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What’s Your Moonshot Idea? 2015 Speaker Guide

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Page 1: What’s Your Moonshot Idea? - TEDxJackson€¦ · What’s Your Moonshot Idea? 2015 Speaker Guide. Table of Contents Welcome 3 Background 4 Our Theme and Vision 5 Your Idea Worth

What’s Your Moonshot Idea?

2015 Speaker Guide

Page 2: What’s Your Moonshot Idea? - TEDxJackson€¦ · What’s Your Moonshot Idea? 2015 Speaker Guide. Table of Contents Welcome 3 Background 4 Our Theme and Vision 5 Your Idea Worth

Table of Contents

Welcome 3

Background 4

Our Theme and Vision 5

Your Idea Worth Spreading 6

Getting Started 7

Developing Your Talk 8

The TED commandments 9

AV Specifications 10

For Your Inspiration 13

At Your Service 15

TEDxJackson is an independently organized event operated under license from TED

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Welcome to We are so excited to have you join us as a TEDxJackson speaker. You have been chosen from a field of many talented and well-qualified individuals because we believe you have a story to share with our audience.

Preparing for any TEDx event is a significant commitment. You will be appearing, in person, before a select and high-profile audience of about 350 people. Video of your talk will be posted online and, if accepted, on the official TEDx YouTube channel, exposing your talk and your ideas to TED’s global audience of millions of people.

We hope you’re as excited as we are about your participation. On your end, you’ll need to communicate with us regarding your talk idea and the content of your presentation: We’ll need to see your slides and an outline of your talk in advance. We’ll also need to schedule at least one rehearsal with you.

But please don’t feel overwhelmed. Our team is ready to provide you with as much help as you need for refining your idea, planning your talk and preparing for the big day. Don’t hesitate to contact any of the team members, using the contact info provided on the last page of this guide, if you need assistance in any way.

To help you get started, this guide contains a short background guide to TED and TEDxJackson, some details about our theme, preparation tips, the “TEDx Commandments,” and a few technical specs.

Thank you so much for giving your time and your talents to our TEDx event. We are ready to help you give the talk of your life.

Sincerely, The TEDxJackson Team

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About TEDxJackson

On November 12, 2015, TEDxJackson will hold its second TEDx conference. Our first event was an amazing day, which included the first ever TEDx talk to feature the beloved Muppet, Kermit the Frog (the creation of Mississippi native, Jim Henson) with a special video introduction from TED luminary, Sir Ken Robinson.

We are building upon our successful launch with a new “liftoff.” As you may know, Mississippi is home to the John C. Stennis Space Center, NASA’s largest rocket engine test facility, which has been an important part of space missions from the Apollo program to the present day.

Our 2015 theme, “Lift Off” will reflect on Mississippi’s contribution to space exploration with speakers who are expanding knowledge, discovery and understanding of our universe. We will also reflect on the metaphorical need to lift up Mississippi, by improving the economic and social factors needed to provide a better life and brighter future for all our state’s residents.

We believe that, by sharing ideas and inspiring action, TEDxJackson will continue to encourage thinking and discussions that will build a strong future for the city of Jackson and our state, while contributing to a larger, global conversation that builds on TED’s vision of “ideas worth spreading.”

Background

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About 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. 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.

TED was first held in Monterey, California, in 1984. In 2001, Chris Anderson’s Sapling Foundation acquired TED from its founder, Richard Saul Wurman. In recent years, TED has expanded to include an international conference, TEDGlobal; media initiatives, including TED Talks and TED.com; and the TED Prize.

About TEDx

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 and subject to certain rules and regulations.

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Our Theme and Vision

Our 2015 theme, “Liftoff,” recalls events that began with a stirring speech on September 12, 1962.

On that date, President Kennedy announced his goal to send an American to the moon, saying “we choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.” The country united behind this vision and, on July 20, 1969, his dream was realized.

Mississippi’s role in the race to put a man on the moon is a great source of pride to our state. Imagine if that same sense of

purpose and determination was applied to the many challenges our state faces today.

Imaginative new ideas can propel our state to new heights. We are looking for talks that have strong ideas – moonshot ideas – to move our state and our world ahead, advancing education, health and economic opportunity for the benefit of all people.

May your talk, and your ideas, be “one small step” that positively impacts our city, our state and the world at large.

Liftoff

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Your idea worth spreading

Ask yourself the four questions below. Keep refining your idea until you can answer “yes” to each one.

• Is my idea new?• Is it interesting to a broad audience?• Is it factual and realistic?• Am I the right person to be talking about it?

