Open Mic

Speaking in public is not easy for most people, nor is running a workshop, writing a speech, thinking on your feet, or even speaking up amongst friends. At POWERtalk you will learn how to gain the confidence to step up to speak up. We've seen it many times over. We help you with simple techniques to look confident as a speaker even when you feel like crumbling. **You'll be giving presentations before you know it and loving it!!!** **\>\>\>** We believe there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to growing as a person and can tailor a plan to help you grow as an individual. **<<<** **Join us at a meeting soon to learn how to build your confidence as a speaker, effectively communicate, get creative, and have lots of fun doing so.** \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- POWERtalk Australia is a not-for-profit organisation training in public speaking and leadership skills. Guests are free of charge for the first 3 meetings. Full membership is surprisingly very affordable. Please ask if you would like more information or become a member. We look forward to meeting you for a night of POWERtalk (1st and 3rd Wednesday of every month) *PS. If you have symptoms of cough, runny nose, fever or are unwell, we wish you a speedy recovery and please ask that you stay away until you are well again. Thanks :)* We meet every 1st & 3rd Tuesday. Address: Power Neighbourhood House - 54 Power Avenue Ashwood Vic 7.45 pm start. 2-hour duration. Come along and enjoy the fun. We look forward to meeting you.

It's time for "Listen Up", our favourite conversation game that helps turn strangers into friends! Join us for a drink and some nibbles while we have fun and make friends. For those who haven't played it before, Listen Up™ is a unique conversational board game that tests your listening skills and inspires deeper connections between participants. There are 3 categories of questions you can get asked depending on the round! (1) 🙃 Just for fun: all kinds of fun questions from if you were a candy or crayon what would you be to what's your fave smell in the world? 😋 (2) 😉 Share: Cause sharing is caring! Starting to get into the deeper questions like if you have a bad day would you prefer to be left alone or have someone cheer you up? 😉 (3) 😎 Listen Up!: Aha this is where all the deep questions are! (Juz and Nicole will be coming straight from work and will likely be there early. If you want join us for a bite to eat, send a message and we'll keep an eye out for you.) . . . 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐆𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐏 Welcome to our group! We are a bunch of Melbourne friends who decided to open up our circle to some new awesome people. We have a broad range of interests and will post some of our events here so you can come and join us. Join our Facebook Community here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/goodexperiencesgreatpeoplemelbourne . . . 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬: • Let's keep things respectful. Our group has a diverse range of members and we get along great! This is because we accept one another, avoid insensitive comments, try to keep swearing to a minimum, and steer clear of gossip and mindless venting. • Please be punctual. Our hosts will check the Meetup page and post their location upon arrival before redirecting their attention to the people present. If you are late (more than 5 min), don’t expect to be able to reach them as they may not check their phone. Please allow enough time for travel and parking. (On that note, we don't organise carpooling because of various liability issues.) • If you say you're going to come, then please actually come. Many of our events end up waitlisted so if you claim a spot and don't show up, then someone else might miss out. Attendees who don't show up (or cancel their RSVP within 12 hours of the event) will be flagged as "no-shows". Repeat "no-showers" will be banned from the group to make space for more reliable attendees. • We want to keep all our members safe and healthy so if you are unwell, then please stay home. If you need to cancel within the 12 hour "no show" window, please send a courtesy message to the event host. • Please don't come if you are just looking to hit people up for your own agenda. Our members are so much more than followers for your Instagram account, customers for your Herbalife business, or people for your Forex empire. In our community, we are about adding value to one another. If you are just coming with a self-serving agenda, then we aren't your crowd. • And finally, this isn't a great group for people who like wallowing in life's problems. We choose positivity and gratitude, so bring some with you!

