It's all about . . . Ted X

Photo: Contributed - Ted X Kelowna

As a keynote speaker, every chance I get to speak creates a special opportunity.

It is an opportunity to communicate something that can teach or inspire, an opportunity to engage with the audience, and an opportunity to ignite change.

One of the most interesting challenges for any speaker is to prepare and deliver a Ted X talk.

I was thrilled this week to receive confirmation that I have been selected as one of this year’s speakers for Ted X Kelowna, but I was nervous at the same time.

TED was born in 1984, the theme being the convergence of technology, entertainment and design. It flopped. The event lost money and the crowds never materialized. 

Recognizing an opportunity to relaunch TED, founder Richard Saul Wurman decided to try again several years later, and this time it was a booming success. Today it continues to evolve that success, with a huge number of viral videos that are engaging, entertaining, educational, and occasionally controversial.

Ted X talks are restricted to a maximum length of 18 minutes - a short amount of time to make a point when you may be used to speaking for an hour. Therein lies the challenge that is so appealing and exciting.

The line up this year is amazing, and includes one of the top-rated speakers in the world. The date is November 13th at the Rotary Centre for the Arts and tickets might still be available at http://www.tedxkelowna.com

Treat yourself to a night out, and get inspired to Ignite Change. There is no better time than now to commit to change, so head over, get your tickets. Join us for what is sure to be a very inspiring evening.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.