Organizing TEDx Kreuzberg (10 Dec 2009)

I have an announcement to make that has me very excited indeed: We just got the go from the good folks over at TED to organize an independent TED event in Berlin. (Not familiar with TED? Check them out, you won’t regret it.) Our event will be called TEDx Kreuzberg and will be held at Betahaus, who are co-organizing the whole thing.

So please save the date:

Date: 10 December 2009 Time: 7pm / 19h Location: Betahaus, Prinzessinnenstraße 19-20, 10969 Berlin (show map)

For simplicity’s sake, let me quote from the event website that we’ve just begun building:

At 10 Dec (Thursday), Betahaus will open its doors to celebrate a night full of inspiring TED talks: Please join us for TEDx Kreuzberg! We will be providing more information over the next few days on the TEDx Kreuzberg website. Questions? The best way to reach us is via email: mail@tedxkreuzberg.org. More information on TED is available here or on the TED website.

So what’s the difference between TED and TEDx? Here’s the official explanation that explains things very well:

What is TED? TED is an annual event where some of the world’s leading thinkers and doers are invited to share what they are most passionate about. “TED” stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design — three broad subject areas that are, collectively, shaping our future. And in fact, the event is broader still, showcasing ideas that matter in any discipline. Attendees have called it “the ultimate brain spa” and “a four-day journey into the future.” The diverse audience — CEOs, scientists, creatives, philanthropists — is almost as extraordinary as the speakers, who have included Bill Clinton, Bill Gates, Jane Goodall, Frank Gehry, Paul Simon, Sir Richard Branson, Philippe Starck and Bono. What is TEDx? (x=independently organized event) In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TED has created a program called TEDx. TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience.

We’re getting in touch with potential speakers now and are going to be sorting out the details for the event over the next few days. You can follow our progress on the official TEDx Kreuzberg twitter account @tedxkreuzberg.

We’ll start talking to a small number of sponsors. Sponsoring a TEDx is pretty special indeed as it is both a strong brand and a great, inspirational event. If you think you know the right company to be a decent sponsor for this kind of event, please let us know (mail@tedxkreuzberg.info). Thank you so much!

Last but not least: A big THANKS to Christoph and the rest of the Betahaus crew for co-organizing the event. This will be grand, and I can’t wait. Hope to see you there!