The National Speakers Association Presents...
Are you a Storytelling Champion?
NSA's Storytelling Competition is created by Professional speakers for Professional speakers.
Competitions occur on three levels: Chapter, Regional, & National.
Competitors are scored on three tracks:
Purpose
The story’s ability to reveal, and communicate a clear lesson, point or action step that an audience member could leverage.*
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- Audience Identified: Would an identified audience in the speaking industry relate to the story?
- Relevant Topic: Is the story memorable, repeatable, and related to an identified topic in the speaking industry?
- Would it make someone say, “this speaker told an amazing story (repeating part of the story) we should really have them at our next event”?
- Clear Messaging: Does the story provide a path to action? Is it inspiring in someway for the listener?
*Stories must adhere to NSA’s Professional Conduct Policy as required by all NSA main stage presenters and representatives. Please do not permit stories that do not align with this Policy.
Impact
How well the story was crafted and structured to entertain, educate and motivate.
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- Passion: Did the teller deliver the story with the appropriate emotion and passion?
- Engagement: Did the teller engage the audience and effectively captivate them?
- Call to Action: Is there a specific call-to-action or identifiable lesson taught?
Delivery
The teller’s ability to deliver the story and employ professional techniques including eye contact, vocal tone and body language.
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- Blocking: Did the teller use the stage, body language, gestures, and expressions to engage the audience?
- Cadence (vocals): Was the teller able to deliver the story using a rhythm that was impactful?
- Connection (Eye Contact, etc.): Was the teller able to connect with the audience as a whole and individually?
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Chapter Competitions occur in January, February & March.
Membership in an NSA Chapter is required to compete.
Members & Non-Members - CLICK HERE - to find a competition near you!
Note: The Chapter Calendar is not managed by NSA HQ. The information listed in this calendar is curated by Chapter Administrators.
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Each Chapter Champion is eligible to compete at the Regional level. In order to compete, the Champion's entry video submission and the Regional Finalist Fee must be submitted prior to the deadline.
For more information, please confer with your Chapter Administrator.
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 by the pre-determined deadline.
All Regional competitors will be scored on three tracks: Purpose, Impact, & Delivery.
The Regional Finalists will advance to the National Competition at Influence!
Region 1
NSA Northwest; NSA Mountain West; NSA Northern California; NSA Los Angeles; NSA San Diego; NSA Oregon; NSA Las Vegas; NSA Colorado; NSA Arizona; NSA New Mexico, NSA Hawaii, BNSA
Region 2
NSA Minnesota; NSA Kansas City; NSA Illinois; NSA Michigan; NSA Wisconsin; NSA St. Louis; NSA North Texas; NSA Houston; NSA Austin; NSA Kentucky; NSA New Orleans
Region 3
NSA New England; NSA Connecticut; NSA New York; NSA Philadelphia; NSA Pittsburgh; NSA Carolinas; NSA Virginia; NSA DC; NSA Ohio; NSA Georgia; NSA FSA; NSA Central Florida
Starts in:
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!
Resource Center
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.
- A Chapter Finalist Fee paid to each contestant’s respective Chapter is required to advance to the Chapter Final competitions. Fund allocation is subject to Chapter Leaders discretion and should not exceed $250).
- A one-time $500 Regional Entry Fee paid to NSA National is required to participate at the Regional and National levels. This fee covers event-related expenses (virtual and live) for Regional and National-Level Competitions.
- If a Contestant is disqualified for any reason, a reimbursement will not be issued.
- The National Champion is not eligible to compete in the competition in subsequent years - You can only WIN once.
- All Due Dates and Deadlines, Chapter, Regional and National, are non-negotiable and firm. No exceptions. Failure to comply may result in disqualification.
- A contestant can only compete once per year (one Chapter event only – not multiple Chapter competitions). This rule is applicable for anyone who is a member of multiple Chapters.
- Final scores and Champion selections made by the selected Judging Panel at all levels, including the final vote at the National competition, are conclusive and indisputable. Regional and National scores will not be revealed following the competitions.
- A contestant cannot change their primary storyline. The story used at Chapter-Entry Level must be used at Regional and National Level. The general story can be enhanced based onfeedback/coaching received during Mentor Sessions, but the story at large must remain the same.
For a copy of the full Rules, Regulations, & FAQs, click here.
Questions?
Contestant Agreement: By participating in the LSS Competition, each contestant grants and releases to NSA, its successors, assigns, and licensees the right to photograph and record a contestant’s story submission at any level (Chapter, Regional and National), 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 highlight 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 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.
The 2024 Last Story Standing™ Regional Champions, Jeff Rogers, Trent Theroux, and Michelle McCullough, CSP, competed live on the Influence 2024 mainstage on Tuesday, Aug. 6.
Congratulations to Jeff Rogers for winning the National Championship and First Ever LSS Title!
