Its founder Chris Anderson's new idea worth spreading was the TED brand itself. It needed to go local, get to the community, find new constituents.
TEDx, x, signifying independence was born- a franchise. You borrowed the name, staged your own events, and adhered to some simple guidelines.
One of them I have learned is sitting through two online TED presentations, both worthy in Reggie Watts, and Geoff Mulgan investing in a post crash world as such a forceful way of spreading brand loyalty
The borrowers here had something unique on offer, something delivering within the interstices of graduate pedagogy and the professionals workplace.
Welcome to TEDx made by university undergrads, for grads with a little help in the way of former lecturers.
It was all courtesy of Chelsea, a student who'd assembled a remarkable team of colleagues, a triumph for students, and women given their line up.
Emily Giles - a technologist demonstrated how the humble tea pot can be transformed into an array of devices, whilst Rebecca Murch told her story about turning adversity into a winning formula. She was forced to at the age of 22 years to run a business after her partner walked away.
Ideas worth Sharing
On one occasion, she was so overwhelmed a regular customer of her coffee shop donned an apron to lend her a hand.
You could only have the utmost admiration for what the students had achieved, reflected through the eclectic speakers and I won't fault the organisres, but watching some of the presenters it did make me think, what makes for an engaging presentation with about 20 minutes .
1. Know your stuff - sounds obvious - but know it on stage. You need to rehearse, even if a pre-rehersal at your conference isn't possible. That way you reduce the "ooms" and "ahs" and pregnant pauses.
2. Know your audience - that is in the presentation of ideas and the language used. I know this from bitter experience 8 years ago on Flash on the Beach. Ask the question what does the audience want?
3. If you're planning on talking about yourself, ask yourself what value it has for the audience. This is all about framing which Rebecca Murch executed well. Her story, she framed, was a allegory for others considering business and how to over come hurdles.
4. Keep to an idea. 20 minutes is almost Pecha Kucha area so it pays not to open so many strange or technical words that need unpacking
