News

Record Level of Partner Engagement for TEDxSydney 2016

Kate Dezarnaulds

TEDxSydney 2016 · 25 May 2016

Over the past seven years, TEDxSydney has grown to become one of the world’s leading TEDx events and is an annual pilgrimage for a creative and innovative community of Australian thinkers and doers.  Given that TEDxSydney has the such a large live audience, it requires a special type of partner to help us bring the ideas to life – and we’re delighted to announce that 2016 will be a record year for partner engagement.

Our unique approach to partnerships is one that is driven by the global TED team, who require partners to reach beyond the industry staples of logo placement and trade-show style booths. Partnerships at TEDxSydney are ideas driven, multi-layered and strategic – and we know this more sophisticated approach leads to unparalleled levels of engagement for our partners and is the secret for our growth year-on-year.

2016 represents a record level of partner engagement as we welcome the brightest and the bravest brands to engage with our community. The record levels of support that we have received this year enables our team to continue to dream big.

The TEDxSydney 2016 partner lineup includes:

  • Principal Partners : The University of Sydney & St.George Bank
  • Leadership Partners : Optus, Toyota Prius & oOH! Media
  • Major Partners : 3M Post-it®, Sydney Morning Herald, Vivant & AlphaSys
  • Event Partners: JLL (Jones Lang LaSalle), Qantas, Rackspace, TFE Hotels & Alfred

Reflecting this new approach to sponsorship activation, our 2016 partners will be going beyond conventional models to tap into our unique curated audience for broader research and engagement.

For returning partners such as St.George, University of Sydney, 3M Post-it®, TFE Hotels, oOH! Media, Salesforce and Optus, TEDxSydney offers a unique a platform to collaborate with thought leaders whose ideas and attitudes are pushing boundaries and reshaping the way we live and work. And we believe that this value has been recognised by our new partners Toyota Prius, JLL, Rackspace and Qantas who have moved beyond logos and booths in favour of co-created content driven experiences that tap into the minds of our innovative, diverse audiences. These brands see TEDxSydney as an opportunity to create new approaches for products, services and business models.

In announcing their returning partnership, Cathy Yuncken, General Manager Business Banking, St.George Bank, said: “St.George Bank is thrilled to once again partner with TEDxSydney and to help support the incredible energy, creativity and innovative thinking showcased at this event. At St.George we’re committed to helping our customers start something and turn their ideas into reality, so our partnership with TEDxSydney and its mission of ‘ideas worth spreading’ is a great fit. TEDxSydney provides the perfect platform for our 12 Kick Start Grant finalists to pitch their business ideas, with four recipients to receive a $25,000 grant to help transform their business. It is a great opportunity for these entrepreneurs and is part of St.George’s long-standing support of Australian small businesses and start-ups.”

University of Sydney Vice-Chancellor and Principal Dr Michael Spence said the University was excited to be once again partnering with TEDxSydney: “At the University of Sydney our researchers are converting big, bold ideas into real-world solutions to address the major challenges of our time. Research at centres like the Charles Perkins Centre and the Australian Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology will help to change our world. Our partnership with TEDxSydney is a perfect match, as we share a belief in the power of education and intellectual engagement to transform our world. We believe that by engaging people across a diversity of fields and disciplines we can make a difference.”

The 7th annual TEDxSydney will be a full day event that blends talks, music performances and films with an innovative food program. As well as the main onstage program in the Concert Hall, all of the talks will be live streamed on the TEDxSydney website and available to view online after the event.

For those aged 16-26, TEDxYouth@Sydney – supported by University of Sydney & HiJacked for oOH! Media – will return in 2016, staged simultaneously (as the main event) in the Joan Sutherland Theatre at the Sydney Opera House. Created by youth for youth, the full lineup for the event will be announced in the coming weeks – tickets are available online now.

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