Leominster Twin City Toastmasters return to AIS Inc. in-person meetings.

Twin City Toastmasters of Leominster, founded on May 1, 1992, resumed their in-person meetings in July 2021 for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic ended public gatherings in March 2020.

In support of the group’s mission, AIS, a national designer and manufacturer of office furniture and one of the region’s largest employers, has generously opened its doors to Twin City Toastmasters by offering its state-of-the-art facilities. of Technology located at 25 Tucker Drive in Leominster. The AIS location will host a diverse group who want to hone their communication skills.

“AIS is thrilled to lend a meeting space to this group of go-getters who are dedicated to self-improvement and learning from each other,” said Bruce Platzman, CEO of AIS. Communication has always been an important skill, and it has taken on a new meaning in today’s digital world – and sometimes distracted – nothing replaces the ability to connect with your audience face-to-face, no matter what. her size.”

Ahead of the coronavirus pandemic, Twin City Toastmasters held their weekly meeting on Tuesday from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Fidelity Bank’s Leominster Connector Banking Center. The local club will continue to meet on the first Tuesday of each month at Fidelity Bank, with the remainder of the month’s meetings being held at AIS. Networking takes place from 6:45 p.m. to 7 p.m.

“Our club has overcome many unique challenges since March 2020,” said club president Kelly Stevens. “Thanks to the support of AIS, we were able to increase the number of members, improve our meetings with new technologies and continue to support each other in their professional goals.

Like the rest of the world, the Twin City Toastmasters have turned to virtual meetings to keep the group active. Now that most in-person events have been deemed safe and that security protocols are in place, members are happy to meet again. Reconvening was a real priority as a significant advantage of the group is the ability for participants to practice their public speaking skills in front of a live audience. Remote participation remains an option for members and guests through Twin City Toastmasters’ online Zoom platform and hybrid meeting technologies.

Erin Carr, project manager at AIS, joined the group during the pandemic and is now the group’s vice president of public relations.

“When Twin City Toastmasters was looking for a new location to host in-person meetings, I immediately thought of AIS,” Carr said. “The company’s commitment to supporting the community, along with its cutting-edge technology, make the space ideal for supporting hybrid club meetings allowing club members to attend wherever they are. “

Twin City Toastmasters is an enthusiastic and welcoming group with a growing and supportive membership. With modest membership fees and programs like Toastmasters’ innovative Pathways educational program, the Twin City Club helps foster stronger and more effective leaders and public speakers. Meetings are open to visitors who wish to embark on their own Toastmasters journey. For more information visit www.TwinCityToastmasters.com.