Introduction:

A TEDx Talk is a showcase for speakers presenting great, well-formed ideas in under 18 minutes.

Why under 18 minutes?

This short talk model works, since it only demands the audience's attention for a short period of time, decreasing the chance of minds wandering or daydreaming about lunch. In fact, some of greatest TED Talks have been as short as 5 minutes long.

What is a great, well formed idea?

It can actually be one of two things:
  • Something that’s new and surprising; an idea or invention that your audience has never heard about.
  • A great basic idea (that your audience has maybe already heard) with a compelling new argument behind it that challenges beliefs and perspectives.
In other words, an idea isn’t just a story or a list of facts. A good idea takes certain evidence or observations and draws a larger conclusion.

Types of Talks:

When searching for speakers, you can keep in mind these seven different types of talks — not every speaker’s talk has to be exactly the same.

The big idea:

The talks that make one or two very strong points, and it’s important. Examples: Bryan Stevenson, Onora O'Neill, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

The tech demo:

An onstage look at some clever new invention that the speaker was a part of creating. Examples: Tan Le, Markus Fischer, Raffaello D'Andrea

The performance:

Music, dance, magic, puppetry, or some other performance to captivate your audience. Examples: Usman Riaz + Preston Reed, Arthur Benjamin, Pilobolus

The artist’s statement:

In these talks, artists showcase their art and explain the meaning and process behind what they create. Examples: Raghava KK, Liu Bolin, Aparna Rao

The “dazzle with wonder”:

These talks are mainly about the amazement of science and discovery. Examples: Yoav Medan, Marcus Byrne, Janna Levin

The small idea:

These talks are not about one big, world-changing idea, but instead a very engaging take on an interesting topic. Examples: Mary Roach, Joe Smith, Charlie Todd

The “issue” talk:

These talks expose your audience to an issue that they may not otherwise know much about. Examples: Rodrigo Canales, Lawrence Lessig, Rose George

PEACE

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