To organize a TEDx event in your college, you need to apply for a TEDx University Level license.

The license application will ask you questions regarding why you want to organize a TEDx event, about the tentative details such as the venue, the speakers you will be inviting, the dates, etc. The two things which you need to be sure about before starting the application is

1. Your expected theme (an idea central to your conference, and all its talks)

2. Your licensee (A licensee for a TEDx will basically be the head of the organizing committee for your TEDx event, and make sure the person who you decide to appoint as a licensee, should preferably have a good resume/ involvement in activities, because the profile of the licensee and his / her prior TEDx experience also matters.)

Once you complete the license application, TED takes approximately 8–12 weeks to respond and after unless you get approval, you can't officially start the event organization, so ideally you should be getting atleast a month between the day you get your license and actual date of your event. So my suggestion is that you send in the application atleast 4 months in advance (preferably 5), so that you get a decent amount of time for organization.

Also keep in mind that TED is very serious about maintaining the quality of their event, so be very careful with your application, because if they don't like something, it will get rejected, while you can reapply, it will increase the time of the overall process, so don't just think of it as a formality, be serious about it.

Once you get your license approved, their are numerous things to do, find suitable speakers, finalize your venue, publicize your event, fubd suitable sponsors ( TED wont be providing you any funds for the organization), select a suitable videographer (all TEDx talks are recorded and sent to TED, they are then approved and uploaded on YouTube), release attendee applications ( an attendee limit of 100 has been prescribed by TED, it can be extended only in certain cases) and plan for the event execution of the actual day. This is a tedious and yet an amazing and educative process, so all the best!

In the end it will all be worth it!

Below I am attaching few helpful links from TED's official website, apart from this if you have any queries, feel free to contact me(You can dm me on Quora)

Details + License application link

University event

TEDx rules

TEDx Rules

TEDx organizer guide

Build your team

Thanks for A2A

Step 1.

Talk to your provost/dean/president to get permission. The go-to persson is usually the dean of students. Make sure to keep the office of student affairs/invovelment in the loop. Just in case they have something of this sort on the cards for later.

Step 2

You probably will always get permission. The college will either let you do it yourself, or coordianate with you to organise the event. Once you do have the permission, find funding.

You college should be able to fund. Don't do it if they ask you raise money independently. It will be a great learning experience, I agree, but the thing to notice here is that the colletge is not invested in your efforts. Promise to fund the event, or to help find funding for the event is a sign that the college is rooting for you.

Step 3

Select a very strong team. Find the best leaders in in your community. This will be difficult work. Friends, girlfriends/boyfriends, people you owe a favour should not get an automatic in. Be very careful and prudent in building your organizing team - you will spend a lot of time with them. Generally, a team of 15 should be sufficient.

Skills to look for:

1. Ownership in work.
2. Ownership in work.
3. Ownership in work.

Step 4

Select speakers. Keep them diverse. Select good speakers. Not intelligent people, not famous people, not great people, but great speakers. I can't ephasize this enough. A TED stage is an extemporial stage. A speaker NEEDS to be able convey information to a lay audience. If he/she cannot, scrap them.

Step 5

Plan ahead. Follow the TED rules very closely, and take care of all the logistics well in advance. Be proactive about making sure all the little details have been already addressed when the actual event rolls around.

All the best!

Being a one of the tedx organisers is something you can feel high

For a person to organise a local tedx event,he/she must go through tedx official website following thier rules and theme

And then you need to apply to host and once your appplication verified,they will send you a mail to book a slot for skype interview by tedx team(only when your application ia gud)

Interview ia like repeating your application orally. It will last upto 30 to 49 min(took me 40)

Atlast ,if tedx team is impressed by your idea,you will get a confirmation mail abput your tedx license approvel

I’m the organiser of TEDxBEC it took me 4 monghs to get this tag

Thanks for the A2A!

We had the honor of organizing the inaugural TEDxShivNadarUniversity on 13th November 2016. It was a day long conference with over 14 speakers from diverse professional backgrounds. Some of them were eminent scholars and experts of their fields like Mrs. Isher Judge Ahluwalia, Eminent Economist; Mr. Ramesh Menon, Journalist; Mr. Jagdeep Chhokar, Citizen Activist. Overall it was a great experience to work for this event. We were initially a team of 12 members who kick-started this initiative on campus as soon as our license was approved in April 2016. We took in volunteers for our various teams from the freshmen class later which expanded our team to 28. It was over a seven to eight months of constant brainstorming over ideas, speakers, decoration, set-up that culminated into what we believe a finest event of that year.