We are a multi-disciplinary group of PhDs and academic staff who write together regularly and help one another to achieve our writing goals through supportive community, focus and a structure that works. We welcome anyone who wants to get some writing done in a collegial, supportive, encouraging environment. You don’t have to be from University of Melbourne (you don’t have to be from university at all!). We use the Pomodoro method, which means we write in timed intervals of silence, then chat and catch up for 5 mins and repeat the cycle. Arrive when you like, leave when you like. The goal is to keep our writing projects progressing and reduce the isolation that can be part of the academic and/or writing life. **Session Outline:** Welcome: 9.00-9.05 (5 mins) Pomodoro 1: 9.05-9.30 (25 mins). Break: 9.30-9.35 (5 mins) Pomodoro 2: 9.35-10.00 (25 mins) Break: 10.00-10.05 (25 mins) Pomodoro 3: 10.05-10.55 (50 mins) Break: 10.55-11.05 (10 mins) Pomodoro 4: 11.05-11.30 (25 mins) **A note about the format** We don’t host critiques or readings. These events are a safe space for writers of all skill levels and genres to work on their craft, so no one will read or critique your writing. For our full event schedule, visit [https://shutupwrite.com](https://www.shutupwrite.com). **Other Important Details:** WiFi name/password: There is free public wifi available at the Melbourne Connect Superfloor (speak to the concierge for details). University of Melbourne staff and students can connect to the university wifi; staff and students from other universities can join Eduroam using their home institution's log in credentials. Travel / Parking info: Public bike parking along Swanston and Grattan Streets. Tram routes 1, 3, 3a, 5, 16. 16, 64, 67, 72 along Swanston Street (Stop 1) and 19 along Royal Parade (Stop 10). The nearest train station is Parkville Metro Station. Bus routes include 200, 207, 250, 251, 401, 402, 403, 505, 546. There is no public parking available at Melbourne Connect, however the area is well serviced by nearby public carparks, including Cardigan House Parking at 96 Grattan Street and the University of Melbourne Eastern Precinct Car Park at 375 Grattan Street. A taxi rank is located on Grattan Street.

Hey Shower Singers! Meet us at our new venue the Craftsman's Corner (*313 Lygon St, Brunswick East*) You can rock up and and register at the door, or contact us prior if you wish [via our website](https://beyondthebathroom.org/contact-us). We are in person or online, 7.30-9.30pm on Tuesdays. Casual attendance fees are $20 and $15 concession. If it's your first time, please come early so we can give you everything you need for a fun choir session! Looking forward to singing with you soon, BTB

Welcome to the **Tricky Tuesday** Meet Up! This is a smaller event in most respects - smaller capacity, smaller games - but still the same sized fun! Come join us to learn a new game and meet some new people. * This event was created primarily to play and explore **modern** **trick taking games** and **smaller card games** which can be played on more limited table space. * As this is a smaller event, please note it is a bit more casual. Find the group at the table/s, come over and join - we're a welcoming bunch. * Please **bring some games** to this event if you can and be prepared to teach them if you do. **There are** **no games available at the venue** but I will always bring a few. Please consider others when coming and in the lead up to the event. We want as many people there as possible. If you are unable to attend mark yourself as such as soon as you can so others can be notified and attend. There's an FAQ below but if you have any questions please don't hesitate to reach out. Your tricky friend, Dave **FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS** **What is a trick taking game? Good question you handsome person.** * Generally speaking, a trick taking game is a card game which is played in a series of rounds known as ***tricks***. * Each trick is evaluated to determine a winner or ***taker*** of that trick and then will usually start - or ***lead*** *-* the next trick. * The goal is usually tied to either winning or losing a number of tricks. This may also come in the form of you guessing how many tricks you will win - known as a ***bid***. * Some games may have a suit that always wins - known as a ***trump***. * Most trick taking games are **competitive** needing between 3-5 players, others are **cooperative**, there are also solo and two-player trick taking games as well! * Popular trick taking/trick taking adjacent games you may have heard of: [The Crew](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/324856/the-crew-mission-deep-sea), [Skull King](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/150145/skull-king), [Cat in the Box](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/345972/cat-in-the-box-deluxe-edition), [Scout](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/291453/scout), [Fox in the Forest](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/221965/the-fox-in-the-forest), the classic games of [Spades](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/592/spades) and [Hearts](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/6887/hearts), **What makes a Trick Taking game fun?** * There's so much to trick taking games! They're generally quick to teach, quick to play, have interesting decision spaces, and a wide variety of novelty. Even the classics though can be played thousands of times without getting tiresome. Part of the fun is in the interaction with others, assessing their moves and countering them, and how to win (or lose) at the right times. You have to stay on your toes, adapt frequently, and keep tabs on the other players, what they have played, and what they may play next! **Do I need to know how to play/have played a trick taking game before?** * Not at all, but it is good to understand the basics and general terminology so you can pick things up a bit easier on the night. You can check out [this video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7O7QyhKmCsk) for a bit of a general breakdown . **Is this event free?** * Yes, but please support the venue by purchasing a drink or two. **I'm on the waitlist can I still come?** * Unfortunately, no. We have limited capacity and must abide by it. **I don't have a game to bring, is that okay?** * Generally it will be okay, but it is encouraged to bring and share a game where you can! You can always bring a standard deck of cards or tarot cards and learn a card game or two as well! **Can I bring a guest?** * Unfortunately, unless they have signed up too it won't be possible. We have a strict limit on guests and the event would fill up too quickly otherwise. **How do I get to the venue?** * The 86 Tram is your best bet and has a stop pretty much right outside of the venue. * There are two train stations (Westgarth and Northcote) which are within walking distance. * Parking is available in the area but can get busy. If you don't mind a little walk there is parking down the adjacent street. **Dave, I worry you will win all the games we play. Such an intelligent and beautiful man, you must be a master of the tricks, is this true?** * Firstly - thank-you for the kind words, but secondly - no. I suck at trick taking games and lose more than I win. Yet, I enjoy them for their variety, high interaction, and quick nature regardless. You will be fine if you don't take things too seriously. It's about fun and meeting people... (but if you do beat me too often I will ban you from the group and venue...).

