New guidelines are provided for TEDx event organizers to focus on idea-driven talks rather than speaker-driven events. Organizers are encouraged to curate talks around specific ideas first and then find the appropriate speaker to present that idea. A variety of talk types should be included to surprise and delight audiences, such as big idea talks, tech demos, performances, artist statements, discoveries, small ideas, and issues-based talks. Organizers should help speakers develop engaging talks focused on new ideas or research, and cut any speaker who does not agree to rehearse and ensure their talk meets this standard.

1. New guidelines for TEDx organizers!
!
(resource from TED staff Phil Klein)

2. Idea First,
Speaker Second Curation
To ensure that your event is presenting new ideas and
research,!
1. Find talks by searching for specific ideas FIRST!
2. !Finding the most appropriate person to present on
this topic.!
This is opposed to brainstorming a list of interesting projects
or people and hoping they have a new idea. We call this
“idea first, speaker second!" curation or "active" curation.
Since it's the job of the curation team to present new or
fantastic ideas, you exert the most control over curation
when you come up with the ideas for talks yourselves.

3. Audience should not be able
to anticipate what the next
talk will be.
Diversify your event, not just with different
disciplines and subject matter, but with different
kinds of idea-based talks. Your event should be
as wide in scope as a TED conference. Your
audience should be surprised and delighted by
the variety of subject matter.!
!

4. Big Ideas
Issue Talk
Artist
statement
List of Talks
Small Idea
Performance
Dazzle with wonder
Tech demo!

5. A.The big idea -- The talks where they make one or two very
strong point and it’s important. (Ken Robinson, Liz Gilbert,
Chimamanda Adichie)!
B.The tech demo -- An onstage look at some clever new
invention.!
C.The performance -- Music, dance, magic, puppetry, etc.!
D.The artist statement -- an artist showcases their art and
explains why they do it.!
E.The dazzle with wonder -- These talks that are mainly about
amazing with discovery. (David Gallo, David Christensen)!
F.The small idea -- No BIG, world-changing ideas but a very
engaging talk on an interesting topic. (Bonnie Bassler, Mary
Roach, Joe Smith, Charlie Todd.) This is an important category!!
G.The issue talk -- These talks expose an issue to your
audience that they may have never heard of. (Rose George)

6. come out of a TED/TEDx talk with
new knowledge about an idea, not
information about the speaker.
Help your speakers to develop their talks. It is hard to
write an engaging talk that clearly focuses on a specific
idea - if your speaker gets too general, off topic,
personal or writes a talk that focuses more on their
personal opinions rather than a new idea/research, help
them fix their talk before you begin final rehearsals.

7. Cut any speaker that doesn't
agree to your methods!
You don't need many speakers, and you only want
speakers who you can guarantee will give an
interesting talk on a new idea. You cannot do this
if they don't rehearse with you. More is not better.

8. Asta Waikwan !
Curator, Trouble-Maker!
+886 922775664 !
asta@tedxtainan.com