Curation

The most challenging part of organizing a TEDx Conference is Curation. It is important who do we call to share their idea: Is it someone who has already been on this platform? or do we find new faces among us? This was our challenge while curating the speakers’ list. We had a list of over 155 people that we worked on with the help of our student community, faculty and a curation team. We sent over 55 invitations and received around 26 positive responses. Now the challenge was to shortlist a correct number that ensures the conference isn’t too long. Finally we finalized 14 speakers and our team worked with each one of them for at least 2 months to shape their ideas into a crisp talk.

Sponsorship & Marketing

Apart from curation, these two teams had to slog during this period of 7 months (including the summer break) to approach sponsors and maintain a buzz about the event throughout the semester. We worked on an extensive database of over 200 potential sponsors, some of which were sponsors for past TEDx events around NCR. This was an apt test of our professional skills to convince them for investing in our event. The fact that it was organized for the first time made it even difficult. The team designed handsome packages that ensured we had enough to return the favor. Our focus was more on online marketing although we did collaborate with other clubs and societies on campus for offline purposes.

Design and Decor

This is a crucial department that every organizer must focus on. Your talks might be great but if you need a long-lasting impact, your stage and decor can be helpful in the long run. Our attempt at TEDxShivNadarUniversity 2016 was to be elegant with minimal efforts and objects. I am sharing the look of our stage here as a reference:

To sum up, I would consider this to be a beautiful experience and we all had fun organizing. We consider ourselves to be lucky because all of us had a sense of ownership towards this venture which made it successful. If you ever get a chance to be part of such a team, do it. Hope this has been helpful. All the best!

There are several ways of going about it.

The best one is contacting the Organising teams of TEDx events near you. You can easily find that on ted.com . Most TEDx events will have a contact number or email ID on their facebook page. They’ll ask you to provide more info about yourself and the idea you wish to propose. Be prepared with a comprehensive plan and I’m sure they’ll accept your request.

A couple of things to note:

1. It is important that the talk topic you propose is unique and validated.
2. TEDx events are bound by TED rules which state that the events cannot pay you for being a speaker.
3. You cannot promote any product, company, religion or organisation in your talk.

Hope this helps. DM me for further info :-)

I will briefly discuss my understanding of both the tasks mentioned above, i.e.; organizing a TEDx event and speaking at a TEDx event. I will further add my views of both but leave you with the task of making the decision.

Organizing a TEDx event is a tedious task by all means. I would start with a brief list of the major tasks the organizer has to undertake.
1. Team making
2. Venue arrangements
3. Speakers and programme
4. Sponsorship
5. Organization of the event
6. Ensuring a quality experience to the attendees and the volunteers
7. Maintaining the brand of TEDx
8. Post event duties

Furthermore, all along the process you have to follow the rules of TEDx by referring to a very long organizational manual and follow all rules written in it. This is, although, more of a boon than a curse, as the manual is a comprehensive guide to the organization of the event. In fact, ideally speaking, if you only follow the steps in the manual, you will end up with a highly successful TEDx event. Obviously, this is not even close to the reality. Firstly, you have to put in a lot of innovation while selecting speakers and planning the event. Secondly and more importantly, all your plans will go through the test of Murphy's law, and whatever can go wrong will go wrong. You will continuously have to manage the challenges that come your way and device new plans for the ones that fail.
All the above mentioned tasks require skill and talent, but can be gained with time and experience. Add to that an efficient team and an efficient organization plan, and you will get an able TEDx organizer.
Summarizing the above, I would say you need to be talented to organize a TEDx event, but you do not need to be different.

On the other hand, to be a TEDx speaker, you don't only need to be talented, but also extremely unique. A TEDx speaker is generally a person who has taken the road less travelled, and done something off-beat, and needs to possess an idea that is not only new, but also acceptable. This is how the TEDx manual suggests the selection of a speaker.

