While scrolling through Facebook, you’ve probably come across videos that show you a man or a woman, on a big stage, with the letters TED or TEDx behind them in red. These people are usually inspirational speakers who have overcome hardships in their life, authored amazing books, started their own Fortune 500 company, or are outstanding performers of their art. These short (18 minutes or less) videos are called TED Talks, and they’ve been happening around the world for over 30 years in over 100 languages – and you can experience it right here in Goa at TEDxPanaji 2019.
What are TED and TEDx?
TED began in 1984 as a conference where Technology, Entertainment and Design converged, and today covers almost all topics — from science to business to global issues — in more than 100 languages. In order to localise these conferences by bringing together community-specific resources, TEDx was launched to allow for independently organised TED events. TEDx events are produced independently of TED conferences, curating speakers on their own based on TED’s format and rules. Leading the charge in Goa for TEDxPanaji is Dattaprasad Shetkar and his team of close to 80 volunteers. The 8-hour event planned for this year is slated to take place on April 28 at Kala Academy. This is the third edition of TEDxPanaji, which has grown from a 4-hour event with a hundred attendees in 2017, to an anticipated 1000 attendees this year. Past years have seen speakers such as Dr. Nadita De Souza, Abhijit Sadhale, Richard Dias, and Isabel De Santa Rita Vás, while videos from the events have garnered over a million views online.
What does TEDxPanaji 2019 have in store?
With two successful events in the bag, this year’s conference aims to be bigger than its predecessors. Built around the theme ‘hacked’, TEDxPanaji 2019 will celebrate people who have ditched conventional paths to achieve the unimaginable through smarter ways and means. This year will see 14 speakers not just from Goa, but from all over India and overseas, along with two amazing live performances. A specially curated ‘expereince zone’ will feature exceptional start-ups in the fields of technology and non-technology. Scheduled to be showcased are a few uniquely Goan concepts while the Goa State Biodiversity Board will present some of their own remarkable ideas. With such an exciting lineup, TEDxPanaji 2019 promises to be an extravaganza of brilliance and resourcefulness bubbling in a community where the most unique, intellectual, and transformational ideas are celebrated.
How can you experience TEDxPanaji?
This year’s conference is looking to attract footfall across all demographics. With a greater percentage of attendees in the age group of 25 to 55, TEDxPanaji typically caters to people who are in service or self-employed professionals, start-up entrepreneurs, corporate executives, and large entrepreneurs. The event is also open to students and retired professionals. Tickets for the event will be made available online and at Kala Academy, though seating will be limited – so watch this space for more information.
If you work in the fields of sponsorship, event production, branding and design, marketing, PR, or media production and would like to volunteer your services, you can reach out to Dattaprasad Shetkar on 7020793498. In the meantime, check out this motivational talk by Darryl D’Souza from last year’s edition.