I will send you the zoom link on the day, You don' need anything else to participate except your imaginationation and sense of fun:)

Practice speaking at SmashSpeak. Obtain copious stage time. No agenda, technicalities, etc - Just come along, have some fun & speak! Be on time, as entry door automatically locks close to start time. BONUS - SmashSpeak is not a Toastmasters Club Multicultural Hub, 506 Elizabeth St (Opposite Queen Vic Market) Level 1, Purple Room (End of corridor) More to come...

**\*\*\*RSVP PROCESS - CRITICAL INFO\*\*\*** Please be aware, we don't use the Meetup website to take RSVPs, so you will need to register on this link to lock in your place (bookings essential) - [https://propdev.info/uMKh](https://propdev.info/uMKh) We run events most weekends around Australia so you can attend either physically in your local area, or live-stream to any event around the country. **In-Person:** 1:30pm (Melbourne time) to 'Mingle With The Expert' **Virtual:** 2pm (Melbourne time) **INTRODUCING THE INDUSTRY EXPERT:** *Getting Roads Right in Property Development! DPM Consulting Group (John Mathios)* Your feasibility looks solid until road construction, sewer, stormwater, soil conditions and council bonds start blowing the budget. This is where many mum-and-dad developers get caught out. Road networks cost more than expected. Sewer and stormwater requirements change mid-process. Soil conditions add scope and dollars. Then come the bonds, tying up large chunks of cash for far longer than planned. Miss any of this, and your profit margin quietly disappears. That’s why you need to hear from **John Mathios** of **DPM Consulting Group.** John works directly with councils and developers on real-world road construction and infrastructure delivery. He’ll break down the actual costs behind: • Road construction and RD networks • Sewer and stormwater infrastructure • Soil risks that impact construction budgets • Council bonds what they really cost, when they’re paid, and when you get your money back If you want to budget accurately, protect cash flow, and avoid nasty surprises, this is a session every serious small-scale developer needs to attend. **INTRODUCING THE REAL DEAL:** *5 Townhouses (Sunny Katyal)* *1040m2, GZ, Frankston, Victoria* You’ve found a block online, zoned for development and the numbers look great. You think it’ll be smooth sailing until reality hits. **Sunny Katyal** this month’s Real deal presenter knows exactly what that feels like when he secured a site in a general residential zone, planning a 5-townhouse project, everything that could go wrong did go wrong. Lender delays, a builder going bankrupt, and the challenges of managing a project from a distance. Margins squeezed. Stress levels skyrocketed. What should have been a simple townhouse development turned into a real-world lesson in resilience and problem-solving. At our next Property Developer Network Meetup, Sunny will share the real, unfiltered story of this 5-townhouse project from purchase in 2020 to completion in 2026. You’ll learn: • How he navigated lender issues without derailing his project • How he managed builders and contractors to avoid costly setbacks • How he handled managing his site from a distance • The hard lessons and practical strategies he learned to keep the townhouse deal profitable If you’re a mum-and-dad developer wanting to see the reality behind the numbers, avoid rookie mistakes, and learn strategies that actually work, Sunny’s story is not one to be missed. ***This is your chance to talk property with other enthusiasts!*** See you all soon!

**Do you want your audience laughing, leaning in, and hanging on every word?** At this Toastmasters meeting, our Skill Shot presenter and MC will show you *how to craft speeches that entertain, delight, and leave a lasting impression.* Learn how to use humour, storytelling, timing, and vocal variety to captivate any audience. Discover techniques to make your message memorable while keeping your audience engaged from start to finish. Whether it’s a funny anecdote, a surprising twist, or a dramatic pause, you’ll gain the tools to bring your speech to life. **Join us tonight at Port Melbourne Toastmasters and uncover how to turn your presentations into entertaining, captivating experiences that your audience will never forget.** 🌐 [www.portmelbournetoastmasters.org](http://www.portmelbournetoastmasters.org) 📅 **When:** 1st, 3rd, & 5th Wednesdays of the month, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM 📍 **Where:** [Find directions here](http://5181586.toastmastersclubs.org/directions.html) Guests, Meetup Group members, and visiting Toastmasters attend for free. Secure your spot today! ***Want to speak with confidence and connect with real impact?*** *Here’s your chance to overcome nerves, build your presence, and elevate your presentation skills in a supportive, growth-focused environment. Come check us out!*

**Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking with Southbank Toastmasters!** Ready to transform nerves into confidence? Join us for a fun, interactive workshop to: ✨ Conquer your fear of speaking 💡 Learn pro tips from experienced mentors 📈 Boost your business and career through powerful communication Whether you're a newbie or a seasoned speaker, this is your chance to grow, connect, and shine! 🌟 Don’t miss out—step up to the mic and join us! 🎤

**At Happy Hour Toastmasters - We make public speaking** **FUN!** **Do you want to get better at speaking in front of people?** Maybe for that important presentation at work, or that big wedding speech you've been asked to give? Do you want to have fun and make a bunch of great new friends while doing it? Then **our club is the place for you!** Our club is a diverse and supportive group of people, from beginners to world championship finalist-level speakers, who meet regularly to practice and improve our public speaking skills. **You'll also** **learn:** * **leadership skills** * **networking and 'soft skills'** * **how to provide constructive feedback** * **how to control your 'ums' and 'ahs'** * **how to think quickly and creatively while speaking on your feet** * **and much more!** **Guests are welcome** to come to any of our meetings, and we are also to chat with you about questions you might have, so please get in touch! **Please note - Bookings are essential**, as we need to let you into the building when you arrive!

**Comedy Night + Open Mic + Freestyle**: We've hired a professional comedian to warm the group up for our open mic session. Members have been making me laugh for years and we've tossed around the idea of a comedy night / open mic. Well, It's time to step up and crack me up. We'll start with Tristan Shae and a couple of his friends. Tristan is an alternative comic from Columbus, Ohio. A counselor by day, Tristan explores how comedy can improve mental health by telling jokes and stories that muse on how absurd life can be from squeaky clean topics to not so clean ones. Tristan produces the variety show Cheaper Than Therapy, hosts the weekly Problem Child Alt Comedy Open Mic at The Attic, and can be found engaging in all sorts of silliness around the city from stand up shows at The Nest Theater, The Attic, or The Funny Bone, to improv and sketch shows with various groups at various venues such as The Hashtag Comedy Club. **On Freestyle night** \- just bring a bottle to share\. There is NO formal wine tasting like on other weeks\. Door charge is $10 \(cash or Venmo only please\)\. We may have some left over wines to clear out\! Glasses are provided\. Take Care\. See you there\. **Parking**: There are several public parking lots near the Alive614 hall. Please be careful to NOT park in private parking lots. They do tow. Check Google maps to scope out your space. Anyone who is early could easily find a parking space on the street nearby. I am told that the Chase parking lot is safe after hours. **Glasses**: …will be provided. Please note that after the wine tasting, the EMPTY glasses need to be returned to the boxes at the service table. Please do not make me hunt down your empty glass. Please be gentle, our glasses are fragile. Uh, they are made of glass! **Food**: You are welcome to bring a snack to share. It is not required. Most people do though. If no one brings anything, there will be nothing. **Code of Conduct**: Though mostly understood, it’s still worth mentioning. We don’t have rules per se, but we highly discourage the following topics of discussion because they are likely to incite anti-social responses - Sex, Politics, Religion. Please don’t mistake this as an attempt to limit your free speech rights but rather a guide to a place and time for appropriate discussions. **After the lights go out**: After the last sip of wine, when we clean up and turn the lights out, if you still haven’t had enough of us, it is typical for a group to get together and go to a local eatery for food and/or drinks or coffee. Again, We look forward to meeting new members and reuniting with old friends. Sincerely, ***Paul Uttermohlen***, **Red 1 Realty** *Your Hilliard Wine Club Host*

Whether you've never done improv before, or you've done it for so long you knew Del Close on a personal level, or anywhere in between, come join us! Swing by *Gresso's* for the **Columbus Improv Comedy Meetup** for some fun and games! The idea behind improv is to create entire scenes from scratch based on a suggestion from the audience. This can be done in game form, like *Whose Line Is It Anyway*, *ComedySportz*, or *Wild 'n Out*; it could also be done to tell stories, like *Middleditch and Schwartz*. Our meetup, which is central Ohio's longest running (and free!) weekly comedy event, brings the games (and occasionally different forms) for you to play in a safe, supportive, and compassionate environment. Not only is it a lot of fun, but you get to work on thinking faster on your feet, plus it's an excellent way to meet new people and make friendships that'll last a lifetime! Ask yourself if you want to join the **Columbus Improv Comedy Meetup**, and say "Yes, And" that you'll have fun!

