Storytelling Competition

https://nsaoregon.org/events/storytelling-competition-2025/

ARE YOU A STORYTELLING CHAMPION?

Do you want to IMPROVE YOUR STORYTELLING SKILLS??

Do you want to COLLABORATE WITH THE BEST in the business?

Are you ready to take your storytelling to the NEXT LEVEL?

Do you want to be known for YOUR STORY?

THIS competition is created by PROFESSIONAL SPEAKERS for PROFESSIONAL SPEAKERS.

Competitions occur on three levels: Chapter, Regional & NATIONAL.

Competitors are scored on three tracks: PURPOSE, IMPACT & DELIVERY.

Membership in an NSA Chapter is required to compete.

So, how does this work?

• Story Rules.
  • Story Time Limit: 5 Minutes – The first word to the last is the timed window.
    • This does not include their introduction. Introductions should not exceed 30 sec.
    • Contestants cannot ask for time to restart and/or to start over.
    • Stories that exceed 5 minutes will be disqualified.
  • The contestant must tell ONE story with a beginning, middle and end.
  • The story should have ONE theme and ONE outcome.
  • It should provide a purpose for telling the story with a call to action.
  • This should not be a TED style talk – it must be ONE STORY.
  • The contestant must use their voice only- no Instruments, no props, no costumes, physical examples or additional elements are allowed. These will be considered distractions and negatively impact the score.
  • The contestant can use their voice in any way, but the story cannot be a SONG in its entirety.
  • The message of the story should be clear and directed to the identified market.
• There is a $500 Regional Level entry fee.

• Regional competitors will be assigned a Mentor to review and enhance their Chapter Champion story.  Competitors will then be required to submit their final Regional entry video.
  • All Regional competitors will be scored on three tracks: Purpose, Impact, & Delivery.
  • The Regional Finalists will advance to the National Competition at Influence!

• The National Competition will be LIVE on the mainstage at Influence – July 26 – 29, 2025!
  • Panelists will provide constructive & positive feedback from the stage. Note: The National Panelists are not judges and do not vote.
  • The AUDIENCE will vote for their National Champion!

All National Finalists will receive:

• NSA Website Mentions
• Elite-Level Mentor Sessions
• Mainstage Recording and Photos
• NSA Email and Social Media Recognition and…
• A Trophy for the National Champion!

More information here.
*Volunteers Needed!
If you are not planning to enter the storytelling competition, we still need your help! We invite you to join us as a Competition Committee Member, Judge (CPAEs are encouraged to judge chapter-level competitions), or Event Volunteer on the day of. Please reach out to office@nsaoregon.org if interested!

Rules, Regulations, & FAQS

• This competition is designed for professional-level storytellers. To ensure the competition’s integrity, the following designations/individuals are not eligible to compete in this Last Story Standing™ competition.
  • Council of Peers Award for Excellence (CPAE) Recipients.
  • Million Dollar Speakers Club (MDSG) members.
  • Last Story Standing™ National Champions.
  • Chapter Executives and/or Competition Planning/Committee Members.
  • NSA National Board of Directors.
  • Immediate Past Chapter Champions. Chapter Champions are not allowed to compete the subsequent year. (E.g., if a contestant wins a Chapter Competition in 2024, they cannot compete in 2025 – they must wait until 2026).
• NSA Chapter membership is required to participate.
• All Due Dates and Deadlines, Chapter, Regional and National, are non-negotiable and firm. No exceptions. Failure to comply could result in disqualification.
• A participant can only compete one time per year (one Chapter event only – not multiple Chapter competitions). This rule is applicable to anyone who is a member of multiple Chapters.
• A participant CANNOT change their story. The story that is used at the Chapter-Entry Level must be the story used at the Regional and National Level. The general story can be enhanced based on feedback/coaching received but the story at large must remain the same.
• Final scores and Champion selections made by the selected Judging Panel at all levels are conclusive and indisputable.

For a copy of the full Rules, Regulations, & FAQs, click here.

Contestant Agreement: Each contestant grants and releases to NSA, its successors, assigns, and licensees the right to photograph and record my entire presentation, including likeness, voice, and verbal statements, on film, videotape, and audiotape (collectively, the “Recording.” Each contestant also grants NSA the right to edit, distribute and/or showcase the Recording in the NSA Digital Vault, alone or as part of a compilation, at its discretion without additional approval. This Agreement does not constitute an affirmative obligation on the part of NSA to distribute the Recording. NSA and its agents are permitted the right to use the Recording, name, likeness, voice, and biographical information and any other information about the contestant in connection with the advertising, promotion and public relation efforts relating to the specific presentation dated herein, in all media, now known or hereafter created without any compensation.

For a copy of the full Rules, Regulations, & FAQs, click here.

https://nsaoregon.org/events/storytelling-competition-2025/