Piecing Together
Reflecting on TEDxQueensU 2015
Twelve months in a University student’s life might as well be an eternity. By the time a fourth and final year rolls around most have become rather adept at packing a lot into two semesters. For the entire organizing team of TEDxQueensU this past one has been a hectic balancing act of academic, extra-curricular, professional, and personal pursuits. Factoring in, what has been at times an intensive stint of designing, organizing, strategizing, brainstorming, constructing, promoting and collaborating on this project and you have little time for much else. That’s why I, as nothing more than a figurehead for their effort and action, must say yet another sincere and unreserved thanks to the 57+ people who had a not inconsiderable hand in making TEDxQueensU what it was.
Following what has been proclaimed a landmark day at the Isabel Bader Centre for Performing Arts, I feel compelled to distill a few thoughts about my experiences organizing and executing one of the largest independently organized TED events in Canada.
Student led conferences are popular at Queen’s University, we have a lot of them — there are a multitude of high quality, well attended, and well funded collaborative projects across every discipline; however, there are few that combine them. They are all designed and built to appear as effortless as possible, but having attended and organized a few I can assure you they are anything but. That is especially true of a TEDx event — more theatrical in composition than the standard industry conference or leadership summit, these enlightening, inspiring, invigorating and exhausting models require meticulous and expansive organization in whatever form they take.
You’ve set an entirely new standard for the rest of Queen’s (and probably every other university in the country) to follow when it comes to executing any high-quality event. Saying that I was extremely impressed would be a huge understatement. — Afraj Gill, TEDxQueensU 2015 Speaker
That was certainly the case for the first four TEDx events we’ve hosted — two of which I volunteered with as the on stage host. Intimate, expansive and invigorating, the experience was decidedly different from our fifth anniversary conference, but it was a nonetheless worthwhile and important event for this community. Take nothing away from the 2010–2014 cohorts. Their student volunteer teams, speakers, and sponsors laid a foundation and sparked a movement of community minded innovators and collaborators. The process and progress over the past year, would not have happened without them.
In March 2014 though we were awarded a weekend in the grand Isabel concert hall, and given an opportunity that would expand and elevate this event in every sense. It is one that transformed the organizational process and execution of the event, and as its Director I can proudly acclaim positioned our organization, brand and content prominently across this city, region and yes, this country.
I sat down with the five person Executive Team for the first time in April, 2014 and determined that with a new venue came new responsibilities. We committed to re-writing the book and incorporating the TEDx values of sharing ideas, investing in people, being disruptive in every sense, and collaborating with our community in everything we did.
It never ceases to amaze me the power of empowered young people. By giving each of these volunteers the tools they needed to succeed and encouraging, motivating, and mentoring them to go beyond all expectations, we have been able to achieve and exceed every goal that we put forward.
In just eight short months of intensive preparation we tripled our live audience, furthered our online audience by five times, increased our budget by six times (from 2014 totals), expanded our reach amongst students, widened our reach across the country, attracted a slate of renowned speakers, created sustainable sponsorship models, re-branded our event, re-invigorated our organization and executed an professional, but personal, large, yet intimate, day-long event.
This past weekend, thousands of hours of design, planning, fundraising, marketing and organizing culminated in the most overwhelming, humbling and truly exciting way.
With the help of venue staff, our sponsors, suppliers and a healthy volunteer contingent drafted in to assist on the day we rolled out a welcome to around 300 students, selected from over 600 applicants, and a further 200 community members that came from far and wide to be with us. Being brutally honest, we could never have imagined the interest and intrigue we appeared to have elicited. People everywhere were commenting, questioning and connecting with TEDxQueensU in one way or another. It speaks testament to an expansive marketing strategy, but more so to a fantastic day of programming, and speakers who truly sell themselves.
That unwavering support and backing from our peers and colleagues is the secret to our success. It was never taken for granted. We’ve often struggled to break certain boundaries, to attract attention from a wider audience, to earn media coverage, to gain the support of financial partners, to win the support of our institution. That, I believe, is a result of our relative infancy, our unproven status and our unknown potential. That’s what makes the backing we received from students, sponsors, community members and advisors this year so very special. They saw purpose and potential, and contributed selflessly to help convert it into success.
