TED talks have become famous because of the style of speech and the ideas they share. When looking for new speakers, the TEDxRexburg Team looks for new ideas. The identity of the speaker has little to do with whether they will be chosen to speak. As the official TEDx Guidelines put it “It’s actually not the person you should be searching for, but the person’s idea or innovation. This is a great way to decipher between a TEDx speaker, and an interesting person with an “okay” idea. What will the audience walk away knowing – that this person exists, or a new idea?”

So how do you know if your idea would make for a great TEDxRexburg Talk? Let’s first take a look at the TEDx Guidelines taken from https://www.ted.com/participate/organize-a-local-tedx-event/before-you-start.

• Look for new ideas that originate in your community but are widely relatable
• Look for ideas that need to be defended – not something self-evident, but an interesting argument, perhaps with an antagonist.
• Look for an idea the TED world hasn’t heard before. (In other words, not a copy of a TED Talk you like!)
• Look for ideas that change perceptions. (e.g., a scientific discovery that changes how you think about frogs, a philosophical argument that reshapes your notions of friendship.)
• Avoid pseudoscience – TED and TEDx are platforms for showcasing and explaining genuine advances in science, and it’s important we retain the respect of the scientific community. Speakers should avoid the misuse of scientific language to make unsubstantiated claims.
• No talks with an inflammatory political or religious agenda, nor for polarizing “us vs them” language

The TEDxRexburg team also has some of their own stipulations when it comes to the topic. First, the team looks for topics that apply to the Eastern Idaho area. Whatever your topic is, it must be able to relate to the people who live here and must relate to a wide range of people. The audience is diverse, so topics that only target a small group – like target business owners or college students – aren’t going to resonate with most of the audience. Second, the TEDxRexburg team looks for interesting and new ideas. Many people who want to do a motivational topic aren’t given an interview because their idea is either something that’s already been said or isn’t said in a new way. Lastly, the team tries to create a diverse program, so they will only allow one speaker to discuss a specific topic.

Still not sure if you’re idea would be a good TEDxRexburg talk? Then talk with a few of your friends and family. Tell them your idea and see what they think. And watch some TED talks. They will give you a great idea of what ideas make great TED talks.

And if you’re interested in applying with your new idea, go to the speaker tab and click apply.

Whether you applied to speak or are just the curious type, you’ve probably wondered how TEDxRexburg speakers are chosen. The process itself is rather simple.

Nominating a Speaker

If you want to nominate someone who you believe would be an excellent speaker, then you go to tedxrexburg.com and nominate that person. Once you’ve filled out the form, that information is inputted into a Google Spreadsheet. When it’s time to start looking for speakers again, the TEDxRexburg Team refers to this spreadsheet. A member of the team then emails or calls every nominated person on that list to encourage them to apply to speak.

Nominating a speaker is not enough to get them an audition. They must apply to speak. This is because many individuals are nominated every year who are not interested in speaking and so we will not ask someone to audition who has not applied.

If you have nominated someone, give them a nudge to apply.

Applying to Speak

Once a speaker has applied to speak their information is inputted into another Google Spreadsheet. This is the list that the TEDxRexburg Team uses to scope out potential speakers. Potential speakers are chosen to audition based on their ideas. There are often similar, competing ideas every year. In these cases, the more unique or well formed of the two is the one who is more likely to be offered an audition. Anywhere from 10-20 people can be asked to audition each year and usually 8-12 actually set up an appointment.

Auditions

Auditions are held over the course of a few days. Each speaker has 2-3 minutes to pitch their idea and then 7-8 minutes to have a Q&A with the audition panel. That panel consists of the speaking coach, the license holder and the event managers.

Selecting the Speakers

After each audition day, the panel discusses the auditions and selects the best speakers. There are many factors that go into picking speakers:

How complete the idea is can be a determining factor in selecting a speaker. Speakers are picked based on their idea, not on their ability to present. A speaker who has a concrete grasp on their idea is more likely to be selected than a speaker who just has an idea.

The style of presentation is not important when selecting speakers. Presentation style or grace is something that can be learned so those who have difficulty with presenting are given many opportunities to work with the TEDxRexburg speaking coach to improve their skills.

Gender balance is an important part of each event. The TEDxRexburg team strives to have at least two women in the program, but ideally would like to have an even split between speaker genders. This plays a part in the competition of speaker selection. Men are more likely to apply to be a TEDxRexburg speaker, meaning that there is more competition for a spot for men than for women.

