TED is now offering anybody and everybody the opportunity to become a TED speaker like Al Gore and Bill Gates. This month, TED will start accepting applications/auditions via YouTube and Vimeo for its 2012 conference.
TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to “Ideas Worth Spreading.” The organization began in 1984 and now brings some of the best speakers across the world together to speak on technology, business, design, and more.
Part of the online application reads, “We’re holding this audition to give a chance to the undiscovered talent we know is out there — and especially talent that can help us continue to reinvent the ancient art of the spoken word.”
The TED conference 2012 theme is the “Full Spectrum” and an open auditions like this fits this theme through using creative means to reach the audience. For instance, the application suggests those who apply to try to be unique with this social media platform by creating a custom made movie, improv or even more images than expected. By applying on the social media platform YouTube, applicants will be able to be more creative and set themselves apart.
The TED conference has been looking to spread its reach and increased its online presence by beginning to engage with users more and more, as well as opening the TED experience to audiences beyond its 1,300 attendees.
This is the first time the TED conference has ever held open auditions for the public. All you have to do to apply is upload a one minute YouTube or Vimeo video that explains your idea and link it to the application. Social media is becoming even more prevalent and TED recognizes this.
The finalists that are selected will present live in New York on May 24 and the best auditionswill be posted on their site. Only one winner of the social media contest will present on stage in the 2012 TED conference.
