TEDxSMU auditions are June 20

Spinning topics ranging from tartar sauce to divine intelligence, 11 speakers will battle it out June 20 at the Kessler Theater, hoping for a spot on the big stage at TEDxSMU 2013.

DALLAS (SMU) – Spinning topics ranging from tartar sauce to divine intelligence, 11 speakers will battle it out June 20 at the Kessler Theater, hoping for a spot on the big stage at TEDxSMU 2013.

TEDxSMU logoThe audience and a small panel of judges will vote for their favorites during the auditions, and the winner will be announced at the end of the evening.  Doors to the Kessler Theater will open at 6 p.m., allowing the audience time to enjoy the cash bar, and the tryouts begin at 7 p.m.  Find more information and a link to purchase tickets at http://www.tedxsmu.org/tedxsmu-2013-summer-auditions/

“The auditions have become a tradition that we really look forward to,” said TEDxSMU director Heather Hankamer.  “We always find wild card talent and ideas that we didn’t know were out there, making TEDxSMU better, and giving us an excuse for a summer party.” 

TEDxSMU 2013 is scheduled for Oct. 19 at City Performance Hall. An all-day event for pre-registered participants, the program ranges from personal discussions of physical and mental journeys to demonstrations of high-tech gadgetry. Find out more at www.tedxsmu.org.

June 20 speakers and their topics are:

  • Mitchell Brooks: Getting Small in Healthcare Delivery
  • Jayne Gardner: Divine Intelligence
  • Cathrine Hatcher
: A Roadside Tribute
  • Amy Hofland: 
 Be Well and Please Take Care of your Telomeres
  • Bill Holston: Immigration Makes America Great
  • Sung Kim: The Next Mobile Experience
  • Dave Lieber: The Power of a Story to Change the World
  • Elizabeth McCormick: Two Words Can Change Your Life
  • Patrick McDonnell: Why City Planning Needs to Be Un-Planned
  • Reward Sibanda: Tartar Sauce and Tyranny
  • LyAnna Smith: Fostering Hope
 

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About TEDxSMU

Bringing together ideas and interesting people from around the world and around the corner, TEDxSMU and TEDxKids @SMU are single-day conferences in Dallas, TX. Now in its fifth year, TEDxSMU is jointly produced by Southern Methodist University and Dallas IdeaSpace, a nonprofit dedicated to positively impacting the intellectual infrastructure and creative capacity of Dallas through investing in ideas and curating experiences.

TEDxKids @SMU (the first TEDx event designed for students) hosts 450 middle school students for a free four-hour conference, in exchange for completing four hours of community service. TEDxKids @SMU is scheduled for Oct. 18 at City Performance Hall.

TEDxSMU programming ranges from personal discussions of physical and mental journeys to demonstrations of high-tech gadgetry and inspirational musical performances and great visuals are the common denominator. Modeled on the TED (Technology, Engineering and Design) conference mounted annually in Long Beach, Cal., TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience.

About TEDx, x = independently organized event

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized. (Subject to certain rules and regulations.)

About TED

TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. Started as a four-day conference in California 26 years ago, TED has grown to support those world-changing ideas with multiple initiatives. At TED, the world's leading thinkers and doers are asked to give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes. Talks are then made available, free, at TED.com. TED speakers have included Bill Gates, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sir Richard Branson, Benoit Mandelbrot, Philippe Starck, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Isabel Allende and former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Two major TED events are held each year: The TED Conference takes place every spring in Long Beach, Cal. (along with a parallel conference, TEDActive, in Palm Springs), and TEDGlobal is held each summer in Edinburgh, Scotland.

TED’s media initiatives include TED.com, where new TEDTalks are posted daily; the new TED Conversations, enabling broad conversations among TED fans; and the Open Translation Project, which provides subtitles and interactive transcripts as well as the ability for any TEDTalk to be translated by volunteers worldwide.

TED has established the annual TED Prize, where exceptional individuals with a wish to change the world are given the opportunity to put their wishes into action; TEDx, which offers individuals or groups a way to host local, self-organized events around the world; and the TED Fellows program, helping world-changing innovators from around the globe to become part of the TED community and, with its help, amplify the impact of their remarkable projects and activities.

For information about TED's upcoming conferences, visit http://www.ted.com/registration

Follow TED on Twitter at http://twitter.com/TEDTalks, or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/TED

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