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7 Must-Read Tips For Planning Your TEDxSydney Satellite Event

Dominique Antarakis

Want to be part of the excitement of TEDxSydney 2018 but can’t make it to the ICC on June 15? We’ve got you covered and here’s how you can organise your very own TEDxSydney Satellite from anywhere in the world.

Hosting your own TEDxSydney Satellite is a truly unique and rewarding experience. But chances are it’s unlike anything you’ve organised before. With a little careful planning though, your Satellite event has the power to inspire and inform. It may even unleash new ideas. But best of all, it’s your chance to create an event that your friends and colleagues will never forget.

Ready for the challenge? Here are our top tips to help you make the most out of your day.


1. Test the technology

The last thing you want is for the technology to fail you on the day. So, check that your internet connection is capable of streaming the live event – we recommend a downstream connection speed of at least 700Kbps for a medium quality stream. And be sure to test your audio and visual equipment with a trial run well before the big day.


2. Download the speaker line-up

The best part about hosting a Satellite event is that you are free to pick and choose the sessions and speakers that you want to watch, and really tailor the event to suit the audience and mood. We will send you the full event rundown closer to the event so you can plan your day around each session and speaker.

In the meantime, there are some other ways you can prepare: think about your audience, and the type of vibe you are trying to create for your Satellite event. You may like to run a few of the ideas by some of your invited guests, for their input as well. And don’t forget, get people really excited about your Satellite event by promoting the speaker line up in the lead up to the big day.


3. Create the right environment for your guests

When Sydney Trains ran their TEDxSydney Satellite a few years ago, they made sure to set up the room so that their staff could really relax and enjoy the experience.

Cathy Grace, who helped organise the TEDxSydney Satellite at Sydney Trains, said it was important that it “shouldn’t be like a workshop or anything else people usually participate in”.

Consider using bean bags or picnic rugs to encourage attendees to interact and get away from their ordinary, everyday environment and really get into the TEDxSydney zone.


4. Provide snacks and entertainment

There’s plenty of mental Gatorade from the talks, but people will need some fuel to keep them going throughout the day. Encourage your guests to assist you with the catering. For example, assign each volunteer or attendee different items to bring – snacks, sandwiches, drinks – to make sure you cover all bases.

And here’s a thought. Why not boost the experience by taking some inspiration from this year’s TEDxSydney. Think about how you can bring this to life at your event.


5. Mix it up

It’s your event, so feel free to arrange your own live speakers or host a Q&A session to encourage audience feedback and discussion.

Cathy from Sydney Trains found this worked really well. “In between talks, we had internal facilitators run a group discussion about the points raised in each talk. During these discussions, people really opened up about their personal experiences – things that no one would ordinarily know about.”

You might also consider providing some live music or other entertainment in the breaks.


6. Appoint a scribe and a photographer

During the event, there’ll be lots of creative ideas bouncing around the room and you may want to capture these somewhere so you can follow up with attendees afterwards. One idea to keep on top of it all is to arrange for one or two of the attendees to take notes, jotting down the key points and attributing ideas to guests along the way. Another idea is to ask a friend or attendee to take some photos during the event, so you can post to social, and include them in any follow up communications you may send to participants.


7. Make the most of social

Promoting your Satellite event is a great way to get people along to your event, but don’t forget to encourage your audience to be part of the national conversation on the day by using the #tedxsydney hashtag. With over 150 Satellite events likely to be happening all around Australia – and across the globe.


Want more info? Head to the Satellite Host page for all the information you need to register and plan your event.

Original illustration for TEDxSydney by Emma Winton.

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