Variety of ideas is also vital to each program. The event can only have two speakers who cover a similar topic. In cases where there are few unique ideas, the TEDxRexburg Team will hand select individuals and invite them to speak in order to diversify the program. These hand-selected speakers go through the same speaking process, but do not have to formally apply or audition for the program. They can be picked for their field of expertise or for a unique hobby.

Ability to communicate while setting up the audition. First impressions say loads about your personality, and your first impression as a speaker starts not at the audition, but while setting up the audition. Potential speakers who are very slow to respond to calls or emails or who are unclear or hard to communicate with are less likely to be selected because these are indications of future communication problems that could arise.

After careful consideration, the speakers are selected are notified. Those who are not selected for that year’s program are notified and given ways they can continue to participate in that year’s event and are also encouraged to apply again next year. After this, the speaking process begins.

Once the speakers have been chosen they begin a four month refining process. Speakers are required to attend one coaching night, a speaker dinner, a dry run and a dress rehearsal.

The Coaching Night is the first time all of the speakers are in the same room. Each speaker gives their speech and receives feedback from the speech coach and the other speakers. This night usually takes 3-5 hours to complete. We only require one coaching night, but can set up multiple coaching nights at the request of the speakers.

About two weeks before the big day, the TEDxRexburg Team puts on a thank you banquet we call the speaker dinner. This is an opportunity for speakers to meet the entire TEDxRexburg Team and visa versa. This is a night of relaxation and gratitude.

Between a week and a day before the event there will be a dry run. This is the speakers’ first opportunity to practice on the actual stage. During this time, the technical and sound team works with speakers on mics, powerpoints and any other technical matters. Each speaker gets 30-40 minutes to practice their speech and has the opportunity to get further advice from the speaking coach and other members of the TEDxRexburg Team.

The dress rehearsal is a complete run through of the entire event and is the final refining point before the event. All speakers are in the theater together and practice how they will come on and off the stage and get to see the full videos that will be shown as well as practice with the emcee. The dress rehearsal usually happens the morning of the event.

Those are the four major requirements for the speakers. They have the opportunity to work with the speaking coach as much as they wish, but they are not required to.

In 1984, a new speaking movement began. This small nonprofit organization began a movement of sharing ideas that become a globally recognized brand. That organization was TED. (Fun fact, did you know that TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design?) Because of the popularity of TED talks, the TED organization created an sister organization that would allow cities, businesses, universities and locals to hold their own TED events, called TEDx.

TEDx events are held all over the country and the world and are independently organized by community members and businesses. TEDx is also a nonprofit, which means all money made at the event goes towards next year’s event. Everyone who works on a TEDx event is a volunteer and receives no monetary compensation for their work.

TEDxRexburg is our community’s local event. This event only allows speakers who have a connection to this area. This gives TEDxRexburg the unique ability to be focused and tailored to the community by only allowing speakers who have been a part of it.

The purpose of TEDxRexburg is to give community members the opportunity to share their unique ideas and experiences, with the hope of education everyone and expanding our world view. Although there are some limitations on the way ideas are expressed, there is no topic that is too bold or too weird for the stage.

TEDxRexburg holds one event per year. Speakers are selected four months before the event and work with a speech coach and the rest of the TEDxRexburg Team to refine their ideas. Each event typically features 7-8 speakers with a variety of topics and ideas.

If you’re interested in learning more about TEDxRexburg, check out this site and the TEDxRexburg Facebook page for more information or click here to learn more about the speaking process or how speakers are chosen.

Andra Hansen
Andra is a faculty member in the Communication Department at Brigham Young University-Idaho, where she has been teaching for eight years. Andra has designed persuasion, media law, moral reasoning and advocacy classes and have received an excellence in teaching award. Prior to coming to BYU-I, Andra spent 13 years teaching writing, business and professional communication and literature classes at Idaho State University. Her areas of expertise include political rhetoric, persuasion, mediation, negotiation, advocacy, and critical thinking. She is currently a lead faculty member of the Organizational Communication and Advocacy emphasis within the Communication Department at BYU-I.

Andra strongly believes that what is taught in the classroom is primarily valuable to the degree that it meets needs and provides insights applicable to everyday living. Her natural interests in people and language have led her to seek out a diverse range of professional experiences, including as a consultant and trainer for the Transatlantic Negotiation School of Business in Lagos, Nigeria; as a writing instructor for Native American students on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation; and as a legislative correspondent on Capitol Hill. Andra has an acute understanding of strategic communication within business, political, and social contexts.

