1st, 3rd & 5th Thursdays of the month
Come as a guest.
No preparation. Nothing to sign up for. Watching is free — you never have to speak, and you're welcome to visit as many times as you like.
When and where
Day
1st, 3rd & 5th Thursdays of the month
Time
6:50 – 8:30 pm, Pacific time
Venue
Airport Center Building, Lower Level Conference Room
Address
7100 Hayvenhurst Ave, Van Nuys, CA 91406
Open in Google Maps or Apple Maps.
There is plenty of free parking behind the building. We meet in the Lower Level Conference Room, beside Van Nuys Airport.
Your first visit, step by step
- Arrive about ten minutes early. Say you're a guest — someone shows you in and asks nothing of you.
- Sit anywhere. No assigned seats, nothing to prepare.
- Watch. You'll see prepared speeches, the impromptu round, and evaluations. Guests are recognized but never put on the spot.
- If you're invited to a Table Topic, you may decline. Most guests stay seated. Saying yes is how some members started; nobody will push.
- Leave whenever you like — mid-meeting is fine. If you'd like a word with someone afterwards, one of the officers will make time.
What happens in a meeting
Every meeting runs its own course, but the shape is steady. Members self-select their roles (see about the club for how leadership works).
- Welcome and introductions — the president opens; guests are mentioned, never grilled.
- Word of the day and meeting roles — a theme, a timer, a grammarian.
- Prepared speeches — usually two to four, five to seven minutes each.
- Table Topics — the impromptu round; guests may join or not.
- Evaluations — every speech lands on the ground with feedback.
- Club business and close — short; the president wraps up.
Guest questions
Do I need to prepare anything?
No. Come as you are. If you want to know what's coming, this page is exactly what's coming.
Will I be asked to speak?
No one is made to. Guests are welcomed by name, and if a Table Topic comes your way, declining is completely normal — many members' first visits were silent.
Is everyone here a good speaker?
Absolutely not — and that's why the club is here. A few longtime members are polished; most of us arrived with the same nerves a visitor brings. Watching each other grow is what keeps people coming back.
How many people attend?
About a dozen. Small enough to know each speaker by name, and busy enough that almost every meeting has speeches to watch.
Is it really free to visit?
Yes — and for as many meetings as you like. Most members decided to join after three visits.
How long does it run?
6:50 – 8:30 pm, Pacific time — plan for about an hour and forty minutes.
Do you meet online?
No — meetings are in person, in the Lower Level Conference Room of the Airport Center Building. Pick one of the club's Thursdays and come.
Access and arrival
There is plenty of free parking behind the building. A Toastmasters sign marks the front door. If the door is locked, call the number on the window; members have the door pin. Then follow the Toastmasters signs down the stairs and into the conference room.
An elevator also runs down to the Lower Level. You are welcome to bring your hearing-assist devices. We do not provide sign-language interpretation.
Want a word before you come?
Just show up — honestly, that's what most of us did. If you'd like a word first, message the club on Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn.