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How to apply for a TEDx event…step by step with screenshots

July 26, 2016 by Ryan Hildebrandt

Warning: this is a LONG post, full of screenshots and examples. It’s a full HOW-TO, not a vague description. If a TED Talk is a “someday” thing but not a “very soon or now” thing for you, this may not be a great article to read today. If you still want to stay in the loop, you can subscribe to my email list.

Is my idea TED-worthy? 3 ways to find out (without risking rejection)

July 18, 2016 by Ryan Hildebrandt

A lot of people ask me for feedback on their TED Talk topics, wondering if they’re good enough to get accepted. This question is often posed as something like “What do you think of [topic]?”

At first, I thought, surely, I can answer this question. After all, as an event organizer, I’ve seen over 80 speaker applications. Someone with that much exposure would be the best person to ask, yes?

3 things TEDx organizers look for when selecting speakers

July 13, 2016 by Ryan Hildebrandt

When selecting speakers, organizers evaluate on a few things: [Read more…] about 3 things TEDx organizers look for when selecting speakers

The top 6 myths of getting a TED Talk

November 15, 2015 by Ryan Hildebrandt

I’m all for appropriate awareness of your own credibility, experience and communication ability, but far too many people look at TED speakers and think it’s almost impossible to get on the stage. Getting your first TED Talk is much more achievable than you think, especially if you use a systematic approach to researching events, testing and tweaking your idea, and making a persuasive pitch. Before we do that though, you need to know about some really common myths surrounding getting your first TED Talk.

Myth: You have to be an author or have a big audience

The ultimate guide to testing and refining your TED Talk idea

November 15, 2015 by Ryan Hildebrandt

With so many great ideas being shared on the TED or TEDx stages, how do you really know if YOUR idea is good enough? And how do you find the most compelling version of your idea in the first place?

The way I see it, you’ve got a few options:

You could sit around and be paralized in fear and never do anything about your dream to do a TED Talk (this is what most people do)
You could apply to events blindly and probably get rejected, but never know if you could have made ONE little tweak to your idea to make it that much more interesting (this is what stupid people do
You could test and hone your event using specific strategies, so that when it comes time to apply to speak at an event you KNOW your idea is incredible (this is what we’re going to do)

Let’s get started. [Read more…] about The ultimate guide to testing and refining your TED Talk idea

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Myth: You have to be an author or have a big audience