Carmine Gallow’s offers great advice in his book, Talk Like TED: The 9 Public Speaking Secrets of the World's Tops Minds:

After reviewing the titles of all 1,600 TED talks currently available on TED.com, I realized that none—not one—had a title longer than 140 characters, perfect for a Twitter post. Among the most viewed: Ken Robinson (How schools kills creativity), Brene Brown (The power of vulnerability), and Simon Sinek (How great leaders inspire action). If you can’t keep your title to 140 characters, keep trying.

I spoke to some TED speakers who practiced 200 times for their 18-minute talks. One person performed so well that Oprah discovered her. Today her career has enjoyed a renaissance thanks to Oprah’s support and her now famous TED talk.

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Getting started

Preparation - TED presenters might make their TED talks look effortless, but there are hours of thinking, preparing, practicing, slide revision, and memorization behind each one. We want you to give the best talk of your life and to prepare yourself accordingly. If you can’t make that commitment, you need to let us know.

Content - Your TEDx talk should be focused and sharp. It should go deep rather than broad. It should include visuals that develop your ideas, rather than distract from your purpose. It can include unique aspects of your personal experience or projects, but these examples should be powerful, illuminating and succinct.

Corporate, political or religious plugs from stage are not permitted and are considered an abuse of the TEDx platform.

Timing - By license, TED and TEDx talks are limited to 18 minutes. At TEDxJXN, speakers will be giving talks of various lengths, everywhere from 5 minutes to the full 18, depending on the time it takes them to express their idea.  

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Developing your talk

Get to know the format – Be sure to watch lots of videos at TED.com so you can see how top TED speakers organize their talks and connect with their audience. But don’t stop there. Watch TEDx talks, too, and pay attention to what works and what doesn’t. You should refer frequently to the TED Commandments, which contain great advice for giving a talk worthy of the TED brand.

Practice, practice practice – The ideal presenter will speak slowly and clearly, deliver the speech mostly by memory in a passionate and engaging way. The presenter will be comfortable enough with the material that he or she can respond to potential technical glitches or memory lapses.

Use slides effectively – A single, strong, graphic image or succinct line of text will tell your story better than a crowded collage or packed paragraph. Remember, people need to process everything you’re saying while simultaneously absorbing your slides. Rather than one complex slide, show several slides, each with one idea, image or data point.

Avoid bullet points – Nobody wants to read along with your talk, so keep your outline off the screen. Keep text to a minimum and include only one point per slide.

Use only the time you need – 18 minutes is the maximum length. Many great TED talks are much shorter. Don’t feel like you have to use every minute.

Stay focused – Challenge yourself to keep a tight focus on your topic and your idea. Avoid irrelevant or extraneous points and, if possible, lead your audience to a single, powerful takeaway message.

Check your facts – Make sure any facts you cite are up to date and come from reliable sources. Consult with outside experts if you need verification." " "Ask for help – If at any point you have a question (regardless of how trivial you think it may be), please do not be afraid to ask us. We are here to help you make the best talk possible and we are more than willing to help you out.

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The TEDx Commandments

These commandments are at the heart of every TED talk:

1. Dream big. Strive to create the best talk you have ever given.

2. Show us the real you. Share your passions, your dreams... and also your fears. Be vulnerable. Speak of failure as well as success." " " " " "3. Make the complex plain. Don’t try to dazzle intellectually. Don’t speak in abstractions. Explain! Give examples. Tell stories. Be specific." " " " " "4. Connect with people’s emotions. Make us laugh! Make us cry!

5. Don’t flaunt your ego. Don’t boast. It’s the surest way to switch everyone off." " " " " "6. No selling from the stage! Unless we have specifically asked you to, do not talk about your company or organization. And don’t even think about pitching your products or services or asking for funding from stage." " " " " "7. Feel free to comment on other speakers, to praise or to criticize. Controversy energizes! Enthusiastic endorsement is powerful!" " " " " "8. Don’t read your talk. Your slides will be on a screen in front of you during your talk. We encourage our speakers to read as little as possible. But if the choice is between reading or rambling, then read!" " " " " "9. You must end your talk on time. Doing otherwise is to steal time from the people that follow you. We won’t allow it." " " " " "10. Rehearse your talk in front of a trusted friend...for timing, for clarity, for impact. not be afraid to ask us. We are here to help you make the best talk possible and we are more than willing to help you out.

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AV Specifications

Slides are not requirement – some of the best TED talks are spoken words and nothing more. If you would like to features slides or video in your presentation follow the guidelines below to ensure your presentation looks polished and professional. Your visual presentation will be run off our laptops and projected onto a screen behind you.

Acceptable formats:Presentation – Powerpoint, KeynoteVideo – Windows Media, Quicktime

If you need assistance with your slide design or have any other special requirements, please contact the TEDxJackson organizers.

