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!
The Tysons Chamber held the 2019 Board Installation last week at the Tysons Tower Club. Outgoing Chair Virginia Case reflected on her time heading the organization. Even though I have been involved in the marketing of their events, it was revealing to hear about all of the changes at once. Tucker Gladhill, the new Board Chair looked to build on these going forward in 2019.
In addition to covering the board installation, I also helped with an image update for the Chamber. Given that I am on the marketing committee, I would use these headshots for the website. Prior to the start of the formal presentation, I invited board members to a small set. For the most part, this was a very basic setup. I had a white background against the wall of the Tower Club. Then I set one flash through a diffused umbrella to make an easy soft light across the faces. Given that most of the board came through, this consistent look will be nice for the website!
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!