"Finding extraordinary speakers isn’t always an easy task. Here are some guiding principles to follow in your search for speakers:
Look for ideas, not speakers

It’s actually not the person you should be searching for, but the person’s idea or innovation. This is a great way to decipher between a TEDx speaker, and an interesting person with an “okay” idea. What will the audience walk away knowing – that this person exists, or a new idea?
For example, if you were to describe a potential talk to a stranger and say more about the speaker (“this lady who runs that local charity,” “this guy who made this film”) than a specific idea, that's a clue that you need to go back to that speaker and find their idea, not their identity.
So, what ideas are you looking for?

• Look for new ideas that originate in your community but are widely relatable
• Look for ideas that need to be defended – not something self-evident, but an interesting argument, perhaps with an antagonist.
• Look for an idea the TED world hasn't heard before. (In other words, not a copy of a TED Talk you like!)
• Look for ideas that change perceptions. (e.g., a scientific discovery that changes how you think about frogs, a philosophical argument that reshapes your notions of friendship.)

TEDx Speaker Checklist

Is this speaker...

• a local voice that few people have heard before?
• someone who can present their field in a new light?
• someone with a perspective to which the global TED community may not have access?
• diverse by demographic, ethnicity, background, and/or topic?"

I hope the information is enough and enables you to answer your question yourself. For further details, you can head over to the official website of TED, where the organizers manual and all other TED related documents are available for free.

There are a few organizations that allow people to create events at the local level. Though quite different from TEDx, they’re still focused on personal storytelling. Here are three examples that I’ve enjoyed in the past.

CreativeMornings - CreativeMornings | Breakfast lecture series

Ignite - Ignite Talks - Enlighten us, but make it quick

PechaKucha - PechaKucha 20x20

Finally, there’s nothing stopping you from creating an event of your own, that’s not affiliated with any national / global brand. You miss having a connection to other organizers, but if your intent is to feature speakers with important ideas, there’s the option of producing something unique based on your vision.

Difficulty Level: Hard
Requirements: Have the US$7500 to attend a flagship TED Conference in Long Beach, or a former paying attendee willing to lend their name/reputation to you in sponsorship. Startup initial capital of of US$5000 minimum, ideally US$10,000
Likelihood of Success: Variable - highly dependent on quality of team you attract, quality of speakers, quality of venue, and competitive landscape (how many other TEDx are already in your region). But on average - LOW.

1. Only those who have attended the flagship TED Conference in Long Beach are allowed to apply for and hold a TEDx license, so the first step is to either get an invitation to go to TED, pay the US$7500, and attend. After your first TED, you are now able to be an authorized TEDx licensee.

If you cannot afford a TED or unable to secure an invitation, find a TED attendee who trusts you and is wiling to lend you his/her reputation within the TED community to sponsor your TEDx. On paper, it will be their TEDx and you are simply helping out (even if you do 99% of the work).

2. Once a license is secured, you need to assemble your team. TEDx rules are written explicitly to keep TEDx organizers from earning a living from hosting TEDx events, so you will need to find high-energy, reliable, conscientious people willing to work for you for free.

In the early days of TEDx, (~2010) this was far easier task, as the novelty of indirectly working for TED could corral in curious TED fans with spare bandwidth between their day jobs. Nowadays, far more difficult - most major metropolitan city has a TEDx already established, and most highly-motivated TED fans with excellent work ethic will already part of established local TEDx teams, so you will have to either pry/steal them from an existing team, or recruit raw talent unfamiliar with TEDx (very difficult).

3. Once you have your team assembled, you will need to secure a venue - TED-style venues in the U.S. are typically quite expensive and while TED will lend you their name, you are on your own, financially. In addition to rental costs, you will need to front insurance, security and catering in many cases just to secure a place/date. Somebody will have to write a big check, and if you're organizing it - that somebody is you.

4. Once you have a venue secured, you will need to recruit speakers. Again, in the early days of TEDx (~2010) this is a easier task - many sought-after speakers who would otherwise demand appearance/speaking fees waive them for a chance to give a "TED Talk" and the novelty of TEDx allowed us to secure speakers that would otherwise be out of our league.

Now, with the proliferation of TEDx (in the San Francisco Bay Area, there are, by my count, 16 independent TEDx within a 30 minute driving radius), this is far less an enticing pitch.

The fact that you are a startup TEDx with no prior events and no reputation compared to your TEDx neighbor peers will be a significant minus - the highest-level speakers you approach will demur in hopes of being invited to speak at a more established TEDx in your community.

