sample speech for year end party

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Holiday Celebration Sample Speech

This sample speech template can be used for a December celebration at the end of the year such as a Christmas party, Hanukkah celebration, Holiday Celebration, Winter festival, Winter Solstice, New Year party, Year’s end event, Kwanza ceremony, award ceremony, or other festive event. It can be used with a diverse group when remarks should be secular, non-religious and inclusive in nature or modified to add religious or cultural elements. It can be used for events in a corporate or business environment, at a school, university, other professional party or for non-profit, military, governmental, and other events. This example speech can be modified by using examples more appropriate to your event.

I want to welcome you all to our celebration to mark the end of another wonderful year.

As we approach the holidays, we are reminded that it’s a time to celebrate family, friends and the many wonderful things in our lives. For many of us it is also a time to honor our faith, or to remember the people important to us, both those who are with us and those we wish were with us. It’s a time to reflect back on the year and think of all the things that have happened and how we came to be here today.

For many of us it’s a time to celebrate our family and cultural heritage in whatever form that takes. For some of us, that means making the cookies grandma used to make, making cornbread or black-eyed peas, or bringing mom’s famous potato salad to the family pot luck. (Change these examples to be specific to your culture and audience.)

It could be decorating the Christmas tree with your children, meeting friends for good food and good conversation, or watching your favorite holidays specials (add specific shows here appropriate to your crowd’s age and demographic such as: The Nutcracker, Rudolph, Elf, It’s a wonderful Life, Frosty the Snowman, Miracle on 34th Street, etc. You can also add specific cultural events such as Santa Lucia day, St. Nicholas Day, Epiphany, Three Kings Day, Boxing Day, lighting lamps or candles, etc. – Modify the examples to fit your audience).

Celebrating could mean hanging a kwanza wreath, going to midnight mass, honoring the solstice, lighting the menorah, looking forward to Chinese New Year or just enjoying some time off work. (Modify the examples to fit your audience.) This time of year is many things for many people, but for all of us, it’s an opportunity to stop and reflect on the people who give our lives meaning.

That’s what I want to focus on today. As an organization, we have taken on a lot of challenges this year. We have (talk about a few of the important things your organization has done or things that have occurred this year.)

All of the things we accomplished this year were due to one thing: the people of this organization. Our team is what made everything possible. I’d like to quote the great Helen Keller, who never let adversity stand in her way. She said "Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much." Or, as the author and leadership expert Ken Blanchard says, “None of us is as smart as all of us.”

To people working in every department, from top to bottom and every level in between; to the people who have been with us for years and the ones who have just joined us recently, I want to say thank you. It’s your hard work and dedication that have enabled us to get to where we are today. You are truly our greatest asset. It’s your teamwork, diligence, creativity, ingenuity and perseverance that make this organization better every day. I couldn’t be prouder of the work you’ve done and the difference you’re making. (At this point you can name some specific people or teams/departments who deserve special mention or give awards. You could also use this point to announce anything special but try to keep it brief.)

Let me take this chance to thank you all for a great year and for all the things you do for us, day in and day out. I’m looking forward to working with you all through another great year full of the challenges, opportunities and surprises that may come in the next year. I have confidence that you will face them with as much grace, resourcefulness and dedication as you have shown this year. May you have a peaceful, joyful and safe holiday season and a wonderful New Year.

Since you were interested in this sample speech about heritage months, chances are you will like the following topics as well: Indian Heritage Month Speech .

More information : We hope this page was helpful and provided you with some information about Holiday Celebration Sample Speech . Check out our main page for more articles here Can U Write .

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The Master Communicator Blog

How to deliver your best holiday speech.

Holiday time is here as we count down to the end of 2023. Office parties and gatherings come with many opportunities for leaders to deliver the appropriate words to set the celebratory mood, unite everyone and build momentum for the year ahead. Holiday speeches and toasts have evolved into something of a verbal souvenir. They are something people take home as a sort of remembrance of the moment.

Whether you’re the designated speaker or the toastmaster of the festivities, a well-crafted speech can uplift spirits and rally people around a common cause. If you are in person or virtually for remote teams, your remarks should be upbeat, positive, and focused on the collective WE, and most importantly, brief.

The theme sets the tone of your speech and creates the throughline that connects everything you say, creates coherence, and makes your words memorable. What is your intention? What do you want your audience to remember? How do you want them to feel after you have spoken?

You can’t afford to wing it no matter if you are the boss, a department head, or a team leader charged with delivering the remarks. Planning, practicing, and writing it down in advance will make your remarks more relevant, resonant, and easier for you to deliver.

Here’s your guide to crafting the perfect holiday speech that will leave your colleagues feeling warm and festive. 

1. Keep it brief

How long should it be? If you are making a speech, it should be no more than five minutes. That’s about 750 words given the average rate of speech of 125 to 150 words per minute. The secrets to a good speech are relevance and brevity , which most people find daunting. Brevity takes time and requires surgical removal of what doesn’t serve your throughline.

If you are doing a holiday toast, aim for a length of two to three minutes, allowing enough time to convey your message without overtalking and risking boredom. Designing your content in three-parts provides a structure on which to build your remarks: a) Why we are here. b) Thank you and acknowledgements. c) What lies ahead.

2. Know your audience

Before you start drafting your remarks, take a moment to consider the diverse group of individuals in your organization and their physical locations. Contemplate the various holiday traditions and celebrations that people may observe. A thoughtful and inclusive speech or toast respects everyone’s background and fosters a sense of unity. Remember to keep the focus on them and keep the ratio of “You-to-I” references high (more YOU than I).

3. Start with gratitude

Express your gratitude for the hard work and dedication of the team throughout the year. Acknowledge the challenges everyone has faced and conquered together. A sincere appreciation sets a positive tone and reminds every member of the organization of the collective efforts that make the company a great place to work.

4. Inject humor and vivid language

Lighten the atmosphere with a touch of humor. Share a lighthearted anecdote without putting anyone on the spot. Use colorful, vivid language that will energize your message. Take a verbal time-out from the pressures of the business and keep company jargon to a minimum.

5. Reflect on achievements

Take a moment to reflect on the team’s accomplishments and successes over the past year. Recognizing and celebrating small and big wins fosters a sense of pride and camaraderie. It’s an opportunity to highlight the collective impact of everyone’s hard work. Spread the praise evenly so no one feels left out or ignored.

6. Look forward with optimism

Inspire members of your organization by expressing optimism for the future. Share your hopes and aspirations for the upcoming year, both personally and professionally. A forward-looking perspective can instill a sense of purpose and motivation as the team heads into the new year.

7. Deliver with warmth and sincerity

Apply the verbal and non-verbal communication cues that signal sincerity. Use vocal variety and intonation. Deliver slowly and pause at intervals. Smile, keep good eye contact, gesture appropriately to add warmth and authenticity to your words.

Remember, the goal of your holiday speech or party toast is to uplift and unite your colleagues and employees in celebration. With a thoughtful and inclusive approach, your words can set the stage for a joyful and memorable year ahead.

And if you are challenged by the small talk that accompanies office parties, you may find solace in this Master Communicator Blog from last year: Talking tips to survive your holiday parties. Whether you’re an introvert or extrovert, these pro tips will help you overcome feeling awkward and shine as a communicator.

Rosemary Ravinal

Business leaders and entrepreneurs who want to elevate their public speaking impact, executive presence, and media interview skills come to me for personalized attention and measurable results. I am recognized as America’s Premier Bilingual Public Speaking Coach after decades as a corporate spokesperson and media personality in the U.S. mainstream, Hispanic and Latin American markets. My company’s services are available for individuals, teams, in-person and online, and in English and Spanish in South Florida and elsewhere.

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End of the Year speech – tips for delivering the ultimate company speech

Communication , Public Speaking

End of the year is a time of looking back and summarizing achievements and making plans for the New Year. It is the time of Christmas parties, awards giving evenings and company speeches.

If you are the one to deliver a speech, here are a few tips on how to create an ultimate speech.

Think about the following:

• speech structure
• speech content
• the message

First of all, your speech has to be structured . Make a list of the points you want to deliver. Start with general information and then go into details. Do not overload your speech as people usually remember 3 to 5 key elements. Keep it short and to the point.

You may thank the employees for their work, mention some results and achievements, name a few people to give them recognition. You may also mention some problems and issues, but show how you overcame them or what plans you have for next year to improve.

Remember your speech should have clear opening, body and closing.

1. Opening – the reason for the speech 2. Body – important information, achievements, mentions and recognitions 3. Closing – summary and plans for future

The content of your speech is what needs to be communicated. Choose a few important areas to cover and make sure you deliver it in a positive spirit. Don’t be shy to share a personal story, to share your thoughts with the people. Use empathetic words to create an atmosphere of a very special evening.

The message , is the key element of your end of the year speech. This is what you want to get across to the people and something you want them to remember. It is important to be inspiring and motivating whilst at the same time showing confidence so others will share your confidence and enthusiasm.

You may consider making your speech less formal, bringing some humour . Be careful to use it in moderation, not to distract from the message.

When recognizing individuals or giving awards, make sure you make some personal remarks about each person, but also find a way to recognize the team and those who enabled the success as well. Make your speech memorable and inspiring!

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A Christmas speech sample

By:  Susan Dugdale  | Last modified: 10-03-2023

An office Christmas party speech to adapt and make your own

Here's a sample of a Christmas speech prepared by following a simple step by step speech outline. You'll find the format is ideal for an office Christmas party, a family get together, a club Christmas event... 

Yes, it truly is one of those occasions when one size, (one format), will genuinely fit all.

If you want to use the same step by step process to prepare a similarly 'awesome' speech (☺) for yourself you'll find the link at the foot of the page.  

A note of explanation before you read the speech

What you're seeing here is an example of a speech mostly in note form rather than a full word-by-word, sentence-by-sentence text, or manuscript.

It's like that for two reasons.

1.Flexibility and freedom

The first reason is that our speaker wants the freedom and flexibility given by using cue or note cards.

Cue cards are easily held in one hand. They allow a person to interact more spontaneously with their audience. They can make eye contact, smile, gesture, or move quite freely. And when they need to, they can glance at their cards to remind themselves of what they planned to say next.

In contrast, reading from a complete 'word-for-word' script makes spontaneous interaction with the people listening much trickier to manage.

A set of A4 pages is harder to deal with than a set of cue cards. They're too big to hold in your hands to read them comfortably, therefore you need a podium to put them on. That means the speaker is anchored to one spot; behind it.

The result is a more formal presentation which doesn't fit with either the occasion or this speaker's overall purpose: to reach out, to inspire and unite the audience with their theme of gratitude.

You'll note that the concluding segment is the full text. It's that way because they sweated over getting the right words down and don't want to risk muddling them due to the excitement and pressure of the moment!

When they practice the speech and finally deliver it they will flesh out the 'opening' and 'body of speech' notes into full sentences.

2. Note cards help them remember

The second reason is that the speaker wants to remind themselves of the names they need to mention in their opening welcome segment, the important points they wish to cover in the body of their speech and, the sequence that they come in. Without notes they may forget what they wanted to say.

(This method of speech delivery: a mix of carefully scripted text and impromptu speaking using note cards is called extemporaneous .)

Joe Brown's Christmas office party speech

Behind the scenes

Background information to help put this speech* in context:

• The speaker  is Joe Brown. He and his family own and manage a small company: Brown's Mill. Brown's Mill makes 'widgets and wodgets'.
• The audience  is the company staff.
• The aim or purpose of the speech  is to thank them for their work during the year, to foster a sense of togetherness, gratitude and hope.
• The setting  is the staff room. It is an informal occasion. Drinks and finger foods will be served after Joe has made their speech.
• The theme  Joe has chosen to hang their speech on is gratitude.

* The speech is entirely fictional. I made it up as an example for you. 

Christmas speech sample: Joe's opening notes

• Bryan Grant and Betsy McKinley from Kelly and Bell (VIP guests)
• Esther - 25th Christmas function with us
• Everybody else

Transition to body & theme introduction

"Despite what we've thought about the past 12 months and the dreaded R and C words (recession and Covid) we've made it through to the end of the year.

It's nearly Christmas and we've got a lot to be grateful for. We're here, we have a great team and we're still in business."

Joe's notes for the body of his speech

Point One  - April - major order canceled - a lot of staff ill - we survived. Tough decisions had to be made but we stood by each other, were supported by our families and made the necessary sacrifices. Huge thanks to Chrissie for organizing the home care support system. 

Point Two  - September - breakthrough into a new widget market. Fantastic team work - particularly from Doug's production unit - worked all hours to get it going. Credit to all concerned. Not so much staff illness.

Point Three  - October - new product line - the wodget- introduced. Innovative marketing plan and revised customer service model. Special thanks to Gary for leading and inspiring the marketing team and to Walter for the hours spent ensuring we give the best to our customers.  Finishing the year cautiously optimistic but absolutely certain that it wouldn't have been possible if it hadn't been for the way everyone shouldered their area of responsibility.

The full text of Joe's speech ending

"It's been another tough year but I'm proud of what we accomplished together. Some businesses haven't been able to do what we have done.

Thanks to you we'll be going into the new year with strength, to build on our accomplishments and to consolidate our position.

