So you just know there is a viral TEDx presentation in your future.
But before that happens you have to find a TEDx that will book you!
My name is Jackie Lapin and I am considered an expert at helping people get booked for speaking engagements. However TEDx events are very different than your average business meeting or conference keynote.
The TEDx booker will be looking for a topic that is different, compelling and offers a unique perspective that opens up people to a new way to experience the world—“an idea worth spreading.” Bookers will also want to ensure that you have an accomplished presentation style, so having dynamic video will be helpful. You’ve only got 18 minutes and it needs to be sparkling and brilliant! Some TEDx events are themed, so don’t even apply unless your presentation fits the theme or you are likely to suffer a rejection—or more likely–be ignored.
So to increase your potential to get selected, I suggest the following:
- Go to the website (TELL THEM THE WEBSITE URL HERE) and see what are the specifications for submitting. Some TEDx event have a full separate website with submission information. Others provide an email for the organizers where you can begin a discussion about presenting. However, others can only be applied to through the TED submission site.
- So have ready at hand a powerful description of what you intend to present, supported by a “speaker one-sheet” showcasing you as an experienced speaker if you have one, and you may even be required to submit an 18-minute “audition” video. Often there is a form that you must complete and submit.
- Want a great way to ease your way in? Go to the nearest TEDx events near you that are already booked and get a quick handshake connection with the organizers, get their contact information and watch to see what kinds of presentations they are selecting. Many organizers stay on and repeat their role the next year going forward. Some events even repeat more than once a year.
- If you missed a deadline, it’s likely the same event will repeat in the future, so start reaching out again once this one is passed, or watch for the next open submission date.
- When submitting, remember your presentation cannot be a sales pitch. It’s a showcase for you. It should demonstrate your expertise in your field and that you are an out-of-the-box thinker with “an idea worth spreading.”
- There are multiple ways to learn the tricks to getting booked and creating the compelling presentation that will get the attention of the TEDx organizer. One way is to attend a workshop offered by one of the accomplished speaker-trainers who specialize in helping leaders with their TEDx talks.
- The next way is to brush up on books. Below are a list of books that are a good starting place.
- TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking
Your chances of getting booked at a TEDx go up if you apply to multiple events. Because the one close to you may be booked a year out, or is looking for a different kind of speaker, or maybe is only booking people with mega experience and credentials.
Until now, there has been no easy way to see at a glance all the different TEDx within driving distance or a short flight without spending ours on the TEDx website in a major hunt.Â
After watching people get frustrated doing this, I realized I had to do something about it. So I got my team at SpeakerTunity Cities busy creating a TEDx Directory that brings it all together in one place.\
We’ve compiled 400 TEDx events and sorted them by date and by state/province in the US and Canada—including providing weblinks and organizer, plus organizer email where available.  Therefore it becomes very easy to find every TEDx in your state and nearby regions with a glance.Â
If you think this will help you get booked for that viral TEDx you’ve been dreaming about, than just go to www.speakertunity/tedx TO SIGN UP!