5. Once you've got a speaker lineup locked down, you will need to market the event to your community. I remember a conversation with a very naive gentlemen a few years ago who thought that people will hear a whiff of the word "TED" and stampede to hand him money to attend.

He acquired a TEDx license, but that was all he accomplished, and his efforts to host a TEDx event utterly failed.

Even established TEDx like TEDxSF with a large and responsive mailing list need to market our events - make sure we select a date that does not conflict with major events of our community's sphere (mostly technology and VC).

Which is all a VERY long way of saying that if you are interested in being part of a TEDx, join an established TEDx as a volunteer. Work your way up the organization and learn the intricacies of hosting a TEDx from a group that is already successful at it, rather than going at it on your own and making avoidable mistakes.

I gave a 15-minute talk at a Silicon Valley Bank conference about my experiences co-founding TEDxBerkeley which some have told me they found helpful.

Good luck.

http://www.justin.tv/eventtech/b/265897488

If at all possible, attend other TEDx events first. Find events near you on TED.com:

TEDx | Event Listing | TED.com

Before attending, review their website. Note the theme and speakers who have been selected, as well as the partners/sponsors who are supporting the event. Many TEDx websites also list the team members, so make note of who they are.

While you’re at the event, take a lot of notes. How was registration set up, as well as hospitality (food / drink). Do they have volunteers who welcome you, and help with questions? How is the venue setup - folding chairs, or theatre with padded seating?

Pay attention to their audio / video capability. How many cameras do they utilize?

How is the program run - how does the host introduce speakers and performances?

After the event - wait a week or so - contact the organizing team, tell them you’re organizing a TEDx event and have a few questions. The more you learn the better.

Second recommendation is to build a team. You need to find people who will be responsible for each of the teams - logistics, marketing, hospitality, program, AV. Teamwork is the ultimate secret for creating a successful event.

It’s a lot of work - I spend 1,000 hours per year organizing TEDx events - and it’s nonstop for myself and my co-organizer - we work on these events year round.

But the benefits are priceless. The people we interact with - team members, our audience, and the speakers & performers. It’s a nonstop learning experience in many ways, as every day there’s something new to encounter and deal with.

There are many stressful days, wondering if it will all come together, or if the speakers will get their talks nailed down. But then the day finally arrives, and attendees fill the theatre, and speakers take the stage, and you hear laughter, applause, and cheers - and you know it was worth all the effort.

I want to do it

I can do it

I will do it!

Do these thoughts grab your mind before doing any sort of work?

"Tibi ipsi crede"

Believing in yourself is the first step towards success of any event, so be assertive and get started.

With organizing a successful event come a lot of responsibilities. Apt communication skills, leadership qualities, team work, positivism, efficiency, budgeting capability, meticulous approach and determination to succeed together define the success of any event.

To organize a Tedx event in first place requires a license, for which you'll have to make sure the things mentioned below:

1.Read the Tedx rules

2. Pick your event type

3. Read about naming your event

“Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.”

Once having received the license now it's time to build up a team.Since a lot of work is to be supervised and handled, volunteers for the same will be required. Recruit those individuals who will be dedicated to the work and best fit the required roles.

Choose the right venue to conduct your event. Make sure its according to the needs of your audience and fit the theme.

Speaker curation is one of the most important job since it involves bringing in those speakers which will add value to lives of the audiences.Hence it needs to be done warily.

Next thing to be done is branding and promotion. Choose the logo which aptly defines the theme.

The advertisement of the event should be done nicely in order to attract a good amount of viewers.

Creating and handling the budget for your TEDx event can be a challenge. Most events will cost at least some money, so you’ll want to know how much you need, and how to get it. For that it is important to target suitable sponsors.

Editing the video and photography takes a lot of work — and attention to detail — to ensure that everything goes smoothly.

Once everything has been taken into account, be ready for the day of event and see it to go as planned!

When we started, we received hundreds of speaker suggestions.

To reach out maximum to the crowd & get best of people, we distributed google forms, conducted QnA sessions asking students their speaker suggestions, did whole 3–4 months of research work and a hell lot more.

I’m curator at TEDx DYPatil University that’ll be taking place on 25th January, 2018.

Let us first accept that TEDx

However from a curation point of view, these are the things we look for in every speaker.

