I am not in Sydney, can I send in an idea?
Yes – absolutely. But please note that if you are shortlisted, you will have to get there on your own steam.
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Is the venue accessible?
Wheelchair access can be arranged upon request.
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I have applied for previous TEDxSydney Ideas Search (formerly Pitch Nights), can I apply again?
Yes – of course, but consider refining your original idea, or submit something else entirely. Remember, it’s all about ideas worth spreading.
Ask yourself these three questions: Is your idea original? Is it interesting? Am I the right person to talk on this idea?
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I am under 18 years of age, can I submit an entry for the Ideas Search?
Yes you can. Please do!
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How will the Ideas Search event work?
There will be 2-3 sessions and the shortlisted presenters will deliver their short idea in under 3 minutes with a countdown timer. It’s a super fun night and there will be plenty of time to grab a drink and meet new people.
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I submitted my pitch but I haven’t heard from you?
You will know if you were shortlisted or not by COB Date
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How do you choose a winner/s?
Members of TEDxSydney’s curatorial team will be there on the night and will be watching all the presenters closely. While you may not “win”, it is a great thing for us to see you speak and hear your idea – it might be something we want to pursue later.
We have featured a number of speakers at TEDxSydney’s flagship events and TEDxSydney Salons who we saw present at our last few ideas nights.
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If I am selected to present, does this mean I have done a TEDx talk?
No …. this is an ideas search only. While there may be cameras on the night capturing the room, we are not uploading these talks and they are pitches only.
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If I “win” on the night or there is an audience vote, am I guaranteed to have a place on the stage at TEDxSydney 2022?
The short answer is no … while we are super keen to find out of the box ideas and speakers, we are curators and our job is to craft a rich and diverse program. We cannot guarantee a place as a speaker, even if you are chosen as the “winner” on the night. Sometimes it’s the speaker who you might not have noticed who ends up becoming someone that we realise later would be a great speaker and has an idea that we know we can help them deliver.
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Will there be a prize?
We will be giving away a couple of passes to TEDxSydney Main Event 2022 for a few speakers on the night!
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How many words is 3 minutes?
On average, a 3-minute talk is about 300 – 450 words but the only way to know it to write it down and time yourself or use an online tool like this one. http://www.speechinminutes.com/
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Should I script my idea?
100% yes. Write it down, read it out loud and practise it before you record your video pitch.
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What should my video submission look like?
Make sure you have a quiet space, reading from a script is fine at this stage. Or memorise it if you can.
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Do I need to rehearse for my video submission?
If you rehearse you will feel more confident and if you script your idea beforehand rather than talking off the cuff, your idea will be more clearly articulated. This is more likely to grab any audience’s attention.
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Is this a chance to plug my business, pitch my next workshop as a motivational speaker, sell my book, my new product, my app, find investors?
No and no and no. This is an ideas search. There is a difference between pitching your business idea to attract funding and investors and sharing an idea. So no sales pitches.
You might have a great product … but what’s the idea behind it? Can you tell us something about that idea without mentioning your business?
Watch this video of TED’s Chris Anderson explaining the secret to a talk – the idea: https://www.ted.com/talks/chris_anderson_teds_secret_to_great_public_speaking
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Can you give me feedback on why my application wasn’t successful?
Unfortunately, due to the volume of submissions, we do not have the time to provide individual feedback.
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Will we be filmed?
Yes if you are selected for the night, you may be filmed and there will be photographers on the night. Remember this is not an official TEDx talk though.