Let's celebrate that. It's a gift to be grateful for. And when you leave here you go to another.

As Burton Hillis said, "The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree is the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other."

And that's what I wish for you all!

Now let's raise a glass - to us, to our families and a happy Christmas."

Now change it and make it your own

There you have it! An example of a Christmas speech you can easily adapt to suit: whether it's for a family celebration, the members of your club at your end of year function, your staff...

It's simple, short, and sincere.

Related pages to get your speech underway:

For more about the planning process and preparation click through to this page on Christmas speeches .

You'll find the step-by-step guidelines I used to prepare Joe's speech as well as a free printable outline, theme suggestions and a whole bunch of Christmas quotations, including the one featured here.

And click this link for how to make and use cue cards effectively.

Read two more example short company Christmas party speeches  to help you write your own.

Have a joyous Christmas! Susan

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How To Give The Best Speech During The Holiday Season

The holiday season gives us the perfect opportunity to spread a little festive cheer. And delivering a great Christmas speech is a fantastic way to do that!

Key Takeaways

A HOLIDAY speech is a perfect way to share festive affection during these sensational holidays.

• H aving an office Christmas party
• O ffering gratitude and recognition to your team
• L ightening up the room and giving bright sentiments
• I ncluding everyone on your team
• D ecorating the office (don’t forget the Christmas tree !)
• A ppreciation should be spread to everyone
• Y ou need to practice your speech to deliver a great message

Sometimes, knowing where to start with your holiday speech can be challenging. Many of us might have a firey passion for telling our employees “ Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays” with a gratifying speech.

But not all of us know how to use the right words to get our message across.

If that sounds like you, keep reading! Here are the best ways to give a speech during the holidays.

See Related:  20 Virtual Holiday Party Ideas For 2022

Tips For Giving An Oustanding HOLIDAY Speech

A lot goes into a holiday party to make it a successful and fun event. No matter what route you take or the holiday theme you pursue, no holiday office party is complete without a speaker that will deliver a touching, memorable, and seasonal speech!

As an experienced and well-established corporate emcee , I know how intensive speeches can be. If you’re rather new to public speaking, I know it can be a little daunting.

However, giving a Christmas speech is much easier than it may seem. The holiday season gives us amazing festive inspiration and makes it so much easier to connect with our audience.

Holiday speeches can be incredibly rewarding and fun to give. Wondering where to start?

Here are some of my favorite tips to make your holiday speech one for the books!

#1. H ave A Christmas Party To Go With It

If you’re planning on giving a speech, you should also count on hosting a Christmas office party. That should go without saying.

A great seasonal speech reflects on the successful year past and helps us relive enjoyable memories. And your speaker, whether it be you or a professional keynote speaker, will be the one to set the tone for the entire Christmas event.

That’s why having a remarkable and heartwarming speech is so essential.

How To Have An Amazing Annual Office Party During The Holidays

We all know that seasonal office parties are one of the most iconic parts of the holiday season. And, of course, your organization should be included in that!

Your speech won’t be complete unless it’s leading up to something. You’re setting the tone for the successful year ahead, and there needs to be something to commemorate that!

And that something should be a Christmas office party. The best way to make your speech and subsequent party stand out is to truly embrace the holiday party spirit.

Looking for a few ideas to make your event stand out?

• Decorate the entire office with seasonal embellishments and trimmings
• Don’t forget food and beverages – Christmas isn’t complete without seasonal eating!
• Have holiday games and fun activities to promote team bonding and spark new friendships

#2. O ffer Recognition To Your Employees

A speech during the holidays is an excellent opportunity to give your employees the recognition they deserve . After all, a festive and touching speech in a professional setting can help you express your employee appreciation.

Each workplace needs to know how to share and express recognition to those working there. Especially if the past year was particularly stressful, offering your team a heartfelt and uplifting statement can be truly impactful.

There’s No Better Holiday Gift Than The Gift Of Appreciation

Your team deserves to be recognized for their valiant efforts and hard work.

Whether you want to thank someone who successfully dealt with a challenging client or applaud an employee who put in extra work to meet a tight deadline, your team deserves recognition.

It always feels good when someone notices our professional efforts. So include it in your speech and watch how your team glows afterward!

#3. L ighten Up The Room

The Christmas season is the most wonderful time of the year for a reason. So give into the holiday cheer and festive affection and spread bright emotions!

After all, there’s nothing worse than a drab and boring professional speech. So go the opposite way. Make your material full of life and emotions, and touch your employee’s hearts.

Make your speech funny and comedic. Laughter brings us together, and it’s the best way to connect with your team.

Tell A Joke!

When I say “be funny,” most people automatically think about telling a   joke . And, of course, telling a joke is the best way to get the laughter flowing.

Don’t be afraid to tell a corny dad joke. The funniest material is comfortable and family-friendly , so let it all out!

#4. I nclude Everyone!

The holidays are a time for connection, affection, and heartwarming celebrations. Your holiday office speech should be something that will unite your entire team together.

Sometimes, people get carried away, and they establish their emcee humor with crude or dirty jokes in an attempt to pry some laughter from their audience. Don’t do that .

Use inclusive, inviting, and welcoming language, and steer clear of divisive and inappropriate topics . The holidays are full of gratifying and comforting communications. So focus on that!

#5. D ecorate The Place Where You’ll Give Your Speech

As I stated earlier, your speech isn’t complete without a holiday party. But both of those aspects aren’t complete without expressive holiday decorations!

Having festive and enjoyable decorations around you will make your speech more touching and fitting. 

A seasonal speech deserves to be in a seasonal environment, and cheerful decorations are the best way to do that!

Think about it like this : you wouldn’t give a speech about hiking in the Rocky Mountains sitting on a tropical beach. Those two things don’t exactly fit together nor do they promote a unique theme.

A once-a-year holiday event and speech should have unique decorations to truly bring those festive feelings to life! Whether you are in a rented-out venue or in your daily office space for your speech and party, add in those seasonal decorations, and the rest will fall in line.

#6. A ppreciation Will Go A Long Way

Like recognition, employee appreciation around the holidays is essential. It’s the season of giving, and being stingy with expressing your gratitude can send the wrong type of message.

Showing your employees genuine appreciation and gratitude is the first step in creating a happy and healthy workplace. Your speech just shouldn’t be about celebrating the holidays.

Your speech should be about recognizing your team!

Show genuine emotions, give sincere compliments, and pass on heartfelt sentiments. Your Christmas speech should be touching. And this is the way to do it.

Better yet, attach a holiday gift to your speech. A small token or assorted stocking stuffers are holiday-appropriate and act as a simple gesture to express your gratitude.

No one ever said no to holiday chocolates and sweets!

#7. Y ou’ll Need To Practice

Regardless of the time of the year, you’re still giving a speech . You need to be prepared and organized in your material to ensure your message can reach your target audience.

The key to success in most things in life stems from repeated rehearsal and practice . So if you want your speech to succeed, practice making that happen!

How To Practice Holiday Speeches

If you want your Christmas speech to be memorable and enlightening, you’ll need to work on fine-tuning your public speaking skills . Especially if you get nervous or anxious speaking in front of a crowd , practicing your material will go a long way in setting you up for success.

But before you can practice your speech, you need to write your speech .

Usually, many people may overthink their speech writing. Just keep in mind the tips I’ve laid out for you, and speak from the heart .

Because the most important part of your speech is how you deliver it . Even if you have killer material and hilarious jokes, they won’t hit home if you are just mumbling on stage and acting awkward.

Here are some tips for practicing your speech the right way .

• Rehearse and get feedback. That means you should practice in front of a mirror , in front of friends or family members , or with a video camera to review later.
• Pay attention to your body language. This is where videoing your practice sessions can help. Make sure you’re not doing anything distracting like swaying or fidgeting.
• Use pauses to drive your points home and provide emphasis on keywords or phrases.
• And repeat it all over and over until you are 100% confident in your Christmas speech!

But likely one of the best ways to give a great speech is to have fun with it . Feeling open and connected with your audience will help them relate to you and your message.

Last but not least, I wish you good luck with your speech, and a Merry Christmas and happy holidays!

Keep Reading:  What Is Ethos In Public Speaking & How To Use It Effectively

Adam Christing  has been called “The Tom Brady of emcees.” He has hosted more than 1,000  company meetings ,  special events ,  gala celebrations , and more. He is the  author of several books  and founder of  CleanComedians.com .   For more event tips, follow Adam Christing on  Instagram ,  Facebook ,  Pinterest ,  LinkedIn , and  YouTube .

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The Right Speech to Make This Year

• Peter Bregman

In 2008, Marc, the CEO of a 100-person software development company, decided not to have a company holiday party. What was there to celebrate? Companies around them had crashed and burned. Clients were skittish. Sales in the last two quarters had slipped. Better to put the money to more productive uses. This year however, the […]

In 2008, Marc, the CEO of a 100-person software development company, decided not to have a company holiday party. What was there to celebrate? Companies around them had crashed and burned. Clients were skittish. Sales in the last two quarters had slipped. Better to put the money to more productive uses.

• Peter Bregman  is the CEO of  Bregman Partners , an executive coaching company that helps successful people become exceptional leaders and stellar human beings. Best-selling author of  18 Minutes , and  Leading with Emotional Courage ,  his most recent book is  You Can Change Other People . To identify your leadership gap, take Peter’s  free assessment .

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Thanksgiving

20 Thanksgiving Toast & Speech Ideas That Actually Aren’t Cheesy

Exactly what to say if you're at a loss for words.

Ah, Thanksgiving. Typically a time to gather with family and friends to engage in merriment and passive-aggressive squabbles. Some people celebrate with family members they don’t see often, others get together with a smaller crew, and some sign on to Zoom for the occasion. But one thing that can be a party of your holiday no matter how you celebrate? The tradition of the Thanksgiving toast. If this year has you feeling less than thankful, these Thanksgiving toast and speech ideas will help provide you with plenty to say if you get nominated to give a Thanksgiving toast.

Regardless of how you'll be celebrating this year — your usual big family party, trying out a solo holiday dinner , hosting a Zoom Thanksgiving for a handful of friends or family — one thing is for sure: Thanksgiving is never dull. Even if 2022 wasn’t your favorite year, there is always something to be grateful for. This isn't to say you need to go full toxic positivity . But taking a small moment to recognize the things that got you through the year — whether that's friends, family, your pets, or Postmates — can feel kind of good. If you're at a loss for words this year, these 15 Thanksgiving toast and speech ideas will have you covered.

1. Express Your Love For Food, Family, & Friends

Thanksgiving is the perfect time to express your gratitude to family and friends for standing by your side this year. Consider this quote from Marcel Proust: "Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom."

2. Thanksgiving With Friends Toast

If you’re making a speech during your Friendsgiving, try this quote about friendship from Marilyn Monroe. "... Always remember your friends will be there quicker than your family. Learn to remember you got great friends, don't forget that and they will always care for you no matter what. Always remember to smile and look up at what you got in life.”

3. Love & Kindness Toast

Lady Gaga is always good for quotes about love, tolerance, and kindness — which are relevant themes for Thanksgiving, and the double meaning of feeding your family and friends and feeding the community is perfect. Try this quote of hers about acceptance: "I believe in a passion for inclusion... I think tolerance and acceptance and love is something that feeds every community ... You can try to find something beautiful in every single person, no matter what."

4. Gratitude Toast

If you’re looking to express gratefulness in your Thanksgiving speech, try this quote from Eckhart Tolle’s A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose : “Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.”

5. Thanksgiving Blessings Toast

Maya Angelou’ s quote is the perfect Thanksgiving blessing. “When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.”

6. On Seeing The Bright Side Speech

Looking for a lighthearted toast? Try this quote from Ellen DeGeneres in The Funny Thing Is... on gratitude that’s sure to make the crowd chuckle : “Gratitude is looking on the brighter side of life, even if it means hurting your eyes.”

7. Thanksgiving Poem

This excerpt from Ralph Waldo Emerson’s We Thank Thee is a simple but effective Thanksgiving toast.

For each new morning with its light,

For rest and shelter of the night,

For health and food, for love and friends,

For everything Thy goodness sends .

8. Acknowledging The Good Toast

Author Sarah Ban Breathnach’s quote on gratitude is a great reminder for the table. “Real life isn’t always going to be perfect or go our way, but the recurring acknowledgment of what is working in our lives can help us not only to survive but surmount our difficulties.”

9. Take Note Of What Unites Us All: Food

If your Thanksgiving crew is there for the food and the food only, let this Nora Ephron quote be heard loud and clear. "The turkey. The sweet potatoes. The stuffing. The pumpkin pie. Is there anything else we all can agree so vehemently about? I don’t think so.”

10. Lift Each Other Up Toast

If you’re getting over a tough year, try this uplifting line Christopher Robin said to Winnie the Pooh as your Thanksgiving toast: " You are braver than you believe , stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think."

11. Show Gratitude For Everything, Good Or Bad

If you’re looking for a Thanksgiving speech that highlights the real meaning of gratitude, try this quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson : “Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.”

12. A Moment of Reflection

Charles Dickens’ quote will remind the table to pause and reflect: “Reflect upon your present blessings — of which every man has many — not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.”

13. Just Be Present

If you want to focus on how thankful you are to be surrounded by family and friends after a rough year, try this Maya Angelou quote: “Be present in all things and thankful for all things.”

