Feature photo © TEDx BKK & Aloha Lavina.
If you travel in certain circles, you definitely know what TED is. If you aren’t familiar with it, TED is a nonprofit foundation best known for its conferences which focus on Technology, Entertainment, and Design, first held in Monterey, California, in 1990. Curated by former publisher Chris Anderson, TED’s popularity soared and it quickly spread to Europe, Asia, and around the world, hosting high-profile speakers including Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Gordon Brown, Bill Gates, John Doerr, Muhammad Yunus, and Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page.
TED is all about “ideas worth spreading”—it has a wide interest in science and culture and has opened my eyes about a range of things including black holes, how we’re affected by the sounds around us, unconventional design inspired by nature, how nations can use “soft” power, when China and India will overtake the West, new ways to think about philanthropic aid, and post-crash consumerism. TED believes strongly in the power of ideas to change minds, lives, and ultimately the world. TED Talks offer free knowledge and inspiration from the world’s most inspired thinkers, and the conference gives curious souls a platform to engage with ideas and each other.
Rob Newberry speaking at TEDIndia University
Photo by James Duncan Davidson.
It has always been one of my dreams to attend or speak at a TED conference, which is where TEDx comes in—a new program that enables local communities, schools, businesses, libraries, and other groups to organize, design and host their own independent, TED-licensed events. My colleague Rob Newberry spoke at TEDIndia University in late 2009 and holds the first Bangkok TEDx license, so I was excited to get involved with the TEDx organizing committee to bring this open exchange of ideas to Thailand for the first time!
TEDx BKK will be held on Saturday, February 13th, at Ruamrudee International School in Bangkok. Thailand’s first TED-related conference encourages attendees to bring “Minds Wide Open” and will be a platform for sharing ideas openly. All who attend are guaranteed to go home feeling inspired!
We will feature the former Bangkok governor and advisor to the Thai Prime Minister Apirak Kosayodhin, social innovator Brooke Estin who works with Kiva.org and ChangeFusion, Gap Adventures founder Bruce Poon-Tip, actor James With, Prezi community manager Zoltan Radnai, dive journalist Chris Mitchell, and many more captivating speakers. If you’re interested to hear these profound speakers and interact with others who share your passion for ideas, take a look today:
- Learn more about TEDx BKK
- See our confirmed speaker list for our 2010 event
- Apply to attend the conference
- Follow event developments on Twitter and Facebook
Application deadline is January 31, 2010
That’s only 10 days from now, so get your applications in if you’re in Bangkok and you’re interested to attend this one-of-a-kind event!
I’ll leave you with this video: one of my favorite TED Talks so far: Stefan Sagmeister discusses how a sabbatical can help rejuvenate your creativity.
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Love Haiti Charity Party
Saturday the 13th will also coincide with the next Bangkok Tweetup which is set for February. Nothing official yet, but word on the street is that the BKKtweetup will be co-hosting a charity mixer with QBar Bangkok to raise money for earthquake victims in Haiti. So, even if you can’t make it to the conference, if you want to rub shoulders afterwards with some speakers, meet others from around Bangkok, and help raise proceeds for Haiti, come find us there from 8–11pm Saturday, February 13th. 
This is super-exciting, Cody!
Presenting at a TED conference is on my to-do list as well, and kudos to you for being a part of this one! Really wish I could be there…you’ll have to enjoy it enough for the both of us (and shoot a lot of video)!
AWESOME!!!
I’m so there. TED is simply the
coolest thing ever and this local
version is a genius idea. I can’t wait
to check it out.
I’ll definitely come say hi too.
Cody,
You are doing some great stuff. Never heard of TED before.
Keep it up.
- MPM
Hi Cody,
That’s awesome.
I just discovered TED a few months ago and had my mind blown countless times already. So congrats for taking it to the local level from me as well.
Great stuff man, and good job on getting this rolling, that’s one heck of a way to snowball yourself into the lime light with big big names. TED usually does have ideas worth sharing, but from time to time, I think they have some NOT worth sharing. But that’s a personal perspective thing. Great organization to associated with.
Congrats Cody! This is the first time I’ve really heard of this event (I must have been living under a rock, I know!) but is sounds like an amazing event so congrats on being a part of the upcoming Bangkok one
Sounds cool! I love the TED website I watch the TED talks all the time. Thats awesome you are a part of the event.
It should be a good time. I’d really like to go and I will be in town, but I applied to attend and haven’t heard anything back yet. Can I still get a seat?
Patience young padawan. You should get some feedback before Jan 31st.
Ah man, I’ve love to go! But I’m not in Bangkok around that time. I love TED since I stumbled across their website a couple of years ago I check back occasionally to check out new videos. One of my favourites is a guy who got a step closer to connecting the theory of relativity to … and the guy lives out a camper van spending his days surfing, that’s lifestyle design right there!
Congrats on getting involved Cody, wish I could be there to support you at this landmark event.
Ahh completely didn’t finish part of my comment there, was supposed to say theory of relativity to quantum mechanics ending with the theory of everything.
This is his video:
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/garrett_lisi_on_his_theory_of_everything.html
This is very cool, Cody! How great to be a part of it. I love watching TED videos any time I have a chance and wish I could be there. Will it be recorded and included in the TED website?
TED is fantastic. The quality of ideas is simply fantastic.I often spend hours watching and re-watching videos. These really are the greatest minds with the greatest ideas.
I really regret not being able to make TEDx BKK. Hopefully next year!
Wow! This is great news. Thanks for bringing attention to this update. I really love TED and some of the things that they allow people to experience who can’t always afford to be there in real life.