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Find out what happened at TEDxSydney Summer 2018 Pitch Night

Pau Issel

TEDxSydney Summer 2018 Pitch Night · 13 February 2018

“Have you ever been locked in a confined room with five strangers for six months sharing one tube of toothpaste? I have… I took part in a experience that was called “Mission to Mars” that simulated life on Mars. I learnt how to live like a minimalist, life without Google and how to deal with conflict” this was James Bevington’s opening line at the TEDxSydney Summer Pitch Night 2018.

James’ story was just one of the incredible 19 speakers that attendees heard. Each of the selected speakers had 3 minutes (the time it takes to boil an egg) to tell their story, share their idea or a viewpoint of the world through their lens, which is what TEDxSydney Pitch Nights are all about.

Each speaker gave the audience a broad perspective on a particular industry or imparted interesting knowledge from a range of topics like, parenting advice on how to help reduce childrens’ anxious response to stress, if we should consider hacking as a vital part of any innovation and how older Australians are our greatest untapped resource.

Everyday norms were challenged at the event and thought provoking questions were posed to attendees, some of which we would never contemplate in our daily lives. If this can happen in the time it takes to boil an egg, just imagine the journey the mind will take on Friday 15 June 2018 at TEDxSydney 2018.

The Curatorial Team had defined three main criteria to evaluate the proposed ideas on the evening, these were: Clarity, Execution and Presentation Style. James Bevington’s idea on  “How conflict can be seen as two parties working together” was the overall winner of the night.

A presentation by Vanouhi Nazarian had the entire room thinking about “The importance of sharing economy and its impact on consumerism” and Miles Merrill demonstrated that the impact of a story is not always remembered by words but by its presentation.

Other ideas and concepts that were presented were around energy and that only 10% of the energy we use is developed for a ‘useful service’ or that around the world people spend approximately 3 billion hours a week playing games (predominately digital). Sophie Smith took us on her journey of not only losing one baby, but three children at a very early life stage or at birth. Sophie reminded us that “just because it’s uncomfortable to talk about it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t and that we need to encourage honest and open.”

Fenella Kernebone, Head of Curation encouraged the audience to talk to someone new which complimented a talk from Tony Kiss on “Our innate biological drive to be acknowledged as human beings”.  It was a reminder to step outside your comfort zone and say G’day to someone new and always create a beautiful interaction with another human, after all, isn’t that what >Humankind is all about?

The night was an emotional, exciting, educational and interesting roller coaster to say the least.

As humans we are always spreading ideas, connecting with each other and sharing thoughts and stories to hopefully changing the world for the better, and that’s what we are all about here at TEDxSydney.


Thanks to everyone one who joined us at our Sumer 2018 Pitch Night – take a look at some of the images from the night.

Photo credit: Jennifer Polixenni Brankin

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