TEDxQueensU is unique, that is to say it is unlike any other event that exists in this region. The ability for it to attract some of the most established, renowned, inspiring individuals in the country (and beyond!), combine them with the brightest and best from this institution and community, and promote a culture of collaboration, and disruptive, critical thinking cannot be overestimated. Speaking now as a Queen’s student, and soon to be alumnus, I would contend that this is perhaps the greatest vehicle for showcasing our talents, our research, and our ideas while also incorporating the expertise and input from outside our community.
I can point to hundreds of examples over the past five years that speak to that, and must underscore a few from this past weekend that resonate with me. Firstly there was a moment with the enlightening Hugh Christopher Brown, a musician and social justice advocate who spoke on his time recording music with Kingston inmates. I wandered into the green room to join a conversation he was having with Beverly Thomson, host of Canada AM — an established broadcaster, anchor and advocate (and also one of the most tenacious, resolute and inspiring people I’ve ever had the fortune of meeting) along with four students, all chiming in with a point or two. It was energizing; eight people from wholly diverse, varied and opposing backgrounds debating, sharing and questioning the World around us — and more specifically Canadian governance, aboriginal rights and justice reform.
Then there was the fourth year Commerce student, whose entrepreneurial endeavours aligned with some of the technologies discussed by Barbara Collins, the COO of North America’s first fully digital hospital. They shared ideas, collaborated, innovated in the realest and most literal way — despite the fact one an established professional, the other a twenty something go-getter. The boundary between presenter and audience member is fundamentally different at any TEDx event. Being there was not about listening and learning, at least not exclusively. It was about contributing, applying ones own experience and then critiquing, improving, and advancing. It is at odds with the way we educate currently and I would posit is a vital and indispensable addition to the undergraduate experience. It certainly has been in mine and countless others that I will graduate alongside.
And finally who could forget the effervescent Tara McCallan who showed us that creativity, big dreams and toddlers (combined correctly) can be truly powerful and disruptive in every way. More than that though, Tara demonstrated that we can all change perceptions, principles and practices in our own lives and that the lives of those around us. If there’s a message that encapsulates the TEDx values it was this one; and it’s a vitally important consideration when looking back on the content and construct of the day, lending lasting perspective.
This was an amazing experience… Such a bucket list moment for me and your team was awesome in helping fulfil that. — Tara McCallan, TEDxQueensU 2015 Speaker
Of course there were plenty of other moments of magic, on stage and off. If you’re reading, and didn’t get a chance to be a part of them you’ll be able to watch back each talk next week!
We also introduced a number of pilot programs to TEDxQueen’s this year. From a shuttle bus to transport attendees to and from the event, to a dedicated startup space providing a space for local entrepreneurial enterprises face time with each other, an inviting demographic, and plenty of potential collaborators, investors, and customers. As far as these initiatives are concerned they are here to stay and the sky is the limit in terms of their expansion and improvement. TEDxQueensU can and will become much more than just a one day event; it will become a hub for inter-disciplinary innovation in the city and region. We have demonstrated a commitment to that with this space in particular as well as our ongoing support and work with the various components that brought it all together.
The future is a surely bright one for TEDxQueensU — the speakers committed to 2016, the 120+ applications to join next years organizing team, the dedicated returning sponsors and ever increasing community support all show signs of a sustainable and exponentially improving organization. Regrettably I wont be a part of that growth, but I like the Directors before will keep an eye out, lend a hand where possible and do my utmost to empower and enable the talented leadership team for 2016 to build on this tremendous success and improve on our shortcomings. This organization and this event has a tremendous amount to offer Queen’s and it’s students, staff, alumni and faculty, as well as the wider Kingston community. My only hope and wish is that that is recognized, supported and championed by all.
Here’s to the next five years.
TEDxQueensU is an independently organized conference TED conference in Kingston, Ontario. Entirely student led and not-for-profit the organization is heavily reliant on generous benefactors and donors. You can contribute and support us by visiting our website here.
