TED and TEDX Talks

Got a big idea? Take five minutes.

And not a second more.

We need your help. We need you to spread the word and help us get some quality speakers for the night. It’s that simple!

Do you have something that you’d like to talk about that will change people’s lives?

The annual TED conference offers brilliant examples of successful business presentations, and pointers gleaned from the TED talks can help business leaders improve their own presentations.

Use social tools to build buzz ahead of time, stage interactive text-message polls or get your audience talking by moderating a back-channel Twitter discussion. "These methods allow you to connect with your audience before, during, and after you deliver your message"

Whenever someone requests (or demands) that you send the PowerPoint deck ahead of time — so it can be reviewed the day before the presentation — a kitten dies.

Most of the speakers are not particularly experienced. More than 50% are occasional speakers or have almost no experience at all. This is a fantastic number – ignite might be effective at giving visibility to people who don’t often get it or aren’t usually attracted to the stage.

We use PPT like a magician uses a lovely assistant — to misdirect the attention of the audience.

No one likes meetings and for good reason. In most meetings, most of the time, most people think most of what goes on is a waste of time.

So what if you took out all of the stupid, wasteful stuff and left only the useful parts?

The Ignite talks mix humor with serious subjects stoked by the tension of wondering whether the speaker will stay on track with their slides or implode on stage. (Remember there is the time limit. And did I mention alcohol?)