The topic for February is "Transitions" Speak Easy: true stories, told live. The idea is simple: an audience, an open microphone, and great stories. Hilarious, gripping, poignant- it's up to you. Audiences are invited to come to listen or come to tell as folks from all corners of Columbus offer their stories live on stage! Held at Wild Goose Creative's warm, intimate space, this night of tales occurs on the 3rd Thursday of every month. Doors open at 6:30 pm, show starts at 7:00 pm. Please arrive early if you want to tell, as we generally only have room for a limited number of tellers, and the sign-up sheet has a tendency to fill up fast. Formed around the idea that people need stories--they're what hold and draw us together--SpeakEasy celebrates the strangeness and commonness of being human. And in a world of smartphones, Facebook, Twitter, and more . . . it gives people a real, breathing, in-person way to connect. The night is geared for true stories of all kinds, taking the best tales told around kitchen tables, in darkened pubs, on the street corner, and at late-night parties and giving them an audience. Speak Easy is also a great outlet for performers, writers, and artists looking to share their favorite stories and perfect their skills. We strongly encourage tellers to please tell the story rather than read it so we keep within the spirit of good storytelling and stay engaged with the audience. All are welcome. Hang around after the show for a drink and build community!

Join us as Evan Stone demonstrates how to leverage Python and AI to create intelligent automations for Minecraft servers. Learn how to build custom tools that enhance player experiences through automated tasks, smart game mechanics, and AI-driven features. Whether you're interested in game development, automation, or practical AI applications, this talk will show you how Python can transform multiplayer gaming experiences. AGENDA: 7:00pm - Opening announcements 7:10pm - Automating Minecraft with Python and AI 7:50pm - Q&A

Join us for an hour of writing! We’ve discovered that it’s strikingly helpful to write with other writers. See if it’s true for you at 7:00pm on Wednesday, February 11 at Streetlight Guild. Be it a book, blog, script, essay, dissertation, resume, melody, poem or just plain work stuff, you are invited to write it with us. No one will see what you've written or give you unsolicited advice. Instead of just thinking about writing, come and get some real writing done. **SCHEDULE:** 6:45ish - Quick introductions 7:00 - Timer starts: write for 1 hour 8:00 - The End **OPTIONAL SOCIALIZING** happens before and after the writing hour. Writing is very solitary. Connecting (and sometimes even commiserating) with other writers is a cool thing. **BEING LATE IS OKAY:** just show up and get settled! If you were on time, please be willing to make room for the friendly latecomer. Happy writing & I look forward to seeing you at Streetlight Guild! **WHAT SHOULD I BRING?** Whatever you need to be able to write! You're welcome to bring earplugs/headphones if noise will bother you! **OTHER IMPORTANT DETAILS:** * **RSVP:** Please RSVP by 6:00pm the evening of the meeting. This helps me know how many to expect, and if we'll need additional space! * **COVID:** While masks are not required, please be mindful of the other writers around you and their comfort levels. * **WIFI/OUTLETS:** Outlets are limited, so please ensure your devices are charged when you come! But Streetlight Guild does have free WiFi! Yay! * **PARKING:** There is free public parking at Streetlight Guild.

We'll meet at The Capital One Café, 167 Easton Town Center, Space A-103. This is in the main mall where the Microsoft store used to be, on your left if you're standing at the bottom of the AMC Theater escalator. Join us on Sunday for an hour of uninterrupted wordmaking! • What we'll do Join us for an hour of writing! We’ve discovered that it’s strikingly helpful to write with other writers. See if it’s true for you at noon on Sundays. Be it a book, blog, script, essay, dissertation, resume, melody, poem or just plain work stuff, you are invited to write it with us. No one will see what you've written or give you unsolicited advice. Instead of just thinking about writing, come and get some real writing done. SCHEDULE: 12:00 - quick intros. 12:10 - timer starts: write for 1 hour. 1:10 - chat / take off / keep writing. OPTIONAL SOCIALIZING happens at 1-1:30ish. Writing is very solitary. Connecting (and sometimes even commiserating) with other writers is a cool thing. BEING LATE IS OKAY: just show up and get settled, then check-in with me after the session. If you were on time, please be willing to make room for the friendly latecomer. Happy writing and I look forward to seeing you! • What to bring Whatever you need to be able to write! Bring earbuds/earplugs if you want to block noise or the occasional conversation by other patrons. Electrical outlets are limited, so charge your devices before whenever possible. See you at The Café on Sunday!