On April 25-26, 2022, in Las Vegas, 15 speakers from around the United States converged at Alexis Park Resort to participate for the Ultimate Speaker Competition (USC). Created in 2019 and produced by international speaker, bestselling author and speaker coach, Christoff J Weihman, Ultimate Speaker Competition provides a platform for heart-centered leaders and speakers to share their messages of positivity.
Amongst the speakers who took the stage for the two-day event, was Barry Shore. www.BarryShore.com
Known as the Ambassador of Joy, Barry is a mental health activist, change maker and life transformer whose profound message of JOY is being embraced globally.
Barry has a remarkable story of suddenly waking up one day being paralyzed with a rare nerve disease to now swimming around the world and how he is helping others take on stress and live a life of J O Y!!!!
The event in April was the 7th time Christoff J Weihman and his wife, Michelle, produced the Ultimate Speaker Competition since 2019. Over 100 speakers have graced the Ultimate Speaker Competition stage. They have ranged from a 17-year-old high school student who launched her mental health awareness for youth program, to a 75-year-old former mafia trained card shark who now uses playing cards to tell stories of hope in prisons. Heart-Centered leaders and speakers of all levels of experience gather for 2 days of Connection, Competition and Collaboration.
Christoff says their mission is simple, “Empowering Speakers to Share their Greatness” to make a positive impact in the world.
Ultimate Speaker Competition always supports a non-profit during each event. Stacy Chapter, Marketing Director for Project 150 www.project150.com gave a special presentation highlighting the great work the organization does in helping homeless high school students in Las Vegas.
The 15 Speakers each competed in one of 3 categories: STORYTELLER, EXPERT, INSPIRER. They shared stories of resilience, hope, inspiring messages and knowledge-based expertise with the audience.
On day 1, April 25 was focused on speaker skills workshop which was open to the public. Featured Guest Speaker, David Fagan of Top Talent Agency, taught about audience engagement, getting media exposure and crafting a message that is media worthy.
Each speaker is afforded multiple opportunities on stage to practice in preparation for Day 2-the actual competition.
On Competition Day, each speaker takes the stage in their respective categories, Storyteller, Expert, Inspirer and speaks for 6 minutes.
A panel of judges evaluates each speaker and based on their scores combined with the audience vote, the top 2 in each category move on to the Semi-Finals. In the Semi-Finals each speaker has another 6 minutes on stage. Judges panel included: Moe Rock, CEO Los Angeles Tribune, Gordon Brodecki-Former USC Semi-Finalist and Owner Garage Fitness, Raquel Sharper-TedX Speaker, Isabel Donadio-CEO Top Talent Agency; Jamie Lee-the Grand Prize Winner of the Inaugural Ultimate Speaker Competition in 2019.
Barry Shore competed in the Inspirer Category. He made it to the semi-finals and battled against 5 other speakers. He and Shivanni Ray made it all the way to the finals.
For their final presentation-they each selected an index card (out of 4)-each card had a topic written on it. That was to be their topic to speak for 7 minutes on extemporaneously.
Barry’s final topic was:
“If there was one event that happened in your life you wished you could change, what would you do differently and why?”
Each time Barry took the microphone, he brought the audience on an emotional journey. He sang a short song he made up on the spot, he lifted their spirits, he spoke with wisdom, charisma, exuberance and full emotion. Because of his physical condition he sat in a chair on the stage. Although he physically remained in one spot on the stage, he spoke with such energy and emotion he commanded the entire stage. The audience laughed and cried. They repeated affirmations and acronyms. He told the audience “Each one of us has an obligation to Live Life Exuberantly”
Barry is also the co-founder of the Keep Smiling Movement non-profit, along with Dr. Smiley Ken Rochon. The mission of the Keep Smiling Movement is to inspire and increase smiles in the world. According to Barry Shore the word smile is an acronym for ‘Seeing Miracles in Life Everyday’.
During the final-holding nothing back, Barry’s heart-felt emotionally raw talk landed on the heart of everyone in the room. He shared a story of his relationship with his father and the pain that he carries due to withholding deep affection. As Barry spoke his last words of the final the room was still. Each audience member was in rapt attention. Many were in tears. Barry didn’t just win the competition he won the hearts of every person in that room.
As the Grand Prize Winner, Barry will be speaking on stage at the upcoming Think and Grow Rich Tour, produced by the Los Angeles Tribune, Adora Crystal Evans and in cooperation with the Napoleon Hill Foundation. Barry will be featured alongside such luminaries as Jack Canfield, Co-founder of the Chicken Soup for the Soul Book Series, Dr. Joe Vitale, Sharon Lechter and others.
Next dates for Ultimate Speaker Competition, July 22-24 in Philadelphia and September 11-13in New Orleans.
The first ever All Alumni VIP Event will take place November 6-8, in Las Vegas, which Barry will have the opportunity to compete in again.
Barry Shore is also the author of The Joy of Living
For more info: https://ultimatespeakercompetition.com/
and the host of the podcast by the same name. https://barryshore.com/podcasts/
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