14. A Perpetual Thanksgiving

Henry David Thoreau’ s quote on gratitude Thanksgiving is a simple but effective toast: "I am grateful for what I am and have. My thanksgiving is perpetual."

15. Everyone Says What They're Thankful For Toast

Make your Thanksgiving toast participatory by reading this gratitude quote by William Arthur Ward and asking everyone to go around the table and state one thing they are grateful for:

“ Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.”

16. Shoutout Your Guests

Be sure to show love to the people — family or chosen family — that you spend the day with. Try a simple toast like “There may be better people in this world... but I don’t know them!”

17. Don’t Take Yourself Too Seriously

Address the humor of the holiday and make your guests laugh before digging in. “Thanksgiving isn't like other holidays. It's the only day of the year that you won't get offended when your grandma gives you the bird across the dining room table. Cheers!”

18. Take A Moment To Honor Those You’re Missing

Holidays can be a time of rememberence if there’s someone from your family you’rve lost over the years. Honor them briefly with something like “I'd like to take a moment to think of [Insert family or friend here]. We're remembering her here today at this table where we've shared so many meals.”

19. A Personalized Toast

You can get a bit personal with your speech if you prepare a bit ahead of time. Think of everyone that will be sitting at the table and prepare a few words specific to each of them to make them feel special and welcomed to your feast.

20. Share A Simple Rhyme

Keep is short and sweet with something like “Lotta bread, lotta meat, good God, let’s eat!”

This article was originally published on November 10, 2017

Presentation Guru

Ten top tips for your speech to the office party.

If you’ve been given the task of giving the speech at this year’s office party then you’d better read this article! Gavin McMahon and Peter Watts Paskale outline  some of the most useful language tricks of the speaker’s trade and show how effective these rhetorical flourishes can be in making your holiday speech – indeed any speech –  both enjoyable for your audience and one they won’t forget (for the right reasons!).

Love it or loathe it, those ‘few words from the boss’ are as expected an element of your annual office party as an overdose of ‘Winter Wonderland’ playing in the mall, and often – just as welcome!

How can you make those words fun, motivating, and memorable, while avoiding the annual tinsel-trap of falling headfirst into a pile of Christmas-cliche?

We have the answers, and by way of an early holiday gift to all the readers of Presentation Guru, we’d like to share with you ten festively adapted ideas taken from our Dirty Rhetoric toolkit. Adding just two or three of these festive flavors to your holiday party speech will help deliver a Yuletide message your team will remember – and for all the right reasons.

1) Building your theme: First Word Repeat

Winning the undivided attention of a holiday audience can be notoriously tricky – which is why it’s always a good idea to deliver your speech at the beginning of the evening and not the end. Even then, it can be a challenge to drive home your message when the party spirit distracts.

To get your main theme out there, and in a way that’s quick and foolproof, there’s no better technique than first-word repetition. Think of that three-wheeler tricycle that you might once have been lucky enough to receive during a holiday celebration many years ago.

A three-wheeler bike gives perfect support no matter how fast you might ride. No wobble for you when there’s a wheel at each corner. Holiday messages get that same solid stability when you include the same phrase in consecutive lines of your speech:

Let’s celebrate a successful year past

Let’s celebrate a successful year ahead

Let’s celebrate an incredibly well earned holiday

We’ve delivered service that’s the best in the market

We’ve delivered products that are the best in the market

We’ve delivered results that are the best in the market

2) Linking ideas: Last Word, First Word 

For one step further on the tricycle theme, try a train set approach.

Toy train sets link whole chains of little toy train cars together, and then send them circling around the Christmas tree. Even if those cars are actually disparate in appearance and purpose, the whole unit still goes trundling along as a logical whole. That’s why we sometimes refer to a ‘train of thought’. You can take advantage of this by using repetition to string phrases together. Just replace the trains with words and make sure that the last word of one line becomes the first word of the next.

If you have several topics that you want to cover in your speech, try tying them together.

I wish you happy holidays . Holidays full of excitement.

Make it a priority this holiday to find time to relax . Relax and spend time with your friends and families.

3) Really hammering home the holidays: AutoCorrect

Festive clichés are truly the bane of holiday speeches and that’s precisely because they can be so incredibly tricky to avoid! With phrases like ‘Happy Holidays’ literally hanging from the party banners above your head, you can start to feel a little boxed-in about exactly what’s left to say.

There is however an escape route! Try applying a new twist to some of the tired old formulae.

For this technique you’ll need one Christmas cliché, your sharpest candy cane pencil, and the verbal eraser of ‘NO!’ because you’re going to turn bland holiday greetings into something far spicier.

For example, here’s what happens to “happy holidays.” when we audibly rub-out the bland and replace it with something edgier:

I’d like to wish happy holidays to you and your families. Actually, no I don’t ! I want to wish an amazing holiday to you and your families!

  I wish you all happy holidays. No , strike that! I wish you all sensational holidays!

4) Listing accomplishments: Noisy Comma

Holiday speeches are no time for modesty. You’re rounding-off the year and want to send everyone home with a bang. Your elves have worked hard and not only do you want them to know it – you want them to know how much you appreciate it. After all, this year’s praise will mark the start of next year’s performance, so make sure that every achievement stands proud.

This means that part of your speech will list hard-won successes. For a simple way to make all those successes stand-out, look no further than the most famous holiday poem of them all – ‘The Night Before Christmas’:

“ Now ! Dasher, now ! Dancer, now ! Prancer and Vixen, On ! Comet, on ! Cupid, on ! Donder and Blitzen.”

The reason that each name is as distinct as a Santa in a snow-drift, is because each is emphasized by the stressed word that appears before it. Imagine if the line went: “Now Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donder, and Blitzen.” They’d all become one long stretch-reindeer blur.

For lists of accomplishments, make each element clear by replacing commas, with the word “and”:

This year we’ve launched products and won clients and expanded the business and been more successful than ever before.

  We’ve grown the team and increased our service levels and developed the business.

5) Encouraging achievement: Strength

Here’s a technique that shows people this year’s ‘good’ can become next year’s great. It all starts with the story of the Charlie Brown Christmas Tree.

There it was – the last one on the lot. A poor tired little tree that had even lost most of its needles. Everybody laughed at it, but Charlie Brown’s festive spirit made that tree glitter. If Charlie Brown could conjure Christmas magic from that, then he could conjure it from anything – and that’s what the rhetorical structure of strength does in a speech.

Think about where your team have conquered seemingly unbeatable odds. Use those moments to make the argument that if they can do that, they can do anything! Conjure the magic of achievements past, and your team will conjure achievements yet-to-come.

“Project ABC was the most demanding assignment we’ve ever been asked to do.  It was a tight deadline — it was a challenging client — AND they kept changing the specs. And still we achieved it! — If we can meet that sort of pressure, we can meet anything!”

“ We’ve grown the business. If we can grow the business in a recession year like this,  then think what we can achieve next year.”

6) Defining ideas: Analogy

There are some toys that children love to receive but that parents hate them to be given. Drum kits for example. Why do parents hate holiday drum kits?

It’s because drums are to family friction as games are to family fun.

Analogies create the illusion of cause and effect: A is to B, as C is to D. It makes your case sound logical and your logic sound vivid. Where things are vivid, they are always remembered!

Make them seasonal: Santa is to Christmas as the Bunny is to Easter

Make them businesslike: Creativity is to success as oxygen is to breathing

Make them funny: Holidays are to relaxation as canal-root fillings are to massage

7) Tackling painful memories: Understate 

A lump of coal in the stocking means someone’s been bad. There are times though when it isn’t some one who’s been bad, but some thing that’s been bad, such as hard times or tough decisions during the year just passed.

In a holiday speech, your team will expect you to reference those times, but with this being a celebration you don’t want to collapse the party spirit.

Negatives need acknowledging without re-animating, so use a “not……but…” structure:

This past year has not been without it’s challenges, but ……

There have been times when this year has not been the easiest, but …..

We’ve had to make decisions that have not been happy ones, but ….

Follow that “but…” with an uplifting statement. You will have nodded to the tough times, but immediately re-directed your audience to better times to come.

8) Create a sound that sounds superb: Foresound

To create a Christmas cracker you need a soundbite, and for that you need a couple of words that start with the same sound; a little like Chr istmas Cr acker!

When you do this, that sound repetition uses a technique that’s central in memorable holiday phrases: “ S uzy S nowflake”, “ D ominic the D onkey”, and “ H appy H olidays” to name just a few.

The technique works best when you use words that start with strong consonants that are known as ‘plosives’. In particular look for words that start with the sounds of b, d, f, p, and t. (so that’s buh, duh, fuh, puh, and tuh.)

Doubling down on plosive consonants doubles the delivery delight.

 9)  Avoid it all becoming a just little too sugary…: Even Odds 

There’s another way to double-down on the double-sound technique that will make your holiday audience pucker-up with pleasure.

It’s sometimes said, and we’re inclined to agree, that holiday speeches can become a little saccharine. There’s only so much candy an audience can take in one dose, and after all – sugary sweetness might not be the speaking style that your work colleagues expect of you.

This taste-test is easily fixed with the verbal equivalent of a sour candy. A good old-fashioned oxymoron, that gets the mouth watering by starting sour, and then turning sweet.

Take two words that start with the same letter, but have more or less opposite meanings. Now collide them together. Make sure the first one’s nasty, and the second one’s nice!

Fearsomely festive

Disgustingly delightful

Fiendishly fun-filled

Horribly happy

It’s a tasty little contradiction that delivers sweetness with a twist.

10) Add festive colour: Epithets

While plain speaking might be admired during a board meeting, plain speech fails when it comes to the office party. Your holiday speech needs to move, to inspire, and above all, to be remembered. It needs to have colors.

Here’s our favorite shortcut for finding phrases that add a measure of sparkle. Run a Google search for “Christmas Word Cloud”, then choose a selection of festive phrases to sprinkle through your speech. Go with an approximate ratio of 1:50. For every 50 words of plain speaking, make sure you have at least one bright splash of festive color.

May your holiday speech be bright. May your holiday speech be memorable. And may your holiday speech be fun.

If you have fun in the writing, then you’ll have fun in the delivery, and if you’re enjoying the delivery, then you can guarantee that your audience will be enjoying themselves as well.

• Latest Posts

Gavin McMahon

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Latest posts by gavin mcmahon ( see all ).

• Ten Top Tips For Your Speech to the Office Party - 10th December 2019
• Introducing the Straw Man Fallacy – How to Kill the Big Bad Wolf - 25th July 2016
• Story structure – the hidden framework that hangs your story together - 22nd May 2016

19th December 2016 at 12:50 pm

This is a great post. Thank you. Really useful and a ‘must read’ for all senior managers and business leaders that will help them speak with a bit of fizz at their next company event. Thanks.

19th December 2016 at 1:17 pm

You are very welcome. Peter and I enjoyed working on it. Hopefully it will give people a few ideas…

10th April 2018 at 11:28 am

PhotoWorks Interactive

13th March 2019 at 6:57 am

That’s really an informative post. I appreciate your skills. Thanks for sharing.

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Christmas Party Speech for Employees

Even if the company has had the worst year on record, a Christmas party is still a time to celebrate. It’s the perfect time to toast the possibility of a better year next year and give your employees a bit of a boost.

Furthermore, if you’ve had a great year, your Christmas party speech is a terrific opportunity to praise your team for their hard work and success.

Either way, your speech at the office Christmas party is a time to be positive, not to whinge about a difficult year or the targets that were not achieved. Of course, you will need to talk about these issues and you may even decide that you at least want to mention them during your Christmas party speech, but the overall tone of this speech needs to be ‘thanks for a job well done’ and ‘Happy Christmas’!

Here is a template to help you set the right tone for your Christmas party speech to your employees – without sounding like Scrooge!

1. Upbeat Introduction

• Welcome everyone to the party
• Say how great everyone looks

Example: Good evening everyone! It’s lovely to see you all looking so festive. I promise not to take up too much of your valuable Christmas party by talking about work, but I wanted to thank you all for a great year.

2. Reflect on the Year

• Comment briefly on the year
• Don’t make any criticisms – now is not the time

Example: This year has been difficult and successful in almost equal measures. Winning the Parker project was a real high, with losing three account managers to the competition a bit of a low. However, I’m really proud of how you’ve all pulled together and the terrific results you have achieved.

3. End on a High

• Reveal a surprise about the party
• Congratulate everyone for a great year
• Raise a toast

Example: That’s all I want to say for now…other than to tell you that there will be free champagne at the bar for the next hour to help the party go with a swing! I’d really like to take this opportunity to thank you all for a great year – Cheers and Merry Christmas!

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It’s that time of year again. The season of Christmas office parties. And if you have reached those dizzying heights in the office hierarchy it might be your turn to give one of the office party speeches.

Get In The Mood This Festive Period For Office Party Speeches

5 Top Tips For Office Party Speeches

But no matter your experience of office party speeches they can prove nerve-wracking. Of course it’s no matter that your expectations are set very high. Very high expectations for a great night out. Unfortunately, those expectations can be upset with an ill-timed or poorly delivered office party speech.

But it doesn’t have to be like that.