Slide dimensions – 1024x768 pixels (4:3 aspect ratio) " " " " " "Margins – You can run visuals edge-to-edge. But, to ensure best visibility, please keep all type and important visual content inside a 10% to 20% margin. " " " " " "Text Size – Don’t use type smaller than 40 points. Please use on-screen text sparingly, only when necessary to highlight an important point.  " " " " " "Fonts – Sans-serif fonts (like Helvetica) are easier to read at a distance than serif fonts (like Times New Roman). To avoid last-minute glitches with your presentation, font files should be embedded in your presentation file. Avoid ornamental fonts or overly casual fonts like Comic Sans. If in doubt, use Helvetica.

Background – A simple, elegant background behind your text should be used to complement and enhance the readability of your words. If using a dark or black background, you may want to make the text bold. Be sure to provide plenty of contrast between the text and background for maximum legibility." " " " " " "

LOW CONTRAST - Hard to read

HIGH CONTRAST - Easy to read

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Graphs, Graphics and Photos – Use high-resolution pictures and graphics. You must properly license all images for TED’s use in worldwide video and web distribution. Don’t use images from the web unless they are clearly licensed under Creative Commons for use. If attribution is requested, be sure to cite the source in small type at the bottom of your slide. For data graphs or charts, be sure to follow the minimum font size guidelines above for all text, including axis and data point labels.

Video Files – Video files may be used in talks. Please coordinate with the TEDxJackson organizers to ensure files will be properly displayed. Keep videos brief – preferably under 60 seconds – and use only when needed to illustrate an idea more clearly. Avoid videos that feature a soundtrack or seem self-promotional or commercial, which encourage audiences to tune out.

Props – Think outside the screen. Sometimes physical objects or simple demonstrations communicate much better than static images or video clips.

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For Your Inspiration

Connect – There’s a big difference between giving a speech and giving a talk. Sir Ken Robinson’s video, “How Schools Kill Creativity,” is the most watched TED talk of all time, with more than 26 million views. Notice how he connects with his audience using a variety of techniques including informal style, humorous stories and a well-crafted argument.

Ken Robinson: How Schools Kill Creativity

Speak from the Heart – Choose a topic you’re passionate about and remember that audiences connect with stories, not just facts and data. You don’t have to be perfect. You can be more persuasive by not pretending that you’re perfect: In crafting your argument, don’t be afraid to expose your vulnerabilities or admit you don’t have all the answers.

Sheryl Sandberg: Why We Have Too Few Women Leaders

Demonstrate – Large numbers or abstract concepts can be challenging for audiences to grasp. Demonstrations can be a powerful tool for communicating in a more visceral way. In his talk, Jamie Oliver dumps a wheelbarrow full of sugar onto the stage to visualize how much sugar an average child consumes in flavored milk products.

Jamie Oliver: Teach Every Child About Food

Make it Personal – Share meaningful, personal stories to explain your connection to your topic and your reasons for speaking about it. Audiences connect with people who have a personal connection – not just an academic one – to the subject matter. Don’t be afraid to challenge your audience and inspire them to take action.

Bryan Stevenson: We Need to Talk About an Injustice  

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Be concise – Derek Sivers needed just three minutes to demonstrate how social and business movements get their start. His commentary and the humorous video make all the necessary points with zero waste. Remember: 18 minutes is the maximum length – don’t feel like you need to use all of it.

Derek Sivers: How to Start a Movement

Be Insightful – Armed with just an easel pad and marker, Simon Sinek presents a simple, but powerful, insight into leadership. Make sure your talk presents more than just facts to your audience. Make your talk more meaningful by “connecting the dots” between the facts and your own observations and ideas.

Simon Sinek: How Great Leaders Inspire Action

Inform – Tell your audience something they don’t know. It could be your own research or a compilation of outside ideas that work together to support your point. TED audiences, both in person and online, love to learn new things. But keep in mind – and this is very important – a talk is not a lecture. Find a way to make your content entertaining.

Suzana Herculano-Houzel: What’s So Special About the Human Brain

Interact – Audience participation is a great way to energize your audience. Make the task easy enough that you’re sure to get lots of participation – just be ready for the unexpected. Audiences members aren’t necessarily going to play by your script, so it’s very important to rehearse your idea several times in front of small groups.

Tim Brown: Tales of Creativity and Play 

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Questions? Requests? Problems?

The organizers of TEDxJackson are eager to help you prepare for your talk and everything leading up to the big day. Want to bounce an idea off someone? Need help designing and proofreading slides? Have some questions about your trip to Jackson? We’re here for you and are just a phone call or email away.

Planning Committee Members

David [email protected]

Tim Mask, [email protected] 601.951.0963 Nina ParikhCommittee [email protected]

Randy LynnCommittee [email protected]