Recently I photographed an Open Mic Night event for TEDxTysons. In similar fashion to popular talent shows on TV, potential speakers are pulled out of the audience. Even though they would not be giving a full talk, they would give a preview for judges and the audience to review. There was an initial call for applications so there was some culling before the event. 25 speakers then had their chance in front of the audience to pitch their talk.
At stake during this event was an opportunity to give a full talk at the upcoming main event this fall! Not only were they competing against each other, but there was an encouraging spirit in the crowd. Even with all the culling, there was still just a small chance of having the main stage this fall. Contestants were encouraging and supportive throughout the night. For sure, even if they were not picked this time, there are future TEDx speakers that gave their first looks tonight!
Earlier this month, I reunited with TEDxTysons at a volunteer dinner to plan for another year! Given that they have had 3 years of events with good audience feedback, they will make more in 2019. In addition to finding enthusiastic volunteers and engaging speakers the TEDxTysons team has a talent for finding partners. Of course they have a TED brand to lean on, but they have a way of infecting their partners with their enthusiasm to reach the same goals.
When another TEDx event comes on my schedule, I look back on the previous photos on the blog. Without a doubt, getting involved with them has opened so many doors for me and my photography. Contact tracing the people they have connected me to has already spidered to places I could not have envisioned. Even more, the topics and speakers that I have been able to photograph has expanded my view of what and who is out there. These planning meetings really show the starting block of their efforts. Knowing their track record, I would get tickets for their next events as soon as they are available!
They had a packed house last month for Legacy – a TEDxTysons event! After setting a goal of selling out the State Theater, in fact they needed all the seats available! At this point, the team really knows how to market their events. Also, they work hard to polish the speaker presentations creating a reputation of producing valuable content.
Given that I really enjoy watching the videos from these events, I am sure this contributes to their success. Whereas you can get the message by streaming them, it is an experience to be in the room. The TEDx ‘Ideas Worth Spreading’ tagline is even more tangible when you immediately start discussions at the event. Selfishly, I hope the photos help in that case as well. Stay tuned to their website for more events next year!
