 * A Presentation you can use if you are an Area Governor, VPPRs, VPM etc

How to use this site
This is a "Wiki". What's a Wiki? Let's pretend you and I want to write the definitive reference for Toastmasters in the world.

It would probably take several months for you and I just to decide on what needs to be in a resource like that. Then we either have to write it or commission other people to write it. Then we have to edit what they submit.

That's probably a two-year process.

The alternative, is that I visit an on-line resource, looking for, say, Table Topics. I find NOTHING. So I add one little idea.

Then you come along, looking for table topics ideas. You find my idea. So you add one of your own.

To see this in action, visit the very real Toastmasters wiki at toastmasters.wikia.com.

Now we've got two ideas -- and we're using each other's knowledge. That's the idea behind this wiki.

My name is Erich Viedge, IPP of 4th Dimension Toastmasters. You can contact me at [mailto:spam@icon.co.za spam@icon.co.za]. Please add stuff to this wiki by pressing the "edit" button.