So, here are 5 top tips to help you be more confident with your office party speech!

Smile . Your Christmas office party speech isn’t the time to preview your New Year  strategy . That would be too daunting–for your audience. So a big smile is the place to start. Then thank some people. Your party speech has to include all the necessary thank yous: the party organisers, Personal Assistants, Executive Assistants, caterers and bar staff. It should note a highlight or two from the year. And you’ve got space for some awards. Because, that’s about all the content you need for an office party speech.

Be Brief . Brevity is best for your office party speech. A few notes is all you should aim for–either a few bullet point reminders on a card or a pictogram memory jog. Therefore, aim to speak for a few minutes at best before you move to the awards section.

Speak before the drinks . So, aim to speak near the beginning of the party when people have arrived, had one or two drinks only and conversation is flowing. If dinner is being served aim to speak before dinner. Since this is not the best opportunity for an after dinner speech. Remember how a  Mariah Carey speech  was befuddled after drinks at the  Palm Springs festival .

Office Party Speeches: You’re Nearly There

Noise . With the best will in the world your office party will be noisy. Since that’s the idea. So you should have a microphone and speakers ready for your party speech. That way you don’t need to shout. And you can easily deal with the gentle heckles from your office manager. Oh, yes.

Awards . The office party is a good time for some other thanks. Thanks for people or teams. When giving awards to people remember to get the technique right…with a list of three.

For example, “And now, someone who’s always committed to the customer, someone who always puts their customer first, someone who it is a pleasure to work with…[pause]…first name, second name”.

Applause will kick in spontaneously when you get it this way round. If you name the person and then keep talking the audience loses track of the  applause point .

And yes, you’re nearly there. But unlike your normal speeches, now’s not the time to field questions! That would spoil a party. Therefore, now is the time for a toast. So, round off your speech with a toast along the lines of…”To ourselves, To absent friends and To future possibilities”.

Party…party. Relax and enjoy your office party. Bring on the New Year.

How To Give Office Party Speeches

This festive period it pays to be ready for your office party, so here are five key tips for your office party speeches.

• 1 Smile. You need to be buoyant for this speech.
• 2 Be brief. Brevity is best for the office party speech.
• 3 Speak before the drinks start to flow.
• 4 Prepare for some noise ahead of time, so have a microphone if needed.
• 5 Celebrate with some awards in your speech, because they always work.

It’s brief, it’s friendly and it’s optimistic. It’s your office party speech this Christmas.

You can find more presentation skills tips and techniques with presentation skills training on a PresentPerfect TM   presentation training course  or with  one to one coaching . So, when the time is right to boost your public speaking skills, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. 

Plus, you can read all the tips for how to give your year end speech at this time of year. So, aim to set the mood and tone for the office year ahead with your year end speech.

"People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing”

Dale Carnegie

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How To Give A First Rate Event Speech

by Joan Garry

On the very first day of my nonprofit career, I was already in the top spot. The Executive Director. (I had just left the dark side for-profit sector.)

That very first day, I flew cross-country to Los Angeles. Had never been there before.

And my very first task was to address a cocktail party of about 150 people at a board member’s home.

I had never given a fundraising speech before in my life. But there was no time to ease in.

We had $360 in the bank and 18 staffers to pay.

So I sat on the plane with a few index cards and thought, “What in the world will these 150 people want to hear?”

I created an outline for my speech and prepared the best I could, wishing that somebody… anybody… would clue me in on how to do this. But I had nobody in that moment that could help me.

Nervously, I gave my speech, feeling sure I was going to embarrass myself. Surely the board is going to regret having hired me! What am I doing here?

Have you ever felt like that? Awful feeling.

Somehow I hit it out of the park. This was the moment GLAAD started to dig itself out of its financial hole.

After that success, I made sure to save the outline of my speech. I’ve used this outline for every speech I’ve made ever since. I’ve shared with board and staff members who spoke at events.

Now I share it with you.

THE HEART OF THE MATTER

What does your audience care about? When you’re representing a nonprofit, the answer’s pretty easy. In my case, it was about gay rights.

My daughter once answered a call from a telemarketer. She answered the phone, listened for a short time, and casually asked, “Which one?”

The caller had asked to speak to her mom. Nothing in the telemarketing script for that!

So I told the audience this story. It got quite a laugh.

I talked about the world I wanted for my kids… that it was my need to advocate for them that led me to advocate for gay rights.

I felt that if I could articulate what motivated me to take a risk and invest that I could open the door for them to do the same.

I asked our guests to envision a different kind of world for themselves.

What did they learn? That I cared deeply. That I had kids. That I was warm and funny. That I wanted to change the world. That I felt that changing the culture was how you change the world.

But I had a clear outline.

SEVEN STEPS TO A GREAT EVENT SPEECH

An “event” is anything from a house party to the speech given at an annual gala. It can be given by a CEO, a board chair or by any organizational ambassadors.

Just follow these seven steps and make them your own.

1)   Leave the “thank you” list to someone else. Nothing kills a set of short remarks faster. The main speaker should thank ONLY the host or give a general thank you to the group.

2)   How did YOU get involved with the organization? “Ten years ago, I was asked to volunteer in the kitchen early every Tuesday morning. Our Tuesday morning group became life long friends. That would have been plenty of benefit but today, I’m here as the board chair of this incredible organization.”

3)   Tell a story about what the organization DOES. Avoid the mission statement. The only thing worse is the “thank you” list! The next thing that will sink you is the “kitchen sink” approach to program work. Tell me one story that is emblematic. It should be real, weighty, and have an outcome you are proud of.

4)   Tell folks what ‘we’ are up against. Talk briefly about the challenges and why “we” all need to come together. If this can be a SHORT compelling story, even better.

5)   A personal story. Why does this work matter to you? I often spoke about my kids and the world I wanted for them. Sometimes I told a funny story that made the point.

6)   Simple basic info about the organization. I just need a few pieces of info about its size – staff and budget. If you can be a “David” in the “David and Goliath” story, all the better.

7)   Ask. Be clear, be specific. Suggest that we all need to take action. Maybe it’s “join all of us with a gift of X.” Maybe you need volunteers to go to a lobby day. Make a specific ask. If you are going to entice them about your organization and NOT offer them a specific way to join you, why did you bother to have the event at all?

The best speeches leave you wanting more. If people are standing, you get 5-7 minutes. Sit down dinner, 7-9. Ten or more is simply too long. At a regular speaking pace, figure you’ve got about 750 words.

The best speeches, also, are not made on the fly. But they sound like they might have been.

So practice kid, practice.

Next: How to increase your special events revenue

23 thoughts on “How To Give A First Rate Event Speech”

Great list, especially tip #1. I tell my clients “You never want to give the audience permission not to listen to you” and nothing does that faster than a laundry list of thank yous.

For those of you reading comments who need a great speechwriter, Elaine is the girl for you. http://www.elainebennettink.com . Thanks Elaine for the positive comments. I like that quote too.

Thanks Joan, but it’s actually just http://www.bennettink.com

Thank you! Great tips. I look forward to using them myself and sharing with others.

I call violations of #3 “program soup.” And I’m always astonished when nonprofit leaders violate #7 and don’t make an ask.

John: “program soup” = “laundry list” = BORING, right? As for #7, I share your astonishment. Leaders feel that folks’ attendance or ticket purchase makes the attendees somehow off limits for an ask. The exact opposite is true

It gets worse: I’ve seen nonprofit CEOs and EDs shy away from non (directly) monetary asks, such as “sign up for our newsletter to learn more” or “here’s a list of volunteer opportunities” or “our annual event is June 23, sign up to get an invite.”

Great timing on posting this topic. Our annual Fall Gala takes place in a month and I’ve been hassling with the “speech” that I want to give. Really appreciated.

This is timely as I am a new ED and have our Annual Dinner coming up this fall. But a question about making it personal – how do you draw the line between personal and uncomfortable. In other words, if I tell people my story will it just make them more uncomfortable? should I leave those types of stories up to client testimonials? Sorry I’m having a hard time articulating my concerns here. But I’ve been struggling with figuring out the right balance/timing for this question.

I hope you hit a big home run at the gala! Glad I could be of help.

Not entirely sure what you mean by a story that would make the audience uncomfortable. I do know that a personal story by the speech giver that illustrates why the cause matters so much to you can be very powerful. Shoot me an email with a bit more detail and maybe I can help you think about how to tell the story in a way that reaches people powerfully without discomfort. [email protected]

Joan, what a GREAT article. thank you. I too am a new ED. I have some time before my next speech, but I like this a lot. I will be sure to give you an update when I do. I will be utilizing your guidelines for sure.

Please do let me know how it goes! Glad it was helpful!

Thank you, I love having a blueprint to follow.

Thanks so much Joan! I’m giving a speech in a week and a half!!

Hi Joan, Your timing is perfect! We’ve got our annual fundraiser coming up, and I was just about to start writing some speeches. Would love to share them with you when we are done, and get your feedback. Assume that falls under the “Want to Meet With Joan” umbrella and pricing structure? LMK and thanks!

I hope the template is helpful and that you engage lots of new folks in your work.

I’m really glad!

Would be delighted to work with yon in a one-on-one session. Learn more at http://www.joangarry.com/sessions

I just gave a speech at our annual fundraiser. 175 people at a social hour, sit-down supper, and live auction. The week before, a friend had refused my help paying for a shared restaurant meal, telling me “money is like manure.” I gave her a funny look, and she explained: “Keep it to yourself, and it just sits in a pile and stinks. Spread it around, and it helps things grow.” Brilliant. The event audience was mostly farmers. Perfect. I told the story, and told them what we could plant & grow this year with their help. $16,000 in proceeds from the event, which is 10% of our annual operating budget. I’m already planning next year’s story.

I love this. Now wish me luck.

Thank you Joan! I have been asked to be the speaker at a Fundraiser and it is tomorrow afternoon. I was asked yesterday! I work tonight and tomorrow before the event. I agree because the kids it is for attend the same Taekwondo school as my kids. While at class, their parents and older sister were shopping and were hit by a man driving over 100mph. They were all killed instantly. Now the 10 year old boy and 15 year old sister are left with their 70+ year old Grandma who can barely drive herself with no other help. The tragedy today is horrible but the implications for the future are far greater. The event itself is not well organized and I also have to introduce events that I don’t even know about. Those I can wing but wanted to make a powerful opening statement. The financial help from this will likely not have a long term impact but if I can rally support to help the grandmother with their care and daily affairs, I think we can make a long term impact. Pray for me! If you see this, any thoughts would rock! :o)

I have been asked to receive the honor of “Person of the Year” by a non-profit and my affiliation is as a Race Director for a women’s only race for the organization who benefits from the race. Under the honoree assumption, does anything change with the 7 pointes above with respect to the speech I have been asked to give?

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About Joan Garry

Joan Garry is an internationally recognized champion for the nonprofit sector and a highly sought after executive coach for CEOs of some of the nation’s largest orgs. She is called upon by large organizations to tackle substantial change management / crisis management / leadership transitions requiring a compassionate truth-teller, a hands-on strategy advisor, a communications expert, and a focus on strong internal and external messaging. She is also the founder of the Nonprofit Leadership Lab.

© Joan Garry Consulting 2024

Use These Employee Appreciation Speech Examples In 2024 To Show Your Team You Care

The simple act of saying “thank you” does wonders.

Yet sometimes, those two words alone don’t seem to suffice. Sometimes your team made such a difference, and your gratitude is so profound, that a pat on the back just isn’t enough.

Because appreciation is more than saying thank you . It’s about demonstrating that your team is truly seen and heard by thanking them for specific actions. It’s about showing that you understand and empathize with the struggles your team faces every day. And it’s about purpose too. True appreciation connects your team’s efforts back to a grand vision and mission.

According to Investopedia ,

“Appreciation is an increase in the value of an asset over time.”

So it’s time to diversify your portfolio of reliable tips and go-to words of wisdom for expressing your undying appreciation. After all, you diversify your portfolio of investments, and really, workplace appreciation is an investment.

Let’s set aside the standard definition of appreciation for a second and take a look at the financial definition.

In the workplace, appreciation increases the value of your most important assets—your employees—over time.

Here are some ways appreciation enhances employee relations:

• Appreciation makes employees stick around. In fact, statistics suggest that a lack of appreciation is the main driver of employee turnover , which costs companies an average of about $15,000 per worker .
• Appreciation reinforces employees’ understanding of their roles and expectations, which drives engagement and performance.
• Appreciation builds a strong company culture that is magnetic to both current and prospective employees.
• Appreciation might generate positive long-term mental effects for both the giver and the receiver.
• Appreciation motivates employees. One experiment showed that a few simple words of appreciation compelled employees to make more fundraising calls.

We searched through books, movies, songs, and even TED Talks to bring you 141 amazing motivational quotes for employees you’ll be proud to put in a Powerpoint, an intra-office meme or a foam board printing cutout! Find plenty of fantastic workplace quotes to motivate any team.

Some of the most successful entrepreneurs in American business built companies, and lasting legacies, by developing employees through the simple act of appreciation.

