In Tuesday morning’s chill, a group of 100 TEDx organizers — representing over 30 countries — set off in a caravan of buses through the misting desert mountains to gather at Noah Purifoy’s art site at Joshua Tree. They joined TED’s Lara Stein and Salome Heusel to talk TEDx.
(Lara Stein at TEDActive 2010. February 9-13, 2010, Palm Springs, CA. Credit: TED / Michael Brands)
ACT I
20 participants — those who had already organized TEDx events — gave short presentations about challenges, narrowly-stepped-over pitfalls and best practices for TEDx events. The crowd heard case studies on the events’ sheer and growing variety of species: events for kids, events for colleges, etc. And all speakers trembled before the The TEDActive Gong, which rang anytime the three-minute mark was breached.
(Kelly Stoetzel at TEDActive 2010. February 9-13, 2010, Palm Springs, CA. Credit: TED / Michael Brands)
ACT II
The TEDxers broke out into three groups: TED’s Ronda Carnegie talked sponsorships. Rives advised on preparing speakers for the TEDx stage. And TED’s Kelly Stoetzel gave production tips — how to give an event the TED shine.
(TEDx organizers gather at TEDActive 2010. February 9-13, 2010, Palm Springs, CA. Credit: TED / Michael Brands)
ACT III
TEDxers met and greeted one another. Word on the street is more than a few interesting collaborations and spin-offs are already starting….