Contest Roles

Key Roles and Responsibilities

  • Sergeant at Arms (SAA): The “usher.” Opens the meeting, enforces discipline, and manages the waiting room. For some contests, an additional SAA escorts contestants to a breakout room.
  • Contest Chair: The event’s host. Provides the overarching welcome, sets the stage, and hands over to the Contest Master.
  • Contest Master: The “stage manager.” Runs the contest itself—explaining rules, calling speakers, and ensuring smooth execution.
  • Chief Judge: The head of the judging panel. Ensures rules are followed, confirms contestants are audible/visible, and ultimately announces the results. Their decision is final.
  • Panel of Judges: Independent evaluators who score the contestants based on established criteria.
  • Timer: Uses colored cards (virtual backgrounds) to signal time to speakers (Green = minimum time, Yellow = warning, Red = time to conclude).
  • Tally Counters: Work with the Chief Judge in a breakout room to calculate the final scores and determine winners.