• Idea: What do you want to deliver the audience? Is it mere textbook motivation or do you have some crust idea.
• Life work: A curator should never get flattered or have biased opinions when selecting speakers. Age, rank, monetary status, charisma should never control his/her decision abilities.
• Background check: It is essential that speakers don't have any past controversial affairs, biased mentality, unethical opinions.

Based on these and many more factors, we narrowed our speakers to 8!

1. Gajendra Singh Shekhawat: Minister of State, (Agriculture) & our beloved Quora influencer guiding youth through various informative aspects of Indian politics.
2. Dr. Nandita Palshetkar: IVF specialist helping thousands of couples craving to have the baby of their own fulfill their dream.
3. Diwakar Vaish: Roboticist from India instrumental in developing world's first mind controlled wheelchair & India's first humanoid robot.
4. Suraj Jagan: Rock musician & the voice behind 300+ songs including some all times favorites like ‘Rock on’ & ‘Give me some sunshine.’
5. Altaf Qadri: A photojournalist who has captured intriguing moments & emotions of war right from Kashmir to Libya.
6. Richa Singh: Co-founder of Blogchatter & a social media enthusiast who guides youth how to utilize their 3–4 hours spent daily on social media daily effectively for personal growth.
7. Balasubramanyam Giri: Commonly known as ‘Pickbrain’, Giri is a world renowed quizzer & an entrepreneur.
8. Pt. Sharad Dandge: The man who shall take you on a tour of various states of India through the versatile forms of music he plays on his tabla.

If you wish to get any detailed information on this topic or if you’re interested to be an attendee at TEDxDYPatilUniversity,

I'll be happy to guide you personally through the concept & ticketing process.

Footnotes

Many TEDx speakers are passionate about their purpose and calling and enjoy getting the opportunity to get their ideas worth spreading out to a wider audience. Speaking for myself, I absolutely LOVE presenting TED talks around the world as a way of inspiring people to do the impossible in their lives, and I enjoy encouraging and coaching other speakers on how to share their passions and ideas and give the talk of their lives.

If you're looking to recruit speakers, search for TEDx speakers whose topics match the theme of your TEDx event, and then invite them based on the fact that their passion and your topic line up.

Cutting through fear: Dan Meyer at TEDxMaastricht

In one sense that’s a question which requires pages of explanation, but to be brief:

1. Form a volunteer team who will take on key responsibilities such as program (finding/coaching speakers), marketing, logistics, fundraising, show (A/V).
2. Determine what resources your school can supply, most often the venue, but there may also be an audio/video department that can help. Having the right audio/video team in place is vital if you want your videos to be viewed often.
3. Determine what resources you can get donated. This is most often food and beverages from local vendors. If they can’t donate completely, they may be willing to sell their products to you at a discount.
4. Finding the right speakers is critical for producing an event that will satisfy your audience. You will want to have a mix of students, faculty and external subject matter experts. Students should audition for a place on stage, while your program committee can typically decide on the other two categories.
5. Coaching is also a very important part of the process. Reach out to TEDx events in your area as one way to see if some of their speaker coaches will support your event. Toastmasters and local professional speaker coaches provide another option, and you may have teachers/parents who can help.
6. Your logistics team will be tasked with all day of needs, such as registration, way-finding, ushers, etc. There’s always more work than you plan for.
7. Marketing can be straight forward if your school (students, faculty, parents) will comprise the audience. Newsletters, emails, flyers, posters will all work well, but you’ll need graphic designers to create such marketing materials.
8. Finally, attend other TEDx events, ideally Youth events. Talk to the staff and organizers, take notes on how they run the event. While each TEDx event is unique, you will find a lot of commonality in how they are produced.

Great answers so far from John and Kai. I think there is also a difference between organizing a TEDx event in the States, and elsewhere in the world. (With the exception of a few major cities.)

I've worked on several TEDx events, including a few in the Middle East, primarily on coaching the speakers and getting them ready for the big event. Several talks have wound up on the TED website, as well as some of the acts that were featured in the events to be invited to "big" TED. (That's all to say it IS possible, especially for great ideas, well done regardless of the fame of the speaker to go on to the other TED platforms.)

From my experience there are six areas critical to the quality of a good TEDx event:
(This is an updated answer of something I posted elsewhere.)

