Public Speaking / Demonstration Competition: What It Is, Where It’s Run and How It’s Judged

A county and state fair presentation item in which a young member stands up and either speaks on a chosen topic or shows an audience how to do something, scored out of 100 and open to every age division.

Public Speaking / Demonstration is the spoken-presentation item of a youth county and state fair. It covers two closely related kinds of entry under one heading: a prepared talk, in which the young person argues, informs or tells a story about a topic they have chosen, and a demonstration, in which they show the audience how to do something, usually while explaining each step aloud. What the two share is that one person stands in front of a small audience and has to make a subject clear, in their own words, without simply reading from a page.

In the Nebraska-based fair template on eTalenter the item is an individual entry open to both boys and girls, in English, and it is offered in every age division the template carries: the non-competitive Clover Kids group (ages 5 to 7), Junior (8 to 10), Intermediate (11 to 13) and Senior (14 to 18). Each entry is scored out of 100 as Marks. The template sets no time limit for the item, so an organiser decides how long each presenter gets and states it in the event notice before entries open.

On the day a presenter reports to the room, is introduced, gives the talk or demonstration, and then usually answers a few questions from the judge. A demonstration entry also needs a table or stand and any materials the presenter has brought, so the room has to allow for set-up time between entries that a plain speech does not. The panel then places each entry under the fair’s Danish System of ribbons, which is based on how well the presentation meets a standard rather than on beating other entrants.

Organisers run it because it gives members who would never walk into an animal barn or a craft hall a way to take part, and because it builds a skill every other fair item eventually asks for: explaining what you did and why. For a coordinator it is a light item to run, needing a room, a few chairs, a timekeeper and a judge, with no animals, no large exhibits and no equipment beyond what presenters bring themselves.

Where Public Speaking / Demonstration is run

In eTalenter this item belongs to the county and state fair judging template, which is scoped to Nebraska in the United States and sits in the On Stage category. Presentation and demonstration contests are a standard part of youth-development fairs across the United States, usually run in a side room or a dedicated demonstration area during fair week, but the age divisions, time limits and topic categories differ from state to state, so treat the template as one state’s pattern rather than a national rule.

• United States (Nebraska county and state fair pattern)

Key facts

• Individual entry, open to boys and girls together, presented in English
• Four age divisions: Clover Kids (5 to 7, non-competitive), Junior (8 to 10), Intermediate (11 to 13) and Senior (14 to 18)
• Scored out of 100 as Marks, then placed on the Danish System ribbons: Purple, Blue, Red or White
• No time limit is set in the template, so the organiser states the allowed length in the event notice
• Covers both a prepared talk and a how-to demonstration, so room set-up differs by entry

On eTalenter, Public Speaking / Demonstration is filed under On Stage and typically scored with Marks. It appears in 1 ready-made event templates — each one can adjust its time limit, age-group assignment and scoring setup independently.

Across the templates that use it, Public Speaking / Demonstration is most often entered as an Individual competition, typically scored out of 100.

What judges look at in Public Speaking / Demonstration

What a Public Speaking / Demonstration panel is actually weighing up, and where the marks are usually won or lost:

• Message and organisation: a clear opening, a sensible order and an ending that lands. Marks go to a presenter whose audience can say afterwards what the talk was about, and are lost when the points wander or the ending is simply ‘that’s all’.
• Delivery: voice, pace, eye contact and posture. Reading from a card, mumbling to the floor or racing through the material costs marks; a steady, audible voice and a face turned to the audience earns them.
• Knowledge of the subject: the judge’s follow-up question tests whether the presenter understands the topic or only memorised it. Honest, specific answers score better than a bluffed general one.
• Demonstration technique, where it applies: each step is shown and not just described, the materials are ready and in order, and the finished result is produced at the end. A demonstration that stalls while someone hunts for a missing item loses its flow and its marks.
• Use of visuals and props: a poster, sample or finished example that supports the point is rewarded, while crowded slides or props that distract from the speaker are not.
• Age-appropriate expectation: panels judge a Junior against what is reasonable for eight to ten, so a short, confident, well-prepared talk can place as high as a longer Senior one against its own standard.

Treat these as the judging focus, not a fixed rubric: publish your own weighted criteria for Public Speaking / Demonstration under Scoring Setup, or start from the full elocution & speech judging criteria guide.

How to prepare for Public Speaking / Demonstration

How entrants and their teachers usually get Public Speaking / Demonstration right on the day:

• Choose a topic you can explain from experience, such as a project you actually did, rather than something you have only read about. You will be asked questions, and real experience is the easiest thing to answer from.
• Write the talk as three or four points and practise from a short cue card, not a full script. A script tempts you to read; points keep your eyes on the audience.
• For a demonstration, list every material and every step, then rehearse the whole thing against a timer with the real objects. Pack a spare of anything that can break, spill or run out.
• Time yourself and trim to the length the organiser sets. Running over is the commonest avoidable loss, and the timekeeper will not wait for your last point.
• Practise the question at the end. Ask a friend or parent to fire three questions at you, including one you cannot answer, and rehearse saying ‘I’m not sure, but I would find out by…’.
• Rehearse in front of an audience at least twice, in a room as large as the fair’s, so that your voice has to reach the back wall rather than the person sitting beside you.
• On the day, arrive early, set out your materials before you are called, take one slow breath and begin with your first sentence already in your head.

Frequently asked questions

Is Public Speaking / Demonstration judged individually or as a team?

Across eTalenter’s templates it’s most often run as an Individual entry, though an organiser can set either participation type when assigning the item to an age group.

Is a demonstration the same as a speech?

They are scored under one item but they are different entries. A speech is a talk you give to persuade or inform, while a demonstration shows an audience how to do something while you explain it. Both are judged on clarity and delivery, but a demonstration is also judged on how well the steps and materials are handled.

How long does the presentation have to be?

The template sets no time limit for this item, so the length is decided by the organiser and should be printed in the event notice. If no length is given, ask the coordinator before you prepare.

Can younger children enter?

The Clover Kids group, ages 5 to 7, is on the template but is non-competitive, with participation ribbons only. Competitive entries start at Junior, ages 8 to 10, and run through Intermediate and Senior (14 to 18).

How is it scored?

Each entry is marked out of 100 and then placed on the fair’s four ribbon levels, Purple, Blue, Red and White, according to how well it meets the standard. The template does not print a criteria sheet for this item, so the organiser should publish the points the panel will use.

Want the full judging picture? Read the full elocution & speech judging criteria guide, or browse every on stage competition item.