In the spirit of Ideas Worth Spreading TED has created a program called TEDx, a series of local self-organised events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience.
TEDxSydney at CarriageWorks on Saturday 22 May 2010 will feature a selection of Australia's leading visionaries and storytellers showcasing their Ideas Worth Spreading LIVE to a group of thinkers ... as well as ONLINE to the world at large.
It’s been quite a busy week on the TEDxSydney front. Here’s what’s happening:
+ We are receiving really interesting speaker suggestions via this website. Please keep them coming HERE.
+ We pitched a potential Major Partner this week. Looks encouraging. Details to follow when we know more.
+ Two more speakers are close to confirmation. Hoping to announce the first wave before the end of year.
+ Thinking musical performance. Some TED musical moments HERE. Make your suggestions HERE.
Finally, we briefed our developers re live participation application systems for TEDxSydney … launching in January 2010. Subscribe to our mailing list and/or follow us on Facebook or Twitter. We’ll keep you posted!
Last week was an eventful one in TEDxSydneyland. We met and have partnered with a Sydney based communications company called The Launch Group. (CEO Fleur Brown is a TEDster.) Fleur and her team will be helping out with our marketing communications, social media networking and (critically) the evaluation of potential strategic partners and event sponsors for TEDxSydney 2010.
TEDIndia also took place last week … finishing up on Saturday early evening AEDT. Congratulations go to Lakshmi Praturi, her team and all at TED for a job well done. Some of us were lucky enough to catch bits and pieces via the TED.com webcast. Also, the general public were able to tune in to the first day and the last session thanks to an arrangement with the Times of India (screen shot from last session below, along with shot of Remo watching some of the opening session with staff and CustOMERs at new REMO Store in Bondi).
TEDIndia has inspired us to consider the following in the development and planning for TEDxSydney 2010:
+ TONE
TEDIndia was vibey and “emotional” … with possibly more singing, acting and music than you’d normally see at a regular TED. Did anyone catch any of the sessions? What do people think of this tonal approach vis a vis what we want to achieve over the course of a single day with TEDxSydney?
+ AUSTRALIAN’NESS
TEDIndia felt very Indian … and I’m not just talking about the stage decoration. How “Australian” should TEDxSydney feel … and what does that mean? Modern Australia is (happily) a truly multicultural beast … and that will likely inform our choices of speakers and performers.
+ OPTIMISM
Finally, TEDIndia reminded us that TED is more about solutions than it is about problems. Optimism is an important component of the TED DNA … and our curatorial choices will also be informed by this.
Welcome to the TEDxSydney 2010 website … and thanks to MOB our Technology Partners and Adam Dennis the REMO General Store Web Guy for helping us get this site across the line and out there for all concerned.
A few months ago I was encouraged by colleagues here in Sydney and friends at TED in New York to “step up” as licensee for TEDxSydney 2010. Despite the fact that I have a serious day job navigating the fortunes of the 21-year-old-but-chronically-fragile online endeavour called REMO General Store … I have to admit that the opportunity made a lot of sense. I have been closely involved with TED for over 16 years, and have watched its development with pride and great interest. I know the founder. (See my February 2009 interview of Richard Saul Wurman HERE.) I know and respect his successor Chris Anderson. I also know many of the key people at TED HQ in New York. I believe in what they are doing; and in fact, it’s a JOY for me to be working with some fantastic collaborators here in Sydney to meet the TEDx challenge for our little corner of the world. Having attended many TED conferences over the years, and knowing what I do about the quality of our local thinkers, I had long thought that Australia was under-represented on the TED stage … both in terms of presenting speakers and attending participants. That needs to change.
TEDxSydney 2010 is not the first TEDxSydney … and thanks must go to Matt Church and everybody involved with TEDxSydney 2009 for laying the groundwork for what we hope to achieve with TEDxSydney moving forward.
We’re thrilled to be able to announce that TEDxSydney will be held at CarriageWorks on 22 May 2010. Our partnership with CarriageWorks will deliver an exciting platform for Australia’s leading visionaries and storytellers to speak to an energised group of thinkers, as well as to the world at large. In terms of the development challenge, here’s what we’ve done and here’s what we need to do:
+ Select Venue = DONE
+ Choose Date = DONE
+ Assemble Team of Thinkers & Collaborators = ongoing
+ Involve Sponsors & Partners = ongoing
+ Source Speakers & Performers < doing this now, need your help!
+ Event Planning & Programming
+ Invite & Select Live Participants < applications open January 2010
To get these jobs done we have gathered together a crack team of thinkers and collaborators … and we meet from time to time. Here are some of us pondering who would be great for TEDxSydney 2010:
We’ll be posting to this website as we make progress on all fronts. It’s going to be a fascinating journey. Why don’t you come along? Subscribe to our mailing list and/or follow us on Facebook or Twitter. We’ll keep you posted!
Cheers,
Remo Giuffré | General Thinking
… on behalf of the many people already involved in the development of TEDxSydney 2010
