TEDxDetroit will return to the city to bring together the area’s thinkers, designers, entertainers, entrepreneurs, scientists, artists, and students on Nov. 6. The annual event will take place from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. at the Masonic Temple at 500 Temple St.
“When it all comes together, TEDxDetroit is part business conference, part science fair, part art festival, and part revival,” says Charlie Wollborg, curator of TEDxDetroit and co-founder of Moka Boka Adventure Books. “It really is a crazy day that fills your head with new ideas, your belly with fire, and puts the spring back in your step.”
The conference, which sells out every year, is dedicated to sharing positive ideas for the world from Detroit through live TEDTalks, videos, hands-on exhibits in TEDxLabs, art, music, and more. It’s designed to spark new ideas and foster collaboration.
“This is the 11th TEDxDetroit, and we’ve seen a lot of change in the city over the past several years,” says Janet Tyler, executive producer of TEDxDetroit and founder of True Depth Growth Accelerator. “I continue to believe in our mission of sharing ideas and experiences that inspire attendees and provide the shot in the arm we all need every now and then.”
The first TED idea conference took place in California in 1984. TED was an acronym for technology, entertainment, and design, three fields that spur innovation across the economy. The TEDx program began in 2009 and is designed to bring the spirit of TED’s mission and ideas worth spreading to communities around the world. Each TEDx event is independently organized at the local level under a license granted by TED and following the entity’s guidelines.
Tickets went on sale Tuesday and are available here. A $75 early bird special is currently available.
Applications are now open for TEDxDetroit speakers, performers, and exhibitors and are available at the link above.
“We fill the stage with people who make us think, laugh, cry, and say ‘wow!’” says Tyler. “It’s always an eclectic array ranging from CEOs to artists to scientists that you won’t find anywhere else.”
Previous speakers include Jim Murphy, director for Pixar; Cathy Olkin, planetary scientist for NASA; Aaron Draplin, graphic designer; Jemele Hill, anchor for ESPN; the founder of Baby Einstein; Forbes woman of the year; the inventor of a bladeless wind turbine; two college students who teach app development to teens in juvenile detention; and a 7-year-old who started a lemonade stand that raised thousands of dollars for charity.
The deadline to apply is 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 3. Speakers and performers will be notified and announced publicly beginning Sept. 18.
TEDxDetroit is among the oldest and largest TEDx events worldwide, first taking place in 2009.
TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to ideas worth spreading, usually in the form of short, powerful talks. Many are given at TED’s annual conference in British Columbia and made available for free on TED.com. TED speakers have included Bill Gates, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sir Richard Branson, Nandan Nilekani, Philippe Starck, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Sal Khan, and Daniel Kahneman.