1) Having a well organized schedule and tech team that has rehearsed the overall flow of the day, so that as little as possible is left to chance

2) Having a flow of the day for speakers and events that follows an emotional arc, with a good speaker starting the event, the best speaker closing the event, and the rest sprinkled throughout. Also, it helps to have hosts who can engage the audience in getting to know each other, and create the "TED Spirit" inside the auditorium.

3) Good audience curation - Make sure you are inviting a broad mix of high quality people, and try to get more people than you can fit so you can put together the right mix of backgrounds and personalities. It's important for people to feel that time and attention was spent on thinking of the audience. And it really helps if they feel they were chosen to be at this event. Having an application process to be audience can go a long way toward creating this feeling.

4) Speaker Curation - Picking great speakers based on their ideas, rather than their celebrity or sponsorship is crucial. There are so many people with great ideas who can benefit from having TEDx as a platform to spread there ideas that it's a shame to waste any opportunity for them to get filmed and put on the web.

5) Speaker Preparation - I'm a bit biased here as I work with speakers, but even for really accomplished speakers, doing a TED style talk is different than anything else they may have encountered in the past. It's important that they have someone to help them shape their talk, and practice it a few times with their visuals (if they use any) before they go up on stage. This is especially important if the speakers need to keep exactly on time. (Which usually everyone does...)

6) Also, make sure you have a full dress rehearsal with all the speakers doing their talks onstage with all the technical elements in place. This will give you the chance to uncover any unexpected kinks in the tech elements, as well as see who from the speakers may need some additional work.

My Colleagues at Townscript had done a deep research on how to organising a TEDx events. Let me share it wit you.

Ideas Worth Spreading

If you have Ideas worth spreading or you want to organize an event to host innovative minds, TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) event is what you want.

A TEDx event is a gathering with speakers and videos that provide intellectual food for thought along with insightful conversation. It helps brainstorm new ideas, motivate and impart valuable and relevant knowledge with a motive to inspire.

If you wish to explore and organize a TEDx event and do not know where to start and how to go about it, we can lead the way. Read on to find more about the kind of TEDx events that can be organized and the rules to be followed while organizing a TEDx events and the most important of all – how to apply for a TEDx license.

To be fully aware of the event that you plan to undertake we suggest you read through these basic rules. It is an absolute must to comply with all the rules and guidelines if you wish to successfully go through the license process and there after organize a memorable TEDx event. You can read all the rules here.

Step 1 – Read Rules Thoroughly
After you have read the rules thoroughly, it is now time to explore the types of events that can be organized and all that you need to know about it.

Step 2 – Pick An Appropriate Event Type
Below listed are the types of events you get to choose from

1. Standard Event
   This is the most basic TEDx event. It is subject to all of the standard rules, and is applicable to most events.
2. University Event
   If you plan to hold an event for the university then, this is the event type to choose from. Events hosted at a college or university, and organized by current university administration staff, faculty or students fall under this category.
3. Youth Event
   This is a TEDx event organized by, or targeted at the youth and/or kids or school communities.
4. Salon Event
   A salon event is a periodic event. It is a weekly or monthly event that keeps a TEDx community engaged between regularly scheduled TEDx events. In order to organize a Salon event, applicants must hold an existing standard license.
5. TEDxLive Event
   TEDxLive revolves around the simulcast of the annual TED Conference. The event is broadcasted live over TV and/or Radio. This takes TED’s to the world audience.
6. TEDxWomen Event
   As the name suggests this event is a TEDx event on the topics related to women which also feature the simulcast of TEDWomen. This event may only be organized around the official TEDWomen conference every year.
7. Internal event
   This is for corporations, organizations, government entities, non-profits or other institutions that want to organize an event under the name of an institution. This event type is approved only if it is an employee’s only type of private event.
8. TEDx in a Box event
   Communities with scarce resources and/or infrastructure to organize an event can fall under this category. TED delivers all the needed resources to organize the event packaged in a portable box, hence the name.
9. Library event
   The event format is same as the standard event, the only difference is that it is hosted by librarians and the event happens at a local library.
10. ED event
    ED events are TEDx events about education. At ED events educators, students, administrators and others get together to discuss the future of education.
11. Level 2 Event
    The TEDx Level 2 needs a special license is for organizers with at least two years in the program, and other requirements.
    
    It is necessary that you choose the type of event before heading to apply for the license for you event. Ensure that your event maintains the spirit of TED itself.

