TEDxSydney announces 2014 event – to be held at Sydney Opera House on Saturday, April 26th

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txs_logo.jpgAnnual Australian ideas festival TEDxSydney will return to the Sydney Opera House, in the Concert Hall, on Saturday 26 April 2014. Applications for one of the 2,200 seats will open 1 February 2014.

 

The Opera House has signed up as a major partner of the festival for another year, after the successful 2013 event.

In 2013 the festival saw attendance more than triple to 2,500 guests with over 30,000 people watching via live stream or by participating in the 70 Satellite events. Further to this, more than 13 million viewed the TEDxSydney talks and content online, with Australia’s iconic beatboxer Tom Thum taking the spot for the most viewed performance, and incidentally, the most viewed TEDx video of all time. Damien Mander’s presentation around the conservation of wildlife was the most viewed talk and Saatchi and Heckler’s First Taste was the most viewed of the Tasty Video Bits.

 

TEDxSydney was also awarded two gongs at the recent 2013 Australian Event Awards for Catering and Sponsorship and was a finalist for another two awards, including Best Cultural Arts or Music Event.

 

The TEDxSydney 2014 event will feature some leadership changes in the organising team. Edwina Throsby will be stepping into the role of editorial director, leading a core team of 10 and Stuart Couzens has taken on the role of event producer.

 

Throsby has been involved with TEDxSydney since 2011, working with foundation director Janne Ryan who led the past four events. Couzens worked alongside founding principal and 2013 event director David Glover in 2013. Both Ryan and Glover will continue to have input into the event via the TEDxSydney Brand Council.

 

Performance director Jordan Verzar will continue to head up the performance area, while food curator Jill Dupleix will be overseeing a TEDxSydney food effort that will be led by food producer Barbara Sweeney, alongside ARIA catering. Marque Owen remains screen director for all things video. For a full list of the team please click here.

 

Says Remo Giuffré, TEDxSydney licensee: “Over the past four years, TEDxSydney has evolved to become a fantastic platform for great storytelling, creativity and actionable innovation. Our exclusive focus on Australian ideas and talent also places the event in a unique category.

 

“In 2014, we hope to make the program more accessible to an even greater audience here and around the globe. Stay tuned for some exciting concepts as we expand our satellite programs and introduce a range of new initiatives for the TEDxSydney community.

 

“We’re thankful once again for Sydney Opera House’s support. They are an iconic venue, which has a like-minded commitment to embracing ideas worth sharing. We look forward to hosting another great event at the house in 2014.”

 

Says Throsby: “TEDxSydney 2014 aims to bring home and celebrate Australia’s best thinkers and researchers from around the world, to join a stage of local superstars. We produce some great minds in Australia, and the TEDxSydney stage provides a platform for our best and brightest. This year, we’re also hearing from people who don’t necessarily have a research background, but whose personal stories are extraordinary, inspiring and thought provoking. Our program will look to explore big ideas in small contexts and small ideas that can make a big impact in today’s world.”

 

TEDxSydney is encouraging interested attendees to save the date now – as the 2014 festival is held over the Anzac Day long weekend and many of the TEDxSydney community, particularly those from interstate, will use the event as an opportunity to have a long weekend in Sydney.