Charles Schwab, founder of the Charles Schwab Corporation, once said:

“I consider my ability to arouse enthusiasm among my people the greatest asset I possess, and the way to develop the best that is in a person is by appreciation and encouragement. There is nothing else that so kills the ambitions of a person as criticism from superiors. I never criticize anyone. I believe in giving a person incentive to work. So I am anxious to praise but loath to find fault. If I like anything, I am hearty in my appreciation and lavish in my praise.”

Boost your ability to arouse enthusiasm by learning how to deliver employee appreciation speeches that make an impact. Once you master the habits and rules below, sincere appreciation will flow from you like sweet poetry. Your employees are going to love it!

Page Contents (Click To Jump)

The Employee Appreciation Speech Checklist

Planning employee appreciation speeches can be fast and easy when you follow a go-to “recipe” that works every time. From a simple thank you to a heart felt work anniversary speech, it all has a template.

Maritz®studies human behavior and highlights relevant findings that could impact the workplace. They developed the Maritz Recognition Model to help everyone deliver the best appreciation possible. The model asserts that effective reward and recognition speech examples touch on three critical elements: the behavior, the effect, and the thank you.

Here’s a summary of the model, distilled into a checklist for your employee appreciation speeches:

• Talk about the behavior(s). While most employee appreciation speeches revolve around the vague acknowledgment of “hard word and dedication,” it’s best to call out specific actions and accomplishments so employees will know what they did well, feel proud, and get inspired to repeat the action. Relay an anecdote about one specific behavior to hook your audience and then expand the speech to cover everyone. You can even include appreciation stories from other managers or employees in your speech.
•  Talk about the effect(s) of the behavior(s). What positive effect did the employee behaviors have on your company’s mission? If you don’t have any statistics to share, simply discuss how you expect the behaviors to advance your mission.
•  Deliver the “thank you” with heartfelt emotion. Infusing speeches with emotion will help employees feel your appreciation in addition to hearing it. To pinpoint the emotional core of your speech, set the “speech” part aside and casually consider why you’re grateful for your employees. Write down everything that comes to mind. Which aspects made you tear up? Which gave you goosebumps? Follow those points to find the particular emotional way you want to deliver your “thank you” to the team .

Tips and tricks:

• Keep a gratitude journal (online or offline) . Record moments of workplace gratitude and employee acts you appreciate. This practice will make you feel good, and it also provides plenty of fodder for appreciation speeches or employee appreciation day .
• Make mini-speeches a habit. Try to deliver words of recognition to employees every single day. As you perfect small-scale appreciation speeches, the longer ones will also feel more natural.
• When speaking, pause frequently to let your words sink in.
• Making eye contact
• Controlling jittery gestures
• Acting out verbs
• Matching facial expression to words
• Moving around the stage
• Varied pace. Don’t drone on at the same pace. Speak quickly and then switch to speaking slowly.
• Varied volume. Raise your voice on key points and closings.

Employee Appreciation Speech Scripts

Build on these customizable scripts to deliver employee appreciation speeches and casual meeting shout-outs every chance you get. Each script follows the 3-step approach we discussed above. Once you get the hang of appreciation speech basics, you’ll be able to pull inspirational monologues from your hat at a moment’s notice.

Swipe the examples below, but remember to infuse each speech with your own unique perspectives, personality, and heartfelt emotions.

All-Purpose Appreciation Speech  

Greet your audience..

I feel so lucky to work with you all. In fact, [insert playful aside: e.g. My wife doesn’t understand how I don’t hate Mondays. It drives her nuts!]

Thanks to you, I feel lucky to come to work every day.

Talk about behaviors you appreciate.

Everyone here is [insert applicable team soft skills: e.g. positive, inspiring, creative, and intelligent ]. I’m constantly amazed by the incredible work you do.

Let’s just look at the past few months, for example. [Insert bullet points of specific accomplishments from every department].

• Finance launched an amazing new online payroll system.
• Business Development doubled their sales last quarter.
• Human Resources trained us all in emotional intelligence.

Talk about the effects of the behaviors.

These accomplishment aren’t just nice bullet points for my next presentation. Each department’s efforts has deep and lasting impacts on our business. [Explain the effects of each highlighted accomplishment].

• The new payroll system is going to save us at least $20,000 on staff hours and paper.
• Revenue from those doubled sales will go into our core investments, including a new training program .
• And I can already see the effects of that emotional intelligence training each time I’m in a meeting and a potential argument is resolved before it starts.

Say thank you.

I can’t thank you enough for everything you do for this company and for me. Knowing I have your support and dedication makes me a better, happier person both at work and at home.

Formal Appreciation Speech

Greet your audience by explaining why you were excited to come to work today..

I was not thrilled when my alarm went off this morning, but I must admit, I’m luckier than most people. As I got out of bed and thought about doing [insert daily workplace activities that inspire you], I felt excitement instead of dread. It’s an incredible feeling, looking forward to work every day, and for that, I have each and every one of you to thank.

Just last week, [insert specific anecdote: e.g. I remembered, ironically, that I forgot to create a real-time engagement plan for TECHLO’s giant conference next month. As you all know, they’re one of our biggest clients, so needless to say, I was panicking. Then I sit down for my one-on-one with MEGAN, worried that I didn’t even have time for our meeting, and what does she say? She wants to remind me that we committed to submit a promotional plan by the end of the week. She had some ideas for the TECHLO conference, so she went ahead and created a draft.]

[Insert the outcome of the anecdote: e.g. Her initiative dazzled me, and it saved my life! We met our deadline and also blew TECHLO away. In fact, they asked us to plan a similar initiative for their upcoming mid-year conference.]

[Insert a short thank-you paragraph tying everything together: e.g. And you know what, it was hard for me to pick just one example to discuss tonight. You all do so many things that blow me away every day. Thank you for everything. Thank you for making each day of work something we can all be proud of.]

Tip! Encourage your entire team to join in on the appreciation with CareCards ! This digital appreciation board allows you to recognize your colleague with a dedicated space full of personalized well wishes, thank-yous, and anything else you want to shout them out with! To explore Caroo’s CareCard program, take this 60-second tour !

Visionary Appreciation Speech

Greet your audience by explaining why you do what you do..

Here at [company name] we [insert core competency: e.g. build nonprofit websites], but we really [insert the big-picture outcome of your work: e.g. change the world by helping amazing nonprofits live up to their inspiring visions.]

I want to emphasize the “we” here. This company would be nothing without your work.

Talk about behaviors and explain how each works toward your mission.

Have you guys ever thought about that? How what you do [recap the big-picture outcome at your work: e.g. changes the world by helping amazing nonprofits live up to their inspiring visions]?

[Insert specific examples of recent work and highlight the associated outcomes: e.g. Let’s explore in terms of the websites we launched recently. I know every single person here played a role in developing each of these websites, and you should all be proud.]

• The launch of foodangel.org means that at least 500 homeless people in the greater metro area will eat dinner tonight.
• The launch of happyup.org means thousands of depressed teenagers will get mental health counseling.

Now if that’s not [recap the big-picture outcome], then I don’t know what is.

Thank you for joining me on the mission to [big-picture outcome]. With any other team, all we’re trying to do might just not be possible, but you all make me realize we can do anything together.

Casual Appreciation Speech

Greet your audience by discussing what upcoming work-related items you are most excited about..

I’ve been thinking nonstop about [insert upcoming initiative: e.g. our upcoming gallery opening]. This [initiative] is the direct result of your amazing work. To me, this [initiative] represents [insert what the initiative means to you: e.g. our true debut into the budding arts culture of our city.]

You’ve all been pulling out all the stops, [insert specific example: e.g. staying late, making 1,000 phone calls a day, and ironing out all the details.]

Because of your hard work, I’m absolutely confident the [initiative] will [insert key performance indicator: e.g. sell out on opening night.]  

Thank you, not just for making this [initiative] happen, but also for making the journey such a positive and rewarding experience.

Funny Appreciation Speech

Greet your audience by telling an inside joke..

I want to thank you all for the good times, especially [insert inside joke: e.g. that time we put a glitter bomb in Jeff’s office.]

Talk about behaviors you appreciate and highlight comical outcomes.

But seriously, you guys keep me sane. For example [insert comical examples: e.g.]:

• The Operations team handled the merger so beautifully, I only had to pull out half my hair.
• The Marketing team landed a new client, and now we can pay you all for another year.
• And thanks to the Web team’s redesign of our website, I actually know what we do here.

Talk about the real effects of the behaviors.

But for real for real, all your work this year has put us on a new level. [Insert outcomes: e.g. We have an amazing roster of clients, a growing staff, and an incredible strategic plan that makes me feel unqualified to work here.] You guys made all this happen.

So thank you. This is when I would usually tell a joke to deflect my emotions, but for once in my life, I actually don’t want to hide. I want you all to know how much I appreciate all you do.

That was hard; I’m going to sit down now.

Appreciation Speech for Employee of the Month

Greet your audience by giving a shout-out to the employee of the month..

Shout out to [insert employee’s name] for being such a reliable member of our team. Your work ethics and outstanding performance are an inspiration to all of us! Keep up the amazing work!

Talk about behaviors you appreciate in them and highlight their best traits.

It’s not only essential to work diligently, but it is likewise crucial to be kind while you’re at it–and you’ve done both wonderfully!

Talk about the effects of their behaviors on the success of the company.

You bring optimism, happiness, and an all-around positive attitude to this team.

Thank you bring you!

Appreciation Speech for Good Work

Greet your audience with a round of applause to thank them for their hard work..

You always put in 100% and we see it. Proud of you, team!

Talk about behaviors you appreciate in your team members.

You work diligently, you foster a positive team environment, and you achieve or exceed your goals. 

Talk about the effects of your team’s behaviors on the company.

Your dedication to the team is commendable, as is your readiness to do whatever needs to be done for the company – even if it’s not technically part of your job description. Thank you.

No matter the situation, you always rise to the occasion! Thank you for your unwavering dedication; it doesn’t go unnoticed.

People Also Ask These Questions:

Q: how can i show that i appreciate my employees .

• A: An appreciation speech is a great first step to showing your employees that you care. The SnackNation team also recommends pairing your words of appreciation with a thoughtful act or activity for employees to enjoy. We’ve researched, interviewed, and tested all the best peer-to-peer recognition platforms, office-wide games, celebration events, and personalized rewards to bring you the   top 39 recognition and appreciation ideas to start building a culture of acknowledgment in your office.

Q: What should I do after giving an appreciation speech? 

• A: In order to drive home the point of your employee appreciation speech, it can be effective to reward your employees for their excellent work. Rewards are a powerful tool used for employee engagement and appreciation. Recognizing your employees effectively is crucial for retaining top talent and keeping employees happy. To make your search easier, we sought out the top 121 creative ways that companies can reward their employees that you can easily implement at your office.

Q: Why should I give an employee appreciation speech? 

• A: Appreciation and employee motivation are intimately linked together. A simple gesture of an employee appreciation gift can have a positive effect on your company culture. When an employee is motivated to work they are more productive. For more ideas to motivate your team, we’ve interviewed leading employee recognition and engagement experts to curate a list of the 22 best tips here ! 

We hope adapting these tips and scripts will help you articulate the appreciation we know you already feel!

Free Download:   Download this entire list as a PDF . Easily save it on your computer for quick reference or print it for future team gatherings.

Employee Recognition & Appreciation Resources:

39 impactful employee appreciation & recognition ideas [updated], 12 effective tools & strategies to improve teamwork in the workplace, your employee referral program guide: the benefits, how-tos, incentives & tools, 21 unforgettable work anniversary ideas [updated], 15 ideas to revolutionize your employee of the month program, 16 awesome employee perks your team will love, 71 employee recognition quotes every manager should know, how to retain employees: 18 practical takeaways from 7 case studies, boost your employee recognition skills and words (templates included).

Interested in a content partnership? Let’s chat!

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10 Comments

great piece of work love it, great help, thanks.

great tips !!!!

Helpful piece. LAVISH MAYOR

Enjoy reading this. Nice work

Thank you. Very helpful tips.

This is the most helpful and practical article I have found for writing a Colleague Appreciation speech. The Funny Appreciation Speech section was written for me 🙂 Ashley Bell, you’re a rock star!

Very nice speech Well explanation of words And very helpful for work

Hi, Your notes are awesome. Thank you for the share.

Your article is very helpful. Thankyou :).

Your stuff is really awesome. Thankyou for sharing such nice information

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50 Speech Closing Lines (& How to Create Your Own) | The Ultimate Guide

Hrideep barot.

• Public Speaking , Speech Writing

While speech openings are definitely one of the most important components of a speech, something that is equally as important is the way you conclude your speech.

There are few worse ways to end your speech than with a terse ‘thank you’–no elaboration or addition whatsoever.

Speech endings are just as crucial to the success of your speech as speech openings, and you must spend just as much time picking the perfect ending as you do to determine your best possible speech opening.

The words you speak at the beginning and end of your speech are words that your audience will pay the most attention to, and remember longer than any other part of your speech.

Speech endings can put even the most experienced speaker in flux, and increase their anxiousness manifold as they sit there attempting to figure out the perfect way to end your speech.

If you’re someone who’s in flux about your speech ending too, don’t worry. We’ve got some amazing ways to conclude your speech with a bang!

1. Circling Back To The Beginning

The idea behind circling back to the beginning of your speech is to reinforce the idea of your speech being a complete whole. By circling back to the beginning and connecting it to your ending, you let the audience understand that the idea of your speech is complete & standalone.