Don’t Forget
• TEDx events are not single topic or agenda driven. They are multidisciplinary and are focused on ideas and changing attitudes.
• TEDX issues a location-based license. You must be living in the city you apply for and your event can happen only in that given city.
• A TEDx license is only valid for one city, and for one event.
• TEDx events cannot be integrated or combined with any other event or conference.
• A TEDx event cannot be connected or co-branded with any other NGO, institution, organization, name or identity.

Step 3 – Name Your Event
Give your event an appropriate name according to the nature of the event and the audience it caters to or the location. Pick something that easily makes a mark.

Step 4 – Choose A Date
Choose a date for your event in such a way that it gives you enough time to organize and plan the event. We suggest a date that is at least 90 to 100 days away. Ensure it does not coincide with other TEDx events or events that matter to your target audience.

Step 5 – Idea
TEDx events are broad, multidisciplinary, inspiring and address a variety of topics. You must brainstorm ideas that you have been keen on sharing and ascertain that your event caters to a wide variety of audience.

Step- 6 Engaging Speakers
It would be a good idea to think about a few names and profiles of speakers you would like to rope in for your event. You could also consider some unsung heroes and award them with some much-needed acknowledgement.

Step – 7 Relevant TED Talk Videos
You will have to mention the TED talk videos that you plan to play at the event in the license application. You have the liberty to make any alteration at the event if required, but it still needs a mention. So you must know which videos to state in your application.
If you have followed all the given guidelines you can now go ahead and apply for your license according to the type of event you choose to organize. To Apply for a TEDx license for your event Click here.

Originally posted on Townscript Blog: How to Organize a TedX Event?

Considering the fact that the focus of TED, and TEDx, is Ideas Worth Spreading, universities, and other institutions of higher learning, are ideal venues to host a TEDx event, as you have a resident audience that is actively seeking new ideas.

This represents an opportunity to feature students, faculty and thought leaders from off-campus to give talks that will expand/alter perceptions, and challenge preconceived ideas about critical subjects.

It’s also a way for the students to engage with the local community, inviting the general public to be part of the event, and to engage in subsequent discussions, which often touch on local issues.

The students who work on the organizing team will also benefit greatly, as the planning and execution of such an event involves leadership and coordination skills that parallel those required in business world.

When the TEDx movement began in 2009, you had to have attended TED to apply for a license to organize a TEDx conference. Now you can apply even if you haven't.

The application process is simple, complete a short questionnaire on TED.com and wait. If a license is issued, it is issued to you only and TEDx has a really detailed set of guidelines and tips on organizing your conference online. You will also be added to several online resource platforms: the TEDx organizers' Facebook group, a wiki and an online community where organizers share tips and ideas.

As an FYI: licensees are not paid. Licenses are free but the organizer/licensee has to reapply after each conference and comply with a set of rules/guidelines to be considered. Organizers who have not been to a TED organized conference can only organize a TEDx event for just 100 attendees.

All TEDx conferences are independently organized by the organizer and his/her team of volunteers. TED does not provide funding or direction on speaker curation.

As it is an all-volunteer effort, it is important for the organizer to have some event planning skills. It is also helpful to conduct a call for interest in the community that the organizer is located before a licensee application is submitted.

Hope this is helpful.

There are two levels to this question - recruiting speakers in general, and recruiting high profile speakers. I would first say that I've seen no difference in the quality of talk based on a speaker's notoriety. As mentioned below, the speaker's passion and knowledge are far more important factors than their celebrity/professional status.

As to general recruiting, I collect the names of prospective speakers throughout the year via my network of friends & colleagues, personal research on topics, and from the form we keep on our website for speaker nominations. I will typically have 200 names to work with when I'm choosing 12 speakers for TEDxSanDiego, the vast majority of whom are quite excited at the prospect of speaking on our stage.

High profile speakers are a more difficult challenge, as they are often very busy, booking their schedules out a year or more. As popular speakers they will often receive significant sums of money for other speaking opportunities, so doing a presentation for free may not be their first choice, unless they understand that speaking on a TEDx stage may serve to enhance their profile.

How to connect with high profile speakers? Cold calling is an option but it can be difficult to make a connection. Your network is important, so build up a network which includes people who themselves have extensive networks. We've had some success in previous years with high profile speakers, but the time required can be significant, with multiple calls/emails between yourself and a speaker's assistant.

