Podcast Episode

#307: Vancouver 2026: Our Highlights & Takeaways From the International Convention

2026-09-15 34:30

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[34:30] The 2026 Toastmasters International Convention brought 1,137 attendees, including 392 first-timers, to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in August for four days of learning, inspiration and connection under the theme Wide Open Communication.

For this special episode, we're doing things a little differently. Greg is joined by fellow podcaster and 12-year Toastmaster Michael Dugan of Seattle, Washington, who travelled to Vancouver for his first International Convention. Together, they look back at some of the people, learning and memorable moments from Vancouver, with Michael adding the perspective of experiencing it all for the first time.

Their conversation touches on the energy of the opening ceremonies, Jody Carrington's keynote, educational sessions, the World Championship of Public Speaking, Golden Gavel recipient Jennifer Moss, the convention sing-along, some of the things you may have missed, and much, much more. Along the way, Greg and Michael share their own takes on what stood out, what they learned, and a few of the unexpected moments that made the Vancouver experience memorable.

Of course, listening isn't quite the same as being there. But if something catches your interest, many of the convention sessions are still available to watch on demand.

But that's only Part 1.

In Episode #308, Vancouver 2026: Let's Hear From International Convention Attendees  our bonus companion episode, we're turning the microphone over to the attendees themselves. Greg and Michael spoke with Toastmasters from around the world in Vancouver, including many first-timers, to find out what brought them to convention, what stood out, who inspired them, and what they'll take home from the experience.

Special thanks to Michael Dugan, who was instrumental in helping make our two-part convention coverage possible. In addition to sharing his first-timer perspective, Michael shared the interviewing duties with Greg and provided a huge assist during the editing process. Michael is the host and producer of the Voice4Chefs podcast, which recently celebrated its fifth anniversary.

Other Resources Mentioned

Article: Communicators Connect at Convention 2026, Toastmaster magazine recap, SEP 2026

2026 International Convention / On Demand 

Club Resuscitation Please – Cathy Draper, 26-page convention handout 

Previous TMP interviews we promised to link


Photo: Past Int'l President, Deepak Memon, Michael Dugan & Greg Gazin