Circling back to the beginning of your speech also acts as an excellent way of reinforcing the central idea of your speech in the audience’s mind, and makes it more likely that they will remember it after the speech ends.

Need more inspiration for speech opening lines? Check out our article on 15 Powerful Speech Opening Lines & Tips To Create Your Own.

How To Circle Back To The Beginning

The easiest way to do this is to set up your beginning for the conclusion of your speech. That is, if you’re saying something like, say, a story or joke in the beginning, then you can leave your audience in a cliffhanger until the ending arrives.

Another great way to circle back to the beginning is by simply restating something you said at the start. The added knowledge from attending the rest of your speech will help the audience see this piece of information in a new–and better–light.

1. Will Stephen

Ending Line: “I’d like you to think about what you heard in the beginning, and I want you to think about what you hear now. Because it was nothing & it’s still nothing.”

2. Canwen Xu

Speech Ending: My name is Canwen, my favorite color is purple and I play the piano but not so much the violin…

Think of a memorable moment from your life, and chances are you’ll realize that it involved a feeling of happiness–something that we can associate with smiling or laughter. And what better way to generate laughter than by incorporating the age-old strategy of good humor.

The happy and lighthearted feeling you associate with good memories is the kind of emotional reaction you want to create in your audience too. That’s what will make your speech stick in their memory.

Done incorrectly, humor can be a disaster. Done right, however, it can entirely transform a speech.

Humor doesn’t only mean slapstick comedy (although there’s nothing wrong with slapstick, either). Humor can come in many forms, including puns, jokes, a funny story…the list is endless.

How To Incorporate Humor In Your Speech Ending

The simplest way to incorporate humor into your speech ending is by telling a plain old joke–something that’s relevant to your topic, of course.

You can also tell them a short, funny anecdote–may be an unexpected conclusion to a story you set up in the beginning.

Another way would be by employing the power of repetition. You can do this by associating something funny with a word, and then repeating the word throughout your speech. During the end, simply say the word or phrase one last time, and it’s likely you’ll leave off your audience with a good chuckle.

1. Woody Roseland

Ending Line: “Why are balloons so expensive? Inflation.”

2. Andras Arato

Ending Line: “There are three rules to becoming famous. Unfortunately, nobody knows what they are.”

3. Hasan Minhaj

Ending Line: “And you want to know the scariest part? Pretty soon every country on the earth is going to have its own TLC show.”

4. Sophie Scott

Speech Ending: In other words, when it comes to laughter, you and me baby, ain’t nothing but mammals.

5. Tim Urban

Speech Ending: We need to stay away from the Instant Gratification Monkey. That’s a job for all of us. And because there’s not that many boxes on there. It’s a job that should probably start today. Well, maybe not today, but, you know, sometime soon.

6. Hasan Minhaj

Speech Ending: Showing my legs on TV is probably the scariest thing I’ve ever done. And keep in mind last week I went after the Prince of Saudi Arabia.

3. Question

The idea behind posing a question at the end of your speech is to get the wheels in your audience’s minds turning and to get them thinking of your speech long after it has ended. A question, if posed correctly, will make your audience re-think about crucial aspects of your speech, and is a great way to prompt discussion after your speech has ended.

How To Add Questions To Your Speech Ending

The best type of questions to add to your speech ending is rhetorical questions. That’s because, unlike a literal question, a rhetorical question will get the audience thinking and make them delve deeper into the topic at hand.

Make sure your question is central to the idea of your speech, and not something frivolous or extra. After all, the point of a question is to reinforce the central idea of your topic.

1. Lexie Alford

Speech Ending: Ask yourself: How uncomfortable are you willing to become in order to reach your fullest potential?

2. Apollo Robbins

Speech Ending: If you could control somebody’s attention, what would you do with it?

Quotes are concise, catchy phrases or sentences that are generally easy to remember and repeat.

Quotes are an age-old way to start–and conclude–a speech. And for good reason.

Quotes can reinforce your own ideas by providing a second voice to back them up. They can also provoke an audience’s mind & get them thinking. So, if you add your quote to the end of your speech, the audience will most likely be thinking about it for long after you have finished speaking.

How To Use Quotes In Your Speech Ending

While adding quotes to your speech ending, make sure that it’s relevant to your topic. Preferably, you want to pick a quote that summarizes your entire idea in a concise & memorable manner.

Make sure that your quote isn’t too long or complicated. Your audience should be able to repeat it as well as feel its impact themselves. They shouldn’t be puzzling over the semantics of your quote, but its intended meaning.

1. Edouard Jacqmin

Speech Ending: “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.”

2. Chris Crowe

Speech Ending: “It’s more certain than death and taxes.”

3. Olivia Remes

Speech Ending: I’d like to leave you with a quote by Martin Luther King: “You don’ have to see the whole staircase. Just take the first step.”

4. Tomislav Perko

Speech Ending: Like that famous quote says, “In twenty years from now on, you’ll be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the things you did do.

5. Diana Nyad

Speech Ending: To paraphrase the poet, Mary Oliver, she says, “So, what is it? What is it you’re doing with this one wild and precious life of yours?”

5. Piece Of Advice

The point of giving a piece of advice at the end of your speech is not to pull your audience down or to make them feel bad/inferior about themselves. Rather, the advice is added to motivate your audience to take steps to do something–something related to the topic at hand.

The key point to remember is that your advice is included to help your audience, not to discourage them.

How To Add Piece Of Advice To Your Speech Ending

To truly make your audience follow the advice you’re sharing, you must make sure it resonates with them. To do so, you need to inject emotions into your advice, and to present it in such a manner that your audience’s emotions are aroused when they hear it.

Your advice shouldn’t be something extra-complicated or seemingly impossible to achieve. This will act as a counter-agent. Remember that you want your audience to follow your advice, not to chuck it away as something impossible.

Our article, 15 Powerful Speech Ending Lines And Tips To Create Your Own , is another great repository for some inspiration.

1. Ricardo Lieuw On

Speech Ending: “Learn something new, or a new way of approaching something old because there are a few skills are valuable as the art of learning.”

2. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic

Speech Ending: “If we want to improve the competence level of our leaders, then we should first improve our own competence for judging and selecting leaders.”

3. Sharique Samsudheen

Speech Ending: “Some people love money, some people hate money, some people crave money, some people even kill for money. But what they miss is they just need to learn how to manage money well, and that will give them financial freedom.”

4. Kate Simonds

Speech Ending: Teens, you need to believe in your voices and adults, you need to listen.

5. Melissa Butler

Speech Ending: When you go home today, see yourself in the mirror, see all of you, look at all your greatness that you embody, accept it, love it and finally, when you leave the house tomorrow, try to extend that same love and acceptance to someone who doesn’t look like you.

6. Iskra Lawrence

Speech Ending: Speak to your body in a loving way. It’s the only one you got, it’s your home, and it deserves your respect. If you see anyone tearing themselves down, build them back up And watch your life positively grow when you give up the pursuit of perfection.

6. Contemplative Remark

As the name itself suggests, contemplative remarks are intended to make your audience contemplate or mull over something. The ‘something’ in question should be the idea central to your speech, or a key takeaway that you want them to return home with.

The idea is to get your audience thinking and to keep them thinking for a long, long time.

How To Add A Contemplative Remark To Your Speech Ending

To add a contemplative remark to your speech ending, you first need to figure out your key takeaway or main theme. Then, you want to arrange that as a question, and propose it to your audience at the end of your speech.

Remember that your question shouldn’t be something too wordy or complicated to understand. As with the quotes, you don’t want your audience stuck on the semantics. Rather, you want them to focus on the matter at hand.

1. Lisa Penney

Speech Ending: “So I invite you to pay more attention to your thoughts & consider the legacy you leave behind.”

2. Grant Sanderson

Speech Ending: “Some of the most useful math that you can find or teach has its origin in someone who was just looking for a good story.”

3. Greta Thunberg

Speech Ending: “We will not let you get away with this. Right here, right now is where we draw the line. The world is waking up & change is coming whether you like it or not.”

4. Bill Eckstrom

Speech Ending: Now, think about this: it’s not the complexity-triggering individuals or events you should fear the most, but it’s your own willingness to accept or seek discomfort that will dictate the growth of not just you, but our entire world.

5. Robert Hoge

Speech Ending: Choose to accept your face, choose to appreciate your face, don’t look away from the mirror so quickly; understand all the love, and the life, and the pain that is the part of your face, that is the art of your face. Tomorrow when you wake up, what will your choice be?

7. Personal Anecdote

Personal anecdotes, as the name suggests, are anecdotes that are personal to the speaker or instances from their life. Personal anecdotes are a great way to incorporate the magical powers of storytelling in your speech, as well as to make a personal connection with the audience. Using personal anecdotes, you can hit two birds with one stone!

How To Add Personal Anecdotes To Your Speech Ending

To add personal anecdotes to your speech ending, you need to filter through your life experiences to find out ones that directly relate to your topic at hand. You don’t want to include an anecdote, no matter how compelling it is, if it doesn’t relate to your topic.

Remember to not keep your anecdote too long. Your audience will most likely lose their attention if you do so.

1. Sheila Humphries

Speech Ending: “Why do you go work for these people?” My answer to them was, “If I could help one child make it in this world, it’ll be worth it all.”

8. Call To Action

A call-to-action is one of the absolute best ways to conclude a speech with a bang. A well-written speech should aim to alter the audience’s mind or belief system in some way and to make them take an action in that direction. One crucial way to assure your audience does this is by using a call to action.

How To Add A Call To Action To Your Speech Ending

A call to action comes right before the ending of your speech to provide your audience with a clear idea or set of instructions about what they’re supposed to do after your talk ends.

A call to action should provide a roadmap to the audience for their future steps, and to outline clearly what those future steps are going to be.

1. Armin Hamrah

Speech Ending: “So tonight, after you finish your Math homework & before you lay your head down on that fluffy pillow, bring a piece of paper and pen by your bedside…”

2. Graham Shaw

Speech Ending: “So I invite you to get your drawings out there & spread the word that when we draw, we remember more!”

3. Andy Puddicombe

Speech Ending: You don’t have to burn any incense, and you definitely don’t have to sit on the floor. All you need to do is to take out 10 minutes out a day to step back, familiarize yourself with the present moment so that you get to experience a greater sense of focus, calm, and clarity in your life.

4. Amy Cuddy

Speech Ending: Before you go into the next stressful evaluative situation, for two minutes, try doing this in the elevator…

5. Jia Jiang

Speech Ending: When you are facing the next obstacle or the next failure, consider the possibilities. Don’t run! If you just embrace them, they might become your gifts as well.

9. Motivational Remark

As the name clearly explains, a motivational remark motivates your audience to carry out a plan of action. It ruffles the audience’s mind and emotions and has a powerful impact on the steps that your audience will take after you’ve finished speaking.

How To Add A Motivational Remark To Your Speech Ending

The key to a good motivational remark is to inspire your audience. Your motivational remark should act as a ray of hope to your audience and positively inspire them to take a desired course of action.

Your motivational remark should not be negative in any way. You don’t want to guilt or coerce your audience into doing something or feeling a certain way. You want to leave them on a positive note to move forward with their life.

1. Khanh Vy Tran

Speech Ending: “No matter what you’re going through right now & no matter what the future holds for you, please don’t change yourself. Love yourself, accept yourself & then transform yourself.”

2. Mithila Palkar

Speech Ending: “Get a job, leave a job, dance, sing, fall in love. Carve your own niche. But most importantly: learn to love your own randomness.”

3. Andrew Tarvin

Speech Ending: “Anyone can learn to be funnier. And it all starts with a choice. A choice to try to find ways to use humor. A choice to be like my grandmother, to look at the world around you and say WTF–wow, that’s fun.”

4. Laura Vanderkam

Speech Ending: There is time. Even if we are busy, we have time for what matters. And when we focus on what matters, we can build the lives we want in the time we’ve got.

5. Julian Treasure

Speech Ending: Let’s get listening taught in schools, and transform the world in one generation into a conscious listening world, a world of connection, a world of understanding, and a world of peace.

6. Mariana Atencio

Speech Ending: Let’s celebrate those imperfections that make us special. I hope that it teaches you that nobody has a claim on the word ‘normal’. We are all different. We are all quirky and unique and that is what makes us wonderfully human.

10. Challenge

Much like a call to action, the aim of proposing a challenge at the end of your speech is to instigate your audience to take some desired course of action. A challenge should make an appeal to your audience’s emotion, and motivate them to meet it.

How To Add A Challenge To Your Speech Ending

To apply a challenge effectively to your speech ending, you need to make sure that it’s something relevant to your topic. Your challenge should drive the central topic of your speech forward, and make your audience engage in real-life steps to apply your idea in the real world.

While its always a good idea to set a high bar for your challenge, make sure its an achievable one too.

1. Jamak Golshani

Speech Ending: “I challenge you to open your heart to new possibilities, choose a career path that excites you & one that’s aligned to who you truly are.”

2. Ashley Clift-Jennings

Speech Ending: So, my challenge to you today is, “Do you know, would you even know how to recognize your soulmate?” If you are going out in the world right now, would you know what you are looking for?

