Toastmasters International -Convention Pins of the Past

A pin in the shape of Arizona with Toastmasters International across the top

In 1981, at the International Convention in Phoenix, Arizona, Toastmasters introduced a diminutive item that would become instantly popular with members: the convention pin.

Each year the small souvenir, designed at Toastmasters World Headquarters, reflects the convention’s location or theme. The 1981 pin is in the shape of Arizona. (When the event was held in Phoenix again, in 2007, a cactus dominated the design.) The pin for the 1993 Toronto convention is the image of a maple leaf, a national symbol of Canada. The designs for the 1989, 1998, and 2010 mementos are accentuated by palm trees, all symbolizing the same site: Palm Desert, California.

The 2023 pin highlights the dazzling blue ocean of The Bahamas. And 2024 has been a bonus year for collectors: Along with the convention pin, displaying the words “Anaheim, California” in the middle, Toastmasters also produced a 100-year anniversary pin to mark the organization’s centennial.

Even among the widely assorted convention memorabilia—keychains, clothing, buttons, bookmarks, magnets, notebooks, and the beloved convention bear—the annual pins stick out. Collecting them has become a special tradition for members, who wear them on lapels, hats, and convention lanyards, and even string them together as a large necklace.

Take a look at some of the memorable keepsakes that have commemorated the conventions through the years.

In honor of Toastmasters International’s 100th anniversary, this is the 11th in a year-long series of articles commemorating historic milestones.