What’s it like to attend a TED event?
It’s been about a decade since TED became big online. Many people have watched the intriguing videos of ideas worth spreading. But not everyone has been to the actual conference itself.
Having been a TEDx staff for Tohoku and Fukuoka in Japan, and also having been a TED Translator creating the subtitles on the talks, I was familiar with TED and their activities. But it was beyond me to imagine what the actual conference was like.
I was very fortunate to attend this year’s TEDWomen which took place in late October. TEDWomen is a conference hosted by TED that celebrates women and raises various issues related to women / introduces powerful female speakers, etc. I received the honor of attending the event as one of the 10 TED Translators invited from around the world.
Attending a TED event can be such a strange feeling, because you’re in the same room as so many other accomplished beings whom you would never meet in usual daily life, and yet you feel as though you totally belong. You don’t feel a distance between the TED speakers, staff, or any of the attendees because everyone is just casually walking around. No one ignores you; you can go up to anyone and talk and they’ll be happy to talk to you.
Plenty of side events
TED makes sure you have a good time while you’re there, too — and the variety of options differ per TED event. For example, at TEDWomen, there were plenty of refreshments throughout the day (I was stuffed), and they all tended to be very healthy and accommodating various dietary requirements.
During break, we lined up to receive the books authored by the speakers of each session, and got them signed as well (first come first served). There were activities you could sign up for, like the cable car tour and having 1 on 1 “brain dates” with others who have an interesting personal story to share.
In the evenings, there are many performances that you can enjoy watching. AND you get a great gift bag, literally packed with loads of items… since it was a TEDWomen event, I received various beauty products along with other kinds of snacks and utilities.
How to enjoy the talks
For the talks, you can watch either at the simulcast lounge (on a monitor) or go in the theater hall. Some people have priority in getting the seats inside, depending on what kind of ticket you’ve got (for example, I was invited to be an attendee as a TED Translator — so I could only access the simulcast lounge). If there are empty seats in the hall, the staff will invite you in.
I must say, being in the audience in the hall is SO much more exhilarating than watching it on simulcast. What made it great was being a part of that audience; you could actually hear their reactions and do those standing ovations yourself. That made every talk seem complete, and the whole atmosphere at TED so real. So, line up early to get into the hall if you have the chance! (Having said that, though, I loved the comfy couches at the simulcast lounge — you can also watch while enjoying snacks and drinks, PLUS you get a head start in lining up for the books you want to receive of the featured speakers during break time!)
Should I attend?
So, do you want to attend a TED conference?
Having been an attendee, here is my thought: if you aren’t a speaker nominee or an investor looking for individuals whose activities are worthy of notice, I recommend taking part in a TEDx event as staff or being a TED Translator first before thinking of attending. It gives you a better understanding of how TED works, and by instilling the TED spirit, you will truly feel at home when you do attend.
And lastly, if you do get to attend, feel proud! You’ve done so many exciting things in your life, they are definitely stories worth sharing. As for me, the experience definitely made me regain the self-esteem I needed to feel good about being me. I was just an ordinary Japanese girl that attended, but as I spoke with many other attendees, I realized that the “ordinary life” I have been living was also full of interesting aspects and strong ideas you owned. Every individual there at the event was special and you could tell; you could feel you weren’t a nobody. You were a TEDster and you were there to celebrate all the wonderful ideas that were to be shared. So just go out there and immerse yourself in those ideas worth spreading!
*Original blog entry here: https://tabilogue.wordpress.com/2016/11/07/attend-a-ted-event/
