It feels a little like winning a ‘Golden Ticket’ from Willy Wonka, because yesterday I found out I was one of 100 people invited to attend the first TEDxVacouver on November 21st at the Electronic Arts campus in Burnaby. Selection for the event was based on an online application that took at least an hour to fill out and made for some interesting personal refection. In the end well worth it, as I look forward to being in the room with 99 other lucky Vancouverites sharing in interesting discussions…and some ‘pure imagination.’

TED, originally started in 1984 as a yearly conference that brought together leaders from Technology, Entertainment and Design industries =T-E-D. Over the years TED has grown to cover the gamut of thought leaders, educators, entrepreneurs from industries and disciplines of all kinds and from around the world, each speaker sharing their experiences, their insights and their wisdom. TED had become about ‘Ideas Worth Spreading.’ And few years back, through the web, TEDTalks were made available free to millions of curious people everywhere, one talk at a time.

‘TEDx’ events, like Vancouver, are independently organized events by members of the TED community. These events are usually a combination of TEDTalk videos, live speakers and an intimate group there to share in the TED culture and conversation. TEDxVancouver’s theme is ‘Forever Young’ and looks to ‘unleash a youthful, contagious energy; one that breeds creativity, and fosters the exploration and synthesis of new ideas.’ Frameworks for the event are around sustainable development, medical research and interactive entertainment. Speakers for the event are as of yet unknown, but I’m eager to find out more.

I have collected a number of my favorite TEDTALKs over the years and figured I’d take this opportunity to share them. Do you have any to share? If so please send a comment and a link. And I’ll be sure to comment on TEDxVancouver again after the big event.

About Creativity & Play:
Ken Robinson says schools kill creativity
Tim Brown on creativity and play
Stuart Brown says play is more than fun

About Design Thinking:
Yves Behar on designing objects that tell stories
Bjarke Ingels 3 warp speed architecture tales
Tim Brown urges designers to think big
David Kelley on human centered design
Janine Benyus biomimicry in action
David Carson on design

Global Issues:
Nicholas Negroponte on one laptop per child
Ray Anderson on the business logic of sustainability
Al Gore on averting climate crisis
Al Gore new thinking on the climate crisis
Emmanuel Jal the music of a war child

Business Sort Of
Malcolm Gladwell on spaghetti sauce
Dan Pink on motivation
Richard Branson’s life at 30,000 feet