By Michael Rust, Co-Founder of TEDxOshkosh
What is TEDFest? TEDFest 2016 was the first-of-its-kind event put on by the TED organization to bring together 500 TEDx organizers from around the world to watch portions of the TED Conference and to network and learn from each other. Pretty straightforward description, but it was really about the experience.
To start my story, I must tell you that I was in Vancouver, BC for my brother’s wedding. Vancouver is the home of the TED Conference each spring. I actually drove past the convention center and saw the huge TED logo hanging from the windows! Alas, the morning after the wedding, I had to get to the airport before sunrise in order to make my cross continent trek to Brooklyn, NY for TEDFest. I flew 3,000 miles to watch something happening where I left. It was totally worth it. (At this point, I must insert a shout out to my amazing wife for allowing me to change my flight to do this – leaving her with an international flight with 3 children to get home and then to single parent for the week – she’s a rock star!)
I was lucky enough to receive a free roundtrip (to Chicago) ticket to TEDFest on JetBlue Airlines (thanks JetBlue!). Upon arriving at JFK Airport, I hopped an Uber to my hotel in Brooklyn, just in time for a midnight snack and crash. On Monday, I did not have any scheduled events in the morning, so I did some touristy things. I walked across the Brooklyn Bridge to Manhattan and to Ground Zero. Because I had the time, I decided to take in the 9/11 Memorial Museum. That was a powerful and well-done monument.
I then walked up into the Tribeca Neighborhood, towards the mothership – the TED Headquarters. That was an experience. A beautiful space: complete with two-story auditorium, red circle carpet, and TED logoed stage – one I recognized from several TED videos. As I waited for my official TED swag bag, I marveled at the daily TED video view count rolling upwards – over 712,000 and it was just after noon!
It was here that I met my first group of TEDx organizers that would become my companions on that day’s and that week’s journeys. A group of 8 of us decided to do some more sightseeing before our welcome party that night. 8 organizers from 7 countries (US, Argentina, Canada, UK, Slovenia, Ireland, and Spain) toured NYC visiting the Charging Bull & Defiant Girl, Central Station, and the Public Library before grabbing a bite to eat.
We went far too far out of our way for food – but after all, it was the Impossible Burger. Yes, a vegetarian burger that bleeds. Weird in concept, extremely good in taste. Then we went on to the Opening Night Party. Beautiful venue, lots of people to meet, lots of fun. (I haven’t even gotten to the conference yet!)
The next morning 500 of us converged on St. Ann’s Warehouse, a converted spice milling factory, nearly underneath the Brooklyn Bridge. For the next 4 days this was our home. It was here that we heard from TEDx’s Executive Director Jay Herratti and Deputy Director Salome Heusel who talked about TEDx’s role in the TED organization and ways that we could improve our speaker and topic selection, organization, and event experience. We were also able to see what was going on back in Vancouver – including talks by the likes of Tim Ferriss, Atul Gawande, Garry Kasparov, OK Go, Serena Williams, and the surprise guest, Pope Francis.
The official TED videos have been coming out relatively quickly from the conference, so rather than focusing on what I saw, I want to talk about what I did. I made friends with TEDx organizers from Hong Kong and Sydney to Vienna and Amsterdam. Buying another organizer a cerveza at the bar because he was tired of American beer, to a long talk with an organizer who has been involved with 3 different TEDx events on 2 continents! Discussing sponsor/partner relations with people from South Carolina and Minnesota; sharing strategies for generating themes with people from Austria and Canada.
I took along some TEDxOshkosh swag to exchange and returned home with t-shirts from TEDx events in Norway and South Carolina, buttons and stickers from across the globe, and numerous other goodies from events near and far. There was also an International Beer Exchange – so beers from Fox River Brewing Company came with me and were exchanged for ones from Mexico, France, and the UK. I also came back with a larger license – my attendance at TEDFest qualified TEDxOshkosh for a larger license – no more 100-person cap for us! But what I really came back with were the friendships with other organizers.
Yes, that sounded cliché, because it was, and for good reason. In the month since TEDFest, I have interacted with dozens of other organizers online and have even driven 4 hours each way to TEDxZumbroRiver in Rochester, MN to support two friends/organizers. (Great job guys!)
TED is all about Ideas Worth Spreading. TEDx is about finding those local ideas and helping them to spread. TEDFest was about the ideas each of us have found in our local TEDx and making those spread further.
I am proud to be a TEDster. I am proud to be a TEDx Organizer. I am proud to be a part of TEDxOshkosh. #TEDxOshkosh 2017 will be amazing!