Because she is passionate about learning, Andra pursues opportunities to gain further understanding of the relationship between communication, people, and problem solving. She has recently completed a Harvard Law School negotiation training and attended educational conferences focused on experiential learning and on critical thinking.

Andra is devoted to using communication skills to foster meaningful dialogue, promote peaceful resolutions to conflicts, maximize value for all parties involved in an exchange, and create safe, positive environments within which individuals in organizational and family contexts have the opportunity to thrive.

 

Dr. Geoff Thomas

Dr. Geoff Thomas is a life long educator serving as classroom teacher, coach and mentor before assuming administrative responsibilities. He has worked as a Superintendent for nearly 20 years. In 2015, Dr. Thomas was selected by his peers as the Idaho Superintendent of the Year.

Dr. Thomas is a passionate advocate for public education and an outspoken critic of excessive standardized testing, high stakes testing and other so called “Reforms.” He is married to Janalee his wife of 32 years. They are the proud of parents of five children and two amazingly talented and precocious grandchildren.

Dr. Thomas will be talking on the topic of Restoration not Reformation.
Here is a highlight about what he will be talking about.

To restore greatness in pubic education we need to return and restore those principles which are truly effective and not engage in pseudo reforms that have proven to be unworkable.

 

 

Nathan Gwilliam

Nathan Gwilliam is CEO/Founder of Elevati, the parent company of adoption.com.  As a college student, Nathan spent almost two years as a missionary in Brazil. Nathan fell in love with the street children of Brazil and vowed to do something to make a lasting difference in their lives when he returned. So, Nathan created a thesis on how to use the Internet to help children through adoption. That thesis won multiple business plan competitions, and adoption.com was born. As CEO, Nathan grew adoption.com to become the world’s most-used adoption site.

Bill Crawford

Gracie Marsden

Gracie Marsden is a Junior studying Philosophy here at BYU-Idaho. A proud Asian-American, she was born in Seattle but raised part of her life in Taiwan. She served a Mandarin-speaking mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Vancouver, Canada. She claims to have a black belt in jiu-jitsu but no one really believes her. Gracie began with a dream to become a veterinarian, then a writer, then a concert pianist, then a hobo. Currently her dream is to get her PhD in Ethics and to become a Professor of Philosophy. She is a huge advocate for education and women’s rights. Her hobbies include playing tennis, studying Philosophy, and sounding smarter than she actually is. She is very passionate in the journey of truth-seeking, and is trying to enjoy being proven wrong as part of her coming to truth. So far, her attempts are futile. Her greatest fears include insects of any kind, death by fire, and being called to serve in the Nursery.

 

Cameron Codd, DO is an OB-GYN at Seasons Medical’s Women’s Center. Originally from Lethbridge, Alberta Dr. Codd pursued his undergraduate degree in Zoology and Business at Brigham Young University. His medical training took him to A.T. Still University of Health Sciences in Kirksville, Missouri. He later completed a residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Akron General Medical Center where he also served as a faculty member at Northeast Ohio Medical University.

Dr. Codd and his wife, Beckie, have five children. They are actively involved with competitive swimming, dance, music and birding. They especially enjoy hiking and the outdoors.

Dr. Codd was selected as a 2012 ‘Honorary Resident in Minimally Invasive Gynecology by the American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists. His residency training emphasized minimally invasive surgery including robotics.

Special Thanks to:

Maija-Liisa Adams for providing speech coaching services

 

Sternberg and Shirley Providing Music for TEDxRExburg:

Scott Shirley is a life-long resident of Madison County, presently
serving as Pincipal of Lincoln Elementary in the Madison District.  He
began playing in musical groups over fifty years ago, in spite of
having failed miserably as a music major in college.  His love for
learning led him to a career in education and greater understanding
for students who struggle with unreasonable educational demands.

Doug Sternberg is a local resident who is a classicaly trained
guitarist. He has also been playing for the past fifty years in
professional guitar groups that touring Europe as well as in the
United States.

Both are life-long students of music as well as advocates for
education.  They will be playing both traditional and original
classical guitar music at the upcoming TED event in Rexburg.

Nominate TedxRexburg Speaker