In my head I had always had the assumption that you attend a single TED talk. Of course it doesn’t make a lot of sense to setup a full stage, lighting, sound, video production, and the other aspects required to make a highly produced event like a TED talk happen just for a single talk. After my registration I was sent the schedule of events for the day and it was packed, starting at 8AM, then ending with an afterparty that evening. The schedule was packed with 13 speakers on stage ready to share their “ideas worth spreading”.
The morning started with registration and a small social. Right on arrival I knew it would be a great day and I would meet many people who were filled with energy and passion, I would not be disappointed. There were people of all ages, beliefs, backgrounds, and ideas in attendance. Not long after, seating for the first talk opened. I walked into the venue and was amazed. As many of you know, I come from a background that involves stage design. This venue was setup in a way that just amazed me. There were lights, LED panels, redundant projector systems, multiple camera angles, and so much more. The best set designs are those that people don’t know about all of the small details, but they would know if they were missing. This embodied that belief to its fullest. Hats off to all of the crew and everyone behind the scenes.
As the first talk began, it was such a surreal experience. I had seen so many TED talks before and assumed it was a stage and the audience is a bit separated and the fourth wall was there. This was not like that at all. The stage was “T” shaped with the main part shooting into the audience. If I would’ve chosen a seat in the front row I would be less than 10 feet from speaker. I won’t share my thoughts on all of the talks here, but I’ll link the recordings once they are available. The talks were all very good, and thought provoking. The talks were grouped into sessions with a few talks per session, followed by a break. After the second session was lunch. During lunch I had many good discussions with other attendees. I happened to run into North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, unfortunately the timing didn’t work so we didn’t have much chance to chat, but it was wonderful seeing him there out talking with other attendees.
During the session breaks they had lots of cool things setup like a musician, ball pit, postcards to yourself, art displays, and more. They also had plentiful snacks, drinks and more. As the event came to a close the afterparties began. These were nice parties with music, free drinks, and great conversation. I wasn’t able to stay through all of the afterparties, but I hear they were a blast. I know a lot of people and groups went into making this event possible. Three huge groups that made this event happen were Emerging Prairie, Grand Farm, and StartupBREW. I’m sure all of the sponsors and supporters are listed on the TEDx Fargo website, I encourage you to check it out.
All in all, I couldn’t recommend attending a TEDx event more. Given the opportunity, I certainly will be attending more TEDx Events in the future.