And back to my first point, while you may create some buzz with your audience, having secured a well-known speaker, and that may help sell tickets, if you can dedicate the time to search for good speakers, whose with expertise and passion, unknown (non high profile) speakers can make your event a great success.

Historically, TED is always this person on stage in front of a vast audience–and then for the entire world, you watch a talk through a screen. But now we have the technology to offer a completely immersive, visual experience.

Here is a great interview explaining how TEDxCambridge used the worldwide pandemic as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to explore some exciting new technology to go from in-person events to a digital-first experience that transforms the TED talk for the home audience: How TEDxCambridge Built a Digital-First Experience With Uscreen

From an organizational perspective, they wanted to be completely vertically integrated, as well as to own the experience.

OTT service (based on Uscreen video-on-demand platform) provided them an independent option that offers a high-quality, high-touch, premium experience. Ultimately, it’s about transforming the way we think about producing and sharing content from the stage to the living room.

I would have to say that a job well done is most impressive. With a TEDx talk you have a video to show, and if your talk is not well done, it won’t be very impressive. That means you need to have an idea worth spreading, then deliver that idea in a convincing manner. Such talks serve to demonstrate your thought processes and communication abilities.

If you’re organizing a TEDx event, you ‘may’ have a video to show, if you go hire a video team to record the event and create a video highlight reel for you. Otherwise, statistics will tell the story - how big was your event, how many people were on the organizing team that you managed, what was the reaction of your audience, which speakers and topics did you present?

You also have to ask which skills are more important for a particular college/major: communications / speaking, or organizational / team building.

Cold-call, Tap your network, meet, network, persist..

Basically anything you can do to convince high profile speakers that its worthwhile for them to share their ideas at your event.

Some thoughts I can share from my personal experience..
1) Second degree contacts work well
2) Giving a speaker freedom to talk about a topic they are passionate about rather than straitjacketing them into their specialty works
3) Occasionally, I pitched the list of confirmed speakers to a prospective star speaker (implying that its a great networking opportunity)
4) 80% of the High-profile speakers who rejected my invitation were just not given adequate notice (It could be up to a years notice!)

Good luck!

TEDx talks must be less than 18 minutes, but this is a length set in the 1980s, long before YouTube, when people were watching in a theater and not on their phone. Back then this was considered a very short time compared to the norm for talks.

From a practical point of view, though, it is risky to let a speaker aim for 18 minutes exactly because if they run a little slow they might go over the limit. Fixing this in the video editing is time consuming and expensive. For this reason I would advise any speaker to aim for 15 minutes or less, then even if it takes a little longer on event day you are still within the limit.

Today the official guidance is still 18 minutes maximum but TED encourages shorter talks of 3, 5 or 9 minutes.

• Talks may be no longer than 18 minutes. This is the maximum length, not the goal of every talk. TED often asks speakers to present for 3, 5, or 9 minutes, so make sure your speaker knows how much time they have. (from “Event Program” in the TED organizers guide).

At TEDxStockholm we recommend aiming for 7–12 minutes in most cases. There are some rare cases where 15 minutes might be needed and some where five minutes or less is enough.

On the TED website there are very detailed instructions about how to apply for a TEDx license and how to organize a TEDx event. This covers many pages starting from here: Organize a local TEDx event

But if you have never ever organized a TEDx event before and nobody on your organizing team has any experience you will find the process quite challenging. My recommendation is to first volunteer to help the team organizing another TEDx event in your region. That way you see what needs to be done and the resources needed to make it happen. You also make useful connections that will help when you are “going solo”.

An alternative is to find someone in your area who already has this experience to add to your organizing team. There are so many TEDx events that it is highly likely that there is another event not too far from your location, and there might also be people who were previously active in TEDx elsewhere and recently moved to your area.

You could also simply ask people who have experience organizing TEDx events to mentor you at a distance. This could also work but it will be more difficult than having some experienced people right there beside you.

If by TEDx style you mean hosting an event that features speakers on stage who are thought leaders and subject matter experts with an idea worth spreading, it requires a lot of work performed by a dedicated team, over many months.

You must secure a venue, select speakers, market the event, register attendees, and provide food and beverages to the audience during the day. If speakers are from out of town you may need to cover their travel and lodging expenses too.

If you’re planning to capture each of the talks (it’s a TEDx requirement) then it requires an audio/video team who will record each presentation and then edit the talks in a professional manner.