Speaker Nominations Sought for TEDx Conference

Texas Tech University System’s TEDx organizers are looking for speaker nominations for the inaugural TEDxTexasTechUniversity conference, to be held Feb. 8, 2014, at the Texas Tech School of Law. Multiple live streaming locations also will be available.

“This is a great moment for the university system in hosting our first TEDxTexasTechUniversity event,” said Ron Banister, assistant professor in the Department of Anesthesiology at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) and conference organizer. “It is an excellent opportunity to be part of the passion of the TED organization and to join the TEDx global community. TED has a longstanding reputation for sharing cutting-edge concepts in the areas of art, education, design and technology. Our passion for innovation and the university’s unique efforts to envision, create and implement new ideas will be the cornerstone of this conference.”

Nominations will be accepted for speakers and presenters on topics that are representative of West Texas and the TTU System. The organizers encourage applications not only from Texas Tech University students, faculty, staff and alumni, but also from representatives of the business, social, art and music communities in the West Texas area.

Founded in 1984, TED stands for “technology, entertainment, design” and is perhaps most famous for its online “TED Talks” that have been viewed by millions around the world. The annual TED conference brings together some of the world’s leading thinkers and doers. In the spirit of “ideas worth spreading,” TED created a program called TEDx where “x” indicates the events are independently organized.

“TEDxTexasTechUniversity is a wonderful opportunity for our community to share their remarkable ideas, innovations, stories, and experiences with a global audience,” said Kellilynn Frias, assistant professor in the Rawls College of Business and conference organizer. “The TED mission—ideas worth spreading—parallels our dedication throughout the university system to advancing knowledge through innovative teaching, research and scholarship. I am excited to see the TED and TEDx platform brought to life at Texas Tech University.”

Due to the nature of the event, only 300 attendees will be accepted at the main viewing. A live webcast of the event also will be organized for a larger audience to benefit from the ideas and information presented.

TEDxTexasTechUnversity is an independently-produced event operating under license from TED.

For more information, visit the conference website at www.TEDxTexasTechUniversity.com.

About TEDx, x = independently organized event

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized. (Subject to certain rules and regulations.)

About TED

TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. Started as a conference in California 26 years ago, TED has grown to support those world-changing ideas with many initiatives.

At a TED conference, the world's leading thinkers and doers are asked to give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes or less. TED speakers have included Roger Ebert, Sheryl Sandberg, Bill Gates, Elizabeth Gilbert, Benoit Mandelbrot, Philippe Starck, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Brian Greene, Isabel Allende and former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Three major TED events are held each year: The TED Conference takes place every spring in Vancouver, Canada, simultaneous with TEDActive, in Whistler, BC; and the TEDGlobal Conference takes place each summer in Edinburgh, Scotland.

On TED.com, talks from TED conferences are shared with the world for free as TED Talks videos. A new TED Talk is posted every weekday. Through the Open Translation Project, TED Talks are subtitled by volunteers worldwide into more than 90 languages. Through our distribution networks, TED Talks are shared on TV, radio, Netflix and many websites.

The TEDx initiative grants free licenses to people around the world to organize TED-style events in their communities with TED Talks and live speakers. More than 5,000 TEDx events have been held, and selected talks from these events are also turned into TED Talks videos.

The annual TED Prize grants $1 million to an exceptional individual with a wish to change the world. The TED Fellows program helps world-changing innovators from around the globe to become part of the TED community and, with its help, amplify the impact of their remarkable projects and activities. TED-Ed creates short video lessons by pairing master teachers with animators, for use in classroom instruction or independent learning.

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