11. Metaphor

Metaphors are commonly used as a short phrase that draws a comparison between two ideas in a non-literal sense. People use metaphors quite commonly in daily life to explain ideas that might be too difficult or confusing to understand otherwise. Metaphors are also great tools to be used in speech, as they can present your main idea in a simple and memorable way.

How To Add Metaphors To Your Speech Ending

To add a metaphor to your speech ending, you need to first decide on the main idea or takeaway of your speech. Your metaphor should then be organized in such a way that it simplifies your main idea and makes it easier for your audience to understand & remember it.

The key is to not make your metaphor overly complicated or difficult to retain and share. Remember that you’re trying to simplify your idea for the audience–not make them even more confused.

1. Ramona J. Smith

Speech Ending: “Stay in that ring. And even after you take a few hits, use what you learned from those previous fights, and at the end of the round, you’ll still remain standing.”

2. Shi Heng YI

Speech Ending: “If any of you chooses to climb that path to clarity, I will be very happy to meet you at the peak.”

3. Zifang “Sherrie” Su

Speech Ending: “Are you turning your back on your fear? Our life is like this stage, but what scares are now may bring you the most beautiful thing. Give it a chance.”

12. Storytelling

The idea behind using stories to end your speech is to leave your audience with a good memory to take away with them.

Stories are catchy, resonating & memorable ways to end any speech.

Human beings can easily relate to stories. This is because most people have grown up listening to stories of some kind or another, and thus a good story tends to evoke fond feelings in us.

How To Incorporate Stories In Your Speech Ending

A great way to incorporate stories in your speech ending is by setting up a story in the beginning and then concluding it during the end of your speech.

Another great way would be to tell a short & funny anecdote related to a personal experience or simply something related to the topic at hand.

However, remember that it’s the ending of your speech. Your audience is most likely at the end of their attention span. So, keep your story short & sweet.

1. Sameer Al Jaberi

Speech Ending: “I can still see that day when I came back from my honeymoon…”

2. Josephine Lee

Speech Ending: “At the end of dinner, Jenna turned to me and said…”

Facts are another excellent speech ending, and they are used quite often as openings as well. The point of adding a fact as your speech ending is to add shock value to your speech, and to get your audience thinking & discussing the fact even after your speech has ended.

How To Add Facts To Your Speech Ending

The key to adding facts to your speech ending is to pick a fact that thrusts forward your main idea in the most concise form possible. Your fact should also be something that adds shock value to the speech, and it should ideally be something that the audience hasn’t heard before.

Make sure that your fact is relevant to the topic at hand. No matter how interesting, a fact that doesn’t relate to your topic is going to be redundant.

1. David JP Phillips

Speech Ending: 3500 years ago, we started transfering knowledge from generation to generation through text. 28 years ago, PowerPoint was born. Which one do you think our brain is mostly adapted to?

14. Rhethoric Remark

Rhetoric remarks are another excellent way to get the wheels of your audience’s minds turning. Rhetoric remarks make your audience think of an imagined scenario, and to delve deeper into your topic. Rhetoric remarks or questioned don’t necessarily need to have a ‘right’ or one-shot answer, which means you can be as creative with them as possible!

How To Add Rhethoric Remarks To Your Speech Ending

Since rhetorical questions don’t need to have a definite answer, you have much freedom in determining the type of question or statement you wish to make. However, as with all other speech endings, a rhetorical question shouldn’t be asked just for the sake of it.

A rhetorical question should make your audience think about your topic in a new or more creative manner. It should get them thinking about the topic and maybe see it from an angle that they hadn’t before.

Rhetorical questions shouldn’t be too confusing. Use simple language & make sure it’s something that the audience can easily comprehend.

1. Mona Patel

Speech Ending: Pick your problem, ask “What if?” Come up with ideas. Bring them down. Then execute on them. Maybe you’re thinking, “What if we can’t?” I say to you, “What if we don’t?”

2. Lizzie Velasquez

Speech Ending: I want you to leave here and ask yourself what defines you. But remember: Brave starts here.

Another great way to end your speech with a literal bang is by using music! After all, if there’s something that can impact the human mind with just as much force as a few well-placed words, it’s the correct music.

How To Add Music To Your Speech Ending

To add music to your speech ending, you must make sure that the music has something to do with your speech theme. Remember that you’re not playing music in your concert. The piece of music that you choose must be relevant to your topic & work to have a contribution in your overall speech.

1. Tom Thum

Speech Ending: *ends the TED Talk with beat boxing*

16. Reitirate The Title

The title of your speech is its most important component. That’s why you need to pay careful attention to how you pick it, as it is something that your viewers will most likely remember the longest about your speech.

Your title will also act as a guiding hand towards how your audience forms an initial idea about your speech and is what they will associate your entire speech with.

By repeating your title at the end of your speech, you increase the chances that your audience will remember it–and your speech–for a long time.

How To Retierate The Title In Your Speech Ending

Your title is something that your audience associates your entire speech with. However, you don’t want to simply add the title in your speech end for the sake of adding it. Instead, make it flow naturally into your speech ending. This will make it seem less forced, and will also increase the chances of your audience remembering your entire speech ending and not just the title of your speech.

1. Ruairi Robertson

Speech Ending: I feel we can all contribute to this fight worth fighting for our own health, but more importantly, our future generations’ health by restoring the relationship between microbe and man. There is SOME FOOD FOR THOUGHT!

Need more inspiration for speech closing lines? Check out our article on 10 Of The Best Things To Say In Closing Remarks.

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To sum up, speech endings are just as imperative to the success of your speech as speech openings, and you must spend just as much time picking the perfect ending as you do to determine your best possible speech opening. The words you speak at the beginning and end of your speech are words that your audience will pay the most attention to, and remember longer than any other part of your speech.

Still looking for inspiration? Check out this video we made on closing remarks:

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Sample Welcome Speech - Let the Party Begin

A sample welcome speech - one less thing to worry about as you plan your amazing party celebration!

Your guests will expect a welcome speech and they will be pleasantly surprised... and grateful... if you focus on the quality and not the quantity of your words. 

So, prepare a simple, short and effective welcome wish - and then focus on planning all the other great party celebrations - music, excellent food, creative decor, dress code and the theme!

A warm welcome - done!

Let's party!

Good Evening,

A warm word of welcome to everyone tonight as we celebrate [ insert event or occasion ].

Tonight is a exceptional evening -  I am so glad that so many special  people have been able to join us this evening.

As, always, to absent friends - we still miss you.

But, tonight is all about celebrating!

It brings to mind the all too true words, that at times, we should "dance like no-one is watching"!

And tonight is one of those nights!

Let's capture some magical moments, let's create happy memories and let's surround ourselves with laughter and friendship as we celebrate this special occasion.

Have fun, thank you for joining us and go on…dance a little...like no one is watching!

An example of a welcome speech for a party - short, to the point and most importantly... welcoming !

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Your Office Partner

Sample Farewell Party Closing Remarks

Here are three templates for closing remarks for a farewell party:

Template 1: Emotional farewell

As we come to the end of this wonderful farewell party, I want to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude and appreciation to each and every one of you. It is truly heartwarming to see so many familiar faces, and I feel incredibly blessed to have had the opportunity to work with such an amazing group of people.

It is hard to believe that my time here has come to an end, but I am leaving with a sense of fulfillment and pride in all that we have accomplished together. I will cherish the memories of our time here and the friendships that I have made for years to come.

Thank you all for your kind words, your thoughtful gifts, and most of all, your unwavering support and encouragement. I will miss you all dearly and hope to stay in touch with you as I embark on my new journey.

With love and gratitude, [Your Name]

Template 2: Humorous farewell

Ladies and gentlemen,

I hope you have all enjoyed this amazing farewell party as much as I have. I have to say, it feels pretty good to be the center of attention for once! But in all seriousness, I am truly touched by your kindness and generosity.

It has been an incredible journey here at [company name], and I have had the pleasure of working with some of the most talented and fun-loving individuals in the industry. I will never forget the crazy moments we shared, the inside jokes we made, and the unforgettable memories we created together.

As I bid farewell to this chapter in my life, I take comfort in knowing that I will be leaving behind a legacy of laughter, creativity, and camaraderie. Thank you all for being a part of my journey, and I wish you all the very best in your future endeavors.

Stay awesome, [Your Name]

Template 3: Inspirational farewell

Dear colleagues and friends,

As I stand here today, I am filled with a mix of emotions – excitement, anticipation, and a little bit of nostalgia. I have been truly blessed to have been a part of this wonderful community here at [company name], and I am honored to have had the opportunity to work with so many talented and dedicated individuals.

I am a firm believer that life is all about taking risks, exploring new opportunities, and stepping out of our comfort zones. And today, as I prepare to embark on a new adventure, I am reminded of the incredible power of self-belief, resilience, and hard work.

I am eternally grateful to all of you for your support, your guidance, and your unwavering commitment to excellence. You have taught me so much about leadership, teamwork, and the importance of chasing our dreams with passion and purpose.

As I bid farewell to this chapter in my life, I want to leave you all with a simple message – never stop dreaming, never stop learning, and never stop growing. The world is full of endless possibilities, and with the right mindset and attitude, anything is possible.

Thank you for being a part of my journey, and I look forward to staying in touch with you all as I embark on this new adventure.

Sincerely, [Your Name]

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Three points and example sentences of year-end party greetings

A year-end party held at the end of the year.

Some people may be worried about what to do when they are asked to say hello to the company's year-end party.

You don't want to fail because it's a year-end party that concludes the end of this year.

Here, we introduce three points to keep in mind when greeting the year-end party and example sentences that can be used for each greeting.

If you are having trouble greeting the year-end party, please refer to it.

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1. 1. Opening remarks

2. cheers greetings, 3. 3. closing remarks, 1. 1. end the greeting briefly, 2. don't force yourself to laugh, 3. 3. say hello with a cheerful smile, 1. 1. example of opening remarks, 2. example of toast greeting, 3. 3. example of closing greeting, year-end party secretary's work, year-end party greetings are fun and short, what is a year-end party greeting.

A year-end party greeting is a greeting given at the end of the year at the year-end party.

There are three main types.

It is a greeting that declares the beginning of a ceremony.

Generally, the top position is the one.

In the opening remarks, we often talk about the purpose of aiming for a year's effort and finally getting excited.

To make a toast.

Generally, the third greatest person in terms of job title, or a young person or secretary who is good at excitement, is appointed.

It's lonely to just say "Cheers!", So it's a good idea to look back on what happened over the past year, what kind of troubles you have overcome, and what you have achieved.

The person who gave the opening remarks may make a toast as it is.

Greetings at the end of the banquet.

It is often done by the person with the second highest position.

We thank the people who participated in the year-end party and sometimes talk about our aspirations for next year.

At the end, it may end with a manual tightening such as one tightening or three tightening.

Recently, I get the impression that many people just say hello.

If a second party is prepared, we will also inform you of the second party after the closing remarks.

Points for greeting at the year-end party

Here are three points to keep in mind when greeting a year-end party.

Keep your greetings short. ​

A long greeting can be disgusting at the end, even if the audience is interested in it at first.

For those who tend to talk for a long time, do image training before talking.

One way is to create a manuscript in advance and keep it short.

Especially if you hold a glass of toast and wait for a long time, the listener may think "I want to drink quickly!".

Some people may be worried that the bubbles in the poured beer will disappear.

What you want to talk about is not a greeting, but a year-end party.

Since I was entrusted with the greetings of the year-end party, I have to say even one of the jokes to liven up the atmosphere of the place!

I think there are some people who are enthusiastic about this.

The feeling of "let's get excited!" Is important, but you don't have to force yourself to laugh.

Because, "taking a laugh" seems to be easy, and it is quite difficult.

Nowadays, when I try to laugh and ridicule someone, I sometimes get a bad reputation such as "that person is a racist".

Even if the person is not offensive, the person being joked can be offended.

Instead of forcibly saying something interesting, let's calm the people who are there by aiming for a year's effort.

Even if you don't try to laugh forcibly, just talking with a bright smile will make the mood of the place exciting and make it easier to hear greetings.

It's hard to hear if you talk in a soft voice, and the atmosphere of the year-end party doesn't increase.

Your facial expression and voice give a stronger impression to the recipient than the content of the story.

By greeting with a smile and cheerful, everyone will naturally smile and the venue will be lively.

Example greetings that can be used at the year-end party

Here are some example greetings you'll want to use at the year-end party.

Everyone, thank you very much for this year.

This year was a very tough year due to the epidemic of infectious diseases, but by working together with everyone, we managed to overcome this difficulty.

In particular, everyone in the XX department contributed greatly to the construction of the new system, and as a result, we were able to achieve remarkable results, with sales exceeding last year.

This is also thanks to everyone's cooperation.

Next year, I would like to work with you to overcome various difficulties and aim for further business expansion.

Let's have a good time together tonight.

It is △△ of ○○ department that participated in the introduction.

I will take the toast with you.

First of all, thank you for your hard work for a year.

This year was a year in which we had to overcome difficulties that we had never experienced before.

Many people may be worried about what will happen in the future.

However, we managed to overcome this difficulty by sharing our wisdom and making new efforts.

I don't know what will happen next year, but I believe we can overcome any adversity if we work together!

