Join us for TED Talks @ Lunch! In anticipation of TEDx Edmonton, the U of A Alumni Association and artsScene Edmonton are bringing the inspirational TED Talks to downtown Edmonton. Join us on the last Wednesday of every month to watch and discuss an “idea worth spreading”. This free lunchtime event takes place Wed, Feb 24 at noon in Room 2-157, Enterprise Square (10230 Jasper Avenue). Seats are limited, so sign up today!

We’ve been hard at work behind the scenes to make TEDx Edmonton an event you won’t forget. As promised, we’re now opening up a call for participants and speakers! Submissions will be accepted until midnight (MST) on Monday, February 8. Your application will be reviewed by our committee and if you’re successful, an invite will be sent to you on Friday, February 26. Do you fit the bill? Click here to find out more!

Every seven years, designer Stefan Sagmeister closes his
New York studio for a yearlong sabbatical to rejuvenate and refresh their creative outlook. He explains the often overlooked value of time off and shows the innovative projects inspired by his time in Bali.

To find the path to long life and health, Dan Buettner and team study the world’s “Blue Zones,” communities whose elders live with vim and vigor to record-setting age. At TEDxTC, he shares the 9 common diet and lifestyle habits that keep them spry past age 100.

Happy new year everyone! We’re looking forward to an exciting year ahead, with plenty of exciting events planned for 2010 aimed at Edmonton’s young professionals. Of course, that means TEDx Edmonton is just a few months away and we’ve been busy behind the scenes working to make sure it’ll be an event we’ll all remember and be inspired by. Over the next few weeks and months, we’ll be posting more information here on our new website including event details, speakers, and how you can be a part of this great event. We’ll also be posting selected TED Talks to inspire you in the months leading up to the big day. So be sure to sign up for our mailing list (if you haven’t already), connect with us on Facebook and Twitter, and check this website often to make sure you’re in the loop!

One of my favourite TEDTalks features Jeff Skoll at TED 2007. Jeff was eBay’s first president who invested his fortune and entrepreneurial skills into The Skoll Foundation, a nonprofit that invests in social entrepreneurs, and his new film production company, Participant Productions, through which he’s making movies to inspire social change (An Inconvenient Truth, Food Inc., North Country, The Cove).

We’re excited to announce an official date, venue and theme for TEDxEdmonton!

TEDxEdmonton
“Cultivating the Creative Economy”
Saturday, March 13, 2010
TransAlta Arts Barns

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TED has created a program called TEDx. TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. We’re working to bring this experience to Edmonton, Alberta, through an event called TEDxEdmonton, where x=independently organized TED event. At TEDxEdmonton, TEDTalks videos and live speakers will combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events, including ours, are self-organized.

TEDxEdmonton will be an incredible opportunity to be inspired by leading creative professionals, technology experts, entrepreneurs and business and cultural leaders from across the city and around the globe, and learn how they are driving the creative economy. Built around the unique TED Talks format, themes will include creative entrepreneurship, creative sustainability and creative technologies. Not only will you hear about innovative programs and projects, but you’ll also gain the tangible tools to make them happen within your organizations, businesses and communities.

In the spirit of a TED conference, we’ll follow a few guidelines: an intimate-sized event (for 100 people), no keynotes, no panel discussions, no Q&A, no podiums, and plenty of time to share your thoughts with other attendees and speakers.