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CHAPTER 2: Design your Event

What does a TEDx event look like? Although they all share common elements, TEDx events vary widely in size and scope. In this section you will learn ways in which you can make your event unique to your needs and vision. Here you will explore how to: create your logo, select a venue, create a program, invite guests, play TEDTalks, invite and prepare speakers, design your presentations, manage multimedia, record talks, design your stage, understand the job of the onstage host, and learn how to make your event green. 

1. Create your Logo

After you have received approval for your license you will consider your logo and identity. Remember that you are licensed under the parent company of TED and they are lending their brand to you. The brand gives you credibility, status and marketability. It is the platform in which you give others the opportunity to share their ideas with the world - for free! 

TED has a seemingly long list of rules regarding branding, identity and logos, but have no fear! The rules are clear and if you refer to them often and follow them step-by-step, you can’t go wrong!

Logos: ebay, Fiverr, oDesk

2. Select a Venue

Where will you host your event? If your license is under a hundred people, consider that a gymnasium or auditorium may be too big and daunting for speakers and the audience. Where can you create a warm inviting space that engenders conversations between people? 

Although the event videos you will make are showcased on TEDx Youtube or on the TED website itself, the truth is - the most important moments from the event will be the real-time connections you make with others. It will be the satisfaction of the speakers watching people listen, really listen, to their ideas. 

Get Inspired by Diverse TEDx Venues

3. Create the Program

All good presentations or events have flow. TEDx talks are thematically related, so ask yourself, “What is my passion? What will drive my theme?” It needs to be broad enough to let a variety of people speak or perform. Be sure to format your event carefully with a variety of powerful, short talks, each focused on a single topic or idea. 

Provide a substantial amount of time for breaks to allow for the conversations that matter. Usually, it takes 5-10 minutes for people to use the bathroom, 15 minutes for people to eat and make introductions, 10 minutes for them to feel confident enough to engage in conversations or ask questions and then 20 minutes to explore ideas, brainstorm solutions, and engage in meaningful conversations. 

A big part of creating a successful break is to facilitate spaces and activities that provide opportunities for people to share their own ideas, and converse or document their ideas to be fed forward later in the event. 

Remember to end your event with emotion. Save the most emotionally gripping speakers and TEDTalks for the end. This is when your attendees are most open to being moved. It will leave them with a feeling that will stay with them and motivate them to take action.

Get Inspired by a Look at TEDx Behind the Scenes

Event Line-up (Editable)
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Event Program (Example)
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4. Invite Guests

Curating your attendees is just as important as curating your event's on-stage content. Your guests have the power to carry "ideas worth spreading" out into the world. Consider if you will invite any member of your community, sell tickets, or provide on-line registration? Will you create a list serve and provide updates for your attendees? Keep your attendees in the loop by being clear about your event: the size, location, theme, and the featured live speakers and performances.

Establish relationships with the attendees. They are the pool from which you will crowd source for change agents and may potentially turn the speakers' ideas into a reality. Communicate to your attendees how important their feedback is. Tell them you want them to fill out a survey after your event.

It is important to note that only up to 100 individuals may attend your event and you may not use your event to make money. Additionally, you may not use your event to raise funds for charities or other organizations. TED will allow certain TEDx events to charge a small admission fee to help cover the event's production costs, but you first must ask for permission to charge for tickets.

Ticket Templates (Editable)
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5. Play TEDTalks UPDATE SINCE PUBLISH DATE

TEDx events no longer must include pre-recorded TEDTalks. But having one is still super cool. Choose talks that represent your theme. Also, consider your audience, as well as  how long the pre-recorded talk is. 

There are many talks 3-6 minutes long that quickly and poignantly add to the theme of the event. You would be surprised at how much a speaker can convey in only 3 minutes (something to consider when mentoring your speakers!).
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​Videos: TED in 3 Minutes

6. Play TEDTalks with Subtitles

If your TEDx event attendees speak a non-English language, you may want to play your event's pre-recorded TEDTalks videos with subtitles. 

Thanks to volunteer translators, subtitles in a variety of languages are available for nearly every video in the TEDTalks series.

Find TEDTalks in your Language

7. Invite & Prepare Speakers

The speakers for TEDx events are passionate about changing the world. They want to tackle important, difficult, and sometimes sensitive topics by not just identifying the issues, but by finding solutions. 

People come to TEDx events to share their ideas, engage in conversations that matter, and be inspired to take action themselves. Speakers at TEDx events tell a story or argue for an idea. They are mindful of their audience and represent their opinions and the information they have in a respectful and non-misleading way.