Let's celebrate the achievements we have achieved this year and have a good time together.

Then, please give us a toast.

Thank you for your hard work this year! cheers!

It's a banquet, but the end time is approaching, so I'd like to conclude my greetings. It is XX of □□ part.

Thank you for participating in our year-end party while you are busy today.

It was a short time, but did you enjoy it?

We can hold such a meeting only with the cooperation of all of you, and we can aim for further heights as a company.

I think there are many points that cannot be reached, but we look forward to your continued patronage.

Lastly, I would like to tighten it with a single tightening, so I'm sorry, but please stand up.

Let's borrow your hand!

Yo ~! (Pan!)

Thank you everyone! Thank you for your continued support next year.

Many of you may be appointed as the secretary of the year-end party and want to know what the secretary must do in advance or on the day, and the example sentences of the invitation.

This article introduces the work of the secretary of the year-end party.

Please take a look.

What is the job of the secretary of the year-end party?

I told you about the greetings of the year-end party.

A year-end party aimed at the labor of the year. I don't want to fail in greetings to create a fun atmosphere! I think there are many people who say that.

The greeting of the year-end party is a smile, fun and short, but it is a rule of thumb. If you talk about it for a long time, the party will be lively.

赤坂プリンスク ラシックハウスは忘年会会場としても多くの企業様、団体様にご利用をいただいております。

In a space where you can feel an extraordinary atmosphere while being a venue in the center of the city with good access

If you want to have a good time together at the end of the year, consider Akasaka Prince Hotel!

The Classic House at Akasaka Prince, a dedicated planner will respond to all requests from the secretary and will support everything from proposals for party content to enforcement on the day.

There is also a restaurant, and you will be satisfied not only with the food, but also with the staff who regularly serve you at the restaurant and hone your skills to help you with the party on the day.

If you are planning a banquet or party for a large number of people in Tokyo, please consider using The Classic House at Akasaka Prince.

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This was Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's last platform to deliver a message before Singapore heads to a pivotal polls, according to political observers.

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the May Day Rally at Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention on May 1, 2024. (Photo: CNA/Raydza Rahman)

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Justin Ong Guang-Xi

Davina Tham

SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s final major speech as Singapore's leader on Wednesday (May 1) can be seen as an election campaign speech, according to political analysts. 

The May Day address, delivered two weeks before he hands the reins to Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on May 15, was Mr Lee’s final chance to address the nation in his current capacity before the next General Election , which experts predict will be called by year-end.

“Since the new Prime Minister is likely to deliver the National Day Rally (NDR) solely, this is the last platform for Prime Minister (Lee) to deliver his 'election' message,” said former Member of Parliament Inderjit Singh.

He described the annual May Day Rally, which takes place on Labour Day, as equally significant as the NDR, a key political speech delivered after National Day in August.

Political stability, trust in government critical for Singapore: PM Lee in final major speech as prime minister

In his speech on Wednesday which lasted over an hour, Mr Lee touched on the government’s achievements during his 20-year tenure, as well as fundamentals which have helped Singapore overcome past challenges. 

Associate Professor of Law at the Singapore Management University Eugene Tan said Mr Lee’s speech was about rallying the nation before the handover. 

“It is also about reminding Singaporeans that the People's Action Party (PAP) government has kept to its word and to enthuse Singaporeans about the future,” said Assoc Prof Tan.

“The next election is a pivotal one and so we should not be surprised that the campaigning has started in earnest.” 

General Election likely to be called by year-end, May handover will give next PM 'good runway': Analysts

Emphasis on pap’s track record .

Analysts said that in sharing his achievements, as well as that of his predecessors Lee Kuan Yew and Goh Chok Tong, Mr Lee was driving home the ruling PAP's good track record - one that Singaporeans can be assured of Mr Wong maintaining as well. 

For Mr Lee, a key factor here "is that the PAP system works and that Singaporeans should trust that the PAP government will also make things work in the future”, said Mr Singh, who was the Prime Minister's fellow MP in the Ang Mo Kio constituency.

He added that given the short runway for Mr Wong’s 4G or fourth-generation leadership team, Mr Lee was also laying out the PAP’s track record as a way to boost confidence in the next government.

Mr Wong was named 4G leader in April 2022 , a year after Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat took himself out of the running for the top job in April 2021.

FUNDAMENTALS AMID CHALLENGES

The Prime Minister also devoted much of his speech to outlining that the three imperatives of social cohesion, long-term planning, and political stability and trust would remain crucial to Singapore in a future riven with geopolitical rivalries and economic uncertainty.

His intention here was to assure the people that the fundamental principles that have served Singapore would continue to carry it forward, analysts said.

"The PAP's election strategy has from time to time (been) to appeal to voters that in difficult times, they should elect the tested party who have delivered in the past and that they should not rock the boat by voting for the opposition," said Mr Singh.

He added that Mr Lee wanted to deliver the message that voters "should trust the PAP to help us ride through the difficult time expected ahead".

Assoc Prof Tan said it was significant for Mr Lee to emphasise "the virtuous circle that has kept Singapore thriving".

The message was that "in a more precarious future, we must not fall for political fads and political entrepreneurs but instead stay grounded on what truly matters for a small state like Singapore".

Independent political observer Felix Tan said Mr Lee was also telling Singaporeans to not assume things would stay the same.

He was stressing that in the face of crises, people can depend on the PAP "to bring Singapore to the next level", said Dr Tan.

SETTING THE STAGE 

Analysts say that Mr Lee's speech marks the end of his time as Prime Minister, but also the start of Mr Wong's tenure. 

Said Assistant Professor Elvin Ong from the National University of Singapore's Department of Political Science: "I think in general we can see PM Lee’s speech as sort of a 'wrap-up' speech of his political career, summarising his and the PAP’s achievements over the past 20 years, and setting the stage for the next chapter of the PAP and the new Prime Minister." 

Agreeing, Dr Felix Tan added that beyond giving Mr Wong and the 4G team a vote of confidence, Mr Lee’s speech served as a reminder of the challenging task that confronts them.

“(It) is also to remind the new 4G leaders not to just rest on the achievements of the 3G leaders,” the observer said. 

“Now that they have big shoes to fill; they need to strike out on their own, create their own history, make their own stories," said Dr Tan.

"Whatever becomes of that story, it is them that are answerable to Singaporeans at the end of the day."

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Local election results: Labour celebrating council gains across England - but Tories say one result shows 'no love for Starmer'

Labour is celebrating victory in the Blackpool South by-election and positive results in council elections in England.

Friday 3 May 2024 08:03, UK

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• Vote 2024: Catch up on what you missed overnight
• Check the result where you live
• Labour wins key by-election  |  Starmer hails 'seismic' result
• Sunak needs to 'call an election', new MP tells Sky News
• Tory vote in England council elections down most in Leave areas
• But party clings on in Harlow  | Result shows 'no love for Starmer'
• Live reporting by Ben Bloch and (overnight)  Faith Ridler

By Professor Michael Thrasher, Sky News elections analyst

Election results declared overnight have clearly demonstrated that the Conservatives are in serious trouble.

There was a by-election defeat in Blackpool South at the hands of Labour, the seventh this parliament.

In the local council elections, the Conservatives are losing seats in numbers that suggest this could be one of the party's worst-ever performances.

But Conservative council seat losses have not been to Labour's gain overall - with Sir Keir Starmer's party more or less static in terms of vote share compared with its results from last year's May elections.

Read Professor Thrasher's full analysis here:

After the pretty disastrous set of overnight results for the Tory party (although many more councils are still to declare), we asked the party chair, Richard Holden, what Rishi Sunak is going to do to turn things around in the remaining months before a general election.

Mr Holden replied no voters were telling him on the doorstep they wanted another change of prime minister.

"What they want to see us doing is focusing on getting those flights off to Rwanda," he said, with the party keeping a "strong line on illegal migration".

He rejected that the Tories are offering more of the same following these results, pointing to a "very clear dividing line" with Labour on both illegal migration and tax cuts, which he argued have yet to feed through to people's wallets.

Asked if he is confident that Tory MPs will not try to remove Mr Sunak as PM, Mr Holden replied: "Parliamentary colleagues need to look at this and wait through the weekend."

He disagreed the results tonight show Tory MPs will lose their seats at a general election, arguing they are "typical for a government in midterm coming off a very high level of election results in 2021".

He conceded that there is "a lot riding on Teesside" for both the Tories and Labour in the mayoral election.

Finally, Mr Holden refused to say when he wants the general election to be, but insisted the party is ready for whenever the PM decides to call it.

We've just been speaking with the chair of the Conservative Party, Richard Holden.

Asked how he is feeling about the results so far, he told Sky News that the Tories are "coming off a difficult, a very high watermark set of elections since 2021".

He argued that the 2021 results - coming off the pandemic and driven by Boris Johnson's vaccine bounce - were "unusual", which is why the losses in this set of local elections seem so vast.

Sky's Anna Jones noted that Labour won the Blackpool South by-election with a swing of over 26%, and asked if he is really worried that it shows other seats in the "red wall" that went Tory in 2019 will be lost at the upcoming general election.

The senior Tory replied that voter turnout is much lower than at a general election, and added: "I don't want to see us lose any seats."

He pointed to the former Tory MP having had to stand down due to being caught in a lobbying scandal, and the former Tory MP in a neighbouring seat losing the party whip.

Mr Holden also said Reform UK split the Tory vote, allowing Labour to win (although if you add the Tory and Reform votes together, Labour would still win).

"Not something I'd like to see repeated," he said.

Challenged by our deputy political editor Sam Coates , Mr Holden conceded that there is "no doubt" Reform UK is harming the Tory voter base.

"There's no point in trying to over-talk it - this is going to be a tough night for the Conservatives, and a tough couple of days," he added, noting that the majority of the results are still due to be declared.

In a blow to the Conservative Party, Sky News analysis shows that if tonight's results are repeated at the general election, Labour would win two key Tory seats.

The opposition would win both Aldershot and Plymouth Moor View - both currently held by sitting government ministers.

The current Aldershot MP is Leo Docherty, the armed forces minister, and he has a majority of 16,698 votes.

The seat has been held by the Tories since its creation in 1918.

With boundary changes taken into account, Sky News projects that - if tonight's results were repeated - Labour would achieve the 17.4% swing it needs in a general election.

The current Plymouth Moor View MP is Johnny Mercer, the veterans minister, and he has a majority of 12,897 votes, having first won the seat from Labour in 2015.

But with boundary changes taken into account, Sky News projects that Labour would take it back if tonight's results were repeated at a general election.

Some more results are trickling in as dawn breaks.

Southampton has declared, and Labour has kept control, despite losing two seats.

The Conservatives and the Lib Dems picked up one of those seats each.

Meanwhile in Winchester, the Lib Dems will retain control.

The count is still under way, so we do not have the results in full yet.

But mathematically, it is now impossible for the party to lose control.

As we reported shortly after 5am, the Conservative Party just about clung on to Harlow council.

The Tories have 17 seats, losing five seats to Labour that now has 16 ( result in full here ).

Spinning is well under way, and a Tory party source has been in touch to paint the result as a failure for Labour.

It comes after Sir Keir Starmer campaigned there earlier this week, and told Sky's political editor Beth Rigby that Labour does "need to win in places like Harlow".

The source said: "Sir Keir Starmer, in one of his multiple visits to the area, said that Labour need to win Harlow. They have failed to do so.

"Whilst this is [a] tough night for the Conservative party, it's clear there is absolutely no love for Keir Starmer."

Despite losing a seat, the Liberal Democrats keep control of Gosport council.

The Tories gained one seat on the council near Portsmouth, while Labour holds its two seats.

Meanwhile in Portsmouth itself, the council will remain under no overall control.

Labour retained the same number of seats, while the Tories lost four.

They went to the Liberal Democrats (+1) and independents (+3).

The Conservatives are digesting another by-election defeat this morning, this time in Blackpool South (see 04.46 post).

We've now had some reaction from the party.

"This was a tough fight, and David Jones was an excellent candidate who campaigned hard for every single vote," a Tory spokesperson says.

"This was always going to be difficult election given the specific circumstances related to the previous incumbent.

"What has been clear is that a vote for Reform is a vote for Sir Keir Starmer - taking us right back to square one."

In a blow to the Labour Party, it is set to lose Oldham to no overall control.

Although the count is still under way, the party cannot win enough seats now to hold it.

With three seats left to declare, they are five short of the 31 seats required for control.

Good morning - it's been a busy night in the Politics Hub after yesterday's local and mayoral elections.

Counts are still taking place across the UK - and will be until Saturday - but we've had a raft of results throughout the early hours.

The most significant was the result of the Blackpool South by-election, which was won by Labour with a majority of 7,607 (41.4%) - and a swing of 26.3%.

Party leader Sir Keir Starmer says the "seismic" result shows it's "time for change".

And here are the noteworthy council results you need to know:

Redditch - Labour gain from the Tories

Hartlepool  -  Labour gain from no overall control

Rushmoor  -  Labour grabbed from the Conservatives

Thurrock  - a Labour gain from no overall control

North East Lincolnshire - lost by the Tories to no overall control

Harlow - the Tories managed to just about hang on against a challenge from Labour

You can see the full breakdown of the local election results so far below...

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