Organizers cannot speak at their own events and all speakers must sign the official release form to give TED the right to edit and distribute video of their presentation.   

Challenge! Is this idea worth spreading? 

Get Inspired by TEDx Speakers and Performers

Call for Speakers Letter (Editable)
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Call for Speakers Poster (Example)
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Criteria for the Ideal Speaker (Editable)
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TEDxTalk Planning Sheet for Youth Speakers (Editable)
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Youth Script (Example)
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8. Presentation Design

With all the technology tools available for making great presentations, it’s a breeze to knock peoples' socks off with your cool graphics! Remember though, less is more. It is what you SAY as well as what you SHOW that matters. Without a solid talk, the graphics, no matter how fancy, will pale. Dark slides with light text works better where your speaker is standing in front of the screen. Help your speakers understand that for video production value, it is better to have them front-lit than backlit from the presentation screen.

Sustainable Action (Example Slide Deck)

9. Manage Multimedia

It is important to remember that part of the beauty of TEDx is that you are creating a sustainable event that is not only shared live once, but also archived in video and shared with the entire globe. For that reason, you must record all original stage content, such as live talks and performances on video. After your event, you must make this video accessible to TED and the public.

Because the event video and photos are shared with the world, before covering an event, photographers and videographers must sign a release stating that they will provide unedited, unwatermarked, and unlabeled photos under a Creative Commons license. It is beneficial to tell photographers that they should shoot in the highest possible resolution as photos could be printed by TED later and used in publication.
 
Getting the technical details of your event set in advance will save time, give speakers confidence in their presentations, and make the event run smoothly. However, no matter how prepared you are, something always goes wrong! For that reason have a plan A, plan B AND a plan C. 

Some tips from organizers include:

• Ask for presentations beforehand and compile them into one long show.
• Test all presentations to ensure you have the widgets, software or apps to run the presentation or embedded videos within them.
• Check the battery charge on your cameras, video cameras, lights, computers, and microphones.
• When recording your speakers, directly back up the video to a computer instead of to a card; this will save the time of uploading or converting from a SD card to your computer.
• If you have more then one video camera, ensure they are the same format so when you are editing, you do not have to go through the time-consuming conversion process.
• Ensure you have multiple options for microphones, such as handheld lapels or boom mics. Make sure that the video doesn’t pick up ambient noise .
• Take the time for a full-day rehearsal with your tech crew and speakers. When working with youth, this is essential to calm jitters, allow them to ‘feel’ the space, and to practice their presentation skills.

Invest! Have you found the right equipment, within your budget, for your event? Can you spend less on some things and more on cameras, lighting or sound?

TEDx Photography Release (Editable)
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10. Record Talks

If your TEDx event will feature live talks, you must capture them on video. Recording your event is an exciting opportunity to offer your talks to an even wider audience, and TED selects exceptional videos to be featured on TED.com.

However, creating a cinematic experience can be costly and time intensive. Luckily, there are many resources to help you get the production value that you will be proud of to share with the globe.

11. Stage Design

Great stage design is similar to great presentation design. Less is more. An uncluttered, simple, yet aesthetically pleasing stage is engaging, but not over-powering to the audience. Inexpensive props, such as lanterns, chairs, a red rug, and a few plants can be critical in how your live talks turn out, both for your live audience and for those who view your videos on the web. An attractive stage is easy to look at for a long period of time, but not so elaborate as to distract the audience.

Reflect! What is the mood, tone, and feeling that you want to set for the audience?

Get Inspired by Amazing TEDx Stages and Sets

Designing your TEDx Stage Guide
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TEDx Stage Design Rules & Guidelines
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Poster - "Silence Phones / No Flash Photography" (Editable)
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12. The Onstage Host

Your host becomes the face of your event for your live audience. Choose carefully, as this person holds many responsibilities such as: speaker introductions, time-keeping, troubleshooting, announcements, connections, and audience engagement. 

The host needs to be on-board with your vision and understand and represent the ethos of TEDx to ‘sell’ your event to the audience.

13. Make your Event Green

There are tons of ways to make an event Green! Consider easy things such as: choosing a venue close to public transport, using reusable signage, e-tickets and registration, and designing your paper production with less colors or in only black and white. 

Support local organic catering, and be sure to offer vegan and vegetarian food selections. Recycle and reuse as much as possible, as well as use repurposed furniture and set design elements. There are so many other ways to go Green!

How to Make your TEDx Event Green

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